Customer Reviews
Ancient piece of crap (Legacy Technology) 
2005-10-26
There is no hdmi input/output the subwoofers are incorporated into the rear speakers. I don't know why people purchase this item. Not even a DVI connection (only component) what crap is that in todays day and age. For the same price you can purchase other items which don't solely rely on legacy technology (old ancient technology used for nostalgic purposes). Its like buying a brand new computer with a printer port but without a USB connection. Absolutely pointless! You are purchasing an item that is obsolete today, not tomorrow, but today. Look elsewhere.
Underpowered Crap 2005-10-09
I recently bought a 3-piece $125 40 watt Harman Kardon Soundsticks speaker system for my backup home office and it sounded so much better than my 9 year-old 4-piece $600 Sony system used in my primary home office that I decided to see if I could assemble a nice primary home office system on the cheap with today's better technologies.
With this in mind, I bought the "600 watt" Philips MX5600D 5-Disc DVD/CD Home Theater system. I found it to be underpowered so I ended up buying the $150 Altec Lansing MX5021 90-Watt Powered RMS 3-piece Speaker Set to supplement it and this combined 8-piece system now does sound nearly as nice as my $5,000 home theatre system. I primarily use the system to listen to the free music channels on DirecTV (soon to be upgraded to XM channels by DirecTV on Nov. 15th!) and to listen to computer output. I rarely use it to listen to AM/FM, CDs, and DVDs.
Drawbacks to this setup:
The Line Out on the Philips system is not effected by the volume controls on the system so it is difficult to change the volume on my 8-speaker setup. (I basically adjusted my DirecTV and computer output so they don't need their volume changed.) Because of this problem, I have to press two buttons on my remote to mute the system.
If I use CDs or DVDs in the Philips system, it is very slow to load them. I would recommend that people go with a carousel system instead if they want a multi-disc system.
The fast forward and rewind controls are awkward, there are not separate buttons on the remote for these functions.
Note that I did not experience the problems of having subtitles and commentary always on. The user who reported this was probably doing something wrong as this was the same user who couldn't figure out the fast forward and rewind controls.
Very Nice System! 
2005-05-16
I just bought this system today and I am very pleased with it! It is ranked #10 on Consumer Reports' list of top boxed theater systems. Nothing against Amazon, but I found it, new, for less than $300.00! It is well worth the price!
I upgraded from a very inexpensive system. No comparison! It's like going from a Volkswagen to a Cadillac for a minimal price difference!
It is very easy to assemble, as all wiring is color coded. The speakers are very solid and the sound is great! The combination front speaker/subwoofers is truly a great design. No bulky sub to worry with.
The only problem I can see with it is that the remote is fairly complicated. I will be using the manual for quite some time! I had no stickers on my front speakers as someone previously stated. And the slow, clunky disc changer is no problem at all for me. My old DVD player was fairly slow, so I guess I'm accustomed to it.
The bottom line is that I simply can't believe that a sound like that can come from a $300.00 system!
This is definitely a good buy! I highly recommend it!
Excellant Buy, Great Sound, Easy Installation 2005-04-21
I purchased this from Amazon.com on a Thursday and it was here on the next Tuesday. I couldnt believe they got it to me this fast especially when they didnt charge for shipping. The system weights 70 lbs yet I didnt pay a dime for shipping. Awesome!!!
Now to the system itself: Everything is color coded which means it is very simple to setup. It took me longer to hide the wires around my room then it took for my brother to set it up. When it comes to the performance it give lots of bass and very grood sound. It is enough to give you a headache. The system comes with lots of different settings and features. I have no idea what these people are saying about stickers. Im not even sure where they are so you dont need to take them off. The only problem I noticied is that the reading and ejecting of the disks is a little slow. Its understandable but it could be quicker. The remote only works with Phillips TVs so the so that is another small disadvantage but I have DirecTv so I cant eliminate that remote anyways. It would be cool if they would make a remote for satellite, tv, vcr, and everything else. Overall this system is a great buy that really brings T.V. Shows and Movies to life. P.S. The blue light around the volume dial is really cool looking at night.
Cost.............A+
Shipping........A+
Features........A
Sound...........A
Bass.............A-
Look.............A-
Remote.........A-
Disc Reading...B-
Overall..........A
I am an electronics retard, and I set this up! 2005-03-04
I have never been technically proficient. No joke, it took me 10 minutes to find the power switch on my laptop, but I got this unit out of the box and set up in about 45 minutes and I am very happy! You will notice how technically inproficient I am as you read this, but it is in plain language for my fellow techno flunkies.
The box is really heavy, so look for free shipping and make sure you are there when it comes. Plus the box is bulky so if you are a chick you might need help getting it up stairs, as I did.
This system is not like similar priced sets in that the speakers are substantial in size and weight. The rear speakers can be mounted on stands or attached to the wall with the accompanying brackets. This unit does not come with "plug in" speakers but those little wire things you have to put in the clamps. Don't worry- Philips thought of me when they did this and color-coded the whole thing so if you know left from right and can match purple and purple, you too can hook up this system. I simply followed the wires until they were all hooked up, connected the tv and turned it on. I put in a DVD and followed the instructions in the booklet to set up the player.
After the player was all set up I tried out a DVD. I agree the load time is kinda slow, but that is just fine. The sound that came out of the machine was amazing! The bass on the twin subwoofers was ground shaking and I did not even have it up near the volume potential.
The only thing that kinda bugged me is that the unit was so big it would not sit in the component area on my unit so it sits on top, but thanks to the stylish design, it does not bother me. This is a substantial unit. The unit is heavy and so are the speakers. I did not have stickers on my towers that other people have complained about.
