Philips BT3500B/37 Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker
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Product Specifications
- Advanced audio performance with a slim design
- Anti-clipping function for loud, distortion free music
- Wireless music streaming via Bluetooth
- Built-in microphone for hands-free phone calls
Impressive with 10W RMS
Product Description
Style:NFC | Product Packaging:Standard Packaging Quality style and big sound merge in a body so slim it can be slipped in everywhere. Built-in NFC technologies makes smartphone pairing as easy as a touch.
Product Reviews
Great sound, also serves well as a Speaker phone
I got this for 50 bucks on a Todays’ Deal 2 days ago. I was undecided between this model and the bigger model (which costs 20 dollars more), but chose this model due to its having microphone. I got tired of carrying a portable boombox around for my wife’s dance group practice, as well as their stack of CDs. Got this 2 days ago and already put it to good use. Now anyone in her dance group can link to it from their phone, and they can even play music directly from youtube, which relieves me from having to manage their dance music CD collection.The sound is loud enough and does not sound bad at all. I’m a live-sound engineer & musician who deals with powered PA speakers every weekend, and this doesn’t sound bad at all for its size. I love the volume dial as it can be cranked up/down quickly unlike the + - buttons on most electronics nowaday. Build quality seems to be quite good, too.I used the unit as a speaker phone today while on a conference. Not sure how it sounds to the other parties, but did not hear anyone complain. I’m glad I picked this model for the mic, and I’m sure I will be using it as speaker phone a lot more in the future.The only thing I think it needs is to be weatherproof. But then, it’s not a big deal. It’s easy to hold as it’s about the right thickness for the palm, it does feel substantial when I hold it in my hand. There is a fold-able built-in stand in the back side that can prop the unit up at about 30-degree and 45-degree angles (could have been better if it can accommodate 60-degree angle).I haven’t looked into how to replace the rechargeable battery, or how much the battery costs yet. But then, I can always plug it in while playing.Some specs from the User’s ManualRated Output Power: 2 x 5WSignal to Noise ratio > 62dBABluetooth version 3.0Range 30 feetPower Supply through USB socket 5V 1ABuilt-in battery Li-polymer battery (3.7 V, 2200 mAh)Hope that helps.
Dropped to 4 stars after phone conversation.
Took only a few minutes of charging to get Bluetooth recognition. I’ll probably keep the USB cable plugged in permanently since I’ve read reviews where this is an issue. Primary use is to listen to music on my iPhone5s while working on my computers. Speaker sound isn’t high quality but it’s better than the speaker on my phone for sure and I only need some background music - wasn’t looking for super quality here.I also purchased an Ugreen Slim This 3.5 mm audio cable as backup. Sound volume is better with the direct connection cable but fine with Bluetooth. I’m a bit hard of hearing and phone reception in my area isn’t the best with AT&T so I’m anxious to use it for telephone conversations in a hands-free mode. Kind of hard to hold phone and still work at my computer.Update: Just tried the unit with a telephone conversation. Pretty bad. I had to turn the volume all the way up and hold it up to my ear and it was still very faint. Phone isn’t 2 feet from the unit. Music on the phone did pause like it’s supposed to and picked up when the call was over. May have to try an earpiece Bluetooth unit. Oh well, music is still good.
