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Logitech Squeezebox Boom | 
| Brand: Logitech
Category: CE
List Price: £249.00
Buy New: £171.00
as of 10/9/2010 03:40 CDT details
You Save: £78.00 (31%)
New (22) Used (2) from £159.50
Seller: Amazon.co.uk
Rating:  77 reviews
Sales Rank: 1015
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 7.6
Dimensions (in): 14.9 x 6.7 x 6.1
nv: AC Power Adapter Supplied: Yes
Alarm: Yes
Audible Support: No
Backlit Display: Yes
Bookmarking Support: No
Codec Support: MP3 MP3 VBR and WMA Files.
Colour LCD Screen: No
Copyright Protection System: No
Depth: 45.72mm
Display: 4.3 16 700 000 Colour digital TFT LCD Display 480x272
Ethernet Interface: True 100Mbps throughput. Shielded CAT5 RJ-45 connector. Connects to any 100Mbps or 10Mbps network
Firmware Upgrade: Yes Flash upgradeable firmware
Folder Navigation: Yes
ID3 Tag: Yes
Legal Disclaimer: http://www.rpadistribution.com/terms_and_conditions.asp
MPN: 930-000063
Model: 930-000063
UPC: 617279334844
EAN: 0617279334844
ASIN: B001EWDVXG
Release Date: August 29, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Simple installation through the Wizard and automatic network detection 6 memory buttons for favourite broadcasters or playback lists 2-way amplifier with powerful signal processor Stereo XL™-technology extends the sound pattern 7-day alarm function with mains failure protection Wake-up from Internet radio, your favourite playlist, through different sounds or via buzzer tone Display of title, interpret and menu information on the | | • | Access to music library on the PC via WLAN or LAN Use of Internet radio or online music services like Last.fm™, MP3tunes, RadioTime, Radio IO and Live365 Digital 30 W amplifier and stereo loudspeaker | | • | Colour: Black | | • | Connections: Audio-input (3.5mm)_Headphone output / Subwoofer output (3.5 mm)_Network connection (RJ 45) | | • | Replay of: MP3_WMA_WAV_Apple Lossless_AAC_Ogg_FLAC_AIFF |
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 77
 Quality device November 22, 2008
William Moffatt
27 out of 27 found this review helpful
This is my fourth sqeezebox and it is as well designed and as good looking as the previous ones. It's a smart little box, a bit bigger than a loaf of bread, satisfyingly heavy and very stylish.
As the description says, it's a squeezebox with built in amp and speakers, ideal for smaller rooms - prior to this I had an amplifier and speakers for my squeezeboxes, adding to the cost and taking up a significant amount of space; this is much more visually appealing and space efficient.
Having just turned off one of my previous SB+amp+speakers and replaced it with this, I was pleasantly surprised with the sound quality - I'm no audiophile, but I listen to a lot of music and I am very pleased with the quality put out by the Boom; it fills the room well, without any of the usual annoyances you get from small speakers.
I control it from my laptop, so I've not really made use of either the remote control or the front buttons; they look good enough for most uses though.
Plugging in and setting up was easy, as you'd expect; I had to upgrade to the latest version of squeezecenter, but having done that it was just like using any other squeezebox. I'm looking forward to being able to use it as an alarm clock, something that was a pain to do with separate amp+speakers.
If I could change anything, it would be to put in a longer LCD - the display is certainly good enough, but it would be nice to see a bit more of the song title/artist/album etc., without it scrolling.
I would never go back to playing CDs, and for anyone wanting to switch over to streaming their music from a computer I can't think of a better device to try it out with.
Thoroughly recommended November 3, 2008
Ashmash (UK)
52 out of 53 found this review helpful
The BOOM is my second Squeezebox device and I can recommend it without hesitation. It's a wonderful little network music player. It's small, solid, and smart-looking. The controls are intuitive and easy to master. But most importantly, the sound quality is really good for a device of this size and cost.
For the uninitiated who are wondering why a little stereo that doesn't have a CD player can be worth £200... Squeezebox products enable you play music held on your PC via a wireless network. They also allow you to play internet radio stations (including BBC: live, recent shows and podcasts) and provide access to nifty internet music services such as lastfm.
