What we liked
- The all-in-one system versatility
- The retro design
- The power in Bluetooth mode
- The ease of use
- The comprehensive app
We would have liked
- Bluetooth aptX support
- A genuine wood finish
- A better auxiliary input
Our expert’s opinion
Philips celebrates a milestone birthday with a hi-fi system that's like no other! The Tina turntable-Bluetooth speaker spans a century of technical and technological progress. I really appreciate this all-round versatility. This all-in-one hi-fi system can easily meet the needs of every member of the family. Equally comfortable with wireless music as it is with vinyl records, the Philips Tina showcases true expertise and pleasantly refined sound. The feature-rich Philips Entertainment app allowed me to explore its potential and adaptability in depth. The Philips Tina is packed with features and, as the icing on the cake, boasts an attractive vintage design that I was delighted to display in my living room.
Fleuron de la gamme Century, le système audio tout-en-un Philips Tina (TAV9000D) célèbre les 100 ans de la marque néerlandaise. Cette chaîne vinyle à l’inspiration vintage combine les fonctionnalités d’une platine vinyle, d’une radio DAB+ et d’une enceinte Bluetooth. Polyvalence, design rétro et simplicité de prise en main sont autant de promesses pour profiter de la musique dématérialisée et des disques vinyle avec un seul appareil, affiché à 449 €.
Philips celebrates its centenary
The Philips TAV9000D all-in-one vinyl system is part of the Century line honoring the Dutch manufacturer’s 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the brand has named each piece of equipment in the series after a music icon. The TAV9000D Bluetooth turntable is named Tina, in reference to Tina Turner. There are also the Ringo Bluetooth headphones, the Freddie open-back headphones and the Stevie vinyl system. A fun nod to the past that will delight nostalgic music lovers.
With this range, Philips aims to combine the retro design of the 1950s with modern features such as Bluetooth and Auracast wireless connectivity. Another common feature of the Philips Century range is the low price of each component. Indeed, the brand, founded in Eindhoven, aims to offer comprehensive, high-performance hi-fi equipment at an affordable price.
That’s why the Ringo headphones are only €29, while the Freddie model remains under the symbolic €100 mark. Finally, the Stevie all-in-one vinyl system is priced at €149. More comprehensive and with a more ambitious audio architecture, the Philips Tina model tops this range, with a launch price maintained at under than €450 for a device that combines the functions of a turntable, a Bluetooth speaker and a DAB+ radio.
Presentation
Included accessories
The Philips Tina vinyl system comes perfectly packaged in a large cardboard box. Inside, the main wood-effect unit, which combines the speaker and turntable, is accompanied by a power cord, rubber slip mat, counterweight, 45 rpm adapter, transparent “smoke” plastic cover and hinges, FM/DAB+ antenna and documentation (warranty, instructions and quick start guide).
A retro design in homage to the Philips Philetta radio
To celebrate 100 years of audio innovation, the manufacturer invoked the glorious elders who made its success and reputation. Naturally, the Philips Philetta radio was the obvious choice. The first model, launched as early as 1941, inaugurated a range that would go on to become a best-seller. It was in 1957, with the Philips Philetta 273 version, that it definitively adopted a design that was to make its mark on the general public.
The Philips Century Tina all-in-one hi-fi system is a tribute to the vintage radios that flourished in the living rooms of post-war homes. On the front panel, the Tina features a scooped grille that protects the drivers, as well as buttons. The imitation wood cabinet also looks good. However, the unit’s contained price unfortunately forces the brand to abandon the original wood and metal for an all-plastic design. The Philips logo also takes pride of place on the front, awakening the memories of music lovers who may have known Philips devices in their childhood. Finally, a digital display takes its place between the two buttons on the front panel, showing the source, volume and any other information for DAB+ radio (artist, year, album, etc.).
A semi-automatic turntable
From the moment you take it out of the box, the Philips Tina’s vinyl section makes the device’s all-in-one identity clear. And that’s the strength of this model: it’s truly plug-and-play. The platter and tonearm are suspended on the same sub-chassis to dampen vibrations and ensure linear contact between the stylus and the groove. The tonearm is equipped with an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge with a spherical stylus. This can be replaced for future upgrades.
The turntable adopts a belt drive and incorporates its own RIAA preamplification stage. Since the Philips Tina also includes five drivers and a 120W amplifier module, you can simply plug it in and enjoy a 33 rpm vinyl record straight out of the box. The turntable operates semi-automatically: platter rotation starts automatically as soon as the tonearm is moved.
2.1 audio section
As mentioned earlier, the Philips Tina TAV9000D vinyl system is a 2.1-channel design. Its generous cabinet allows five drivers to be used, while integrating the platter drive mechanism, amplification circuit and power supply. Two 1″ tweeters are backed up by a pair of 2.5″ midrange drivers and a 4.3″ downward-firing woofer. The whole system is powered by an amplifier module delivering 120 watts for Bluetooth and radio playback, and 60 watts for vinyl. This audio architecture delivers stereo sound for a medium-sized living room.
