Rating: 
Summary: philips mc500
Review: Awesome shelf system for little money.CD, AM/FM Tuner,AUX, USB PC Link GOOD:
The USB PC Link feature is a very neat add-on. You can use this system as computer speakers. So you really have the opportunity to save a lot of money, eliminates purchasing a sound card and regular computer speakers, which wont compare to the amazing sound of the Philips MC500. How does it work?
Simply install the USB PC Link driver software on your PC and then connect it to your sound system via a USB cable. The control buttons on both the sound system and remote control provide easy navigation and control of the MP3 music stored in the MusicMatch Playlist. Sit back, relax and enjoy the music experience as there is no need to run to your PC to Play, Pause, Stop or Skip tracks. You can also view the song title information as well as elapsed play time on the audio systems display. The MusicMatch installer software bundled with the USB PC link models is compatible with all PC operating systems that support USB. BAD:
The USB cable they include is very short, you'll need to purchase a usb extension cable if you plan on having the system
several feet away from your pc. PC System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
Intel Pentium MMX200 or higher
CD-ROM drive
USB port
Free hard disk space:15mb for the software (musicmatch and drivers)
Rating: 
Summary: Cute, Small and POWERFUL!
Review: GOOD
- LOTS of power (50x2W RMS)
- Amazing sound, excellent bass (I recommend leaving on the MAX Sound if you'd like more bass)
- Excellent price
- Easy to setup
- Reliable
- Excellent Size
- Very nice modern look
BAD
- The remote control cannot turn the stereo on
- The USB cord is WAY too short
- Power cord is TOO short
- CD Changer is LOUD and SLOW
- Discontinued model, being replaced by MC530/537
TIPS
- Leave the MAX Sound on if you'd like more power from the stereo (especially true with bass)
- Plug this stereo to your computer using the AUX instead of USB. This gives you more flexibility to your sound as you can use the EQs on your favorite MP3 player to enhance the sound to your liking
- To turn the power on using the remote, simply press either of the CD, AUX, Tuner, USB buttons located on the TOP of the remote
- If you are experiencing a HUM from the stereo, make sure ALL of the connectors are connected PROPERLY and SECURELY
Amount Paid: $180 CAD
Owned Item For: 6 Months
Recommend: YES, I recommend this to anyone that is looking for an alternative to regular computer speakers, these are absolutely great
Rating: 
Summary: A Service Horror Story!
Review: I bought this Philips Mini Hi-Fi CD player/tuner in Dec. 2003 and for about a year it was fine. Then about one week after the manufacturer's warranty had expired (Dec. 2004), the CD player stopped working. The CD drawers would not open and the CDs would not play. Fortunately, I had purchased an extended 2-year service contract so I thought I was pretty well covered to get the item fixed or replaced.
Before I get to the interesting part of this story, let me just say that when the unit was working, it was fine. Not exactly an audiophile's preference in sound quality, but adequate for the use I put it to. It played CDs pretty accurately and the tuner was average as far as signal strength. The unit plays 5 CDs but the system is very noisy when changing from one CD to another. The front of the unit is crammed with buttons and it is not easy to learn how to use them. Even the owner's manual is not very clear. It will only shuffle tracks within a CD and cannot shuffle tracks between CDs. There is a way that you can use the program function to accomplish this but it is very complicated and time consuming. The unit does seem to have adequate power (100 watts) and the speakers are crisp and clear. The tuner has average signal strength on FM but very poor on AM. You can connect the unit to a PC via a USB cable supplied for downloading music, but I have not tried this. The system only cost $120. so I was not expecting to be overly impressed.
The real fun began when I started the process of returning it for repair. Since I assumed that the unit would be covered under the service contract, I called the phone number on the contract. The person I spoke to gave me a short list of two service centers in my area. The first one I called said they do not repair these units and the second one was more than 1 hour's drive away, which translated into more than 4 hours of driving to bring the unit there and to return to pick it up. They also said they were not sure they could repair it.
My last alternative was to return it to Philips, so I called them and they gave me instructions as to where to send it and what information to include, such as RS #s, RMA #s, how to pack it, what to include, what markings to put on the carton, etc. So after following their instructions and sending it via UPS at a cost of $12 with insurance, I also was instructed to call them back and give them the UPS tracking number. I did that and was told that it would take approx. 10 days to have it fixed or replaced. I should mention that I also included a letter inside as per their instructions, detailing what was wrong with the unit and that there were still 5 CDs inside that I would like to get back with the repaired unit or removed from the unit if it was unrepairable and shipped back with the replacement.
Now it really gets interesting! After 12 days and hearing nothing, I called Philips to get a status on the repair. There are three different numbers available. One is on the User's manual, which is different from the one on the service contract, which is still different from the one on their website. The person on the other end of the service contract number said they have nothing to do with this service because it was sent back to Philips under the manufacturer's warranty (which in fact it was not). The number on the User's Manual referred me to call the website number. When I called them, I waited 11 minutes for someone to pick up the phone, which was a recorded message telling me to hold on for the next available customer service representative. After waiting another 6 minutes a person answered and told me they would have to transfer me to the "status desk" to get information, so I waited on this line for more than 20 additional minutes listening to elevator music until the connection was just cut off. I went through this scenario 2 more times before finally giving up. So far, I had spent approx. 2 hours trying to get some information......all to no avail.
