The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
Entered CNET Catalog: 11/20/2003
SKU: SQB1
Manufacturer: Logitech Inc.
Manufacturer description
Squeezebox is revolutionary. It streams your music from your computer to your digital stereo over your wireless or Ethernet network - without any loss of sound quality. You now have lightning-fast access to any song in your digital music collection for playback anywhere in your home. The Squeezebox player is incredibly easy to set up and use. It takes just a few minutes to install: load the SlimServer software onto your computer and connect the player to the network. Squeezebox automatically configures itself and is ready to use. Squeezebox is a complete and elegant solution that takes advantage of the power and capacity of your existing computer. As a result, Squeezebox places no limit on the size of your music library. Squeezebox's user-friendly interface allows you to browse quickly through your whole music collection via remote control or web browser. Its large, built-in fluorescent display is bright and easy to read. Thanks to its small form factor, you can place Squeezebox in your stereo cabinet, on a shelf, or on your bedside table. Digital and analog outputs connect Squeezebox to your home theater, stereo receiver, or amplified speakers. And when you install multiple players, they can play independently or in sync for whole-house audio. Squeezebox provides for automatic conversion from Ogg, AAC, FLAC through server-side decoding and audio streaming in PCM (raw) or MP3 (transcoded) formats.Product summary
The good: Built-in wireless support; large, bright text display; simple interface; optical and coaxial digital audio outputs; Shoutcast streaming-radio support; headphone minijack; highly configurable features; works with Windows, Mac, and Linux; easy setup.
The bad: Pricier than competing models that stream audio, video, and images; no support for streaming Rhapsody or secure music downloads; outdated documentation doesn't address recent firmware improvements.
The bottom line: The Squeezebox does a great job of streaming digital audio--as long as it's not copy-protected music.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 04/29/2004
Many of today's digital media receivers promise the world: wireless video, image, and audio streaming from your PC to your home entertainment system. More often than not, these jack-of-all-trades devices deliver audio and still images reasonably well, but their video-streaming performance is typically hampered by the limited bandwidth of today's Wi-Fi networks. Slim Devices decided to stay out of the video fray with its Squeezebox, a superior audio-only player that doesn't require connection to a TV and that benefits from a streamlined, refined design. Only its relatively high price ($279) is a stumbling block. Bargain hunters may wish to opt for Roku's slicker-looking Sound Blaster Wireless Music instead. The Squeezebox's black plastic body measures 8.5 by 1.9 by 4.5 inches (W, H, D) and is devoid of controls. A large, horizontal 280x16 vacuum-fluorescent screen dominates the entire front panel. The green monochromatic display can show text and rudimentary graphics, and it's a big improvement from the 40x2 character display found on the earlier incarnation of the Squeezebox.
Around back is the Squeezebox's biggest feature upgrade from the SLIMP3: a jointed, removable antenna that provides onboard 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless networking. Another improvement from the SLIMP3 is the inclusion of digital audio outputs--both optical and coaxial. The unit has one pair of analog stereo RCA audio outputs and an Ethernet port for connecting to wired home networks.
You operate the device either with the included remote or via a Web browser on any networked computer (or even a wireless PDA). The midsize remote control includes a numeric keypad, directional navigation buttons, volume adjustment, and a power button that puts the player in sleep mode. 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, making the Squeezebox a leading candidate for spaces such as the dining room or the bedside table.
The wired version of the Squeezebox is available for $199. The Squeezebox plays MP3s at bit rates of up to 384Kbps, as well as variable bit rate (VBR) files. It streams uncompressed WAV and AIFF audio, as well as OGG, FLAC, and unprotected WMA and AAC files. (Like all other network media players to date, the Squeezebox can't stream protected AAC or WMA files, such as those purchased from iTunes Music Store and Napster 2.0.) Playlist options encompass PLS, M3U, CUE, and Apple iTunes formats.
Thanks to an active developer community (and the product's Linux-based, open-source roots), there are plenty of software plug-ins available to help enhance the Squeezebox experience. For instance, one enables access to Shoutcast's dozens of free Internet radio streams. The downside of this approach, however, is the lack of any formal customer support or quality control. Case in point: the development of RealSlim--the much-vaunted plug-in to enable streaming support for Real Networks' Rhapsody service--is apparently in limbo, so don't expect to play Rhapsody tunes on your Squeezebox anytime soon.
