Philips DS9800W/37, DS8800W/37, DS6800W/37, DS3881W/37, DS3801W/37 Product Brochure
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Obsessed with sound
Contents
Obsessed with sound
Philips sound heritage
03 Dening sound since the 1920s
05 The radio goes global
06 A legend of the recording industry
08 The birth of portable audio
09 The CD revolution
10 Pioneering connected audio
11 Fidelio heralds a new era
For inquiries, please contact:
Irene Wong
BG Lifestyle Entertainment
Philips Consumer Lifestyle
irene.wong@philips.com
www.philips.com/fidelio
www.facebook.com/philipssound
© 2012 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without the prior
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does not form part of any quotation or contract, is believed to be accurate and reliable
and may be changed without notice. No liability will be accepted by the publisher for
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Philips competencies
13 Fidelio sound
14 Golden Ears
15 Design and acoustic engineering
17 Fidelio SoundSphere
Philips experts
19 Sound and acoustics innovation engineers
21 Design consultants
Philips Fidelio
23 A new milestone in Philips sound history
25 Headphones
L1
M1
31 Docking speakers
SoundSphere
Primo
37 Wireless Hi-Fi
41 Home cinema sound
SoundHub
SoundBar
The journey continues
Obsessed with sound
Philips holds a special place within the world of audio. An admired innovator, Philips is
responsible for numerous ground-breaking products including portable radio, the compact
cassette and recorder, compact disc, and wireless Hi-Fi. Philips continues to evolve the
listening experience with the launch of its premium Fidelio range, offering even the most
sophisticated audiophile the ultimate in sound enjoyment.
Philips’ obsession with sound has taken it on a journey from bringing sound to everyone,
to dening the standards of what we hear and how we experience it. As Philips nears its
centenary in audio innovation, we share our philosophy and introduce you to the people
who have made this possible. Join us on our sound journey - Philips’ quest to improve and
enhance the listening experience of music lovers, offering them the most authentic sound
possible: just as the ar tist intended.
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Philips sound heritage
Dening sound since the 1920s
Philips has pioneered advancements in audio for almost a century. Its researchers and
engineers have been responsible for bringing to the world numerous innovations that have
transformed the way we enjoy sound today. We are the pioneers that introduced the cassette
tape and portable cassette players, the compact disc and the rst DAB digital radio.
The quest for the most authentic sound reproduction is one which has driven Philips since the
early days of radio. It all started in 1923 when Philips produced the Miniwatt radio valve.
Not satised with the radio valves that were available at the time, Philips produced a smaller
and more powerful version that needed far less electrical energy than the previous types.
This meant that the headphones which had been used by radio listeners, could now be
replaced by a loudspeaker, allowing families to enjoy sound together as a shared experience.
This was the rst in a long line of innovations which would cement Philips’ position as one of
the most important players in audio history.
On the packaging of the Miniwatt radio valves was the iconic Philips shield logo with its
familiar waves and stars. Reecting the role of sound within the company, the waves
symbolized radio waves and the stars represented the evening sky because at the time,
families would gather around the radio set in the evening to listen to news and entertainment.
Chapel Radio, 1931. This iconic radio set was nicknamed ‘The Little Chapel’.
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A legend of the recording industry
Philips has a strong heritage in recording which began with the acquisition
of Hollandsche Decca Distributie (HDD), the exclusive Dutch distributor
of Decca Records in 1942. Whilst Philips had produced gramophones for
some time, the management wanted to ensure that the company also had
an interest in recording and record manufacture and so in 1950 Philips
Phonograsche Industrie (PPI) was formed.
PPI played an important role in introducing the long-playing vinyl (LP)
record to Europe and it had a worldwide distribution deal with Mercury
Records. With the goal of becoming the largest record company in
Europe, PPI focused on alliances, and in 1962 merged with Deutsche
Grammophone Gesellschaft (DGG), famed for its classical repertoire and
owner of Polydor Records.
By 1972, the merged company GPG would reinvent itself as PolyGram
and Polydor Records in the US, acquiring a range of famous American
and British labels such as MGM Records, Verve, Casablanca, Pickwick and
Decca. The height of Polygram’s success was during the disco craze of
the 1970s, thanks to multi-million selling LPs and 45s from ar tists such as
The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, The Village People, Kool & the Gang and
soundtracks for blockbuster lms Grease and Saturday Night Fever.
For a short while it was the world’s biggest record company bolstered by
acquisitions of other famous labels such as Motown, Def Jam and Polar,
which held rights to the ABBA catalogue. Sadly, the company’s fortunes
dwindled and it was sold to Seagram in 1998 to become Universal Music.
It survives to this day thanks to the reissue of music under the Polydor
Records label.
Speech by Dutch Queen Wihelmina and Princess Juliana via a Philips short-wave transmitter, 1927.
