Philips Fidelio B5 - Review 2022

The Philips Fidelio B5 soundbar arrangement isn't short on options. For $699.99, it includes a central soundbar, a wireless subwoofer, and two wireless rear satellites that can also be added on either side of the soundbar or used as individual Bluetooth speakers. The system can be used in 2.1 or 4.1 modes, making it easy to switch between music and moving picture playback. From an audio standpoint, the powerful subwoofer and crisp treble delivered by the tweeter are fabricated fifty-fifty more versatile by the ability to adjust both bass and treble. If you lot accept $700 to spend, this four.1 system won't disappoint.

Design

The Fidelio B5'southward main soundbar component measures two.8 by forty.7 past 6.1 inches (HWD, the width drops to 28 inches when the side speakers are discrete), with black textile speaker grille and a central aluminum bar running vertically down its middle. This is where the power push button is located, and backside the grille are white LED readouts indicating what mode you lot're in. Dual three-inch drivers and dual ane-inch soft-dome tweeters beneath the grille project audio forward and upward.

On the rear panel of the main soundbar, there are two HDMI inputs, aux, coaxial, and optical inputs, and an HDMI ARC output. The included ability cable besides connects here. Unfortunately, the Fidelio B5 doesn't ship with any HDMI or optical cables, which is pretty silly for the price.

Measuring 20 past 7.9 by 7.9 inches, the tall, rectangular subwoofer sits upon sturdy rubberized feet to prevent it from moving due to vibrations from its half dozen.5-inch driver. On the rear panel, in that location'due south a connection for its included power cable, and a power push button. When powered upwards after the main sound bar is turned on, the Fidelio B5 automatically connects wirelessly with the chief speaker. If for some reason the connection is lost, there's a manual Connect button on the speaker's rear console.

You tin can stream audio via Bluetooth to the Fidelio B5. Equally mentioned, the detachable side speakers can be used every bit rear satellites for surroundings sound or as portable Bluetooth speakers. They measure ii.8 by six.iv past 6.1 inches each and output 8 watts from a single iii-inch driver. Regardless of whether they're being used for movies or as portable speakers, they need to be charged—they charge when docked to the master soundbar and concluding up to 10 hours.

A remote command is included, along with the ii AAA batteries it needs. The rounded black-and-metal wand has buttons for switching between the diverse inputs, Bluetooth pairing, track or scene navigation, play/pause, volume, bass level (there's a range of -6 to +6, with 0 as the default, apartment setting), treble level (same level range as the bass levels), Voice style (for focusing on dialogue), Music mode (for stereo playback when the side speakers are docked), Movie mode (for rear aqueduct surround when the side speakers are undocked), rear volume, audio sync (for adjusting the minor filibuster between video and audio), Auto Volume Leveling, Night mode, Dim (for dimming the LEDs), and Calibration.

Every bit for the Calibration button, when setting the organisation upward, you lot can have information technology calibrated to your room. It'due south a quick process that involves placing the rear speakers first where y'all'll be sitting and and so where you will actually place them when watching movies. In both scenarios, the system volition run a quick calibration test to ensure ideal performance based on their placement and your seating organisation.

In Motion-picture show mode, the Fidelio B5 sounds far more than powerful and bass-boosted—the sub becomes a forcefulness of nature. In Music mode, the sub's presence is more understated except at the very highest bass levels.

Performance

On Chapter xiii of the Pacific Rim Blu-ray, with the Fidelio B5 in its 4.1 wireless surroundings array, the speakers deliver a crisp, articulate response with a powerful bass rumble from the sub. The explosions and massive robot brute stomps sound powerful, and when you boost the bass and treble, things can get quite intense. The rear speakers play a strong supporting function, and for those who desire to hear a piddling more or less of their presence, they can be boosted or dialed back.

On Chapter two of the Casino Royale Blu-ray, the gunshots and explosions receive some added depression frequency dial and depth. Later on in the film, quiet dialogue between Bond and M is delivered with crisp clarity, whether in Moice way or not. Generally speaking, Moving picture mode delivers an exciting, dynamic listening experience that deploys deep bass rumble through the subwoofer without sacrificing overall clarity—the wireless rear channels piece of work quite well, making for an immersive iv.1 experience, and the Voice button does a solid task of making up for the lack of the key dialogue channel that would've fabricated this a 5.1 system.

Next, we tested the Fidelio B5 in Bluetooth music way, with the the rear speaker connected to the sides of the main soundbar to form i long bar. (To be clear, you can use Music manner when the rear speakers are non docked, as well.) On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Pocketknife's "Silent Shout," with the bass level at 0, the Fidelio B5 delivers commendable bass depth, and does then at loftier volumes without distortion. Of form, if you dearest powerful deep bass, yous tin really push things to the limit here—at +6 with the book maxed out, the Fidelio B5 is more likely to rattle frames off your walls before it actually distorts itself. At more reasonable bass levels—say, +3—the lows are delivered with intensity, but with clarity as well. A decent rule of thumb might exist to heave the treble the same amount you lot heave the bass—it doesn't negate the added bass power, but it maintains residuum and offer a clearer overall response.

Neb Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, sounds almost pocket-size in terms of bass presence when the Fidelio B5 is prepare to 0 on both bass and treble. Boosting both to +3 lends some added torso and fullness to the drums, which have the potential to sound thunderous on bass-forward systems. Taking the bass to the maximum level certainly pushes the drums to a heavier place, but this doesn't audio terribly natural. At around +3 for both bass and treble, the guitars and percussion hits get a squeamish, bright snap to their attack, and Callahan's rich baritone vocals—the about obvious bass presence in the mix through these speakers—become some added loftier-mid clarity.

Sticking with the +iii setting for Jay-Z and Kanye W'south "No Church in the Wild," nosotros hear only modest bass depth—the most prevalent sound is the assail of the kick drum loop, which has some serious loftier-mid punch to it. But the sub-bass synth hits sound more than raspy than heavy here—until y'all dial the bass upwards to maximum level, and then you hear their rumble. So, messing around with the EQ will let you to achieve all sorts of sound signatures, but the default, pure form of the Fidelio B5 is actually a rather apartment, dialed-back frequency response.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound total and rich through the Fidelio B5 at near any reasonable bass and treble setting (including 0 for both). If you boost the bass besides high, it pushes the lower register instrumentation out of its supporting office and into boomy and unbalanced territory, but otherwise, the sound hither is vivid, well-baked, and rich.

Conclusions

The Philips Fidelio B5 delivers an immersive environs feel, and better yet, does so without cumbersome cables connecting the sub and rear channels to the main soundbar. When the side speakers are continued to the bar, the audio is still compelling, making the system equally adept at handling music and movies. In all, this is a very solid sound soundbar that earns its loftier $700 price by delivering powerful audio and wireless convenience with lilliputian hassle.

We're also fans of the JBL Bar iii.1 and the LG SJ7, which deliver powerful sound quality for $200 less. And if you're shoping on a budget, the Polk Signa S1 delivers a fantastic audio experience for the price. If yous can beget $700, all the same, the Philips Fidelio B5 is definitely worth your consideration.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/review/19034/philips-fidelio-b5

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