There are some very good reasons to by this speaker–and some not to buy …
There are some very good reasons to by this speaker–and some not to buy it.In my opinion this speaker was made for a very different target audience than speakers like the Solemate and the Beats Pill. For one thing the controls seem designed to appeal to an older crowd. I remember when Neil Armstrong took that one small step for mankind on the moon, and I’ve just never been happy with all these push buttons that serve two or three different purposes. I tried an Oontz speaker and couldn’t get it to work. I’m not going to use my speaker for music, so I do not want track forward and track backward buttons, especially if I’m going to confuse them for volume up or volume down, which was the case with the Oontz. On this speaker the volume control is a large silver knob, which works great. Thank you, Philips! Better yet, the other major control is a little slided that has three positions: Off, Bluetooth, and Aux In. Slide it to BT and a little light glows blue. Slide it to Aux In and the light glows red. Turn it off and the light doesn’t glow unless the unit is charging, in which case it glows red. The upshot is that it’s really easy to know which function you’ve got. Just look at the light. I love the controls on this speaker. They’re absolutely perfect. The only slight hitch is in the button that enables the unit to pair. This button also answers the phone, and it’s smaller and not as easy to find as I would like, but after fumbling around with the Oontz and getting everything wrong all the time I can live with that one button serving dual purposes. This unit is slightly larger than I expected, but it’s slim and has rounded corners and seems designed to slide into a business case. Nothing will fall off or get broken. I looked at the Solemate, but I thought it would be a lot bulkier than I wanted. It’s thick and wouldn’t be as easy to set on a nightstand, for example. Now for news that I think will either sell this speaker or cause you to look elsewhere: if you’re in a conference room with clients and everybody is wearing their best ties and talking money, if you pull this speaker out of your bag and set it on the table to used as a speakerphone or provide audio for a screen presentation, nobody is going to think you borrowed it from your teenager. It looks very professional. The speakerphone function works find, and it gets loud enough to work in a decent-sized conference room. It also pairs easily, and when it pairs it makes a small audio tone that wouldn’t sound out of place in a business setting. I bought this speaker specifically to provide audio for my iPad or iPhone when I travel and I want to stream a movie on Instant Video. So far when I have to make business presentations I’ve never had to provide the projector–I have one, just in case–and I never have audio. However, if that ever changes I already have the speaker I need.Now for the sound. If you’re wanting to provide the jams for your next block party, I would recommend looking elsewhere. This speaker does not have a bass port, and it derives all of its sound from two small drivers. I don’t consider myself an audiophile, but when I listen to music I like to hear crystal clear highs and a good low end. I also like a nice sound stage. This speaker does not excel in any of those areas. It’s not that it sounds awful, but realistically speaking no speaker this small is going to create the rich, full sound you expect from full-size speakers. Of course I’m also not impressed with the JBL Flip 2, the JBL Charge, the UE Boom, or the Bose Soundlink Mini, all of which I auditioned and rejected, mainly because I didn’t like the way any of them sounded. There’s no soundstage at all in any of those speakers, and none of them have good highs. Once I lowered my expectations for the sound, I concentrated more on the controls–and this speaker came out on top. For movies and as a speakerphone it will work fine. I also plan to use it paired with my iPhone when I’m using it as a GPS, and I expect it will work out well for that purpose as well. Your mileage may vary, but that’s my take on this Philips speaker. I’m giving it four stars because I like it a lot. If it sounded a little nicer and the button to answer the phone were larger and easier to find I’d give it a fifth star.Update 9/7/2014 – I’ve been using this speaker quite a bit to provide audio for TV shows and movies, and it performs great. The battery life and sound are both very good. Last night I watched Star Wars–just Star Wars–which of course has a lot of thundering music and good sound effects. The movie sounded fine, and I even noticed that some of the sound effects sounded quite “directional”. An enemy fighter would zoom across the screen, and it sounded like it was moving from left to right. From a speaker this small that’s more than I could ask, to be honest. This is a good speaker.
Awesome product.
As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I highly recommend this product. It fits neatly into a shirt breast pocket, and when showing videos to people on their doorstep, the volume and clarity are more than adequate, and you can’t beat the price (around $35). A single charge is good enough for 8 hours. If anyone looks at you funny because they hear the sound coming from your shirt pocket, just tell them that you “are speaking from the heart” :-)
it does sound pretty good. My biggest complaint is the instructions
Admitted, it does sound pretty good.My biggest complaint is the instructions, THEY ARE HORRIBLE!!!
Not new.
The speaker is fine, as far as I know. However it said it was new but there was some clear wear and tear.
Five Stars
Great. Way to easy to use!
Four Stars
Good sounding speaker for the money, battery life is just OK. Has decent volume and is easy to use
Four Stars
Great Product
Not that great.
Easy set up and nice sound unless you use at full volume - will hear “crinkly sound” like rattling along with the music.
The speaker works fine.
I didn’t receive the USB cable for PC charging. The speaker works fine.
Five Stars
super little device for music.
Five Stars
Sound is great got it for my husband he loves it
DON’T BUY
comments powered by DisqusCompany shipping defective products as refurbished. Intermittent sound/ My cheap Blox Speaker works much better and is easier to connect and manage with multiple Bluetooth…