The Squeezebox has a synchronization feature that allows multiple Squeezebox or SLIMP3 units to act like a single player. For example, if two Squeezeboxes are synchronized, selecting a track on one Squeezebox will make the track play in sync on both players. This poor man's multizone feature works as advertised. Additionally, the SlimServer software's remote streaming feature allows you to stream audio files from your server PC over the Internet to a remote location such as a friend's house. You don't even need the Squeezebox to use this feature; simply download the free SlimServer application. The receiving computer must run a software player such as iTunes or Winamp, both of which are also free downloads. Setting up the Squeezebox was simple. We downloaded the SlimServer PC application from the company's Web site, quickly stepped through the software setup screens, and connected the Squeezebox to our A/V receiver and a power outlet. To complete the setup, we used the remote to enter our wireless network information. Setup took approximately 10 minutes total. A minor quibble we had with the SLIMP3 also applies to the Squeezebox: the installation process would be friendlier if the server application could automatically scour your hard drive for MP3 files.
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. You can also search for music by the name of the artist, the album, or the song. MoodLogic users can create instant mixes with the remote control and can navigate their music libraries via MoodLogic's unique track classifications, such as tempo. A favorite Squeezebox feature enables displaying ID3 data and filenames in various configurations.
As you'd expect, the Squeezebox's digital audio outputs worked without a hitch, delivering bits to our A/V receiver, which then converted the numbers into music. The Squeezebox's analog outputs also produced dynamic, clean sound. When we fired up the Beach Boys' "Don't Worry Baby," the vocal tracks had a velvety sheen and the mix felt appropriately three-dimensional. The Commodores' funky "Machine Gun" proved that the Squeezebox can output ample bass without getting sloppy.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24out of 24 user reviews
great sound, strange controls,good display,few stations
Pros: great sound ,good size,easy setup,good display
Cons: too few stations
disappointed overall I;d have to say
out of 24 user reviews
I love Squeezebox.
Pros: Design, excellent sound quality, no more wall drilling
Cons: Prepare to purchase bigger hard drive
I ruled out media centers completely because my listening room doesn’t have a TV, and even if it did, I would hate to turn it on every time I need to choose an album to play. Then I discovered Squeezebox, placed an order for the wireless version ($300), and my world changed forever.
Hardware installation was trivial. Squeezebox woke up and guided me through the process. The hardest part of the installation was entering 32-digit Wi-Fi network security key using the remote control (a step most people won’t need). SlimServer software seems to be put together well and it also installed without a problem. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to scan my music files, but in less than thirty minutes after I opened the box, I was listening to the music from my computer, wirelessly, via stereo speakers in my listening room.
The sound quality seems to be extremely good for the device in this price point. It is only slightly inferior to the sound of my CD player which is three times as expensive. I am sure most people won’t hear any difference at all, especially when it comes to compressed music.
SlimServer software does an excellent job streaming music, but it is not that good in browsing and searching it. I downloaded excellent third party software that can control Squeezebox (it’s called OrangeCD Suite) and use it for richer interface, more convenient search and management of music collection.
I salvaged the oldest CDs in my music collection that were badly scratched and could die any moment. Then I converted hundreds of archive CDs back to digital files. Soon I discovered that I like to browse the collection from the sofa so much, that I began ripping some of my favorite albums just so they are always at hand.
It seems there is no turning back, CDs are outdated.
out of 24 user reviews
Streams audo from internet or NAS drives or PCs
Pros: Does everything it promises and more
Cons: Have not found any
out of 24 user reviews
Squeezebox 3 is a Winner
Pros: Beautiful design, great display, versatility
Cons: 'Latest' drivers required a call to tech support
out of 24 user reviews
The best peripheral I own.
Pros: Optical audio connection; immediate and easy access to your entire digital music collection.
Cons: Scan time can be tedious; cannot play AAC (no itunes music store).
