UPDATED: 10/07/2010, and again 03/28/2011
WOW, I didn't realize how popular my original review was. I have been living with the BOOM in my bedroom for the past few years, and still enjoy it EVERY day. My wife uses it to stream Hungarian radio stations set as an alarm in the morning. We listen to Pandora or Last.FM when we fall asleep (on timer). And we use it as external speakers for a 26" bedroom TV. We almost NEVER stream our vast MP3 library off our RAID5 NAS running Squeezebox Server, instead opting to connect to the new mysqueezebox.com management site which is much easier to use. The Boom is a pretty darned good internet radio device, and recommended.
I stand behind MOST of what I originally wrote. I was trying to be unbiased about the feature set as provided TWO years ago and SHORTLY after release. This was right after Logitech bought Squeezebox and started major firmware improvements on the product line. Many of the issues had have since been addressed in firmware. Some were admittedly nits, but I was trying to give a broad perspective to anyone that hasn't actually touched one.
The problems I was having with the BOOM connecting are mostly gone. They resurface briefly on the occasion that I unplug/lose power, but I don't have nearly the headaches I did when I bought it new. Moral of the story... The MSRP hasn't dropped to my "magic" point yet, but the firmware and thus the product, is MUCH, MUCH better now. I would call it a 4 star device in 2011, and thus recommended. I still believe you need a decent technical aptitude to wring every last function out of this device, but if you're looking for a good, easy to operate, self-contained internet radio, and direct ipod connectivity is not a feature you require, you would be hard pressed to beat the Boom.
I would have no hesitation in buying another one if I could get it at half of MSRP. But costing more than an Xbox or PS3, a small HDTV, an Ipod Touch, a netbook, or other "must have" tech items, the Boom won't make the top of many gadget lists. At 100 or 150 it would be much more desirable by a much wider range of consumers and I would happily add a fifth star. Note that Amazon sold it 3/19/11 for 135 after MIR, so they may be prepping a price reduction. It's over two and a half years old without a model refresh and only a 20% price drop. That's not enough movement on a tech OR audio device in my world... No matter how good it is.
-Original Review 12/27/2008
Was looking for a device that I could stream music to my back yard for parties and what not. I found the Boom shortly after it came out and figured it might be what I was looking for. I admit I was waiting for a bit of a price drop however. I managed to get one from AmEx Wishlist at a huge discount (about 50% off internet price) so I bit.
I have some pros and cons to share:
Pros:
1) It plays just about anything you can throw at it including almost all audio file formats, streams, and even RSS feeds. Fairly effortlessly I might add. It also supports Social Media streams if that's your thing.
2) Small and quite portable, even at nearly 8lb. Yet it feels solid and quality built.
3) Can stream internet radio without attaching to a PC.
4) Open Source development. There is a decent community of support for this device and its stable mates. Being open source it just takes one dev to make dreams into reality. (2010 update: running Squeezebox Server on my Linux based NAS!)
5) Built in support for some of the most widely used internet audio sources including iTunes, Rhapsody, Pandora, Last.FM, Live365, Sirius, etc. Unfortunately the vast majority of these are NOT free services, but they do provide 30 day trials or offer free advertising driven content. Any broadcast radio station that streams to the net should be supported for free. I haven't found any that are excluded.
6) Web control is very cool and allows you to fully operate the device from your web browser, even on your internet enabled phone. I like this even better than the included IR remote and it is more functional to boot. It also allows you to sync playback on multiple Squeeze devices around your house, though I have not tried this.
Cons:
1) No battery operation. It would be nice if it had a built in rechargeable battery, even if it only allowed 2 hours of use. (2010 update: I never unplug it, though it's easy to relocate. This is a nitpick)
2) No usb port to attach external storage. Would be amazing to plug in a flash/external HDD drive, mp3 player, and have access to any music on it. (2010 update: still think this would be a good feature in a 2.0 device, wi-fi or not. Nitpicking again)
3) No iPod dock. I am NO Apple fan but we own one iPod Nano and iPods are ubiquitous. Being able to control an iPod directly makes sense. Line in audio is supported via standard headphone jack which converts the Boom into amplified speakers, and is functional (2011 update: We now also use the Boom as external speakers for a 26" Vizio with Internet apps)
4) Price too high. At MSRP I feel that it is probably twice as expensive as it should be. This technology is old enough for a bigger price drop. It probably remains high because there is little competition in this space. If you can find one for under 150 go ahead and add the 5th star.
5) FIXED: Boom REALLY wants to connect to a Squeezebox Server on your PC/Mac. (2010 update: New FIRMWARE fixes most all connectivity problems and allows you to connect directly to mysqueezebox.com OR a Squeezebox Server)
2011 UPDATE: As mentioned the device is great at internet radio, and it is capable of quite a bit more. It is now much more user friendly and no longer requires anything more than a wi-fi router and basic networking knowledge. With a little bit of added tech knowledge you can further maximize potential with plugin apps or by running your own Squeezebox Server.