FM and DAB+ radio
As well as paying homage to the Philetta radio, the Philips Tina all-in-one system features a dual FM and DAB+ tuner. This makes it a versatile solution for the whole family: from parents who listen to the radio while cooking, to teenagers who want to play a record or listen to a playlist via Bluetooth.
In the Philips Entertainment app, you can save a list of 30 FM and 30 DAB+ stations for quick and easy access. Stations are automatically searched from the app, or by lightly pressing one of the buttons on the Tina. The FM and DAB+ feature is very pleasant to use everyday, to listening to the news at breakfast, for example. In connected speaker mode, the Philips Tina can also be set to turn off automatically, making it part of your daily routine.
Bi-directional Bluetooth
Because the Philips Century Tina TAV9000D has more than one trick up its sleeve, it also comes with a Bluetooth 5.4 transmitter/receiver! This turns it into a traditional Bluetooth speaker for wireless music streaming from a smartphone, computer or tablet. It supports SBC and AAC codecs, as well as Bluetooth LC3. However, we regret the absence of the aptX codec for optimized signal transmission.
Behind its retro design, the Philips Tina hides several modern features, such as Bluetooth Auracast compatibility. This increasingly widespread technology enables sound to be broadcast to a multitude of receivers. As a result, music from a vinyl record played from the Philips Tina can be transmitted wirelessly to two Auracast-compatible headphones on private or public channels. It’s a kind of multi-room system using Bluetooth technology. It is therefore best used in an open space to maximize audio transmission quality. PartyLink, a wireless daisy-chaining mode for multiple speakers, also uses Bluetooth Auracast to link compatible devices and synchronize sound from compatible Bluetooth speakers, whatever the brand.
A comprehensive, intuitive app
The Philips Entertainment app is ultra-complete and versatile. Whether you want to manage sources, set an alarm or adjust the 7-band equalizer, it combines a host of features to centralize all uses and exploit the full potential of the Tina TAV9000D vinyl system. The only drawback is that the app can only be accessed via Wi-Fi and with location activated, otherwise the speaker will not be detected.
This app is one of the device’s key assets. Just like the Philips Tina’s quick and easy setup, its control app is intuitive and effective. It features five DSP presets (balanced, warm, bright, powerful and clear) and a 7-band equalizer for customizable sound. The balanced mode is also accompanied by bass and treble adjustments ranging from – 5 to + 5 . And since this TAV9000D all-in-one speaker can also replace an alarm clock, the app provides access to pre-recorded sounds, such as relaxing wave sounds. A Music tab also includes a library of relaxing instrumental tracks arranged according to different themes (Birds, Future, Sleep Dome, etc.).
Connectors to offer more options
In addition to its many built-in features, the Philips Tina all-in-one system also boasts connectivity that extends its flexibility even further. A USB-A audio port supports playback of FLAC, WMA, WAV and MP3 files from USB sticks or hard drives. This audio input is very practical and, just like DAB+ and FM frequencies, can be programmed as an alarm clock from the mobile app.
An auxiliary 3.5mm mini-jack input is also included, so you can connect a CD player like the FiiO DM13 BT and further extend its versatility by grouping together all physical media. An auxiliary stereo RCA output is also available. This allows you to bypass the Philips Tina’s speakers and use a pair of active speakers, a connected speaker or a hi-fi amplifier connected to passive speakers. The TAV9000D is capable of meeting a wide range of needs and configurations. Finally, there’s a DAB/FM antenna socket. On the front, a 6.3mm jack headphone output allows you to enjoy a solo listening session with, why not, the Philips Freddie open-back headphones, also from the Century range.
Key specifications
- All-in-one system
- Semi-automatic turntable with integrated preamplifier
- Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge included
- Bluetooth 5.4 Auracast compatible
- FM and DAB+ radios
- Alarm clock function
- 3.5mm mini-jack aux input, USB-A audio, 6.35mm headphone and RCA aux outputs
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 448 x 245 x 399mm
- Weight: 11.3kg
My listening impressions
The Philips Century Tina all-in-one system is easy to use. This plug-and-play system works as soon as it’s plugged into the mains. The only thing you need to do is adjust the turntable’s counterweight. Once you’ve done that, simply start the playback of the record and you’ll hear the first notes coming from the front panel.
Note from the expert
Philips recommends setting the counterweight between 0.5 and 1.5. In this test, I opted for a setting of 0.6, coupled with an anti-skating setting of 2. This combination provided an ideal tracking force and stable playback of the various vinyl records. The anti-skating exerts a force on the tonearm to compensate for the traction of the groove on the stylus. It is therefore adjusted according to the tracking force imposed on the stylus.
Listening to vinyl records
Given the versatility of the Philips Tina all-in-one system, it’s important to note the various listening experiences it offers. The vinyl section has the advantage of being easy to use. Simply select the PHONO source, either in the app or via the dedicated knob, choose the playback speed (33 or 45 rpm) and place the tonearm over the record. The platter starts turning automatically, and the music begins.
