To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more

Philips Streamium NP2900 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £219
inc VAT

The moment we started playing a file through Philips’ latest Streamium it was obvious that the NP2900 was a cut above your average streaming audio player.

Although it measures just 99x347x69mm, it produces a beautifully rich, warm and powerful sound.

We’re usually sceptical of sound-enhancing features, but Philips’ LivingSound uses clever processing to allow the four small speakers to produce a big sound that filled our labs. You can use the NP2900 as a powered speaker via the stereo phono inputs, while coaxial S/PDIF and mini-jack sockets handle audio output.

The NP2900 supports a wider range of formats than many other audio streamers here, including FLAC, Ogg and AAC, as well as the usual MP3 and WMA audio files. It only supports UPnP streaming but comes with the excellent TwonkyMedia Manager software, which is very easy to use and supports more formats than Windows Media Player.

The Streamium’s 3?in colour screen can display album artwork and sleek-looking menus. The remote control is one of the best we’ve seen; it’s comfortable, clearly labelled and has plenty of short cuts. All that’s missing is the ability to page up and down or fast-scroll through long lists. An alphanumeric keypad on the remote makes it easy to enter wireless passwords and even register your email address to receive access to Philips’ Streamium services. These allow you to control your internet radio listings through an online portal.

Adding new internet radio streams is easy, but the only music service the NP2900 supports at launch is Rhapsody, which you’ll have to pay to use after your first free month. It doesn’t support the massive range of online services available to Logitech’s Squeezebox Boom, but the NP2900 can’t be beaten for sound quality. It’s a little expensive, but this is the perfect streaming audio receiver for your sitting room or bedside table. It’s our Best Buy.

Basic Specifications

Rating *****
Media Streamer type streaming audio receiver

Audio Compatibility

Audio MP3 playback Yes
Audio WMA playback Yes
Audio WMA-DRM playback No
Audio AAC playback Yes
Audio Protected AAC playback No
Audio OGG playback Yes
Audio WAV playback Yes
Audio Audible playback No
Other audio formats FLAC, eAAC+
Internet radio stream compatib AAC, MP3, WMA

Video Compatibility

Video MPEG-1 playback No
Video MPEG-2 playback No
Video MPEG-2 VOB playback No
Video MPEG-4 AVI playback No
Video MPEG-4 MP4 playback No
Video MPEG-4 DivX/XviD support No
Video H.264 support No
Video MPEG-4 MP3 audio support No
Video MPEG-4 AAC audio support No
Video WMV playback No
Video WMV-HD support No
Other video formats none
Internet video stream compatib none

Image Compatibility

Image BMP support No
Image JPEG support No
Image TIFF support No

Network Interfaces

Wired network ports 10/100
Wireless networking support Yes
128-bit WEP Yes
256-bit WEP No
WPA Yes
WPA2 No

AV Interfaces

Minijack line outputs 0
Minijack headphone outputs 1
Stereo phono outputs 0
Coaxial S/PDIF outputs 1
Optical S/PDIF outputs 0
Total SCART sockets 0
HDMI outputs 0
Component outputs 0
S-video output 0
Composite outputs 0
Other connectors stereo phono inputs

Physical

Size 99x347x69mm
Antennas 1
Internal/external antennas external
Upgradeable antenna No
Power consumption standby 4W
Power consumption on 6W

Server Compatibility

Software included TwonkyMedia
UPnP Yes
iTunes No
SlimServer No
SMB No

Buying Information

Price £219
Warranty one year RTB
Supplier http://shop.philips.co.uk
Details www.philips.co.uk

Read more

Reviews