August 8th, 2009 
Kris Saelen 
Updating an older model, the Philips Streamium NP2500 is a mixed bag of intriguing new features and irritating quirks in the design. With a sleek, modern appearance it certainly looks great, with the ability to wall mount it or just set it near your home theater system. Taking a closer look, however, I’m not sure if the reality of the design lives up to the promise it offers.
While the almost 10 inch rectangular mp3 player is nice to look at, a second glance reveals that the screen size is a measly 3.5 inches, nearly dwarfed by the surrounding empty space. The picture quality is good and being able to see our album artwork should be a nice bonus in theory. However, with a design that’s obviously set up to be used with remote access, the small size of the screen becomes irritating and hard to see.
Likewise, the remote is a bit of a hit and miss feature. On the plus side, it’s a full sized remote with ample space. Unfortunately, the navigation is a bit strange and off-putting. Once you adjust, it works fine, but it requires effort and can be intimidating for the casual user. I’m also not crazy about the fact that the remote is really the only option for controlling the player for anything more complicated than volume or pause.
Despite all this, it must be said that this mp3 player is certainly priced right and has some nice bonus features. Being able to access your computer library, a streaming music service, and thousands of internet radio stations is a huge plus. I also love the alarm clock feature – though turning it off in the morning while still bleary eyed can be a bit of a challenge.
Overall, this mp3 player offers some high end options with a lower end price. Is the trade off worth it? Leave us a comment below to let us know.
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