Entered CNET Catalog: 06/11/2002
SKU: SLIMP3
Manufacturer: Logitech Inc.
Manufacturer description
SLIMP3 is a revolutionary approach to music playback, giving you lightning-fast access to any song in your collection, from any room in your home or office, with no limit to the size of your music library! SLIMP3 is an MP3 player that streams your music from your computer to your stereo over your Ethernet network without any loss in sound quality. You'll never go back to listening to MP3s through your computer's sound card or fumbling with compact disks or expensive memory cards. The SLIMP3 player is incredibly easy to set up and use. It takes just a few minutes to install - simply load the software onto your computer and plug the player into your Ethernet network. The SLIMP3 automatically configures itself and is ready to use immediately. SLIMP3's user-friendly interface allows you to browse quickly through your music collection via remote control or any web browser. Its large, fluorescent display is bright and easy to read. Thanks to its small form factor, you can place SLIMP3 in your stereo cabinet, on a shelf, or your bedside table. Standard RCA outputs connect SLIMP3 directly to any stereo receiver or amplified speakers. The powerful SLIMP3 software is available as open source. An active community of enthusiastic, dedicated SLIMP3 owners has emerged, and dozens of talented software engineers have contributed years of effort to making this an unparalleled product.Product summary
The good: Large, bright text display; great sound quality; simple interface; works with Windows, Mac, and Linux; easy setup.
The bad: No wireless support, digital-audio output, or off-the-shelf Internet-radio support; pricier than some competing models.
The bottom line: Slim Devices smoothed out the earlier SLIMP3's rough edges to create a streamlined DAR thats ready for prime time.
Average user rating: from 10 users
4.0 stars
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 07/09/2003
As the SLIMP3's body is devoid of any buttons or switches, you control the device either with the included remote or via a Web browser on any networked computer or PDA. The midsize remote control--a big improvement over the previously bundled Sony model--includes a numeric keypad, directional navigation buttons, and volume adjustment. The Size button enlarges the text on the base unit's screen, making song titles and other information legible from as far away as 15 feet. This easy readability obviates the need for the TV display of some pricier DARs.
Much to the relief of nontechies, Slim Devices has simplified setup and configuration. After hooking up the SLIMP3 to our Ethernet router and our home stereo's analog-audio inputs, we downloaded and installed the server software and connected the power cord. To complete setup, we simply pointed the program to our MP3 folders. We had one minor quibble: The process would be friendlier if the server application could automatically scour your hard drive for MP3 files. To talk to the SLIMP3, your PC must be running the server software. As you no longer need to download Perl and run it whenever the SLIMP3 is in operation, we're much more comfortable recommending this DAR to mainstream users accustomed to plug-and-play products. The SLIMP3 plays MP3 files at bit rates of up to 384Kbps as well as those of variable bit rate. For songs in other formats, Mac OS X users can download a free plug-in that enables on-the-fly conversion of WAV, AIFF, OGG, and Dolby's AAC, which is used by Apple's new iTunes site. Playlist options encompass PLS, M3U, CUE, and Apple iTunes.
The SLIMP3 supports streaming-broadcast formats such as Shoutcast but only if you set up a local playlist to point to the remote location. We'd like to see Slim Devices partner with a streaming-content provider and directly integrate Internet radio into the software interface. Unlike RCA's RD-2200, the SLIMP3 doesn't enable streaming audio from a CD in your computer's drive.
The server software's integrated help screens expand upon the effective printed quick-start guide. The package doesn't include a CD-ROM, but downloading the small (only 1MB to 4MB, depending on your OS) server program is fast and painless, and you'll have the most up-to-date version of this constantly evolving, open-source-based software. Firmware upgrades are also available at the company's Web site.
Around back, the pickings are slim. The unit has one pair of analog stereo RCA audio outputs, an Ethernet port, and a power-cord jack. A digital-audio output would have enabled the highest sound quality in home-stereo systems, but its absence shouldn't be a major issue unless you're using bit rates higher than 192Kbps. Unlike some DARs, the SLIMP3 doesn't include a headphone jack. More important, it lacks any sort of wireless-networking option--though adding one of the many Ethernet wireless bridge products on the market would probably do the trick. Finding specific songs is easy. You press the remote's directional buttons to browse tunes by directory or playlist, as well as genre, artist, or album information taken from your files' ID3 tags. The System menu enables you to display the ID3 data in various configurations. You can also search for music by the name of the artist, album, or song. On a PC, menu levels and song lists were easily navigable via links in the Web-server interface. But on our wireless PDA, the interface's frames were scrunched together, seriously limiting the amount of onscreen information.
The SLIMP3 sounds excellent. We fired up Outkast's Two Dope Boys in a Cadillac and did an A/B test, switching between the DAR's audio output and that of our 16-bit Roland digital-to-analog converter. The SLIMP3's Crystal Semiconductor 16-bit converter sounded a touch clearer and delivered superior sound-field depth.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 User Rating:
0.5 stars
out of 10 user reviews
not keeping up with the jone's'
Pros:
Cons: First off, any DAR that does not play Internet Radio (even though the site advertising says that it does, is really not worth its weight. That compunded by no Optical Out and server side software make thispiece a doozy. Not to mention the lcak of industri
Review:
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 10 user reviews
Fantastic & unique! This thing rocks!