The Squeezebox is run through a program called SlimServer, which is open source software. This has been great, as there are constant software updates as well as plug-ins being developed. Currently, when my Squeezebox isn't displaying audio information, it scrolls through the weather and sports scores for my beloved NYC teams. A nice perk.
The real reason to have the Squeezebox is if you have a lot of music, and you would like to listen to it in as flawless of an environment that you can. The Squeezebox can play wav, mp3, flac, amongst many other formats. Unfortunately, it cannot play aac files from the itunes music store. However, this can be remedied by converting the file into a format that the Squeezebox will recognize.
Setting up the Squeezebox is simple. The Squeezebox connects to your home network (very easily) and then will scan your music collection. You must make sure to have your music all referenced in one folder. If you have music in another folder, you can have the Squeezebox find it by putting a link or shortcut in your primary music folder. As for connecting the Squeezebox to your stereo, you have the option for an optical connection (yes!) or RCA.
Another perk with the Squeezebox is the ability to listen to internet radio stations, as well as stream the catalog of music at archive.org, which has thousands of live shows from bands that permit live recording.
Using the Squeezebox is pretty simple too. There are various ways to search for music, but most methods are basically akin to text messaging on a cell phone. The Squeezebox is fast in finding matches to your search.
out of 24 user reviews
Good digital audio solution
Pros: simple effective wireless solution for digital audio
Cons: support / not the best audio quality
http://www.olive.us.
The device's got a very cool design and seems to deliver a high audio quality.
out of 24 user reviews
Stunning Piece of kit & software
Pros: Open Source Multi-Platform Software thats, always evolving. Extremely User Friendly and allows MP3 streaming over the internet
Cons: Bit expensive
out of 24 user reviews
Great, device does excellent job
Pros: support for digital output, display is excellent
Cons: had trouble connecting via DHCP with SMC router
out of 24 user reviews
Great, but only when it works
Pros: Great Plug ins, Open source, Bright clear display, plays multiple formats
Cons: Doesn't work with networked drives, poor support, wireless B only, frequent drops
The set-up instructions are meager, and if someone is answering the support number that's news to me. There is an excellent user community out there, and I don't mind searching the web for solutions, but reading a string of 50 posts on a bbs is not my idea of tech support.
The server software is also a resource hog, and I don't like having to tweak my XP settings every time I make a minor change. It also locked up every time it had to scan my library. Eventually the scans completed, but more often than not trying to use the PC half of the interface ate up all of my system resources.
I really wanted to like this product, and I love the fact that users are constantly adding to it, but I can't recommend it. I found the software unreliable, tech support nonexistent, and the wireless B brought my system to a crawl.
I know it does not have even half the features, but I still think AirTunes is better, and I hate Macs.
out of 24 user reviews
The Holy Grail of DARs
Pros: I've got Digital audio! It has an adjustable, easy to read display w/o needing a TV. This unit is unbelievable! I have spent over 6 months comparing devices, reading reviews, waiting to see what companies come up with next, and this device has everythi
Cons: I didn't have iTunes all set up with my songs and playlists so the time I had to take to really make this thing sing kinda sucked, but it was worth it. I now have my CD collection sitting in my closet, never to see the light of day again.
out of 24 user reviews
All You Need
Pros: Easy to use My 9 year is a pro at it, Easy set up , great support , Just works (once kinks worked out)
Cons: Working out the kinks, Expensive. When i bought the "Graphics" model was out but not avaliable in South Africa - insist on the graphics model when buying the upgrade to the graphics model is way too expensive
out of 24 user reviews
Mother of God - unsurpassed product & execution
Pros: Very easy setup Wireless remote commands respond promtly; various font sizes for readability. Flawless operation (no anomolies or crashes so far). Analog & digital out; Ethernet; stereo speaker/headphones out (good for std. PC speakers) Control fr
Cons: I had to think for a while.... On the wireless side it uses Shared Key Authentication security (which is a good thing). But my existing and older 802.11b access point (Engenious/Senao 2611CB3) does not support this newer authentication standard. So I m
out of 24 user reviews
Better than than CNET lets on.
