Philips HTS8140
January 19, 2009 by Insider Staff
This bar-and-subwoofer combo from Philips isn’t just a surround sound solution – it’s an entire home cinema system in its own right, sporting a built-in DVD player, FM radio and iPod dock. So, can that doyen of home theatre, Philips, deliver the most pumping soundbar, since that one Tom Cruise worked in, in the film Cocktail? Or is it more like the local ‘establishment’ in Lewisham. Read on…
Pros
The Philips HTS8140 looks fantastic and futuristic in equal measure. Tap a finger on the sparkling glass front panel and it slides across to reveal the disc tray. On the audio front, Philips’ Ambisound technology succeeds in “wrapping” the audio around you effectively, while the dedicated subwoofer serves up plenty of rumble and growl to give movies a low-end boost.
Cons
The system is a bit larger than most soundbars and, with the separate subwoofer, you’ll also need to keep some floor-space free. The sub also needs to be connected to the bar, and the lead provided is long and thick – so you could end up having to hide some cables after all.
Verdict
Despite some size and cable issues, the HTS8140 is an impressively squashed down home cinema that produces the goods when it comes to both picture quality and surround sound. Its built-in upscaler means DVD pictures are pushed to near-HD standards, while Ambisound sprays audio effects to every corner of your room – a bit like your incontinent cat, only more pleasant.
Picture quality
Sound
Style
Features
Value
Overall
Sounds like a spiffing Soundbar? Get chatting about the Philips HTS8140 on the PriceRunner forums.
Related Articles:
- Samsung HT-X810RWant to hear explosions, screams, babies crying all around you? Then move to Lewisham. Alternatively you could get Samsung’s HT-X810R soundbar. This 2.1 system provides 5.1 virtual surround sound, has a wireless subwoofer and a built-in upscaling DVD player, all for your audio-visual pleasure. But will it really sate your AV cravings? There’s only one [...]...
- Group test: Home cinema soundbarsSetting up a home cinema needn’t be a hassle: if you want to avoid a mess of cable that makes your lounge look like a plate of spaghetti from your local Italian, and a load of hulking speaker boxes that make you feel like you’re in a night club, then you can opt for an [...]...
- Yamaha YSP-40D review Yamaha was the first firm to commercially launch a home cinema soundbar, and we’re glad they did. But can the YSP-40D match the high standards the Japanese company has set itself? With a gut-busting array o connections, including two HDMI inputs, an HDMI output, two optical digital audio, two coaxial digital audio and two [...]...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Rate this article
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...
[...] it really sate your AV cravings? There’s only one way to find out… Pros As with the Philips HTS8140, this is a soundbar with a DVD player built-in and bass that comes courtesy of a separate [...]
[...] Click to read the full review >> Go to the Philips HTS8140 product page >> [...]