Philips Fidelio AS851 Docking Station - Audio for Android

Indented and Inclined

If someone mentions a docking station in conversation, it is safe to assume that the device is compatible only with Apple products. The proprietary connector offered by the iPod, iPad and iPhone along with Apple’s walled garden philosophy when it comes to its products, helps audio manufacturers plan their future accompanying devices in detail. Compare that to Google’s anything goes policy when it concerns the Android based devices and you will understand why there are so few docking stations designed for it.

However, that product segment might be shedding its reputation with a helping hand from Philips as they expand their vaunted Fidelio line-up to include four new-comers that are targeted exclusively at Android users. The Philips Fidelio AS851 is the best docking station on offer from the lot and will cost you S$349. That is about a hundred dollars less than what Philips charges the excellent Fidelio DS9/10 which is available to Apple users. Naturally we will be comparing the two products to gauge their worth. Will the Android counterpart match up in terms of performance and features?

Design and Feature

The AS851 is instantly recognizable as a Philips Fidelio product as it bears the hallmark curved back design that the other docking stations from the range also boast. The design of this particular speaker however has more in common with the higher-end DS9000 rather than the DS9/10. While the latter is convex and almond shaped, the Fidelio AS851 has a recessed and indented front face like the former. Instead of the wood grain finish, the AS851 has a glossy black exterior. In our opinion, the looks and aesthetics of the new product have taken a slight hit. Though they are likely to be compatible with Android smartphones, the air of classy, premium quality is somewhat diminished by the plastic demeanor.

In terms of girth and size, the Philips AS851 measures in at 421 x 157 x 140mm. This makes it smaller than the DS9/10, but far from being portable. Though easier to manage and handle, the Android docking station from Philips still requires a power adapter to function as it has no on-board battery, making it ill-suited for use on the go. At the back of the device you will also find a 3.5mm audio input connector and a USB port. While playback from the USB port is not possible, it is able to charge a secondary device in addition to the one you have docked.

When compared with the DS9/10, you will notice that the recess in the middle is not present, but the reflex ports for boosting the bass performance have been retained. We will be using our standard test tracks to determine how good the low frequencies sound on the AS851 as that particular spectrum of sound is usually very difficult for docking stations to reproduce with fidelity due to their size. Simple buttons for powering on the docking station, activating Bluetooth and controlling the volume are also present on the front. Sound itself is delivered by twin 3-inch full range woofers.

The Flexidock

The problem with Android devices with respect to docking stations, as mentioned earlier, is the non-homogenous design of products. Google lets the myriad of manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung and many others to decide for themselves what the best placement for the micro-USB port should be. While this may offer a great degree of freedom to smartphone makers, it means that audio accompaniments like sound docks become difficult to implement. That's why there are so few elegant docking options for the Android devices.

Philips seems to have found an elegant solution for the aforementioned problem with their patent-in-process Flexidock connector. Firstly, the Flexidock is capable of sliding left and right on a horizontal axis so as to accommodate the diversity of size, shape and design of Android devices. At the same time, the plug itself can be tilted forward and rotated a complete 180 degrees about a vertical axis so as to provide easy docking and to accommodate different orientations of the micro-USB port for different models.

Finally, the Flexidock also has two support blocks in order to provide stability for your docked device and their height of which can be adjusted individually with the help of a ratchet. While the ratchets might be somewhat hard to turn if you have big hands, the provision of the support blocks really helps. When we plugged in our Samsung Galaxy Nexus, it was quite wobbly until we adjusted the support blocks to make flush contact with the device. All in all, Philips seems to have found a good way to overcome the challenges of the Android device marketplace.

Bluetooth Playback

An important point to note is the fact that audio playback is accomplished with the help of Bluetooth connectivity. This means that unlike the Apple docking stations, the Philips Fidelio AS851 is unable to provide plug and play functionality right off the bat. Users must install the DockStudio applications from the Google Play store which facilitates pairing of your smartphone with the docking station. After the first time however, plugging in your Android smartphone with the AS851 will instantly trigger the DockStudio app to establish a Bluetooth link removing the "first time use" hassle.

The Bluetooth profile the Philips AS851 runs with is A2DP. As long as your device is compatible with its particular standards and protocols it should not be a problem to make use of the speakers. Windows Phone, iOS devices and even laptops can wirelessly stream music to the docking station. The only preferential treatment meted out to Android products it seems is the fact that they can be charged at the same time when they are docked. That is not a huge advantage since you can just as well plug in and charge your iPhone or iPod with the extra USB port provided on the AS851, while making use of the Bluetooth connection to stream music. It must also be mentioned that A2DP is a lossy standard and we will definitely be paying close attention as to how Philips’ choice affects the performance of the docking station.

Bring Out the Nexus

To test out the Philips Fidelio AS851 Docking Station we loaded up a Samsung Galaxy Nexus with our standard test track set and went to work. Running the latest Android Icre-cream Sandwich OS-based device should see how forward compatible the speakers are. It also provides an opportunity to see if the DockStudio application is optimized for the new mobile OS.

With respect to audio tracks, we have our usual selection of MP3s that are encoded at a bit-rate of 320Kbps and should provide a decent challenge for the AS851. We also tested with a variety of other non-core tracks to get a better feel of how the dock handles in general, but more emphasis is placed on the core MP3 test tracks for scoring purposes. The Fidelio DS9/10 passed with flying colors previously and has already set the bar quite high. Hopefully the new contender can provide the same quality of performance for Android users.

As always, we retained a neutral approach during our listening and made sure that our personal preferences do not color our judgments. Rather than prioritizing excellent bass or shimmering highs, we tried to gauge how close the speakers came to projecting a neutral tone that stayed true to the intended mix of the track.

