Philips Streamium SLA5520i review

The SLA5520i is the cheapest model in Philips' Streamium range, costing just £64. This is evident as soon as you take it out of the box. It's a lightweight device made largely of uninspiring grey plastic and it has a very thin footprint, which means it topples over if you accidentally knock any of the cables. The supplied cables (power and mini-jack-to-RCA) stick out of both sides with no cable-tidying hooks or covers: it certainly won't complement a stylish and expensive sound system.

But after getting over the flimsy faade, we grew to like the SLA5520i. Setup is simple: once the network is detected, you can quickly enter your WPA key (WEP is also supported) using the remote. The Streamium initially had trouble detecting our server PC, but an automated firmware update solved that problem in seconds.

To access your music, you can use the supplied Philips Media Manager software, which is fairly average, but the Streamium is also UPnP-enabled. In fact, if you use Windows Media Connect (or Windows Media Player 11) you'll be able to play back DRM tracks as well as unprotected WMA and MP3 files. Navigation is simple thanks to the remote - scrolling through lists becomes progressively faster the longer you hold down the buttons.

Although the LCD screen has six lines, the top and bottom ones are occupied by the clock and various status indicators. This restricts browsing somewhat: for example, browse by genre and you get a cramped list of titles with no artists, so you need to know your library well. But the "Jump To" button allows you to skip to the desired letter in any list instantly.

To use the internet radio, you're required to register, but it's easy enough: enter your email address, follow the instructions on the Club Philips website and in seconds the radio stations of Live365, radioio and several other networks become available. Three users' details can be stored, and each can customise their settings and favourites online.

The SLA5520i is a veritable bargain in this company, and if all you want is simple media streaming it will serve you absolutely fine. It lacks the quality and trimmings of the Squeezebox, and the tiny display limits it to positions near the sofa, but for around a third of the price we can see few people complaining.

Author: David Bayon