Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Music Player / Wi-Fi Internet Radio
by Logitech
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Category: Speakers
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: LogitechBrand: Logitech
Edition: Electronics
Model: 930-000054
Publisher: Logitech
Studio: Logitech
Music Label: Logitech
Product features:
- Built-in high-fidelity amplifier and speakers for crystal-clear, room-filling sound
- Mysqueezebox.com provides easy wireless access to thousands of Internet radio stations and music services
- Compact, all-in-one design with wireless networking for clutter-free audio in any room
- Included 3.5mm line-in cord works with iPod and other MP3 Players
- Seven-day alarm wakes you to your favorite Internet radio station or music playlist
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Music Player / Wi-Fi Internet Radio
Customer Review: Amazing Network Music Player With Real Potential
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
In today's digital music age, many people are storing massive collections of songs and albums on their computers or network share drives. The portable MP3 players we all know and love give you the ability to take your music with you, but with certain limitations. Using a portable MP3 player to play music through speakers requires connecting it to a stereo system or at least to a portable amplified speaker system. But some time ago manufacturers began offering streaming music players, to allow us to listen to Internet Radio stations, play music from on-line music services (on demand), or to even access our music collections from our personal computers. Most of these devices are wireless, and are usually easy to connect to your home Wi-Fi network. Still, many of these new devices require you to connect them to a stereo receiver or amplified speakers. Logitech has developed a new product that offers all of the freedom and flexibility of the streaming music player, while incorporating its own amplifier and speakers. It's essentially a boom box made for your home computer network (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). Logitech has named this device the "Squeezebox Boom." It is an all-in-one streaming music player, which not only works as a Wi-Fi or Ethernet music player, but it is also a clock radio. I have been using mine for over a week now, and I want to share some highlights of what makes this product so awesome yet in need of some improvements.
As mentioned above, the Squeezebox Boom is a compact, all-in-one device, requiring only a power cord, with no additional wires needed. It is quite powerful, for its small size, cranking out up to 30-watts of digital power. The integrated 3-inch woofers and ¾-inch tweeters create an incredible amount of rich, full-bodied sound. It connects to your wireless home network, but also has the ability to plug directly into a network device (i.e., switch or router) via Ethernet cable. It has a 3.5 mm stereo line input, for connecting external audio sources, and also has a 3.5 mm output, which doubles as a headphone jack or for connecting an external, self-amplified subwoofer. It also comes with a compact remote control, that has a magnetic underside, which can sit securely in a little tray area atop the Squeezebox player. There are a lot of technical details associated with this player, so here are some of the important specifications:
* 30-watt Integrated, Digital Amplifier (Class D)
* Bi-Amplified Design with High Performance Signal Processor and Digital Crossover
* ¾-inch High-Definition, Soft-Dome Tweeters (x2) and 3-inch High-Power, Long-Throw Woofers (x2)
* Stereo XL Technology (3 selectable levels to expand the sound to make it seem wider)
* 6-Button Presets for One Touch Access to Favorite Internet Radio Stations and Playlists
* 7-Day Alarm Clock
* Infrared Remote Control (w/ magnetic back)
* Bright, High-Contrast VFD Display, with Ambient Light Sensor and Auto-Dimming
* Built-in 802.11g Wireless Technology with Dual Internal Antennas
* 10/100 Base-T Ethernet Port
* Line-in (3.5 mm stereo jack)
* Headphone/Subwoofer Output (3.5 mm jack)
* Plays MP3, AAC, WMA, Ogg, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WMA Lossless, WAV, and AIFF Music Files
* Connects to your home network to access music stored on your computer via SqueezeCenter software, and Internet radio and music services via SqueezeNetwork.
* Dimensions = 13" Wide by 3-5/8" Deep by 5-1/8" Tall
* Weight = approx. 5-1/2 lbs.
* 2-year Limited Hardware Warranty
Setting up the Squeezebox boom was moderately challenging, but nothing too extreme. The amount of time it will take each person to set it up will depend on the individual's network and their ability to understand adding a wireless device to their network. You will need to gather your network SSID and the security key (if you have security enabled on your wireless network). Logitech advises each owner to contact the person who originally setup their wireless router, if they are not able to obtain the necessary information themselves. Once connected to your wireless (or wired) network, you can now begin listening to Internet Radio stations. You will want to setup an account on the SqueezeNetwork, by visiting www.squeezenetwork.com, and using the sign-up wizard. This service is free, and is a simple and quick process which gives you access to a wide variety of free Internet-based music services, like Pandora, LastFM, Live365, SHOUTcast, or subscription services like Sirius and Rhapsody. You can even search for "local" radio stations, which may be broadcasting on the Internet. You can also setup an account with MP3tunes Music Locker, if you want to store your music collection on-line, to prevent the need of having to have a computer powered on to access your collection. Once you have your account setup with SqueezeNetwork, you will need to add your new Squeezebox Boom. To do this you need to select "SqueezeNetwork" as your music source, from the Squeezebox Boom device. The player will then display a PIN code, which you will need to enter in the SqueezeNetwork setup wizard from your computer. Your Squeezebox Boom can then be added to the SqueezeNetwork, and you will have full control of nearly every setting of the device from your computer. The amount of customization can seem a little overwhelming at first, but you will quickly be amazed at how you can make changes for the device, using your computer, and the settings will be programmed to the Squeezebox Boom right over your wireless network. Of course these settings can be made from the remote or controls on the player itself, but it is far easier to change these settings from the SqueezeNetwork web interface on your computer.