The setup requires a network. Then you download and install the free SqueezeCenter software to your PC. It manages your music library and handles the communications with your Squeezebox player(s).
Once you've got your music onto your PC you can play everything from the touch of a button. No more need for the CDs, see?
Who needs a manual? December 30, 2008
R. Amos
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
Seldom do products live up to their marketing, however in the case of this little beauty it does! Out of the box with the SqueezeCentre server running on my PC I was listening to my music collection within 5 mins. I have yet to look at the manual! It's a dream to use, easy to set-up and I'm simply stunned by the range and quality of the sound (especially given the size of the speakers) and it has never skipped a beat anywhere in the house. Add a track to the iTunes library or create a playlist and it's immediately available on the Squeezebox. It has a good solid feel to it and appears to be well built. For me this was the entry level option and while it is not cheep it represents very good value for money. I will buy other products in this range in the future. Happy listening.
I run a PC with Windows XP (SP3), 1GB RAM, AMD Athlon CPU and a BT HomeHub
Logitech Squeezebox Boom versus Pure Avanti Flow August 25, 2009
peter (london)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
If you are looking for an Internet radio with the option to stream your own music you are likely to choose between the Logitech Squeezebox Boom and the Pure Avanti Flow.
The first thing to say is that the Avanti flow also includes Dab Radio, FM radio as well as an integrated iPod dock that charges the latest nano version. If these are paramount to you then the Pure becomes the only option really. The iPod playback is very good and the Dab reception is also good. On the other hand if you prefer streaming music as opposed to using a portable player and if you find that wifi radio makes Dab and FM no longer a necessity then the following comparison might be of some assistance.
The software: The Avanti relies on the "lounge website" in conjunction with the "flow server" software. The latter is only required for streaming music from one's PC. The Squeezebox Boom works via the "Squeezebox Network" or the "Squeezebox Center". The latter is the software running on your PC. After using both it didn't take long to realize how primitive the Pure Software is in comparison to the Squeezebox one. This greatly affects the quality and functionality of both Internet Radio and Mp3 streaming that these systems offer.
Internet Radio: The Lounge works by storing your preferences: favorite music stations, etc. You can search for stations via genre but the design is cumbersome and finding what you want is a lot harder than in the Logitech. Furthermore, there are many bugs in the program. For instance adding/deleting a station to your favorites is not always straightforward. It might take a day for the change to appear. The main drawback of the Avanti is that you cannot control it via your PC. You need to do so via the main unit or the remote and its screen is not large enough for that. PC control is one of the main advantages of the Squeezebox family. In addition, Internet radio is very well organized within the logitech system with the advantage of using Music services such as Last.FM, Deezer, Napster, Classical.com ... This is not an option if you choose the Avanti Flow. Even though connectivity issues and errors may occur they are a lot easier and quicker to resolve as opposed those in the Pure. Another issue is the slow buffering times of the Pure that can be an annoyance if you frequently switch stations. Reception is very good in both and is rarely interrupted.
Streaming Mp3 files: Again controlling the device from your own PC is one of the main advantages of the Squeezebox. Furthermore, thsqueezebox allows streaming in lossless formats. Another advantage is that non-Latin characters will always be displayed native or converted to Latin ones on the Squeezebox screen or your PC screen. This is not the case with the Pure where you might end up seeing boxes instead and makes it hard to decipher names of artist, songs form your library.
Sound Quality : Very good for both within their price range. The Avanti is somewhat brighter while the Boom is warmer. Treble/Bass can be adjusted in both. I find the the Pure sounds better with low bitrate Internet Radio than the Logitech. The Avanti has an integrated Subwoofer but this actually may be a disadvantage for some people who would prefer to use their own sub. The squeezebox has a sub out.
Design, Built-in Quality : I like the looks in both. The Avanti has a retro style in a black gloss finish and is a more eye catching item. Yet I prefer the understated looks of the Boom as well as its screen. The both feel sturdy and the Avanti is a lot heavier and quite more sizable. One design problem of the Avanti is that the buttons are misplaced and that they operate in a counterintuitve fushion. The Boom, on the other hand, is very easy to operate from its scroll wheel that is similar to that of the iPod.