The only thing that threw me for a loop was choosing the type of tv input I have. This system was meant for much nicer tv's than my 2 year old 27" RCA. I chose the wrong one and the DVDs only played in black and white. It took me 10 minutes to figure out that I must have chosen wrong, so I went back through the set up and changed it.
Bottom line is, I may be technically deficient, but I know what sounds good, especially in music. Even as a woman who hates to try to plug in the toaster I got this system set up all by myself in a reasonable time with little frustration (ok so I got right and left confused and had to change somethings, but give me a break). I was going to replace my CD player component because I hate "integrated" systems, (and I mainly wanted this as a DVD player) but after hearing my CD's on this system I have decided not to replace the CD player.
As you can tell I highly recommend this player. Although I did not buy from Amazon, but through a local wholesale warehouse, the price is good (search around on the internet and you will see). I payed about the same with tax, but I had to garner help to get it to the car and up the stairs. But this item with confidence, even if you are not a technophite.
Greeaatt Deal!!!!!!!!! 2005-02-26
Philips MX5600 5 DVD/CD Home Entertainment System - This versatile home entertainment system from Philips brings the movie theater to your living room. The 5-disc DVD/CD changer and 5 speakers, recreates the surround sound experience, which is great for action & adventure movies. It's versatility really shines though with the built-in features that expand your media enjoyment. A built-in AM/FM tuner lets you enjoy your favorite talk radio program, sports, & more. It also supports Picture CD playback of CDs filled with JPEG images. MP3 CDs - 32, 56, 64, 96, 128, & 256 kbps & variable bit rates 40 radio presets 600 Watts of total power Audio Ports - (IN) AUX, TV In, Digital Optical / (OUT) Line Out & Digital Optical Video Outputs - Composite, S-Video, & Component Remote Control Included 1 year limited manufacturer's warranty (parts and labor)
me likey 2005-01-31
very easy set-up and sounds great, plenty of sound for an apartment. looks really nice too.
Best Bang for the Buck 2004-12-18
This is my forth system in as a many months. All were more expensive than this one. I do agree that the DVD set-up could use a better design & less noise but the play is good. The audio oututs are the best out any I have tried. That includes 2 different Sony & a magnavox. For the price this is a great buy overall. Great range but could use a little more seperate eq. controls.
Great system for an excellent price 2004-12-08
I agree with many of the positive comments posted about this fantastic home theater system.
The first thing you'll notice is how sleek and stylish the entire system looks. The tall speak/subwoofer twin speaker combinations are great for large rooms. The wiring of the rear speakers is subtle and the center speaker sits nicely above or below the console.
The sound is extremely good - I am impressed and very satisfied. Whether you are playing a CD, a CD-R of MP3's or a DVD, the sounds is crisp, deep, "full" - I really can't explain how good it sounds and how I never expected that quality for the price. The sounds options are vast, from 3D surround sound, to 5.1 Dolby, to normal stereo, all serve a good purpose in tailoring the sound to your liking. You can add or subtract bass, or use one of the preset sounds - concert, rock, etc.
2 things I think that are negative:
1) The cd/dvd loading times. Previous views are correct - it does seem to take a little while for a cd to change and get going. This is part and parcel of having a 5-disc changer I guess, but it does seem a little slower than normal. (This, in my opinion, is not a barrier to purchase the product).
2) The display. It's kinda tiny. If you are sitting a far way back from the player, you can't see the disc or track # very clearly. I was disappointed there wasn't a text display of track names also. The upside to the display is that it's tastefully done, subtle lighting, and stylish (the display is circular).
I bought this item off Amazon.com, with free shipping, and it arrived in 5 days. So the overall ordering experience was exceptional.
Putting the product together was very simple, you just need a screwdriver to mount the speakers to the stands and the rest is plug and play. The auto radio tuning of the system was a nice feature.
The product itself is a GREAT sounding home theater system, excellent for people buying one for the first time. Avoid the cheaper models whose sound really is compromised - this nicely-priced system is worth far beyond it's purchase price with it's thundering base and terrific surround sound.
Nice sounding, extremely easy to set up! 
2004-05-13
I've had the home theatre system for two months now and am so far extremely pleased with it. The individual pieces were a snap to set up as everything is color-coded. The most time-consuming part of the setup was adjusting the speaker levels properly for the space but this was not difficult at all due to a nicely designed onscreen interface. The remote is well designed and easy to use.
I live in an apartment with nice thick plaster walls and hardwood floors and this system is perfect for my living room. Housing the subwoofers in the front speakers is nice because I didn't have to find a place to hide an ugly subwoofer box. Additionally, the speaker footprints do not take up much space at all. The back speakers come with brackets to either be hung on the wall or stood upright which is nice.
I'm very pleased with the sound, both when watching movies or listening to music. Bass is powerful, the midrange is nice and clear and the highs are crisp. I'd like to see more equalization settings but, given the price range, I'm very happy with the ones included.
There are two things that I think could be improved about this system:
1. The DVD/CD loading times are slow. I realize that this is not a carousel type changer but I do think they could be a little faster.
2. The attachment of the front speaker tubes to the base needs to be more sturdy. I didn't have a problem peeling off the stickers that previous posters did but I do feel that the connection between the heavy metal base and PVC front tube speaker needs to be reinforced better. When I lifted one of the tubes out of box, the three shafts that connect the base to the tube snapped in half. This was easily repaired with a high grade plastic epoxy but I feel that a little engineering could easily resolve this problem.
