Cisco-Linksys Wireless-B Music System WMLS11B Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)MY BACKGROUND:
I have always been an ardent musicphile and have subsequently grown a respectable collection of music.With a little less than 1000 CDs, physically finding the music you feel like listening to was always a chore (although there is much to be said for spending some quality time rediscovering that CD that you forgot you had).SO, I jumped on the MP3 bandwagon a couple of years ago, ripping my entire collection (up yours RIAA) onto my server.Having them on my server has made it easy to listen to whatever I like pretty much anywhere in the house where there's a computer (both son's rooms, living room, my office).I converted to iTunes recently when it became available for the PC (much nicer to synch the iPod with than MusicMatch ).BTW, I'm a software engineer and gadget freak, which explains why my house is wired with CAT6 cabling and why even my 3 year old son's computer is running at Gigabit speeds on our home network. :-)
Okay, enough babbling, onto the review:
WHY I BOUGHT IT-
I'd been toying with the idea of picking up one of the portable media players ever since they came out a year or so ago.I couldn't justify spending the cash on the designs that were out there until I found the Linksys WMLS11B.It is very aesthetically pleasing, but more importantly, it has a very nice (and large for the form factor) LCD screen and looks basically like a boombox that can play all your MP3s.Whenever I can (when the weather and family allow) I try to work from my deck or screened-in porch.I'm somewhat tired of having the iPod earbuds sticking in my ears and plugging a pair of powered computer speakers into the iPod is a hassle.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS-
For $180 ($250+ MSRP) I expected something a bit more substantial.It's not badly constructed, but seems too 'plasticky' and lightweight for the cost.Anyway, after about ten minutes, I had it configured and working on my wireless network (Linksys 802.11g).Incidentally, you need to set it up with an ethernet connection to set it up initially, but I could not get it to connect to any of my computers directly and had to finally just plug it into a router.The very first impression was that I had messed something up with the wiring because I had to have the volume all the way up to hear the music.After goofing around with everything, I decided that it was set up correctly, but just lacked the power to play adequately in anything else except an absolutely quiet room (with the sound level at MEDIUM, you can barely hear noise coming from the speakers).
PROS -
-Nice to look at
-Sound quality is pretty good once you hook up some nicer powered speakers
-Easy to set up
-Fairly compact
-Fair selection of internet radio stations
CONS -
-The included speakers leave a lot to be desired
-Must use MusicMatch (it sucks!!) or Rhapsody (a RealOne company, which if you didn't know, is run by Satan)
-For some reason, I can't get it to play more than ten songs from a playlist.
-The interface is HORRIBLE!Very non-intuitive and I spend more time scrolling through my collection than actually listenting to music.Most frustrating is that after you scroll down for a couple of MINUTES and find 'Modest Mouse', if you change your mind and decide you want to listen to 'Menomena' instead, the interface tosses you back to the top-most menu, meaning that you have to select 'BROWSE' then select 'ARTIST/ALBUM' then scroll down for several more minutes to get back to the M's....Even a submenu that allowed you to scroll through the alphabet and select, say, 'M' and then browse all the M's would be VERY nice.If the playlist function worked properly, then you could invest some time and set up your favorite songs and/or artists, but for spontaneously searching through your catalog... uhh, you won't.
-For some reason, I occasionally lose signal with my network and it can't find the server (even though I have my laptop receiving 54Mbps with excellent signal strength right next to it).Not a frequent occurence, just puzzling.
-Being 802.11b based, it only supports WEP and not WPA.:-(
-No carry handle
-The remote is pretty good, but doesn't work unless pointed directly at the unit and from within a very shallow angle from center.
-No headphone jack on the front
-Too many cables sticking out of the back.Cable management is so easy, yet apparently an alien concept to most manufacturers.
CONCLUSIONS:
It's just frustrating to have something soooo close to being good, but having some poor design muck it up.I really wish they'd assign it a more iPod-like interface (where you can use the back button to go to your previous menu level and selection).I also wish they'd find some way to tap into iTunes as a server or roll their own (okay, I can dream).I believe that if Linksys were to revamp the interface firmware and take care of some of the problems with the 'music server', it would be worthwhile.Unfortunately, I've dealt with Linksys for too long to even hope that they'd bother to update this version.They will instead release a newer, improved version which will make this model the MP3 Edsel.
I'm going to return this to the store today as I have a 10 day 'remorse period' that expires on Monday.
Nice try Linksys, better luck next time. :-(

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cisco-Linksys Wireless-B Music System WMLS11B