The radio goes global
A radio valve featuring ve electrodes - the pentode - was the
next major development by Philips, introduced in 1927. It was
an invention which was to stay at the forefront of electronics for
a number of years - this was an electron tube with high output
power which could be controlled in such a way as to minimize
signal distortion - a step towards the purest sound Philips has
always strived for.
In 1927 the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Juliana were
able to speak to their compatriots in the East and West Indies
via a Philips short-wave transmitter which had been set up in a
laboratory. The rst ever of its kind, it was greeted with national
excitement. Encouraged by this, Philips set up a world broadcasting
service - the N.V. Philips Omroep Holland-Indie.
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To demonstrate the sensation of radio sound on a large scale,
Philips set up ampliers with a large number of loudspeakers at
public events. What became known as the ‘Voice of the Giant’
caused a tremendous stir.
Philips continued to enrich the everyday lives of people when it
developed and brought to market a small domestic radio set in
1928. This was released at the same time as the most powerful
transmitter in the world, also built by Philips. These radio sets would
soon be found in homes all around the world, as Philips brought
quality sound to the masses. The one millionth Philips radio set was
produced in 1932 and the hundred millionth radio valve, produced
in 1933, meant Philips was now Europe’s biggest manufacturer of
radio valves, and the world leader in radio sets.
Philips Phonograsche Industrie (PPI) and gramophone records, 1950s.
The birth of portable audio
It was not just sound quality that Philips focused on. It released a long line of product
innovations which were ground-breaking for their time, integrating the premium sound
quality which had become synonymous with the Philips name.
Following World War II, Philips manufactured tape recorders for magnetic sound and
playback. However, these products did have a major shortcoming: the loose reels meant that
threading the tape was a ddly task and this restricted their use to professional applications.
Philips began the development of a compact battery recorder with a cassette system
in 1961, and two years later the world’s rst compact cassette recorder was presented at
the International Radio Exhibition, Berlin.
This ground-breaking product had both tape reels in a single plastic casing to overcome
the problem of loose reels and was conveniently small in size. It was originally conceived for
dictation rather than music but as record companies recognized its potential, Philips decided
to license the cassette format for free, thus establishing Philips as the founder of portable
audio and a new format that would become a world standard for many years, ushering in
a new era for music enjoyment. In 1966, the rst albums on cassette were released under
the Philips-owned Mercury label. Further innovations followed with the introduction of the
portable cassette radio in 1966, the rst car radio with built-in cassette player in 1967,
and Hi-Fi stereo cassette recorders in 1973.
Thanks to its compact size and capacity for two-hour listening, by the 1970s the compact
cassette had become one of the most popular formats for pre-recorded music alongside
the LP and years later the CD.
Record stores in 1960s
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The word’s rst compact cassette recorder, 1963.
The CD revolution
Just as the popularity of the compact cassette was at its peak,
Philips was preparing to unveil yet another ground-breaking
innovation in audio. From 1974, a team of researchers at Philips’
labs in Eindhoven, The Netherlands started work on a project to
develop a 20cm optical audio disc with sound quality superior to
that of the large and vulnerable vinyl record. What they ultimately
revealed to the world in 1979 was a smaller 11.5cm optical audio
disc they named the ‘compact disc’ in line with the Philips compact
cassette. Aware that international standardization was key to the
success of this product, later that year Philips joined forces with
Sony and the two companies collaborated on establishing the
global Red Book standard for digital audio discs.
Philips’ researchers had succeeded in their objective: the music
reproduction was of an unprecedented quality; without interference
and noise, insensitive to light ngerprints, dust and scratches.
The rst album to be manufactured in the new CD format was
The Visitors, ABBA’s eighth and nal studio album in 1981.
By 1983, what is considered the ‘Big Bang’ of the digital audio
revolution took place as CD players and discs were widely released
in the United States and other markets. Many of the early adopters
of the new technology were classical music enthusiasts which
benetted Philips due to Polygram’s strength in the classical genre.
As prices for CDs came down and they became more affordable,
the CD would revolutionize the record industry and the way the
world listened to music at home thanks to improved sound quality,
durable materials and the ability to skip whole tracks in an instant.
All these improvements helped Philips rmly establish its reputation
as an undisputed global leader in audio.
CD-100 - The world’s rst CD player, 1983 (Invented by Philips in cooperation with Sony).
Streamium MC-i250 - The world’s rst wireless broadband internet micro Hi-Fi system, 2003.
