0303WHC04 Philips System Group

24/1/03

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Systems Group: Bass-busters

Philips LX8000SA

he Philips LX8000SA home cinema system has the kind of styling that divides opinion. With its rather unsubtle, in-yer-face design, youll either love it or hate it. The main unit looks considerably more expensive than its asking price, and it brings surround sound movies and the high-end Super Audio CD (SACD) format for music into the home in one extremely lavish and well-made package. But despite the main units impressive looks, its the speaker package that really stands out, and the tall slimline satellites look very distinctive. With the ever-growing number of one-box home cinema systems on the market, they certainly set the Philips system apart from the crowd, although the industrial looks are unlikely to have universal appeal. The satellites super-thin shape is down to the ribbon tweeter that produces treble, and is the kind of technology usually reserved for much more upmarket hi-fi speakers. The combination of the black metal speaker grilles and silver
The Philips LX8000SA puts in a powerhouse performance
cabinets gives the satellites a muscular appearance; they look like they belong on the set of the original Terminator movie. The front stereo speakers come with aluminium speaker stands and are rather monolithic when placed either side of the television set. But all the satellites can also be placed on a bookshelf or mounted on a wall for a more permanent and discreet installation, if preferred.

Test Scenes

Spider-Man

Green and pleasant

Thanks to the Philips strong and intense colour palette, the green grass outside the science museum has a richer hue than than usual

Serious bass

The Philips subwoofer is one of the few to be housed in a light grey cabinet. But despite the soft finish, its no shrinking violet. Its not that its big or bulky, but the two-speaker driver units, visible through the black metal grille, give it the impression that it can produce some serious bass levels. Well see. And things get even better when it comes to features. The LX8000SA is very well stocked in this department and it has one of most comprehensive onscreen menu systems we have seen. It isnt the easiest to navigate due to its use of non-descriptive icons, but once you get to grips with it, theres plenty of adjustments to tailor the system to your particular requirements. Connections are plentiful and include an RGB-enabled Scart for top-quality pictures and a range of audio inputs to hook up external sources. Surprisingly, the LX8000 doesnt incorporate Dolbys Pro-logic II

Roar power

As the jet-powered glider is demonstrated, the subwoofer brilliantly reproduces the roar of its powerful engine, filling your room with bass

Battle royale

When Spider-Man and the Green Goblin go head to head, the sub kicks some serious butt
What Home Cinema March 2003

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Recommended Screens

Philips 32PF9964
Sometimes owning kit from one manufacturer is easier than going down the route of mixing and matching. Philips 32in plasma is a more-than-worthy screen for the Philips system. It looks the part and produces great pictures from DVD. Costs around 5,000

Philips 32PW9527

Another Philips TV, this time, a standard 32in CRT model. But theres nothing standard about its performance, as this 1,300 TV was our Best TV of 2002
processing for digital-like surround sound from stereo sources. However, its ace is its multi-channel SACD playback capabilities, which will appeal to anyone who wants to hear every nuance on the better-than-CD music format. Pictures from the LX8000 when watching Spider-Man are very decent. Colours seem more vibrant and the colour palette seems geared for strong and intense colours. Reds and greens seem particularly strong, making the green grass outside the science museum look more lush than usual. Skin tones err towards redness, and Tobey Maguires face looks pinker than usual as he is embarrassingly tripped up aboard the school bus. But even if the colour palette is little too intense for your liking, the LX8000SA has several picture settings for you to choose from and also lets you make your own personal adjustments for the best possible pictures to your TV set.

Ass-kicking audio

But its in the sound department that the LX8000SA really kicks ass, which is no surprise given its macho appearance. As the jet-powered glider is demonstrated, the muscular subwoofer roars, filling the room with spectacular bass sounds. It copes brilliantly with the more raucous balcony sequence as Spider-Man and the Green Goblin go head to head. The eyecatching satellites create a spacious, crisp and clean sound that immerses you in

Sony KP44PX2U

This 1,800 Sony rear-pro TV takes some beating. At 44in, its bigger than most plasmas, and looks gorgeous. Reviewed as part of our group test of rear-pro models last issue, it got a Best Buy badge
stunning surround effects. Youll be running for cover as it recreates with aplomb the mayhem of the Times Square showdown. Dialogue is not quite as clear as it could be, and voices sound muffled and slightly muted. Pressing the voice button on the remote handset goes some way to improving its clarity, but dialogue still ultimately lacks presence. Indeed, although this a bass-beast, turn the volume up too high and its not just the centre that struggles. Best suited to modest rooms. Youll be pleased to hear that the Philips musical credentials rock, too, and it is one of the few one-box systems that can also playback SACD material. Two-channel stereo material is well handled, and Robbies Escapology album has a tuneful bass and smoothness that makes it very easy on the ear. Surprisingly, considering Philips support for the SACD format, the satellite speakers partnered with the LX8000SA seem unable to cope with the broader dynamics of the format at higher volume levels. All in all, the Philips LX8000SA lives up to its tough-guy looks, and puts in a powerhouse performance. Styling is unlikely to appeal to everyone, but its handling of movies and music is very respectable, and the inclusion of SACD is an added bonus. A well-specified beast of a cinema. Further Info
Call 9070 or visit www.philips.co.uk

