Philips GoGear Muse 16GB review

In terms of performance this Philips is perfectly adequate, but there are much better choices out there – without even including Apple Tested at £130.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Though fine in many ways, the Muse isn’t the best portable media player, even if you take Apple out of the equation

Pros

  • +

    Nice looks and solid build

  • +

    (mini) HDMI output

  • +

    very good software

Cons

  • -

    Lacks audio and video sparkle

  • -

    operation isn’t as slick as it could be

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The Philips Muse runs Songbird – very good software indeed. This program can gather content from a number of others, including iTunes, and as long as it's not DRM protected, will automatically convert it to one of its compatible formats.

It will handle MP3, AAC, FLAC and APE natively. It's even happy with 720p AVI video files.

Asked to play a lossless FLAC file of Wild Beasts' All the King's Men, the Philips responds with a direct and fairly tonally balanced delivery, as long as you avoid the slightly hollow and fat ‘Full Sound' setting.

It lacks punch, drive and dynamic agility, though, and trebly edges would benefit from slightly greater control. Performance-wise, then, the Philips is perfectly fine but it falls short of the best.

And the same is true of its usability. The touchscreen is pretty clear, but it's just not as slick or responsive as an iPod Touch, sealing it's fate as an also-ran in this highly competitive sector.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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