Philips Wacs700 HiFi system (Philips Wacs700)

Member Name: soundsexciting

Product:	Philips Wacs700
Date:	21/10/05 (3441 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wireless Client/Server Hifi. Hard drive to store CD's, no messy speaker cables

Disadvantages: no alarm function

This is a revolutionary Multi-Room HiFi that allows you to stream music from the server to up to 5 additional clients placed anywhere within your home.

In terms of specifcation, you can read up on it by simply searching for this on google. I'll quickly go though the main points. 40gig hard drive allowing for up to 750 CD's to be stored (assuming 10 tracks per CD each of 4 minutes duration). Wifi capability allows music to be streamed from the server to the clients. Updatable Gracenote database that recognises a CD as soon as you put it in. Track info displayed on both clients and server. 2 way remote allows the same info to be displayed on the remote as well. Music selection by title, artist, genre. Simple iPod like menu system. Lovely. All thats in the literature on the Philips website. Go take a look.

Instead of a normal review I'm going to describe a scenario in which this unit will show itself to be superior to traditional HiFi's.

You're having a party. You have yet to purchase the WACS700 and instead have a HiFi capable of chucking out loads of decibels. You've had to make full use of the volume control so that the music in the living room can be heard throughout your house and garden. People sitting in the same room as the HiFi are unable to talk to each other because they can't hear each other. People in other rooms simply hear a dull bass drumming sound and can just about make out what song is being played. Your neighbours are in the process of calling the police. You have about 30 minutes before they come knocking on your door.
The month after the party you get sued by 3 of your guests for the damage done to their ears.

Okay so now forget that old technology malarky and look at the same party taking place with a WACS700.

The music in the living room can be independantly controlled to that in the rest of the house. Sound levels, bass, treble even the music that is playing on each unit can be customised to the individual room (perhaps its a kids party and the children are in one area and the adults are in another).

This time the sound in the living room doesn't have to radiate through to the rest of the house. You can keep the volume levels at a respectable level allowing for a mature party where people can talk to each other without damaging their ears and which doesn't annoy your neighbours. You've set up clients in various places in your house. The room next door has one, the conservatory has one, there is even one in the garden and the downstairs loo :).

The system is set up in 'Broadcast' mode allowing for all the clients to play the same track as the server but it doesn't have to be. You could decide to play different tracks in each room.

Before this was released, the closest you could get to the functionality would be to purchase a Bang and Olufsen Multi-Room system using a cable to connect the clients. You would also have to take out a second mortgage in order to buy one and it wouldn't allow the clients to be fully independant of the main server. The Bang and Olufsen doesnt even come with a Gracenote database.

Philips have created a product that is rare in the market place. Its innovative. Its stylish. Its practical. Its expandable. You can buy additional clients as and when you need them. There is nothing on the market that comes close to the WACS700.

It sells for £599 in Currys and for that you get a server and a client.
I bought one from my local HiFi shop for £650 and this was with an extra client. I urge people to take a look at this thing. If you're in the market for a HiFi then this requires serious consideration.

I've just bought an extra client to put in my bedroom. Its great being able to listen to your music collection in the comfort of your bed. The only downside is that Philips neglegted to include an alarm function in the system so you still need a separate alarm clock.

In addition to the extra client I've now also managed to connect the HiFi to my wireless network at home. This now enables me to play the music stored on the Hard Drive on my desktop PC and also my WiFi enabled laptop. Effectively I've now got another 2 clients. This system is absolutely great.

Summary: A Multi-Room HiFi that allows you to stream music from the server to up to 5 clients around the home

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