Philips HTS 6600 review

Looks aren't everything - the HTS660 fails to deliver on performance Tested at £500.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

It certainly looks the part, but this stylish system lacks the extra class when delivering sound and vision

Pros

  • +

    No doubting the style and quality of finish

  • +

    plenty of bottom end

  • +

    detailed image

Cons

  • -

    Subwoofer and satellites don’t integrate

  • -

    harsh treble

  • -

    noisy picture

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Style and substance are not always the happiest of bedfellows. And this easy-on-the-eye Philips 2.1 cinema system falls right in to the aforementioned trap.

This system undoubtedly looks the part.
The main unit is from the B&O school of design, with a sliding disc that's only missing movement responsive control (as found on B&O products). Still, the remote does the job, even if we found our control was a little sluggish responding to commands from time to time.

Set up is fairly quick, and indeed a touch limited on the audio side, while picture menus are more familiar, even if a large immovable menu makes adjustments a little trickier than normal.

The two speakers and main unit connect to the large subwoofer via dedicated cables; the subwoofer provides the main unit's power, too. In terms of connections we have an HDMI out – capable of sending a 720p/1080i signal – plus USB and MP3 player inputs.

In terms of performance, we're not exactly blown away.
While the picture is detailed and colourful, with a decent balance, there's a fair amount of noise introduced. Audio, while big and broad, suffers from an over-bearing bass, poor integration and a harsh, hard treble.

This Philips unit will appeal to some, but it's not one for all.

What Hi-Fi?

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