Pros: Let me just say that I've reviewed this player before on CNET but I've now owned it for about a year and it only gets better. Refinements to the software have added great options on media (now FLAC and WMA support) including a wider variety of streaming
Cons: As I've mentioned before, the absence of Video is a bit of "con", but most people don't really need it anyway (honestly, how many people have the interest in setting up a video server and high bandwith network to rewatch a movie or TV show more than a cou
out of 24 user reviews
The best product I have ever used. No Joke.
Pros:
Cons: Can't play protected AAC files but you can just rip these to MP3 and then they work fine.
out of 24 user reviews
If you Wifi, now so can your Stereo!
Pros: I just purchased several wireless and wired Squeezeboxes for my home and they work great. No more looking for CDs or wishing the I could listen to my new CD while my son listens downstairs. I make an MP3 and everyone has access.
Cons: Not many cons. I would like to be able to rename the Sqeezeboxes in other rooms rather then refer to them by IP address but thats about it.
out of 24 user reviews
Open source, Great Sound, Flexible, Unbeatable Support
Pros: First, the software that powers the Squeezebox is excellent. The server software runs on a variety of platforms (Linux, Windows, MacOS, etc), and allows for browser based access to your music. It includes a variety of skins, including one designed speci
Cons: I really can't complain about anything. The only issue I had with the Squeezebox was resolved by reading the excellent FAQ on the Slimdevices.com website -- Squeezebox didn't support the method of authentication that was the default on my router. The de
out of 24 user reviews
Best product out there - read the user reviews
Pros: LARGE display readable from 25 ft. Don't need TV to navigate. Open source code has been fine-tuned by user community to be lightning- quick and crash-proof on Windows, Mac and Linux. Plays many lossless and lossy music formats. User community continuou
Cons: None, seriously. If any cons arise, I know they will be quickly addressed by slim devices and/or the user community
out of 24 user reviews
Best product in it's class
Pros: No TV required, amazing feature set, open source server is continually improved with new features, active development community, cool skins, very easy to use.
Cons: Sometimes new open source release are buggy but they get fixes completed quickly.
out of 24 user reviews
Extremely pleased with capabilities, usability, & performance
Pros: The squeeze is just an oustanding product. It really does just about everything you want it to. Very simple to set up and play, but tons of stuff to tinker with. It allows you to synch multiple players, it plays all the formats you need: mp3, AAC, WMA (ju
Cons: The display is a little small. Some say it's expensive, but it seems just about right to me. Sometimes it needs a little more tinkering than I'd like.
out of 24 user reviews
Excellent if you don't care about iTunes
Pros: Excellent ease of use and sound quality is excellent. Easy to set up. Very happy to be owner of this product, second only to Tivo in quality of life improvement.
Cons: Does not support WMA, iTunes, or any music files with digital rights management. Acts funny when computer has been turned off.
out of 24 user reviews
It Rocks--The Simplest, Most Hassle-Free Way to Play Your Mp3s on Your Stereo
Pros: Wireless, easy to use, sounds good, tons of audio features
Cons: kinda pricey
out of 24 user reviews
Well thought out and does what you need it to.
Pros: Flexible software (slim server) allows you to do a lot with the harware. Slim Devices is still the leader in connecting your MP3 to the home stereo. I was amazed to see how little the big guys had done in this area. When I compaired the few possible co
Cons: It's still a little pricey. Does not handle streaming video (which will be an issue in the not too distant future) but OK for now.
out of 24 user reviews
great 'lil gizmo!
Pros: The two major wish-list items from the original slimp3 have been delivered with the Squeezebox: wireless, and optical out. Same great open-source software, same great community. My 110 disc changer now feels like a complete dinosaur... The Squeezebox h
Cons: A bit pricey at $299 (but worth it, IMHO). Can't play Real/rtsp streams (oh well -- services which go with closed-standard streaming protocols and bloatware players are going to lose listeners to services which don't).
out of 24 user reviews
Best DAR available, regardless of platform
Pros: Set up in 2 minutes (it literally sets itself up), very easy to use, sound quality is excellent. Imported iTunes library and playlists automatically. Slimserver very robust and easy to use.
Cons: Pricetag, but you do get what you pay for!!
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