Main MP3 Audio Track Testing:
 

• Hotel California - Eagles
• Sail on Soothsayer - Buckethead
• Melt My Heart to Stone - Adele
• Elements of Life - Tiesto

Where are the Details?

Before we start on how well the Philips Fidelio AS851 Docking Station performed with our test tracks, we would like to touch on the DockStudio application. Available as a free download from the Google Play market (formerly known as the Android Marketplace) the application helps establish the Bluetooth link between the dock and your speakers. While this process is not instantaneous, the waiting time was not significantly long or bothersome.

The application also has a built in alarm clock, access to internet radio and also displays the weather. Since the dock is for charging only, you can pull out your Android device from the plug out and walk around with it without the music skipping a beat (well until at least you're still in the vicinity of its functional range). However if you do receive a call on your phone, music streaming will cease until the call ends. Voice playback is not supported by the Philips AS851.

MP3 Test Track Suite

While the 3-inch drivers on the Fidelio AS851 are not as large as the DS9/10’s 3.5-inch drivers, they are still quite impressive for a docking station. The speakers have the necessary hardware to deliver sound and the curved design employed by Philips for the Fidelio range has proven itself in previous iterations. But will the lossy A2DP Bluetooth profile used for streaming music wirelessly adversely impact audio quality and performance?

To see if that is the case, we started off with the Adele’s blend of soul, hip-hop and RnB in the shape of Melt My Heart To Stone. The AS851 displayed strong, robust mids with a very strong center channel. This lead to the vocals hogging the spotlight, while other aspects of the song took a backseat. The underlying melody and string work was lost and we also did not hear the floaty reverb on the guitars that make this track normally enjoyable. The cymbals and bass drum thumps also sounded muffled and lacked their usual color.

Continuing with the trend of strong central projection, Sail On Soothsayer had solid projection as well. While the highs, experienced with the chiming guitar parts, were good, they lacked that certain bit of crispness which would classify them as truly great. Distortion was also way too muddy for our liking. Once again the AS851 delivered on the main part of the song but did not do justice to the entire mix.

On Hotel California, the docking station finally displayed evidence of having left and right channels as the staggered percussive melodies could be clearly discerned with their directionality intact. However, the soundstage was still very constricted and did not build up the live atmosphere of the track. Transient response was passable, but the shakers could definitely have sounded better.

We ended our listening tests with DJ Tiesto’s Elements Of Life. The forward momentum of certain passages was well captured by the Fidelio AS851. But once again the lack of adequate width for the soundstage made the track lose some of its ambient vibe. Another aspect of the docking station that this song brought to the fore was its lack of definition for the lower frequencies. Bass could have done with some much needed tightness as it sounded loose and sprawling during our playback of the track. 

On the whole, the Philips Fidelio AS851 docking station delivers good mids with a strong center channel. A constricted soundstage and subpar low frequency performance puts it a few pegs below its more illustrious compatriot the DS9/10. When tasked with more intricate tracks, it falters, quite possibly due to the lossy A2DP standard which is used for wireless streaming and audio playback. When tried out with some lossless recordings, the details and subtle nuances of the tracks were absent.

To Buy or Not to Buy?

The Philips Fidelio AS851 is one of the first Android docking stations that have been released into the market for mass consumption. Being a pioneer in some regards, it excels in certain aspects while fails to deliver on some counts. Obviously comparisons with the Apple compatible products from the same Fidelio series are also unavoidable.

Beauty is a subjective matter and if you ask us, we prefer the faux wood grain finish of Fidelio products such as the DS9/10 and the DS9000 when compared with the glossy, plastic finish of the AS851. In our opinion the former adds a certain air of class to the products, while the AS851 looks like a standard run of the mill product with average aesthetics and looks.

However the Flexidock, which is a patent in process design, elegantly addresses the problems presented by the non-homogenous placement of the micro-USB port on Android smartphones. In particular the support blocks with adjustable height ensure that no matter what model or make your mobile phone may be, it will be secure and stable when you plug it in.

Audio performance for the AS851 is decent but not great. With its strong center channel and robust mids, the speakers should easily handle regular music fare and top 40s. However if you have more eclectic tastes, the docking station might not be able to do full justice to your tracks. Definition for both extremes of the sound spectrum, low and high, was lacking during our tests. The device does have ample volume to provide sound for a sizeable space but a constricted soundstage means that there will be significant distortion of audio unless you happen to be standing dead center in front of the AS851.

While Philips is keen to play up the Android compatibility of the Fidelio AS851, there is no real advantage given to the brand. Audio playback is established via Bluetooth and you can as easily pair up an Apple device with the docking station. The Flexidock only provides charging for the docked Android device. There is a powered USB port than can be used to juice up other devices with the help of the right cables and hence evens things out. When it comes down it, the only advantage the Android devices have is one of aesthetics since they can be docked neatly at the front of the speaker unit.

The flagship Android compatible product from the new additions to the Philips Fidelio lineup, the AS851 costs S$349 which places it well within the budget of most consumers. For the price you get the ability to dock almost any Android device of your choice while still being able to use the speakers with iOS devices due to its Bluetooth capabilities. Audio performance is reasonable, but the lossy A2DP standard definitely prevents it from being in the same league as other previous Fidelio products. A constricted soundstage and a lack of attention to details means audiophiles will definitely not be satisfied. Unless you badly want an Android docking station, we would suggest you wait a while as more options become available on the market. Your other option would be to get other standard docks (such as the DS9/10) if audio quality is important but use the 3.5mm audio input option - a 'crude' method in this day and age, but it might be a necessity if you're running out of choice.

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