Philips Fidelio DS9000 review

Despite the lack of a separate subwoofer, bass was almost overpowering and we were disappointed to find no audio controls to adjust this. All you get is a volume control – with a proximity sensor that illuminates the buttons as your hand approaches. If you dock an iPod Touch or iPhone, you’ll be prompted to install the Fidelio app. This has its own music player, although you can only play playlists, not browse your library. If you navigate to your music library, you can use the remote to browse it, and we had no trouble doing this with an iPhone 4.

It also has a clock and alarm, but you need to leave the app running for the latter to work. Hidden away is the most useful feature: a graphic equaliser. This has various presets, but a user mode allows you to control the sliders to subdue the bass.

Our panel of judges was split between preferring the Zeppelin and the DS9000, and the overall consensus was that both were as good as each other. Some preferred the Zeppelin’s clarity and better stereo separation while others loved the warmth of the Fidelio and the thumping bass. Of course, if you don’t own an iPod Touch or iPhone on which you can install the app, you’re better off with the Zeppelin’s balanced sound. The DS9000 seemed more powerful, though, and more capable of filling a large room.

Another of the Fidelio’s advantages is price since it costs £30 less than the Zeppelin. This could give it the edge if you’re otherwise undecided. We narrowly prefer the DS9000 for this reason, plus it’s more responsive and better-designed remote control. However, the lack of a physical bass control means it misses out on an award.