Product Description:
The Linksys Wireless-B Music System lets you bring the digital music stored on your computer to your Home Entertainment Center, without running cables through the house.Using a wireless connection, the Music System finally frees your digital music collection from those little computer speakers to play in full glory through your stereo system.|||The Wireless-B Music System sits by your home stereo and connects to it using standard consumer electronics cables.Then it connects to your home network by Wireless-B (802.11b) wireless networking, or if you prefer, it can be connected via standard 10/100 Ethernet cabling.Using the included remote control and the built-in LCD menus, you can browse your MP3 or WMA formatted music collection on your home PCs by title, artist, album, genre, or playlist.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Cisco-Linksys Wireless-B Music System WMLS11B now ?

Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi Internet Radio and Wireless Music Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
-Amazing sound quality
-Burr-Brown DAC (pretty much the best around)
-Easy to configure
-Great interface
-Rock-solid performance (no waiting when you hit play, and no network issues)
-Created for IT people by IT people, but doesn't require a lot of IT literacy to get up and running (and their documentation is great).
-Price

Cons:
-The only thing I can think of is that it would be cool to have a USB port with USB Mass Storage Device support so you can plug a USB HDD directly in to this puppy and rock and roll.But, this is just nit-picking, and they probably didn't include USB because it would increase the price and wouldn't offer a lot of performance to a lot of people.Details:
Every once in a while there is a product so genius that it reminds me why I love technology.I had read up about the Squeezebox and I figured it would be really cool.When I picked it up I immediately noticed that it was small.Smaller and sleeker than I expected.It seems to be made of high-quality materials, and at this point I'm feeling pretty unimpressed about the whole thing (since I figured the sound quality would let me down like most digital audio devices... *cough* *cough* *iPod* *cough* *cough*).

My brother and I plug it in to his Denon receiver and B&W speakers, and we power it on.I immediately notice that I like the interface.It's snappy, and the slide transitions actually look pretty cool.The screen is also pretty nice, so I'm starting to feel good about things at this point.

The configuration of this device was a breeze.It auto-detects networks (with broadcast SSID turned on) and I was able to get it on the network in a matter of minutes without reading the manual.The SlimServer software for the PC is also pretty easy to install and configure, and I noticed that they released the source code for the server software.

I first listened to some streaming radio, and I have to say: I was impressed with the quality of the radio stations.I hate MP3 compression (I use FLAC), but the classical stations actually sounded pretty good to my ears.The best part is that the radio stations just work.No problems.No weird network timeouts.Just on-demand radio by Genre, City, Etc.

After playing around with the radio, I decided to listen to some FLAC that I am really familiar with to get an idea of the DAC and the fidelity of the player.My brother and I were blown away by the sound quality of my FLAC files.It sounds about as good as his Denon CD player, and it puts every other digital audio player I have ever heard to complete and utter shame.

There are a lot of things I like about this product.The fact that they release the source and allow you to create custom plug-ins is cool.Everything about this seems like it's created by some friggin' good engineers that want other IT people to appreciate it.

This thing is simply amazing.For price-to-performance, you can't beat it!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi Internet Radio and Wireless Music Player

Product Description:

The Logitech Squeezebox enables you to stream your favorite music to your stereo--even when your computer is off. You'll be able to tune in to thousands of Internet radio stations as well as listen to online music services such as Pandora and Rhapsody when connected to your home's wireless network. Additionally, you can play songs from your personal library stored on your computer.

Get 17% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi Internet Radio and Wireless Music Player now ?

Myine Electronics IR001 WiFi Internet Radio Adaptor Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The press release from Myine Electronics states "Myine's Ira Wireless Internet Radio is designed to harness the universe of radio broadcasts available on the Internet and to allow user enjoyment anywhere a wireless internet connection, a speaker system and power sources are available." And that pretty well sums it up - and it does a great job at it too!

The general point of the unit is to not only give you access to the world of internet streaming radio and podcasts, but to do it easily, quickly, and without having to know a whole lot about what's going on with your network or connections. "There is a lack of good products available for people who are not tech savvy or just busy," said Jake Sigal, Principal and Founder of Myine Electronics. "Ira doesn't have any unnecessary bells and whistles, and sets up automatically right out of the box without a computer. We believe that with potentially confusing electronics, less is more."

When you first break the Ira out of the box, you'll see that it comes with the unit itself, a power cable, and a remote. It relies on WiFi being available to access the internet, and this is the first caution I would give potential buyers - make sure you have WiFi in your home, and that it is strong in the area you intend to put the Ira. The Ira seems very sensitive to interference and distance, so don't expect it to work as consistently and quickly as your laptop card does.

