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Philips has created a balanced display for productivity and multimedia consumption with a great screen panel and loud audio. Bluetooth audio and MHL connectivity makes this a great display for businesses, as this setup allows road warriors the flexibility of connecting their laptops or smartphones to do work, stay entertained or give presentations.
We liked
The design with the integration of good speakers means that the Moda 2 is capable of delivering a great audio and visual multimedia experience, even in tight spaces, such as small offices, cramped dorm rooms and even on trade shows to loop promotional videos or to give an impromptu presentation with a connected smartphone.
There are also plenty of options to connect your devices with three HDMI ports, MHL support and Bluetooth connectivity for audio. For college students or business professionals working with both a laptop and a desktop, this means you won't run out of HDMI ports or have to disconnect one device in order to connect another.
We disliked
Even though the Moda 2 comes with upgraded dual 7W stereo speakers and audio tuning enhancements, audio fidelity is still lacking. You'll get louder, amped up audio output, but you won't get smoky vocals or punchy bass in jazz performances.
Additionally, some of the speaker's tuning, like the mode that emulates a surround sound 5.1 experience, seems gimmicky.
Final verdict
By combining sophisticated styling and an upgraded audio experience, Philips is hoping that users won't mind paying the price premium for the Moda 2. If you like the compact package that Philips delivers, the Moda 2 will reward you with a great IPS panel, flicker-free screen and connectivity options to connect your smartphone.
For the price, users would be wise in looking at options with a touchscreen, like the Acer UT220HQL, or a higher resolution display, like the 4K Dell P2815Q. After all, you can't upgrade your existing monitor to include touch or a 4K panel after the point of purchase, but you can always add better sounding speakers later.