I then tried their website, which has a live chat link to a customer service representative. I waited about 15 minutes for someone to respond to that. When I told them the whole story, they said there was nothing they could do and advised me to call the status desk. I explained to them that nobody is picking up the phone at the status desk and they said there was nothing they could do about that. They also said they were changing the RS # because they are deeming the case as closed. EXCUSE ME!!!! What's closed? Where's my unit? How do I find out where it is?
So back to the phone and Musak for 25 minutes more until someone finally picks up. I immediately ask to speak to a supervisor. The young lady says she will get one. Ten minutes later, she is on the phone saying she is still trying to locate one....please hold on. Finally a gentleman answers and after hearing my entire story, states that there is nothing he can do but advise me to call back and ask for .......yep, you guessed it......the status desk! After my hoarse voice was able to state once again that nobody answers the phone at the status desk, he gave me their direct number so I wouldn't have to go through the whole menu of items when I call again. When I told him that having a direct number isn't going to help if nobody picks up the phone, he simply said that was all he could do for me.
At about this time, I received a call from the first person I spoke to at 9 a.m. that morning (it is now 2:30 p.m.) who was from the service contract department. She said that she received approval from her supervisor to send me a replacement unit although it would probably not be the same model. I said fine. She said she would send me a letter proposing to send me a new unit and I was to call her back if I agree to accept it. I said I agree, I agree, I agree...send it. She said no, she can't do that. She has to send me the letter first! When I get the letter, I should call her and tell her I agree! I'm not kidding.....you can't make this stuff up.
It's unbelievable.......pea soup bureaucracy......and it's their product that stopped working! And I had a service contract that I paid for!!
When I asked about getting back the CDs that were stuck in the unit that went to Philips for repair, I was told that if I'm lucky I'll get them back. What lucky?????
If the unit cannot be repaired, then open it up and remove the CDs and ship them back to me. They are mine aren't they? Or perhaps this is how the repair technicians at Philips build up their CD libraries?
On Jan. 12th I finally received a call from the status desk in response to a message I left during one of the many calls I made. A gentleman said he was going to email the repair depot to research my case and that he would call me back by 3 p.m. that day. It is now Jan. 16th and I have not heard from him.
I am posting this review at this time because I have received my replacement unit (but NOT my CDs), and I will never buy another Philips product again. I would not accept a Philips product for free if I had to go through this maze of incompetent customer service and bureaucratic fog to get service or information. If I do not get my CDs back, this letter will also be posted on every website that sells Philips products and an edited version will be sent to the CEO of Philips, USA.
My advice to all the readers of this review......think twice and very carefully before purchasing a Philips product. It may work fine for a while, but if it ever needs service, be prepared to take some time off from work to spend on the phone... and keep a bottle of aspirin or brandy nearby to deal with the frustration about to be heaped on you. Good luck!
(NOTE: For those readers of this review who feel that it was off-topic because I did not elaborate on the technical and performance aspects of the product, let me just state that I felt it was more important to emphasize the appalling service program offered by the company. Most of the mini-players in this price range are average performers and my objective in this review was to warn the readers to avoid the Philips brand when considering a purchase.)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent System for amazing price
Review: I got this system for just a little over $100 and found it worth more than the price. Though there is no bass control, I hardly find the need to tweak the bass. Infact the bass is amazing for such a small size. The sound quality is excellant. Setup doesn't take more than a minute. I have connected it to my DVD player and I really enjoy the sound.
Rating:
Summary: Good price for maximum performance
Review: The sound is excellent. I use it my room to make it livelier not to make neighbours think they living next to a disco. although it could easily be used for that, too;-). I had a bad experience of receiving a malfunctioned one at first so I had to return it, which is responsible for 4 stars in addition to the fact that MP3s can only be played through a computer and not via burnt CDs packed with MP3s, which was what I thought of at first!
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not perfect
Review: The sound is good. A little too much bass for my taste but overall the quality of the sound is acceptable.
Design is nice and practical. Everything is fine except 2 issues:
1. CD changer is very slow and kind of noisy
2. I had problems with MP3 streaming from my laptop. Sometimes it worked fine but sometimes just skipped and it was not acceptable. Anyway, this mp3 streaming is adding actually just a remote for your computer so it is no big deal.
I kept the unit for a week then I returned it because of the mp3 streaming problems.
Rating:
Summary: Great value
Review: This stereo has excellent sound quality, especially considering its very low price. It's nice and compact and can fit easily on a bookshelf. Overall, I've been very pleased with it. The only drawback that I can tell is that it is relatively slow to switch from one CD to another.
Rating:
Summary: Great value
Review: This stereo has excellent sound quality, especially considering its very low price. It's nice and compact and can fit easily on a bookshelf. Overall, I've been very pleased with it. The only drawback that I can tell is that it is relatively slow to switch from one CD to another.
Rating:
Summary: kickin' stereo
Review: This stereo is awsome. It is compact but plays sick beats loud enough to blow your socks off. This is the unltimate practical shelf system + it has a good price. This stereo is worth every penny you put on it! The only downside is that the mp3 streaming program isnt adapted to windows xp. Great buy for rockas redy to pump some serious nirvana!
Rating:
Summary: The Best System Out There
Review: This unit is great! Great sound for its size, even at low volume. It also has great connectivity with your PC through its USB port. It also has a max sound feature when you want to go BOOM BOX. My only complaint is that the CD trays (there's 5 of them) make the usual clanky noises that cd changers make...oh well you cant have everything. But still, this unit is a class act and I have no regrets getting one.
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