Listening to the Philips TAV9000D was a pleasure. The bass asserted its presence, making for a pleasant experience with Led Zeppelin’s rock and Cypress Hill’s hip-hop tracks, as well as Live at the Carnegie Hall… by Tina Turner! The midrange remained perfectly clear, a characteristic that was further confirmed when listening to British icon Amy Winehouse’s album Back to Black.
There’s no doubt about it: this vintage-style record player perfectly reproduces the warm sound that made Philips radios so successful in the last century. However, at higher volume levels, the highs may seem timid. Therefore, it’s best to set the volume to 25 (out of 32) to maintain good tonal balance and get the full potential out of the Philips Tina turntable without saturation. The Dutch manufacturer seems above all to be banking on listeners remaining close to the device for vinyl playback, as suggested by its amplifier module which is limited to 60 watts for this usage, compared with 120 watts (we’re referring to dynamic watts here) for Bluetooth/DAB/USB playback.
Before switching to the wireless part of the test, I connected my smartphone to the auxiliary input of the Tina turntable. To do this, I used the Astell&Kern HC4 portable audio DAC and a 3.5mm mini-jack to 3.5mm mini-jack cable. At low volume (up to level 12), we could hear a hissing noise , which disturbed the listening experience. At higher volume, this noise disappeared, allowing us to fully benefit from the power of the Philips TAV9000D all-in-one system.
Bluetooth and DAB+ listening
Wireless listening is just as easy to set up. Bluetooth pairing takes just a few seconds. I was immediately struck by the power and fullness of the Philips Tina all-in-one system. Like a connected speaker of equivalent size, such as the
The power reserve was impressive, making it possible to play music in rooms of up to 30m² and easily entertain a small party with a dozen guests. For more ambitious users, an Auracast configuration makes sense to multiply audio diffusion areas and keep the party going on the dance floor with a flexible, made-to-measure system.
Gaël Faye, Billie Eilish, AC/DC, Daft Punk… No matter what I listened to, I found myself tapping my foot along to the beat. The Philips Tina vinyl system was precise, punchy and balanced, given its all-in-one design. Its versatility was also reflected in its sound reproduction: it adapted to all musical genres. A real feat. I do have one reservation, however, concerning the DSP CLEAR mode, which is designed to enhance vocals. This preset applies a filter that makes voices sound robotic. Instead, it’s best to adjust the midrange manually via the CUSTOMIZED section and its 7-band equalizer.
As far as FM and DAB+ radio reception is concerned, once again the simple operation means you can concentrate on what’s important: your music. Once the antenna is plugged in, all you have to do is go into the app to create your list of favorites. Signal transmission is crisp and clear, with no interference or excessive noise.
Philips Tina vs Victrola V1 Music System
While the Victrola vinyl system is defined as an all-in-one system, it comes with an external subwoofer, making it a less compact solution than the Philips Tina. Also, while it lacks a USB audio input, it does have an optical input. In terms of wireless performance, the Tina features a more modern Bluetooth 5.4 chip that supports Auracast technology, offering even greater versatility. In terms of power, the point also goes to the Dutch model, which boasts 120 watts of power versus 90 watts for the Victrola system, priced at €499.
Who is the Philips Tina designed for?
This all-in-one system is designed for wireless music enthusiasts who want to step into the world of vinyl. Its ease of use and semi-automatic turntable make it possible to discover records without setting up a multi-component system. Ultra-versatile, the Tina covers a very wide range of needs. This also makes it an ideal living room solution for all family members. A radio with a programmable timer when you wake up, a vinyl session while you cook, and powerful Bluetooth sound for parties.
Frequently asked questions – Philips Tina FAQ
The Philips turntable is semi-automatic. The tonearm moves manually from its initial position to the vinyl record, and the platter starts rotating automatically when the arm is activated.
The vinyl section uses a 60W amplification system. The DAB/Bluetooth/USB section benefits from a 120W amplification system.
Yes, the Philips Century Tina can play both 33 and 45 rpm records. A selector allows you to switch from one speed to the other, and it comes with an adapter.
Yes, the AT-3600L cartridge pre-installed on the Philips Tina is replaceable, as is the stylus.
It supports Bluetooth SBC, AAC and LC3 codecs. The Philips Tina all-in-one system adopts a Bluetooth 5.4 chip that is also compatible with Auracast technology.
Yes, the Philips Tina includes an alarm function. It can be accessed via the Philips Entertainment app. The sound can be customized: FM/DAB+ station, USB or Bluetooth files.
Philips Tina can store up to 30 FM and 30 DAB+ stations for fast, easy access to your favorite radio stations.
The device’s automatic sleep mode can be set to 15, 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes.
Yes, the Philips Century Tina all-in-one speaker supports multipoint functionality. It can be paired simultaneously with two Bluetooth sources.