At this point you will be prompted to install the SqueezeCenter software on your computer, if you so desire. SqueezeCenter allows you to access your entire music collection, stored on your computer or on a remote Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. SqueezeCenter runs as a service, so in order to access your stored music collection, the computer with the SqueezeCenter software must be running at the time. After you download and install the software, you will be prompted to designate the folders where you music collection and playlists reside. SqueezeCenter must then scan your entire music library, so it can sort the music by artists, genres, albums, etc. This process can take from a few minutes to several hours, based on the size of your music collection. Mine took a little over 3 hours total. The SqueezeCenter user interface is very easy to use and understand, but is a little sluggish in overall performance. Changing screens and making selections can take several seconds for the program to respond. Once the software is installed, configured, and your music collection has been scanned, you will be able to access all of your songs from your Squeezebox Boom, by selecting SqueezeCenter as your music source.
The built-in 7-day alarm functionality and auto-dimming feature makes the Squeezebox Boom an ideal night-stand or bedside device. The unit does not produce any audible sound when powered off, and the alarm feature allows you to wake to your favorite song, Internet Radio station, or from one of many songs, sound effects, or nature sounds predefined for the device. All of these settings can be configured from the Squeezebox Boom front panel or remote, or you can configure everything from the SqueezeNetwork web interface. You can even set the Squeezebox Boom to gently wake you with gradually increasing volume, by selecting "Fade In" from the Alarms setup menu. The remote control is small, intuitive, and stores nicely atop the Squeezebox Boom in a little indentation area designed specifically for the remote. The snooze button is fairly large and easy to find when reaching blindly after waking from a sound sleep. The snooze time length can be programmed from 1 to 30 minutes. Of course the Squeezebox Boom also has a selectable sleep timer, which can automatically power off the device after the currently playing track, or after 15, 30, 60, or 90 minutes.
The sound quality produced by the Squeezebox Boom is quite remarkable, given its compact dimensions. It will not replace a full-sized home stereo system, but sounds far better than most portable sound systems, and would even give a Bose Wave Radio a run for its money. The bi-amplified design really shines by producing a rich, full-bodied sound. Bass frequencies are tight and punchy, and the highs are crisp and crystal clear. I hooked my Squeezebox Boom to a Yamaha powered subwoofer, via the subwoofer output on the back of the device, and this little radio now pumps out some extremely powerful sound. If you are using this player in a bedroom, as a clock radio, then a subwoofer is really not needed. However, if you are looking to fill a large room with high quality sound, then I definitely recommend a powered subwoofer. It makes a huge difference in low frequencies, and allows you to increase the volume substantially, without any signs of distortion. Enabling the StereoXL spatial enhancement feature really widens the stereo field and helps fill a room with music much better.
The Squeezebox Boom package includes the following:
- Squeezebox Boom Network Music Player
- AC Adapter
- Wireless Infrared Remote w/ battery
- Cloth Storage Bag (for storing or transporting player)
- Quick-Start Guide
- Warranty & Registration Paperwork
The Logitech Squeezebox Boom is really a remarkable streaming music player, with tons of customizable features and the ability to produce great sound. However, the player has some room for improvement as well. I think network streaming music players, in general, are still young in their development, and need some additional features added to provide a true "all-in-one" music experience. For example, the Squeezebox Boom does NOT have a built-in AM/FM radio tuner. A device like this should really have the ability to offer terrestrial radio stations, so you can easily access local news and weather reports. Although this device does have a line input, for connecting an iPod, portable CD player, or other audio device, a built-in iPod dock, and/or a built-in CD player would be a convenient addition as well. I also really dislike the need to leave a computer running, in order to access your music collection via the SqueezeCenter software. They really need to incorporate UPnP capabilities, so you can access your music collection from a NAS device on your network, without the need of running the SqueezeCenter software. The folks at Logitech claim they are working on a firmware release, which may allow for UPnP access in the near future, but at the time of this review it is not an option. I was extremely disappointed when I found out that I cannot get to any of my music unless my computer is powered on and running SqueezeCenter. This is a huge waste of electricity, so I hope that Logitech develops a UPnP solution very soon. I think streaming network music players will definitely become common place in most homes within the next few years. As they become more and more popular, future players will likely include AM/FM radio tuners, CD players, MP3 music player docks, and hopefully even HD radio tuners. It is exciting to think of how these players will develop over time, but for now the Logitech Squeezebox Boom delivers great sound and a plethora of features at a relatively reasonable price. I would normally give this device 5-stars, for great sound, easy setup, and stylish looks/design. However, given the lack of a simple AM/FM radio tuner, and the need to run the proprietary SqueezeCenter software on a computer, to access your personal music collection, I am giving the Squeezebox Boom a solid 4-stars. It is definitely an outstanding device and I highly recommend it. With a future firmware release, to offer UPnP access to a network attached storage device, the Squeezebox Boom will only get better with time.
*** Minimum System Requirements to run SqueezeCenter on your computer:
- 256 MB RAM and 80 MB available hard disk space
- Ethernet or 802.11b/g wireless home network
- Broadband Internet connection required for Internet radio and music services
One of the following operating systems:
- Windows® XP/2000/NT, Windows Vista®, 733MHz Pentium
- Macintosh OSX 10.3.5 or later
- Linux/BSD/Solaris (Perl 5.8.3 or later)
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Description of Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Music Player / Wi-Fi Internet Radio
Logitech Squeezebox Boom all-in-one network music player with integrated speakers. Plug it in. Turn it on. Rock the house! The all-in-one network music player that combines award-winning squeezebox functionality with an integrated amplifier and speakers to deliver your digital music to any room in your home. Enjoy the music and content you love, with crystal clear sound.Digital Cameras & Photo Categories
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