After plugging it in to the power and a set of speakers or a receiver, the next thing you'll need to do is configure it to access that WiFi broadcast. Although the Ira is geared towards `low-tech' users, it will definitely take some knowledge of networking and network configuration (plus a fair amount of patience) if you have any security enabled. Although it picks up the SSID if you are broadcasting that, and will tell you what type of security or encryption protocol, you'll need to be able to enter the passcode. If this is a WEP secure connection, this means you'll need to use the arrows on the remote and a pseudo keyboard on the screen to plunk out the 16 digits/characters/symbols - and unfortunately the Ira will not save incorrect configurations meaning you'll have to do it all again if you get one of the numbers wrong! It saves it if you get it right, so this may not be a big deal, particularly once you're past it.

Once you've got it all set up, you really start seeing the value and power of this unit. Users can filter by location or genre, and there are literally thousands of stations available. There are you're your typical shoutcast internet only stations, but also streaming live stations from around the globe. You've also got access to podcasts (including yours truly) and audio presentations, though you may find some of the more obscure ones missing. Myine selects the podcasts and stations that it will display through some mechanism that wasn't revealed to me. They did add podcasts that I requested (e.g., TechTalk on WRLR) without any questions or hesitation however, so I don't see this as a big hit.

If you're familiar at all with listening to radio or streaming audio on your laptop or desktop, you'll "get" this product immediately. What's really neat about it for me is how portable it is - I can listen to tunes up in my bedroom, then take the little unit downstairs to our porch outside, plug it into some speakers there and keep listening - without having to drag my laptop with it's rather junky soundcard all over the place! It's even small enough to throw in a jacket pocket and take to someone else's house to show off.

One area for future development and a feature that I really missed on the Ira is the lack of song information. Most stations broadcast the track and artist info with the song, but oddly the Ira unit does not display it. You can get a lot of other streaming and audio info, just nothing about the current track playing. The Ira software does have the capability to get updated over the wifi connection you use, so I would expect to see this fixed in a later release.

Overall Rating - 3 out of 5 Chips. It's a fantastic little product and idea, with portability and ease-of-use in the forefront of internet connected audio players (plus the benefit of not paying for XM or other similar options!). The lack of song tagging and weak reception strength make it just a little tougher to use than it should be however, and drops it down a notch. The price point is a touch high but still definitely within reach at around $130.

For more great topics and reviews like this, check out the weekly TechTalk show on WRLR 98.3 FM in Chicago, or listen anytime via iTunes or at our website:
techtalk.wrlr.fm

Click Here to see more reviews about: Myine Electronics IR001 WiFi Internet Radio Adaptor

Product Description:
Do you have wireless Internet? Do you want to get FREE music, sports, and news from around the world? Tired of confusing terminology and confusing features? Meet Ira - Our Internet Radio Adaptor that connects automatically to any wireless internet network. Extra features were intentionally removed so you can quickly listen to free music, sports, and news, without the extra hassles. Just take it out of the box, plug it in, connect it to your home stereo or boombox and use it. Automatically sets up in about three minutes and doesn't need a computer. All cables included. Ira has over 11,000 stations from just about every country in the world. Filter by location or genre to find new stations in under 30 seconds. Listen to NPR or your favorite local channels in CD like quality. Includes On Demand Podcast programming for many stations so you can listen to your favorite shows when you want. Includes a one-touch "STAR" button to store up to 40 of your favorite stations.

Get 49% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Myine Electronics IR001 WiFi Internet Radio Adaptor now ?

Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)UPDATED:Sony has released a software update that rolled out in the first week of June 2010.I've edited the review below to identify issues resolved in the software update.I have noticed some freeze-ups since the software update, but they've been relatively infrequent.If you buy the device new now, it will update itself as soon as it connects to the internet.The Sony Dash is marketed as a "personal internet viewer."In my opinion, it does not live up to that name.Others are more accurately calling it "glimpse internet" and "upgraded alarm clock."It's a 7-inch touch tablet designed with a weighted wedge style, meant to sit on a countertop or bedside table.Sony basically licensed or bought the Chumby OS and added its own internet video service as well as re-designing the UI a bit for the larger screen.I was attracted to this device because I liked the idea of a Chumby, but it seemed overly bulky and too small of a screen.The Dash takes all the good parts about a Chumby and adds a bigger screen and a better design.

