(Credit:
Logitech)
Logitech is adding a touch-screen model to its line of Squeezebox streaming audio products. Unfortunately, the upcoming Squeezebox Touch has a design flaw (in my opinion) that will likely relegate it to the periphery of the burgeoning home digital audio market.
At first glance, the Squeezebox Touch has a lot to like. Basically, it's the trusty Squeezebox Classic, but with that model's monochrome vacuum fluorescent display replaced by a 4.3-inch color touch screen. Connect it to a stereo (or a pair of powered speakers), and you've got access to your entire home music collection (streamable from any networked PC) as well as access a wide variety of online music services--including Pandora, Rhapsody, Last.fm, Sirius, Slacker, and the full range of free Internet radio stations and podcasts. The Touch connects to home networks via Ethernet or 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and--unlike earlier Squeezebox models--it can play digital audio files from an SD card or USB flash drive.
Sounds like this $300 model could be the one-room Sonos killer we've long been longing for--except for the fact that the touch screen is built into the base unit. That means you're stuck with either getting up and walking over to it whenever you want to change a tune or pick a new stream, or opting for the little wireless remote (which provides far less detailed control than the touch screen). Why Logitech went this route instead of opting for a touch screen remote that you could hold in your hand is anyone's guess. (Who knows--perhaps Logitech is planning to offer a Harmony remote with built-in Squeezebox functionality instead.)
We can envision the Touch garnering interest from those who want a nifty countertop music controller in the in the kitchen, or one that's wall-mounted in various rooms in the house. But as it currently stands, we're far more excited about today's other Squeezebox announcement, the $200 Squeezebox Radio. We just hope that Logitech is busy working on a successor to the Squeezebox Duet (with a Touch-like remote). At the very least, we'd like to see Logitech offer an iPhone app to control their Squeezebox line that would effectively turn any iPhone or iPod Touch into a touch-screen remote as well. Apps like iPeng and Squeemote already exist, but--unlike the equivalent Sonos app--they're not officially blessed by Logitech.
We'll have a complete review of the Squeezebox Touch when it becomes available later in December.
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Logitech already owns the Editors' Choice award for Wi-Fi radios with the Squeezebox Boom, but it looks as if the company may be competing with itself for the award with the newly announced Squeezebox Radio ($200 list price).
From the initial news release, the Squeezebox Radio looks to pack most of the functionality of the Boom into an even smaller package; that means you can stream your MP3 collection plus thousands of internet radio stations and music services like Rhapsody, Napster, Pandora, Sirius, and Last.fm. It also one-ups the Boom by adding a color screen, and the capability to display album art, artist/track information, and Flickr slideshows. Logitech also mentions Facebook integration--a first on Squeezebox products--so you can share your favorite tracks with your friends.
Aside from the feature list, the Squeezebox Radio also looks to have one of the most attractive designs of any Wi-Fi radio we've seen. The controls are clearly labeled and smartly positioned, and as we've seen on the Philips NP2900 and VTech IS9181, a color display really makes using a Wi-Fi radio more enjoyable. One of the big hurdles for the Squeezebox Radio to clear is whether it can fill the duty of a full-time alarm clock. Most Wi-Fi radios include alarm functionality, but it's rare that they measure up to the reliability and ease of use of traditional tabletop radios.
The $200 price may seem like a lot for a radio, but it compares favorably to the existing competition. (Logitech will also offer a $50 supplement that adds a wireless remote and a battery pack for true cordless operation.) As much as we loved the Boom, it's hard to recommend a Wi-Fi radio that costs nearly $300. We'll save our final judgment for the hands-on review; we're expecting to get a review sample later this month. Until then, the Squeezebox Radio will be one of the most highly anticipated products for us of 2009.
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The latest firmware update seems to fix Wi-Fi isssues on the Duet Controller--shown on the left in its recharging cradle.
(Credit: Logitech)The Logitech Squeezebox Duet was given an enthusiastic Editors' Choice award when CNET reviewed it back in March of 2008. But the audio streamer is a two-part product that's heavily reliant on Wi-Fi (both the iPod-like remote and the base station communicate to each other--and your home network--wirelessly). And many users have experienced a problem wherein the Controller (the remote) fails to reconnect to the network or recognize the Squeezebox base station after "waking up" from a period of inactivity. The issue has been widely reported online, from CNET's user reviews to Logitech's own support forums.
After several earlier attempts to fix the problem, it looks as if Logitech's finally hit the jackpot. Version 7.3.3 of the firmware was made available earlier this week, and it's added major stability improvements to the Duet's wireless connectivity. We've tested it for the past several days, and haven't experienced a single dropped connection since installing it. The remote reconnected to the network every time, even when we left it off of the recharging cradle for hours or cycled the power (both of which tended to cause problems in the past).
Bottom line: This long overdue fix for the Duet looks like it's finally squashed an elusive bug that was hobbling an otherwise superb product for a large number of users. If you're a Squeezebox Duet owner, make sure to upgrade the firmware as soon as possible.