Good Points

Impressive bass sounds and decent picture performance. SACD playback will appeal to anyone who wants to hear music with every nuance

Bad Points

Its looks are a matter of personal taste. Not suited to large rooms or loud volume levels. Icon-based menu system can be difficult to get to grips with

Overall

If big bass sounds and powerful looks are what youre after, the Philips has them in droves, plus decent performance elsewhere

Ratings

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Oomph Value Overall

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0302WHC02 Philips System

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Philips LX8000SA
The head-turning Philips LX8000SA is as big on features as it is on style. Could it be the complete home cinema system?
he Philips LX8000SA has the kind of looks youll either love or loathe. Designed to standout, it looks more expensive than it is, and offers surround sound movies and high-end Super Audio CD (SACD) music in one well-made package. Despite the main units impressive looks, though, its the speaker packages slimline satellites that will have you drooling. Their slender shape is thanks to the ribbon tweeter that is used in the satellite speakers, and is usually found in more upmarket hi-fi speakers. Their black metal grilles and silver cabinets make them look like they belong on the set of an old sci-fi movie. The front speakers come with aluminium speaker stands and look monolithic when placed either side of the TV set. The satellites can also be placed on a bookshelf or mounted on a wall for more discreet installation. The subwoofer is a muscular model and looks like it can produce some serious bass. When it comes to features, the LX8000SA is well stocked and has one of most comprehensive onscreen menu systems we have seen. It may not be the easiest to navigate due to the non-descriptive icons, but once you get to grips with it, you can tailor the system to your requirements with ease. In terms of picture connections, the Philips has one Scart (equipped for RGB) and also offers S-video output. Sadly, it does not come with component video output. Sound-wise, it doesnt boast the latest Dolby Pro-Logic II, but it does have multichannel SACD playback

Test Scenes

Bad light
Low-light sequences can show up some picture noise and theres some noticeable blocking in the very darkest sequences

French better

The LX8000 packs a powerful punch great bang for your bucks. It has a spacious, crisp and clean sound that will immerse you in stunning surround effects and it recreates the feel of the damp Parisian streets of Ronin in your living room. Bass effects rumble along enthusiastically, but its not the best-controlled model and it clearly struggles in the scene where the gang launches its ambush. It copes better with the roaring engines as the car chase races full-throttle through the narrow streets. Meanwhile, the satellites do a wonderful job of putting you in front of the wheel or on the dangerous streets, depending on the onscreen action. Dialogue is not quite as clear as it could be and Robert De Niro sounds more muffled than usual, but pressing the voice button on the remote control improves clarity. The Philips musical abilities are impressive and David Grays A New Day at Midnight has a tuneful bass and a smoothness that makes it easy on the ear. SACD playback is very respectable, but the satellites seem unable to cope with the broader dynamics at higher volume levels and can easily distort. The Philips LX8000SA is a very respectable home cinema system. Its performance with movies and music is impressive at the price and the inclusion of SACD is a bonus. Its styling is quirky but the systems Further Info muscular looks are backed up Call 9070 or visit by a muscular performance. www.philips.co.uk

Cut to the chase

The satellites do a great job of putting you at the wheel of the car as the spectacular car chase goes full throttle through the narrow streets

Good Points

Decent picture and sound to rival any similarly priced system. SACD playback and a very comprehensive menu system

Bad Points

Its looks will only appeal to some. Sub and satellites dont like high volume levels. Icon-based menu system

Overall

An attractive package at the price and SACD playback is a bonus. Unique-looking speakers wont appeal to everyone

Ratings

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall

5555555556

What Home Cinema February 2003

Home Cinema System

for better-than-CD sound quality, and will appeal to anyone who wants to hear every nuance on the high-end format. Picture quality when watching Ronin is impressive, with natural-looking skin tones and a good colour balance present throughout. The LX8000SA also has many picture settings for you to choose from, and it lets you make your own adjustments without altering the setting on your TV set. Black levels are the biggest bugbear; the LX8000 makes them look noisier than usual, and blocks can appear in the darkest sequences.