I'm giving a lot more detail below, but to sum up:what you think of this device is largely going to depend on what you want from it.To me, this device's best tagline would have identified it as a "wake-up station"...telling you everything you need or want to know as you wake up to begin your day.My rating of this device is based on what I expected out of it: in short, a glorified alarm clock.If your alarm clock could:

* tell you weather and traffic at a glance
* have multiple alarms per day, each with their own sounds, configurable in any way you want...if you want to wake up at a different time each day, with a different tone each day, it can handle that.(Really, if you've ever used your cellphone as your alarm clock, consider everything your cellphone can do as an alarm clock...this can do all the same stuff, without ever having to worry about all the problems of cellphones as alarm clocks.)
* quickly show you a few e-mails, status updates, or photos
* let you go to sleep/snooze to a podcast or internet video

If you look at that list and think, "wow, that's exactly what I want in an alarm clock," then you're the target user for the Sony Dash. Sadly, they're not marketing it to you at all. Really, they're barely doing anything to sell this device. I've seen exactly zero ads. Were it not for Engadget, I wouldn't have even known it was available or what it was. And, stupidly, what Sony is doing is positioning this so it goes up against things like the iPad and Archos tablet. Sony should be positioning this as the best damn alarm clock in the world. That's their mistake and what will, IMO, make this device fail.

On that note, I've seen alot of reviewers poo-poo the Sony Dash by saying "oh, my cellphone could do this" or "oh, my iPad does this better". Well, your cellphone and iPad don't do what this does, because neither of those devices are meant to sit still on a bedside table. Your cellphone and likely your iPad get up and leave when you do, which makes them nearly useless as an alarm clock unless you are a single person living alone. Even if you are a single person (or if you are willing to have separate devices for each person), you'd need to buy several accessories to make a cellphone or iPad sit as nicely as this does on a surface. So, long story short, a cellphone and an iPad appeal to a broader audience, no doubt, but, this device hits a very necessary niche for which the iPad and cellphone are ill-designed.

PROS:

* Very fast and easy setup on the device -- you can use the device without going to the web, but there are quite a few apps that require configuration via the web, and the web config has issues (see Cons list)
* Design is sleek.It looks damn cool on your bedside table.
* Pleasing UI, simple to navigate
* AccuWeather weather (a plus over other weather services, IMO)
* Sits securely (can be rubbed by cat without falling over)
* Bright and colorful screen, videos look great
* Completely customizable alarms and alarm clock
* NEW IN 6/2010 UPDATE:Customizable snooze length - 1,2,3,4,5,10,15,20,25, or 30 minutes
* "night mode" that dims the screen and shows only the clock, when the next alarm is set for and the weather in black and white...though I did notice today that it's got a little "mom" that writes itself in in cursive, which is kind of a cool "surprise" bit of chrome
* Price is just about right, in my opinion.If Sony ripped out everything but the alarm clock and weather functions, shrank the screen, and got it to $99 or $79, that'd be a very nice product...would beat the heck out of the American Innovative Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock.At $199, it's less than a netbook, less than many cellphones, and far less than the Apple products that could fit this space.
* Usable touch keyboard, fine for posting to Twitter or Facebook, but I wouldn't use it to type a long e-mail
* Really good selection of default sounds loaded
* Was able to access my Amazon Video on Demand purchased videos and play them easily, and since I haven't bought anything else that does that yet (except my PCs, of course), that's a nice feature for me.

CONS:

Now for the bad news.There are three issues that, in my opinion, are near blocking issues, but the silver lining to the cloud is that all three are likely to be resolved by Sony soon, and my rating reflects my strong belief that these will be resolved soon.Still, were I Sony, I'd feel great shame to have shipped this device with these issues as they are:

* USB drives are not working yet.This is huge, because they promise this on the box, and it's the only way to access your own music from the box (no DLNA or other wireless transfer support).It says "coming soon" if you attempt to play music or view pictures from a USB drive.Were I not in love with this as my alarm clock, I'd return it based on this alone.- RESOLVED IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - USB drives are now accessible!You still cannot set an MP3 as a wake-up alarm, however.