Current or former Duet owners are invited to share their thoughts--and any hands-on experience with the 7.3.3. firmware--below.
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(Credit:
Logitech)
Recently, we asked the question, "Is the Logitech Squeezebox Boom the ultimate Wi-Fi radio?" Now that we've had two full weeks to play with it, we have an answer: Yes, it pretty much is. The Boom is the first product in this category we can enthusiastically recommend. Like its predecessor, the Logitech Squeezebox Duet, the Boom's garnered a CNET Editors' Choice Award. Check out the links below for the full review, the updated CNET Wi-Fi radio roundup (which includes some lower priced alternatives), and the overall list of best network music players.
Read: Logitech Squeezebox Boom review
Read: Wi-Fi radio roundup
If you took one of Logitech's increasingly ubiquitous Pure-Fi desktop stereos and integrated one of its Squeezebox network-audio streamers, you'd probably come up with something like the Logitech Squeezebox Boom. Previous Squeezebox models had to be plugged into an existing stereo receiver or speaker system, but the Boom is the first model in Logitech's network-audio line to have the speakers built-in.
The result is a full-service Wi-Fi radio that can access a wide variety of digital music straight from the Internet or from a networked PC.
We've been playing with an early sample of the Squeezebox Boom, and so far, it's one of the best products in its class we've ever seen. That's not surprising, given that it has the same guts as the recent Editors' Choice Squeezebox Duet.
As far as abilities are concerned, the Boom pretty much has the identically impressive range of features as the Duet: the ability to stream everything from premium Rhapsody and Sirius content to freely available Internet radio, podcasts, Pandora, Slacker, and Last.fm music straight off the Web, as well as nearly any non-DRM digital-audio format from a networked PC (Windows, Mac, or Linux). (Editor's note: CNET and Last.fm are both subsidiaries of CBS.) But the Boom trades the Duet's digital and analog outputs for a pair of good-sounding stereo speakers (3-inch woofers flanked by 0.75-inch tweeters), so the entire system is self-contained.
The unit's handsome, black housing is a mere 5 inches high by 13 inches wide and 4-inches deep. It's got the same sort of bright, vacuum, fluorescent display found on the "classic" Squeezebox, which makes it easily viewable, even from halfway across the room. The control panel is pretty much a spread-out version of the Squeezebox Duet remote (itself strongly modeled on the iPod). Most functions are accessed from a single scrollwheel--depress the wheel to make a menu choice, use the nearby "back" button to reverse course. Six preset buttons are also on board for quick access to Internet radio stations of your choice. A small wireless remote is also included--it magnetically attaches to the Boom's topside (or any other metal surface) for easy locating.
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Back in the day, the easiest way to listen to your PC-based digital music collection on your home stereo was to drag the two into the same room, and hook up the stereo to the PC's headphone output--easy with a laptop, a bit harder with a desktop. Over the past few years, a variety of network audio streamers have made that process considerably easier and less disruptive. These products connect directly to your home stereo (or minisystem, boombox, whatever--anything with speakers and an auxiliary input), and access a variety of digital audio selections via your home network--all the MP3s on your PC's hard drive, Internet radio, podcasts, and many Internet music services (some free, some paid).
A quick perusal of CNET's list of best network music players shows that the three top dogs in the category are the Logitech Squeezebox Duet, the Sonos, and the Apple TV. But that hierarchy doesn't quite tell the whole story. Finding the best streamer for you involves a bit more research. All three of these products are excellent overall, and each of them offer an option for perusing your music collection from a screened remote (that is, a handheld remote control with a nice color screen, so you can pull up songs, artists, playlists, and Internet radio stations from the palm of your hand). Of course, each of them has varying strengths and weaknesses, different price points, and may involve purchasing additional accessories to get the full experience. To that end, we've gone beyond the in-depth reviews on all three products to highlight the pluses and minuses of each.
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Pandora's streaming music service is now free--albeit with ads--on the Logitech Squeezebox family of devices
(Credit: CNET)Add Pandora to the list of free online music services you can access through the Logitech Squeezebox. Previously, the music service--which creates the equivalent of personalized radio stations based on your favorite artists and music genres--required a $36 yearly subscription fee to be accessed on a network digital audio player in the home. But there is a trade-off: the free service will be ad-supported (the subscription plan remains available to users who prefer an ad-free experience).
Initially, it appears that the Logitech Squeezebox products will be the only home audio streamer with access to the free Pandora service. However, it's a safe bet that the ad-supported Pandora service will also be making its way to the other two devices that support the current subscription service: ... Read more
The Logitech Squeezebox Duet, in CNET's cluttered New York audio lab.
(Credit: CNET)UPDATE: The full review is now up at CNET.com.
The Logitech Squeezebox Duet, our pick for the best home audio product of CES 2008, has just shown up at the office. We spent a few minutes with the system before at CES, but this has been our first chance to sit down and live with the product in our own environment. A full review will follow, but in the meantime, here are some off-the-bat first impressions:
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