Pioneering connected audio
Hot on the heels of the compact disc came the FW-i1000 - the world’s rst integrated
audio device connecting to more than a thousand internet radio stations. This was shortly
followed in 2003 by Philips Streamium MC-i250 - the world’s rst wireless broadband
internet micro Hi-Fi system. Designed for the emerging ‘connected home’, this wireless
product was a pioneer in connected entertainment and the forerunner of wireless speakers
we enjoy today. It was the rst audio product to offer access to multiple online music
services and streaming of digital music from multiple devices on a home network.
The MC-i250 was followed by a number of products marketed under the ‘Streamium’ name
with the slogan ‘Don’t dream it, stream it!’. These provided traditional home enter tainment
combined with access to audio and video content from a PC, media server or thousands of
on-demand online entertainment services.
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1931
1955 2012
1963
1983
1992
2000
2003
2010
‘Chapel Radio’
Radio Receiver
Philetta Radio
Compact
Cassette Recorder
World’s First
CD Player
Digital Compact
Cassette Recorder
Super Audio CD Player
Streamium Wireless Broadband
Internet Micro Hi-Fi System
Fidelio heralds a new era
Building on its credentials in audio, Philips continues to innovate with
the launch of Fidelio - a range designed to appeal to the most discerning
music lovers. It is based on an understanding that if you truly love
sound, ever y detail matters: whether it’s your favorite song or a movie
soundtrack, you want to experience sound and all its nuances exactly as
the artist intended.
Fidelio Primo
Docking Speaker
Philips Fidelio
As connected living and changing lifestyles transform the way we
enjoy content, Fidelio heralds a new era for Philips. Featuring docking
speakers, wireless Hi-Fi, headphones, and home cinema sound, it offers
a comprehensive range of premium products, all characterized by
unparalleled sound quality, craftsmanship and leading-edge connected
functionality.
The creation of the Fidelio range is the next chapter in Philips’ illustrious
sound journey. By incorporating the best possible components with
innovative acoustic design and advanced sound technology, Fidelio is
testament to Philips’ continued obsession with sound.
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Philips competencies
Fidelio sound
Golden Ears
At the heart of Philips’ audio division lies a team of exper t engineers
and technicians who share a common desire: to create products
capable of exceeding anticipated sound quality. Collaborative and
committed, this team inuences Philips sound signature. Despite being
surrounded by the very latest monitoring and testing equipment in
their innovation labs, one group of technicians choose the human ear
to help rene each product, resulting in the superior sound clarity and
warmth you expect from a Philips product. Years of experience have
earned this respected panel the name ‘Golden Ears’.
Today, thirty Golden Ears specialists, trained to detect the smallest
nuances in sound, are located at four audio innovation sites
worldwide. All products go through a sound quality engineering
process. It begins with the Golden Ears panel dening a listening
standard, to ensure the product outperforms others available in a
similar price range. Many blind listening tests and measurements are
conducted in order to dene the target sound.
A functional prototype is then developed using the intended key
components and architecture of the nal product. It is at this stage
that components and design features are optimized and nalized in
order to best match the product with a purchaser’s budget. Prior to
launch, all products must pass the nal Golden Ears blind preference
test against competitor products: only then it is ready to enter tain our
customers.
Thanks to the tireless endeavors of its acoustic engineers, Philips has
maintained its position as a leading innovator in audio for almost a
century. It is their creativity and inquisitiveness to think beyond the
boundaries of current technologies which drives their ideas for new
products. Extensive research into emerging technologies, competitor
activity, blue sky thinking from universities and innovation networks
ensures they keep one step ahead of the game.
Fundamental to the success of the product development process
is the ability to tune into the needs and aspirations of the end user.
Understanding the consumer is the cornerstone of Philips’ sound
engineering philosophy. Married with exper t knowledge of sound,
the engineers strive for solutions which will improve the everyday
lives of sound aspirers and create products which deliver sound just
as it is meant to be heard.
However, nding the right product proposition goes beyond an
appreciation of consumers alone. The engineers work closely with
the marketeers and product designers. They consider factors such
as potential markets, technological feasibility and sales channels to
ensure that concepts reect Philips’ values and sound philosophy of
best in class sound, design and connectivity before an idea can be
fully developed.
An interview with Bram Vandenholen, Philips
Innovation Architect, on how Philips comes
up with new products
“Inspiration for new audio products can be triggered by almost
anything, from everyday life to consumer reviews. We dedicate
time to research, attending conferences and exhibitions to inspire
our thinking and work closely with other Philips teams to identify
product innovation insights.
Once we have a concept in mind, we test it as early as possible,
anticipating and considering features product users would like. In
parallel we also look at the technology within the product to see
if it is feasible. All of this happens without losing focus of Philips’
values, ensuring we nurture creativity from the entire team.
We have an innovation framework in place to help stimulate ideas.
The most important thing to value is time. Philips understands
that it takes time to come up with amazing new ideas.”
Our Golden Ears have one clear focus: to ensure our customers will
love Philips sound.
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