Conclusion
The Avanti is a more complete product, does nearly everything a mini hifi would do and is therefore the logical mini hifi replacement. However, if the typical hifi features are not important to you or if you plan to keep your CD player anyway and view streaming music as an addition to your current set-up then the Boom or any other Logitech Product is the one to go for. The Boom can be part of a multi-room set up where the Squeezebox Classic or the Squeezebox Duet receiver can take their place in your living room next to your hifi set up while the Boom can be used in the Bedroom/Office. Everything can be controlled from your PC or from the Duet controller and different players can also be synchronized. If you are ready to make the switch to the Squeezebox family you will enjoy your music in a whole new light.
Gadget heaven June 29, 2009
Film Buff (Nottingham, UK)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
The squeezebox's black design may not be to everyone's taste, but it does go well alongside any other black kit you may have (and it doesn't look as cheap in real life, as in the photo)
As soon as you pull this out of the box, you realise it's no cheap radio/alarm (it weighs about the same as house brick)
I've seen some reviewers complain setup is bad, because the menus are slow, but I'm guessing this is caused by early versions of firmware, or their WiFi connection, because I've found the menus appear almost instantly.
How easy it is to setup will depend on which of the squeezebox's facilities you want to use & how the security on your router & firewall is configured...
If you're lucky, you could be listening to internet radio within a couple of minutes, or you may spend a couple of hours scratching your head, only to realise you need to untick a box on the router setup screen. Eitherway, it's well worth the effort.
The sound will only be as good as the radio station you listen to. But with the right station and for a device of this size/price the sound is impressive, the bass has real punch, but doesn't muffle the treble. OK, it's not going to match a £1000 set of speakers, but there is some warmth & detail too (even What HiFi magazine gave it a good write up)
There are two ways to use the squeezebox:
1) SqueezeNetwork
This is a web site, it allows you access hundreds/thousands of web radio stations, which can be browsed by country, genre etc (either MP3, WMA or Ogg, but not Real format stations. Which means you can access national BBC stations, but not local BBC stations)
You can also access numerous music services. Though some of them aren't available outside the states (E.g. Pandora & Rhapsody) and others charge a fee, but that still leaves the likes of Last FM, MP3Locker & Deezer, which are all free.
Integration with Last FM works really well, you can add items to your library & even play the "similar artist" radio stations
While Deezer offers yet more radio stations & a free online locker for your MP3s.
Podcasts can also be played & RSS feeds can be displayed. The display is (in my opinion) too small for RSS news headlines, but it's OK for viewing details of the latest BBC pod casts.
You can also create a "Favorites" list of radio stations, podcasts & RSS feeds.
2) Squeezeconnect
Is an alternative to using Squeezenetwork. It uses software running on your PC. It can do everything that squeezenetwork can do, plus you can stream your music collection to the squeezebox (providing the PC is switched on)
It also recognises/imports your iTunes playlists (note, it can only stream MP3 & iTunes Plus tracks, not DRM protected tracks. But I guess you could work around this, by just connecting your ipod directly to the squeezebox)
It also supports plugins, so you can play Real format radio stations and (in theory) any other format that comes along in the future.
The clock/alarm facility also works well. The clock face is big & bright enough to be easily seen. The snooze button is fairly big & positioned on top of the box, so it's easy to push.
The alarm itself can also be configured to come on just on certain days, activate snooze after various periods of time, fade music in/out etc etc.
In fact, just about everything the squeezebox is highly customisable & you could probably spend a day just experimenting with all the options.
Finally, there's connectivity. The box has an ethernet port, Line In (which means you can connect an iPod, but note the top of the squeezebox slopes, so your iPod dock will have to go by the side or front) and Line Out (so you can connect to an Amp/speakers)
Is there anything wrong with this device?
Well the power plug is rather fat, so may take up two power sockets & it's slightly annoying you have to use squeezeconnect to access Real format radio stations, otherwise, I am totally happy with this gadget.
Remember how your Sky+ changed the way you watched TV & the ipod changed how you bought/listened to music, well this will do the same for radio (in fact, you may find even your ipod becomes neglected)
In summary, a flexible/highly customisable radio, alarm, music streaming device, that's easy to use, with good sound. I am very happy with my purchase & can thoroughly recommend this!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 77
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