* The web setup is a mess.The site itself looks shoddy, like no one actually cared enough to make it look nice...and the configuration area is not easily accessible from Sony's main site.You have to go to Sony's "MyEssentials" site (a term/brand that is in no way associated with the Dash), and that site is not linked from the Sony Dash page on Sony's site, nor from Sony's main site.Logging in from Sony's main site and clicking on "my devices" takes forever to load, so I never found out if I could get to the Dash config site from there.To find the config site after the initial setup, I ended up going to [...], trying my Sony login, and then Chumby re-directed me to the MyEssentials site.Basically, the setup on the Dash itself is so simple, but as soon as you hit the point that you need to use the web to configure something, you're lost.For this reason alone, I can't recommend this for non-geeks...which sucks because if this were fixed, I could see this being a really nice gift for a number of non-geeks in my family.I mean, this is basic stuff that they blew off, and it speaks volumes to Sony's lack of commitment to this device. - IMPROVEMENT IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - It is no longer necessary to use the MyEssentials site to configure the Dash.You can do most day-to-day aspects of configuration from the device itself, though the device will still prompt you to register on MyEssentials during initial setup.This is particularly good because it turns out that Sony STILL has not improved the MyEssentials site for the Dash, and they can't reset passwords for your registered account through the website.You have to call customer service.If you try to reset your account's password through the MyEssentials site, it sends you to the SonyStyle site, which uses a different database of usernames and thus will not work.

* No web browser...which I wouldn't care about if there were more apps or if this weren't being sold as a "personal internet viewer"...but to call yourself an internet viewer and not have a browser is just sad.Plus, this makes the apps themselves frustrating.Most of them are just ported iPhone apps, which means they assume you can click links to view more.

There are also quite a few minor issues which Sony/Chumby could resolve in the next few months via software updates:

* Not enough "apps" (really, they're widgets)...lots of popular news and info sites are not represented, and the apps themselves are not the greatest quality.
* The layout options are limited.There's only two layouts, and neither of them are satisfying.For example, there's no layout that has two app panes.You can't customize shortcuts in any of the layouts, either, so you can't (for example) make sure that the Amazon Video shortcut is the first (or only) one available. - IMPROVED IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - 2 new layouts are available, and they definitely improved on the usability.
* Not easy to switch between "channels" (different views with different apps...for example, I have a productivity channel that has my Gmail and Gcal in it and a separate social networking channel that has all of my social networks and news feeds), takes 4 steps to switch plus a not-insignificant load time.Basically makes the channel feature useless because it's too annoying to switch channels.You're better off just loading all the apps you want into your default channel.
* No copy/paste functionality...a pain if you're wanting to post a status to multiple sites...Read more›

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer

Product Description:
Your favorite parts of the Internet customized the way you choose, available in a dash. Over 1,000 free apps can be displayed at the touch of a finger. Choose from your favorite information and entertainment content including weather, traffic, social networking, movies, music and more--pushed right to your kitchen, bedroom, or office. The Dash Personal Internet Viewer connects quickly and easily to your existing wireless network and features a vibrant 7-inch LCD touchscreen for accessing a variety of video services for online music and viral videos, full-length feature movies and TV shows. You can also listen to MP3s and Internet radio via the built-in stereo speakers, or by using the headphone jack (headphones not included).


Make the Internet uniquely yours and access over 1,500 free apps with the Dash Personal Internet Viewer. Click to enlarge.
The compact size maximizes counter, bedside, and desktop spaces.
Access a variety of video services for online music and viral videos, full-length feature movies and TV shows.
Your favorite parts of the Internet customized the way you choose, available in a dash.
Streamline Your Life with Free Apps
The 1500-plus apps available for the Dash Personal Internet Viewer deliver the information and entertainment you want--weather, traffic, social networking, movies, music, and more--right to your kitchen, bedroom, or office.
Listen to What You Want
The Dash Personal Internet Viewer is a compact audio multi-tool: listen to MP3s and Internet Radio out loud with the built-in stereo speakers, or privately by using the headphone jack (headphones not included).
Customization
Customizing the Dash home screen to fit your own personal needs and style is easy. Simply choose your favorite apps and theme that you want displayed.
Access to Sony Content
Get access to the best Sony has to offer: movie trailers, minisodes, music videos, game trailers, and the latest deals from SonyStyle.com.
7-Inch LCD Touchscreen
The WVGA 800x480 LCD touchscreen displays crystal clear photos and video from a wide viewing angle, and automatically adjusts the display for an upright or horizontal orientation.
Simple Setup
Connect quickly and easily to your existing wireless network.
Elegant and Space Saving Design
The compact size maximizes counter, bedside, and desktop spaces, and the timeless design blends in with any décor.
Easy-to-Use Clock and Alarms
When you enter your zip code the device automatically sets the time for you. Set up custom alarms, either one-time or recurring, with the option of waking to Internet radio stations, built-in alarm sounds, or your favorite app.5
Multi-Source Video Content
Access a variety of video services for online music and viral videos, full-length feature movies and TV shows you can watch and control on the brilliant LCD.
Convenience
Stream the web content you specify through Internet apps, without the distraction of a PC. It's always on, always fresh, always available at a glance without the delay of booting up your PC.
Online Photo Access and Sharing
For a great photo viewing experience the Dash Personal Internet Viewer conveniently loads and displays your photos from online services such as Photobucket, or you can simply view your photos directly via USB. The touchscreen user interface allows you to set effects, rotate photos, zoom, and play or pause photo slide shows.
USB 2.0 Interface
Access audio, video or photo content stored on mass storage USB devices by connecting to the USB port.
What's in the Box
Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer and user's manual.

