Logitech Squeezebox Boom
The basics
This Wi-Fi-enabled internet radio from Logitech plays virtually any music format, including MP3, FLAC, WMA, AAC, WAV and AIFF. The Squeezebox Boom also boasts Stereo XL technology, six-button presets, a bright high-contrast VFD display and measures 330x127x79mm.
The good
You’ve got 14,000 tunes on your computer and you still listen to them through the crappy speakers it came with? You might as well pour Marmite in your ears. Instead, why not upgrade your audio life with 30W of tub-thumping bass from a smarty-pants player that can handle almost every flavour of file known to geek-kind? The Squeezebox is bi-amped for your pleasure and has a lovely little LCD screen. One request: just please, please, don’t put Craig David all over this Boom.
The bad
Without your PC, the Boom is just a big, black box of quiet. Turn your computer off and the Boom can’t stream files (obviously) or pick up any internet radio stations (not so obviously). There’s no DAB or FM tuner, although the line in socket for an MP3 player might just save the party.
The bottom line
There’s no faulting the Squeezebox for what it does (play music well) or how loud it does it (er, loudly). It’s what it doesn’t do (work without a computer, pick up normal radio) that makes us doubt we can squeeze a full £200 of value from it.
User comments (4)
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Mark Stowe07 August 2009
Your mistaken about the bad pont. As long as your internet connection is up and running it can connect to squeezenetwork and from there any internet radio station on the internet. It can also connect to radio sevices like Lastfm ,Napster ,Deezer , without a PC or NAS.
Report as inappropriateT5Dave06 November 2009
I agree with Mark. I've just purchased a Boom today and it is perfectly capable of streaming sans-PC-connection. Just hook it up to your WiFi router, select "squeezenetwork.com" and enjoy. A further benefit is that you can use the squeezenetwork remote control to control the Boom over the internet. Volume and track controls are available, with the bonus of Album Art shown on the online remote control. PC Tethered - not likely!! It's a solid 4.5/5 device. I've just returned a Philips WAS7500 music station as it is a functionally useless piece of junk, however the sound quality was a lot crisper and more immersive than the Boom. That's not to say that Boom doesn't shake the room! (bad pun!)
Report as inappropriaterogerwilson29 November 2009
As with the Internet-radio bookmarks, you can add the feeds for your favorite podcasts on the SqueezeCenter/SqueezeNetwork home page. Just dial up the podcast menu, and you'll get a selection of the last 6-10 episodes for each show. <a href="http://www.r4-ds-kaart.nl">r4i</a>
Report as inappropriatesimone25 December 2010
hi, but how exactly do you hook the think up to the WiFi that it can play internet radio without computer being one? I have server downloaded, but when I go to the settings on the Boom it just doesn't find my network. only works when computer is on
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