Philips DS9-37 - Manual (Page 9)

14
Fidelio sound
Thanks to the tireless endeavors of its acoustic engineers, Philips has
maintained its position as a leading innovator in audio for almost a
century. It is their creativity and inquisitiveness to think beyond the
boundaries of current technologies which drives their ideas for new
products. Extensive research into emerging technologies, competitor
activity, blue sky thinking from universities and innovation networks
ensures they keep one step ahead of the game.
Fundamental to the success of the product development process
is the ability to tune into the needs and aspirations of the end user.
Understanding the consumer is the cornerstone of Philips’ sound
engineering philosophy. Married with expert knowledge of sound,
the engineers strive for solutions which will improve the everyday
lives of sound aspirers and create products which deliver sound just
as it is meant to be heard.
However, finding the right product proposition goes beyond an
appreciation of consumers alone. The engineers work closely with
the marketeers and product designers. They consider factors such
as potential markets, technological feasibility and sales channels to
ensure that concepts reflect Philips’ values and sound philosophy of
best in class sound, design and connectivity before an idea can be
fully developed.
Philips competencies
Golden Ears
At the heart of Philips’ audio division lies a team of expert engineers
and technicians who share a common desire: to create products
capable of exceeding anticipated sound quality. Collaborative and
committed, this team influences Philips sound signature. Despite being
surrounded by the very latest monitoring and testing equipment in
their innovation labs, one group of technicians choose the human ear
to help refine each product, resulting in the superior sound clarity and
warmth you expect from a Philips product. Years of experience have
earned this respected panel the name ‘Golden Ears’.
Today, thirty Golden Ears specialists, trained to detect the smallest
nuances in sound, are located at four audio innovation sites
worldwide. All products go through a sound quality engineering
process. It begins with the Golden Ears panel defining a listening
standard, to ensure the product outperforms others available in a
similar price range. Many blind listening tests and measurements are
conducted in order to define the target sound.
A functional prototype is then developed using the intended key
components and architecture of the final product. It is at this stage
that components and design features are optimized and finalized in
order to best match the product with a purchaser’s budget. Prior to
launch, all products must pass the final Golden Ears blind preference
test against competitor products: only then it is ready to entertain our
customers.
Our Golden Ears have one clear focus: to ensure our customers will
love Philips sound.
13
An interview with Bram Vandenholen, Philips
Innovation Architect, on how Philips comes
up with new products
“Inspiration for new audio products can be triggered by almost
anything, from everyday life to consumer reviews. We dedicate
time to research, attending conferences and exhibitions to inspire
our thinking and work closely with other Philips teams to identify
product innovation insights.
Once we have a concept in mind, we test it as early as possible,
anticipating and considering features product users would like. In
parallel we also look at the technology within the product to see
if it is feasible. All of this happens without losing focus of Philips’
values, ensuring we nurture creativity from the entire team.
We have an innovation framework in place to help stimulate ideas.
The most important thing to value is time. Philips understands
that it takes time to come up with amazing new ideas.”