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Review: Whoever wrote the CNET review should get a different job. Setup is a piece of cake. It took me less than 5 minutes to get this thing up and running. It runs perfectly. It's small. It's very cool looking. It's small. It works on just about any OS out there. It just got the April 2003 MacWorld "5 Mice" award. What more can you say? I just ripped my entire CD collection and put all the CD's in a closet freeing up a huge amount of space in my living room! And best of all, my wife loves the thing and can easily use it. The new SLIMP3 remote that comes with it is slick and easy to use. I can't wait until I can afford to buy one of these for each floor in my house!
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 10 user reviews
Knoocked out by the SliMP3
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Review: Just received the unit from my UK supplier, plugged into my computer running win 2k and had it running in under 5 minutes. Am using excellent hifi system with it, Audio Note Valve amp and Epos Speakers and the sound quality us excellent. I have the unit with the new remote so no set up issues. Have nothing bad to say about this apart from the weeks it is going to take me to rip all my hundreds of CD's onto my PC. Highly recommended.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 10 user reviews
Excellent Product, just excellent
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Review: Reading through the reviews, it seems the people who've given it the thumbs down actually don't understand what it does, as displayed by the ignorance of their comments. I own one of this and will buy more as funds allow. I can play my music where I want to without booting up a PC. You don't need to be a geek to make it work. Sound quality is excellent. Brilliant!
User Rating:
5.0 stars
out of 10 user reviews
I am SO happy I got this thing!
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Review: I was a little nervous about purchasing this player due to reviews on this site and the apparent small size of the company that makes them. I was wrong. I just got it in the mail, hooked it up in 10 minutes tops (Win XP on my computer) and I'm listening to it now. The download and configuration of the server software was done so quickly and with so few clicks, I thought something was wrong. My DHCP server found the device and connected it to my computer in no time. The ability to command the player from the webpage is really a neat feature. I had an Audiotron and it does't touch this feature set. I am in my home office and I can turn down the players volume, build a playlist, edit the playlist on the fly in the den - over the network. The server software is strong. No bugs, easy to navigate. I read the manual, but unless you use a setup other than DHCP, you won't need it. The thing sets itself up. Just set the music directory on the server software and your done. Overall, very happy. I recommend this player. Oh, it is smaller than it looks, but the display is easy to read at a distance.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 10 user reviews
Wonderful "Setup was a breezy"
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Review: Out of the box to completion less than 10 minutes. I have load ran all three platforms (Win32, Perl ‘Unix’ and Macintosh) without any problems. I loaded the stand loan Windows app on my Windows 2000 PC worked flawlessly, and then I loaded the Perl & the Perl version so I could try the BBC News Ticker add-on app and both work fine. This is a great little Product.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 10 user reviews
Liked it so much I bought 3!
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Review: The SliMP3 rocks! Especially with Mac OSX. Unlike the PC, the Mac server just works - no extras to install. I got from package to playing in less than 5 minutes including the time to download, install, and fire up the server. In another 3-5 minutes the server had indexed all 6800 MP3s I have and imported the iTunes playlists as saved playlists accessible from each SliMP3. Sound quality is excellent and the units function flawlessly, even through wireless bridges (Linksys WET11). The one tech support question I had was answered on e-mail very quickly and clearly (had to do with setting up the remote to control the volume level.) This is THE unit I recommend to friends, esp if they have a Mac.
User Rating:
4.0 stars
out of 10 user reviews
Try to remember what this is for.
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Review: Here's a rebuttal to the moronic review by c-net. Criticisms like "it should have a headphone jack" and "requires a PC connection" under its "The Bad" heading shows that the reviewer clearly does not get the point. This device's only intention is to provide a network connection between your computer, (which provides a high volume data store) and your stereo equipment. The headphone jack is located on your stereo, BTW. It is not meant to be a standalone MP3 player, Jack. I had this device running in 10 minutes from package to playing. Granted, I already had an up and running DHCP-LAN, but entering your IP address manually is not like putting a man on the moon. And if you don't have a network or a PC with a crossover cable, then this solution is not for you anyway. Negative review points based on features that let the unit do what it is supposed to do make no sense. It's like negatively reviewing a glove compartment because you need to have a car for it to be useful. This product is rock solid, easy to install and changes home audio the way that Ultimate TV or TIVO changes television.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 10 user reviews
This is great product for those who know
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Review: I'm a big fan -- I've had my SliMP3 for just under 2 weeks now, and this is a great solution to my need to access all of my MP3s from my stereo. You can use CAT5 or a wireless solution to network this. Agreed, the installation is not the _most_ basic (you have to download and install Perl among other things), if you know your computer, this is a fantastic solution. My compliments to the SlimDevices team for a great product.
User Rating:
4.5 stars
out of 10 user reviews
Great product: I haven't played a CD since I got it
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Review: Very well done device -- simple and intuitive. It's the "Palm" of its type. Plus it's a really just a "dumb terminal" for audeo so as people improve the open source server software it will only improve. (E.g. better interface, playing other sound files, etc.)
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