Philips Momentum 558M1RY 55-inch Monitor Review: Jumbo 4K Gaming With Audio to Match

Big size, big sound

Reviews
By
published
Philips Momentum 558M1RY
(Image: © Philips)

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The jumbo monitor genre is a small one with just a few expensive displays that mostly attempt to straddle the line between monitor and TV. Philips has forgone any attempt to attract TV buyers with the 558M1RY. It is 100% a computer monitor with no tuner or streaming apps built in. But in practice, it shines as a gaming display and works extremely well as the anchor for a premium entertainment system.

Philips Momentum 558M1RY

(Image credit: Philips)

Our most positive impression goes to its built in B&W soundbar. It is by far the best quality audio we’ve heard included with a computer monitor. With 40 watts of power, multiple drivers, superb clarity and a wide soundstage, it provides a great enhancement for gaming and movies.

The 558M1RY is also no slouch in the video department. A 4K VA panel delivers high contrast at nearly 5,000:1 native with an accurate extended color gamut. It doesn’t need calibration, and there’s a usable sRGB mode too. With 750 nits available for SDR and over 1,200 in HDR, light output is prodigious. Even though there’s no full-array local-dimming backlight, it manages over 30,000:1 contrast for stellar HDR performance.

Gamers will enjoy the reliable 120 Hz refresh rate and perfect implementation of Adaptive-Sync with or without HDR engaged. Playing games takes on a whole new dimension on a 55-inch screen, but we suspect console fans already know this. And that is where we found one flaw. There are no HDMI 2.1 inputs to support the new PS5 and Xbox consoles’ top 4K speeds. But through the DisplayPort 1.4 input, you can connect to a PC and play at up to 120Hz in 4K.

Jumbo computer monitors are an extravagance to be sure but, at $1,500, the Philips Momentum 558M1RY represents the best value we’ve seen thus far in the category. It delivers on every promise and is super fun for games, movies and even productivity. If your budget can handle it and the cost of one of the best graphics cards, which you’ll need to drive it, the 558M1RY definitely worth checking out.

Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

2 Comments Comment from the forums
  • waltc3
    Nice review...looks nice! Too expensive, imo.

    However, it is definitely not a "desktop monitor" since 6' + away is not "desktop", unless your desk is 8-10 feet deep (which most aren't)...;)

    This next link is a desktop monitor, definitely, for less than 1/3 the cost: $449.

    https://www.benq.com/en-us/monitor/entertainment/ew3270u.html
    It's available now from Amazon. The monitor will do 4k, HDR and Freesync 1, as well. I own it and really like it--best monitor I've ever owned, by far. Works great with a display port 1.4 GPU like my 5700XT--important, however, do not go cheap on your DP 1.4 cable! Get a VESA-certified 8K cable like this one (3 meters):

    https://www.amazon.com/Infinnet-DisplayPort-Cable-Certified-Meters/dp/B07JJXM4FR/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3269IBD0U4VKE&dchild=1&keywords=infinnet+displayport+1.4&qid=1613939084&s=electronics&sprefix=Infinnet%2Celectronics%2C141&sr=1-4
    Highly recommended!

    Games like BG3 and No Man's Sky (latest versions) look fantastic in HDR with (or without Freesync--it's your choice). Some other games have poorly coded HDR versions and do not look as good on any GPU/HDR monitor/HDR TV combination, I've discovered. Game devs are definitely making slow but sure progress with their HDR coding.

    One of my favorite characteristics of the BenQ is the dot pitch, or the pixel pitch, as it is sometimes called. It's .18, which means you can sit at your desk with this monitor 18" away from your eyes and it will occupy ~80% of your visual field, and you cannot detect individual pixels. From an inch away, if you can focus, you cannot see individual pixels.

    Talking about the Soundbar. Let's just say that for less than the $1500 this reviewed monitor costs, you can buy the BenQ & a very nice set of 2.1 speakers (or 5.1, or 7.1 if you want) plus a nice receiver/amplifier to power them, and be way ahead in the sound category. Soundbars are not impressive, imo--better than typical TV speakers, but that's not saying very much...;)

    Almost forgot to mention that I run my games @ 60Hz with vsync off and sometimes get far in excess of 120 fps, depending on the game. At lower resolutions I can get literally hundreds of frames per second, and page-tearing is so rare with this monitor that my default game and desktop driver setting is vsync off.
    Reply
  • AnimeMania
    I am intrigued by the soundbar.
    Does the soundbar only function when the monitor is on or does it have it's own power source.
    Is there any way for other devices to have access to the soundbar through ports or Bluetooth?
    Reply