Product face-offs
Philips SA9345
| Autonomie | 20 h audio ou 2 h vidéos |
| Se recharge via USB | Oui |
| Capacité mémoire | 4 Go |
| Tuner FM | Oui |
| Enregistrement | Non |
| Connexion | USB 2.0 |
| Formats supportés | WMA - MP3 (DRM), WMV (DRM) |
| Dimensions | 46 x 9,4 x 93 mm |
| Poids | 50 g |
Good earphones
The earphones that come with the SA9345 are the Philips SHE 2550. Contrary to those that usually come with portable audio players, sound production here is entirely satisfactory.
It is well balanced and dry; however basses saturate above a certain volume.
These earphones strongly remind us of the Philips SHE 2850 to which we gave 4 stars and the SHE 2550 shows the exact same audio performance. The only difference is that there is no volume adjustment on the SHE 2550.
Available separately, these earphones are sold for a price of 7 €.
Michael Jeulin
Test date: 2008-01-02
Test date: 2008-01-02
Amongst the many portable audio and video players that Philips is releasing, here is the Streamium SA9345. With its reduced size and weight (46 x 9.4 x 93 mm for 50 g), it has 4 GB of memory and a 1.8 inch screen touted as being a large and bright display (here we can’t help smiling). This player is the only in the Philips line to offer SuperScroll tactile control. Moreover, at 25 Euros more than the iPod Nano, it is supposed to be its direct competitor.
In terms of appearance, it resembles other current Philips releases. Therefore, there is the usual plastic glossy face which is subject to finger smudges and scratches. We could have hoped for something better given that adjustments are made via a tactile pad (which strangely enough resembles that of the Thomson Black Diamond). Also, this control wasn’t too precise and takes some getting used to. The Lock/On-Off button found on the side is hard and takes a little too much strength to adjust. Its other defect is that the tactile pad can be locked but you still have access to the volume control. A mistake?
No real surprises for sound quality
After having tested the Philips SA6145, we were somewhat apprehensive in starting sound tests. However, there was one nice surprise. The standard earphones are of good quality which is something rare for portable audio/video players. However, unfortunately the sound produced by the player itself is equivalent to that of the SA6145, in other words, basses and mediums are heavy and highs are too precise. All of this is combined with a lack of intensity in volume.
How about a little video?
In looking at a short test video, we immediately noticed that the screen is really too small for comfortable viewing. It measures 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) versus 2 inches (5.1 cm) for the iPod Nano. Moreover, the small size doesn’t even hide its defects. Like all Philips players and even with bigger screen sizes, the matrix is visible, and reactivity and fluidity are poor. This is contrary to the announced 24 FPS (frames per second). Using the same software as other models in this family, there are the same problems with file transfers similar to those with the SA6145. No video (even in WMV format) can be directly played on the SA9345 and you will have to convert them via the accompanying software. And unfortunately, it’s impossible to convert Divx files.
In terms of appearance, it resembles other current Philips releases. Therefore, there is the usual plastic glossy face which is subject to finger smudges and scratches. We could have hoped for something better given that adjustments are made via a tactile pad (which strangely enough resembles that of the Thomson Black Diamond). Also, this control wasn’t too precise and takes some getting used to. The Lock/On-Off button found on the side is hard and takes a little too much strength to adjust. Its other defect is that the tactile pad can be locked but you still have access to the volume control. A mistake?
No real surprises for sound quality
After having tested the Philips SA6145, we were somewhat apprehensive in starting sound tests. However, there was one nice surprise. The standard earphones are of good quality which is something rare for portable audio/video players. However, unfortunately the sound produced by the player itself is equivalent to that of the SA6145, in other words, basses and mediums are heavy and highs are too precise. All of this is combined with a lack of intensity in volume.
How about a little video?
In looking at a short test video, we immediately noticed that the screen is really too small for comfortable viewing. It measures 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) versus 2 inches (5.1 cm) for the iPod Nano. Moreover, the small size doesn’t even hide its defects. Like all Philips players and even with bigger screen sizes, the matrix is visible, and reactivity and fluidity are poor. This is contrary to the announced 24 FPS (frames per second). Using the same software as other models in this family, there are the same problems with file transfers similar to those with the SA6145. No video (even in WMV format) can be directly played on the SA9345 and you will have to convert them via the accompanying software. And unfortunately, it’s impossible to convert Divx files.
- Design
- Earphones
- Carry pouch
- Audio and video quality
- Screen too small
- Imprecise tactile screen
This player can’t really challenge its competitor the iPod Nano. It is however one of the rare products that comes with good earphones that you don’t have to replace.
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