Now with Sirius radio! Count me in! | Logitech Squeezebox Duet Network Music System

A Few Flaws Stand in the Way of Playing Your Music Anywhere...But It Does Work Eventually | Logitech Squeezebox Duet Network Music System

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	• Logitech Squeezebox Duet Network Music System Logitech Logitech average customer review:based on 24 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

I absolutely LOVE this new toy...

I can play music from anywhere in my house and actually find the music I want to hear. For a technophobe like myself married to a computer geek who thinks all music should be stored digitally this is one happy toy. :o)

Now with Sirius radio! Count me in!

It's hard to review the Squeezebox Duet without comparing it to the Sonos system, current ruler of this class of products.
Since there are already many excellent reviews, I thought I would focus on a comparison of the two, to help you decide which system best fits your needs.

Controller
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Both controllers are responsive, pleasant to hold and operate. They are well built, and their LCD screen of excellent quality and easy to read.
Squeezebox: thin, light, easy to operate with one hand, excellent battery life, battery is user-replaceable, comes with charging stand. It also features an infrared blaster and a headphones port, which will be supported at some point in the future (although Logitech makes no promises there have been demonstrations of prototype firmware using both features), as well as a 3D accelerometer (yes, like a Wii remote).
Sonos: bulkier, designed for two-handed operation, battery life could be better, battery is not user-replaceable, charging stand optional.

Networking
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I did not compare the two systems in the same location, but they both operate well with a range sufficient for most medium-size houses.
Sonos: uses proprietary mesh networking that requires to plug one of the players into the wired LAN. Other players act as repeaters.
Squeezebox: uses standard 802.11g networking. Can hook up to an existing wireless network, or the player can be used as an access point for the remote.

Players
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Sonos offers two players: the ZP100 has a built-in amplifier and the ZP80 doesn't (but it offers a digital output missing from the ZP100). Both players feature an Ethernet hub and an audio input.
Squeezebox: on top of the inexpensive player bundled with the Duet, the Squeezebox system is also capable of controlling all other Squeezebox devices (excluding the first generation models).
Audio quality is comparable, although audiophiles may be attracted by the compatibility with the Squeezebox Transporter.

Server
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This is where both systems differ radically. Sonos connects to existing SMB shares whereas Squeezebox requires that you install and run the SqueezeCenter server on your computer. SqueezeCenter is open source and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Sonos: less intrusive, no software to install, works happily off a lowly NAS. But: if your music collection is larger than 30,000 tracks, you may hit the limit of the indexing capabilities, a problem with no easy workaround.
Squeezebox: requires simple installation of server software, so you have to have a computer always on. Server is too CPU-intensive to run properly on a low-power NAS such as the D-Link DNS-323

Internet radio
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Sonos: Napster, Rhapsody, Audible, eMusic, Zune Marketplace, Sirius, Pandora, all configurable from the controller
Squeezebox: Rhapsody, MP3Tunes Locker, Radio IO, RadioTime, Slacker, Live365, SHOUTcast, Sirius, most must be configured and authorized from a computer using the SqueezeCenter web interface.

Support
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Both companies offer spectacular support through their on-line forums.

Summary
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Price: Squeezebox. A three-zone Sonos system will cost you about twice as much as a three zone Squeezebox system.

Capabilities: tie

Ease of setup: Sonos

Ease of use/WAF: Sonos. The Squeezebox interface is beautiful, but Sonos is more logically organized and simpler.

So, should you get Sonos or Squeezebox? It depends. Both systems are excellent.
If you're a tinkerer and want a solid, inexpensive system, the Squeezebox is for you. If you don't mind the added cost, want the best, simplest, friendliest user interface around, Sonos is still the ticket.

One thing is for sure: Sonos finally has some serious competition.

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A Few Flaws Stand in the Way of Playing Your Music Anywhere...But It Does Work Eventually

I was unclear why this was called a Squeezebox Duet until I discovered it to be a two-part system - the Squeezebox Receiver base station and the Squeezebox Controller remote. The functionality of the base station is pretty clear - it's a black brick that pulls audio from a networked PC or the Internet via your Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet home network. The remote is a multi-room controller with a 2.4-inch full-color LCD screen. The combination allows you to roam your home and take advantage of the music you have on your PC and have it play through your home entertainment system.

It's a terrific concept, but installing the Logitech Squeezebox Duet was among the most frustrating experiences I have has as a non-techie. It was only through persistent trial and error that I was successful in connecting it to my Sony home entertainment center and only after purchasing additional coaxial cables to make it operable. Once that was complete, the rest of the procedure was fairly straightforward. What I like most about the Squeezebox is how it operates completely from the palm of my hand. The controller lets me browse from Internet radio stations and free services, such as Rhapsody, MP3tunes.com and my personal favorite, Pandora. In turn, it allows me to access my own selected music collection. The one barrier, however, is that Squeezebox doesn't play music with copy protection, which includes any songs offered on Apple's iTunes music store. As a partial offset, though, I can play podcasts and even soothing sound effects that help lull me to sleep.

One other flaw worth mentioning is what I consider the lack of intuitive navigation on the controller. This was surprising to me considering how well Logitech designed its Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote. The main menu is segregated by Music Library, Internet Radio and Music Services, and Settings, among other choices. I didn't have a problem moving up and down menus via the scroll wheel, but my tendency is to look for physical buttons to start play or turn off the whole thing. Neither exists. I also noticed sometimes there was a lack of synchronicity between the music and the album art displayed on the screen, but I wasn't sure if it was the fault of the music service or the Squeezebox. All in all, even with its shortcomings, I think the Squeezebox Duet is a relatively solid product for anyone who wants broader access to the music they are used to finding just at their PC.

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streams music from your computer for playback on your home audio system * connects to your wired or wireless home network * wireless controller with scroll wheel and 2-3/8" color LCD screen * works with iTunes®, MusicMagic, Live365®, RadioIO, Shoutcast and Windows Media® * not compatible with protected DRM music files purchased from online stores such as iTunes or Zune * supports playback of lossless music files (Apple, FLAC, WMA), uncompressed files (AIFF, WAV, PCM), and compressed files (MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, MP2, MusePack, WMA) * compatible with Internet radio stations *

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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