Get 35% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer now ?

XACT XS097 Deluxe Universal Satellite Radio CD / MP3 / AM/FM Boombox System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)XACT is a dishonest company. They claim to have a warranty on their products, but there is literally NO WAY to get them to repair or replace a product. If you call their support number, you get an automated system with no option to talk to an operator. Instead, the system gives you an e-mail address. Then you have to e-mail them several times to get a response, and all they say is "Send it back to the retailer," even after the 30 day return period.

I bought the XACT COMMUNICATIONS XG2500 Cordless Headset Telephone in late 2008 and it was of mediocre but acceptable quality at first. But then the battery life took a nosedive. A cordless phone that lasts ten minutes on a full charge isn't useful. And that happened during the one year warranty period. But I couldn't get a repair, replacement, or refund from the company. So my only recourse is to give out one-star reviews and warn others about the company.

Click Here to see more reviews about: XACT XS097 Deluxe Universal Satellite Radio CD / MP3 / AM/FM Boombox System

Product Description:
Compatible with XTR3 Visor, XTR8 Replay, and XTR7 XTR Satellite Radio Receivers. (Sold Separately) * CD Player Capable of CDRW and MP3 Playback * Top Load CD Player with 45 second ESP * Digital AM/FM Radio Tuner with 10 Presets * Includes Satellite Antenna * Rotary Volume Knob * Auxiliary Line Level Input * Auxiliary Line Level Output * 3.5mm Stereo Mini Jack * 4" Full Range Speakers, 5W per Channel * Extended Outdoor Play with 8

Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Music Player / Wi-Fi Internet Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a radio nut (going back to the tube days)and the Squeezebox Boom is my third internet radio. I have a Roku Soundbridge R1000 and Sangean WFR-20 as well. All have their strengths, but the Squeezebox Boom is without a doubt a significant step up; it sets a new high standard in performance, capabilities, and ease of operation.

For wireless streaming of your music collection from a PC or Mac, the Boom is best. It can handle more formats (nearly anything except DRM protected iTunes files) and works well without crashes or delays.In this the Roku is #2, and the Sangean ranks 3rd(crashes and stutters a lot).

For internet radio, they all work well. The Sangean is the only one that natively handles RealAudio Streams (like BBC) but has problems with clear channel stations.All of them pick up the stations I want without problems, so I rate this a tie.

If you want to interface with online music services like Rhapsody/Pandora/ MP3Locker etc, the Boom works great, with far more capacity than the other two. The Slimdevices/Squeezebox folks also update and improve their software far more frequently than the other two, so I expect it to remain in the lead in features and available services.

In sound quality, the Roku and Boom are both outstanding, with the Sangean good, but clearly a step lower.The Roku's subwoofer seems to go a bit deeper in my room, but the Boom is perhaps a bit more smooth and musical. The Boom uses the same woofers and tweeters as the highly rated Logitech Z-10, but with better bass (because of a larger cabinet and new amp/equalizer circuitry). They both sound absolutely great and play quite loud.

Ease of initial setup: If you are starting from scratch, I think the Sangean is the easiest to set up, if you do NOT want to stream audio from your PC...that is a real hassle. Both the Boom and Roku require a bit more work.

Ease of Use AFTER set up:Boom is best BY FAR.Not only do the menus make real sense, but the illuminated controls make it the only radio you can use easily without turning on the lights. The big control knob and back lit function buttons get you through all of the functions fast.

As a Clock Radio, the Boom has more options than the others, and the display has a huge adjustment range so it will not disturb light sleepers.

All of these radios are a lot of fun.The Boom does most, and does it best.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Music Player / Wi-Fi Internet Radio

Product Description:
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.

Get 2% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Music Player / Wi-Fi Internet Radio now ?