Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Wi-Fi Internet Radio

5 comments

1. 

   JBFranzen on December 7, 2009 at 6:47 pm

   I am entering second hour of set up. I can get a little internet radio so I can say it sounds good and looks nice.

   It really makes you appreciate how much you take Apple for granted. Apple can make a product simple, effective and easy to use. Their ipods aren’t that great but easy, easy.

   This is far from it – don’t buy this one for Mom and Dad and think they will plug n play.

   Logitech needs to hire some engineers from Cupertino.

2. 

   Thucydides 1 on December 7, 2009 at 9:23 pm

   If I were going to plop down $250+ for one of these internet radios, I suppose it would be the Squeezebox Boom, but for a lot less money I came up with a better solution.

   I already had an old Compaq notebook computer, and I simply run a stereo jack line-out from it to the line-in jack on my Sony CD-Radio stereo boomer. The Sony stereo has four really good speakers in it, and one of them is a sub-woofer. This enables sound quality that no “internet radio” can even come close to producing.

   It also allows for completely portable use, because even though it is cumbersome to tote around a notebook computer and a portable boombox-type stereo, both devices can run on batteries, and the notebook computer has wireless capability, as well as a jack for cable modem.

   And then there’s the convenience of simply being able to use a browser in Windows XP or Vista to navigate exactly to where you want to go without a lot of knob fiddling, or going through a bunch of complicated gyrations just to set up a Favorites list of stations. Plus, you’ve got an on-board hard drive in the notebook, and the ability to play/record DVD’s and CD’s.

   *** Revision, April 22, 2009 *** Finally have this figured out! I’m getting an Asus eee Netbook with a solid-state hard drive, and Logitech V20 USB-powered speakers. The netbook is very light and less than 9 inches wide, and will run on its battery for over six hours, or, AC. The Logitech USB speakers I bought “used-like new” from Amazon for half the price of new, and they have great reviews. Bottom line: I’ll have all the advantages of a tiny net-browsing notebook, great speakers in their own carrying case, and the ability to run everything on batteries if I want to, and the total cost to me is $304. Compare that with $279 for the Squeezebox, which really can’t compare. Cheers! ***

3. 

   A. E. on December 7, 2009 at 11:56 pm

   I had high expectations from this device. I own several Logitech products and the quality and ergonomics of their products is most of the time outstanding.
   
   This device is a complete disappointment. I personally bought is to use as an internet radio. Unfortunately for 80% of the stations I want I get either “Connection reset by remote …” error or “No playlist found”. These are all stations listed in the Squeezebox Center, not my custom favorites. Besides this, the whole idea of this device is retarded. It comes with an application, the Squeezebox Center which installs and runs as a web server on the host computer. For this to work you need to create an account on the SqueezeNetwork. The Squeezebox Center application lets you specify your media folders to use with the Squeezebox Boom. I personally have a problem if on a computer that has no shared folders, I install an application that will share my folders with a device and also requires me to log in to some online service. It creates another open window to the internet that I don’t want there.
   
   In a word: Disappointing! I researched the errors I get and apparently a lot of users complain that in the newer versions of the Squeeze Center application, the Internet Radio doesn’t work right. To me is completely useless and that goes for the other Logitech devices that use the same concept (SqueezeBox Duo and so on).

   P.S.: Like this was not enough, Amazon sent me a used Squeezebox. The packaging was clearly opened before and the SqueezeBox has deep scratches in the back.
   
   Back to the warehouse it goes!
   

4. 

   S. Saroff on December 8, 2009 at 2:20 am

   I like gadgets, especially network ones, and I love radio. You would think I would give this device a five star rating, but I wont. It is a one star product because ultimately its intended consumer base can simply not use this thing. The UI (User Interface) is horribly flawed.

   This would be a wonderful device because it does sound great, and it does give you access to the world of Internet radio, but all but the most adventurous gadget heads will never be able to get there. This device needs a readable, real, manual, but instead it is just the absolute minimalistic abominations of tech writing imaginable: it explains less than nothing; the manual is like a rural cross roads with a sign that has been twisted on its pole – the manual is worse than nothing, it sends you in the wrong direction. And, please, this is NOT a radio, this is a complex network device. So unless you are conversant with the obtuse, the obsficated, and the confusing, stay clear of buying a logitech squeeze box boom.

   Here are my specific issues:
   
   1) You can not easily add internet stations until you first create a squeeze network account and figure out that you can add direct IP#s of audio streams to your favorites.

   2) There are very few choices of stations without first creating online accounts (each of which is a confusing process), with various account hosts (squeeeze, pandora, etc.).

   3) It does not seem to work with WPA networks even though it claims too (though I connected easily to my WEP network).

   4) Ugly, ugly learning curve for the various push, turns and time lags of buttons.

   5) Beyond ugly (if beauty is only skin deep, this issue goes clear to the bone) user instructions…..

   6) More like a complex video game: you start using this thing and if you have a solid few hours to spare, you might be able to figure it out…

   … sigh….

   All that being said, I love what this device does now: plays cbc one, and blueMars and a some other great Internet radio. But I would never, ever buy one for a non-techie friend (get them a Grace radio instead).

   I have dozens of radio gadgets, Internet, WiFi, ham radio, short wave, tubed and transistor, miniaturized and boat-anchorish, and see huge potential with WiFi radio, but am flabbergasted that companies still push out technology with UI that appears to be designed by their most people-hostile engineers. I own several technology companies, and at the end of a long day I simply want to flop down and touch a button and be amazed…

   Stick with what is easy to use, and run from what is complex….

   This is device has lots of potential, but wait until they figure out how to make it a pleasure to use, rather than what it is now: a technically confusing mess.

   - Steve Saroff, president of Saroff Corporation

5. 

   T. Randall on December 8, 2009 at 5:10 am

   The Logitech Squeezebox Boombox is a product that still seems to be in the early stages of development. I actually wanted to return it but the Amazon e-tailer’s policy precluded such a return.

   Set-up and integration into my home media system was straightforward. It took a maximum of 5 minutes to get set-up and start enjoying music. The sound on the Boombox is tin-ny and sub-par. I wanted a home office stereo with good sound and the Boombox fell well short.

   There seems to be a bug in the Boombox hardware/software that causes it to be disconnected from the wi-fi resulting in repeated installations during the course of the day, In addition, for no apparent reason the sleep mode comes on and turns the machine off mid song. I checked all the settings and have not found a reason for this irritating bug.

   The tiny remote that comes with the Boombox is lacking in features. I have over 8K songs in my library and there is no way to search using the remote or even the dials on the Boombox. A better user experience is definitely required.

   The SqueezeCenter software worked well and I have not had any problems with it.

   I would not recommend purchasing this product until Logitech or SlimDevices takes care of some of these issues.