Philips HTL4110B/12 2.1 Channel SoundStage Speaker with Integrated subwoofer

I quite like the idea of the Soundbase. I've a 'proper' surround system hooked up to our main TV. However, on a 32" that sits in another room, my criteria was fairly simple: something that would improve the sound from the TV's inbuilt speakers. If I can connect other stuff to it too, specifically a small mini hi-fi system, all the better. A soundbar was an option but most would either need wall mounted or sit in front of the TV. With a Soundbase, the TV sits on-top so it's quite a tidy solution...I hadn't initially considered Philips when looking around. I'd initially been set on Denon's DHT-T100 but this doesn't have any HDMI inputs. I'd also considered Canton's DM50 (fantastic reviews but no HDMI and a bit on the pricey side at £400) and the Bose Solo TV Sound System (again no HDMI, no Bluetooth and fairly expensive). The Onkyo LS-T10 was another option but again, is bit more than I was looking to spend at £300.It was What Hi-Fi's high regard for two Philips soundbars (the HTL5120 gets a 5* review whilst their HTL9100 was their 2013 soundbar of the year) that led me to look into their range. The snappily titled HTL 4110B/12 doesn't seem to be widely available in the UK. Before buying, I scoured the internet for reviews and found vey few in English. In fact, when the soundbase arrived (from Amazon), it came with a European two pin plug! However, as it uses a standard figure of 8 mains lead, this was easy enough to replace with a UK equivalent for only a pound or two outlay.It's got a solitary HDMI connection, digital optical, coaxial and analogue phono inputs. There's also Bluetooth with NFC (Near Field Communications) for your smartphone and a USB socket on the side. Round the front, there's an on/off button which doubles as a volume control, small display (shows the source - ie. HDMI, Optical etc or volume level), and source button to flick through the various inputs. It also comes with a small remote control.Connecting it up took less than 5 minutes.First thing I'll mention - it's quite big, the same length as the 32" TV itself. There are various sound modes - it supports Dolby Digital and the inbuilt Philips Virtual Surround Sound transforms any stereo source into multi-channel surround sound. Or so it says. Like Yamaha's Air Sound Xtreme, I'm not wholly convinced by this. Maybe I'm comparing it unfairly to my actual surround sound system but it's never going to give you the same level of immersion.Having said that, testing it with the Avengers movie on Blu Ray, the integrated subwoofer does a commendable job of handling the end battle sequence, giving just the right amount of bass without being overpowering. Dialogue is clear and uncluttered. There's also plenty of detail to the background effects. A definite improvement over the TV's speakers. The sound easily fills the room and the soundbase does appear to go pretty loud if needed! Not exactly surround sound although it makes a reasonable stab at imitating it!Bluetooth pairing is simple and it connects to my iPhone in seconds. Sound quality from music was also extremely good, both from the Bluetooth and also from my stereo, now connected to the red and white phono inputs.There are a couple of sound modes which you can access using the remote(such as clear, warm etc). The instructions are fairly limited so it's a case of flicking through them to see what suits your preference. Nice additional touch though.Overall, it's made a big improvement to the sound from my TV, looks quite unobtrusive under the set and strikes the right balance between sound quality, functionality and price. I'm really happy with it.

I liked the product but returned it because there was some very minor damage but also because it arrived with a two pin plug and when I spoke to Philips customer services they informed me that this particular model code number ie/12 was made for the German market and stated that although it would probably work without any problem with a three pin power cord there might be an issue with the guarantee if things did go wrong. She just said there had been issues with this but wouldn't elaborate. I am in fact still trying to find a supplier of the product for the English market!

Great product, great price and swiftly delivered. Very good value for money and fantastic quality, it could be a tiny bit louder though although it depends on the source, Freeview TV is quietest while streaming TV is louder and Blu-rays are loudest - which is fine.

Sounds good. Only downside is I cannot find a way to control the volume level from our skybox remote control, so yet another remote floating around...

Philips tv site perfectly on it

I do wanted this to complete my setup with a recently purchased ambilight TV. Unfortunately after waiting 2 days for it to arrive, the unit I received was faulty and would not power on. To make matters worse my return was cancelled and I had to rearrange it so that I could get a refund. This did happen very quickly and I've already purchased an alternative.

Works very well but disappointed that when 'plugged in' it does not cut of the sound from the TV which has to placed on mute. Pity that the remote cannot be aligned to work with the TV remote as we now have another remote to find or lose.

Didn't work to start with - turns out the remote battery was faulty. Amazon was supposed to follow up and check that the issue was resolved but heard nothing - no follow up, bit poor.