Philips Freeline TGX-5000 speakers

Description

Introduction

The Philips TGX-5000 is a 2.0 speaker set. It is part of the Philips Freeline consumer PC line. The Philips Freeline is a unique and almost forgotten piece of tech history. After moderate success with the Philips NMS9100 PCs, the Dutch company stopped producing PCs in the 90s. Philips, however, made a brief and strategic attempt in late 2004 to return to the computer market after an absence of ten years. The Freeline range was a series of consumer PCs specifically marketed as “Entertainment PCs.” At launch, the series consisted of six models:

• Four desktop models (such as the Freeline LS1000 and LS2000)
• Two laptop models (such as the Freeline X10, X20L, and X40)

Philips did not build these computers entirely on its own; it was a strategic partnership with the British Dixons Group (one of Europe’s largest electronics retailers). As a result, the PCs were mainly sold in a limited number of European countries through their stores, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands. It was a deliberately limited introduction to see if the PCs would be popular. At the time, the PC market already had razor-thin profit margins and intense competition from giants such as Dell, HP, and Acer. Philips mainly intended the Freeline range as a tactical opportunity to promote its Streamium ecosystem, rather than as a long-term strategy to become a major computer manufacturer again.

Appearance of the speakers

The speakers that were specifically supplied with the Freeline computers carry the distinct Philips design style of that period (2004–2005). They are made of silver-colored plastic that is meant to give an aluminum look. From a distance, this might be possible, but up close, the speakers look cheap. Certainly not eye-catchers for your PC.

Sound quality

Despite their cheap appearance, the speakers do sound good. Because the Philips Freeline PC line was specifically marketed as an “Entertainment” system at the time, Philips paid notable attention to audio quality. They support Dynamic Bass Boost, a Philips technique to enhance low bass tones. This gives the speakers enough punch for music and in games.

Decline of the Freeline series

Since the consumer PC division did not generate the expected profits, and Philips later shifted its strategic focus away from consumer electronics and toward medical technology, the Freeline line, including the TGX-5000, quietly disappeared from the market fairly quickly. Today, you might occasionally come across a spare part or an old set of computer speakers on marketplaces such as eBay or local classified sites.