Customer Reviews

Squeezebox Wireless Network Music Player, Black

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Why are audiophiles buzzing about this inexpensive product? It is the first mass consumer unit to sound as good as much more expensive audio products. I had it up and running with my wireless network in 15 minutes, and was simply stunned by how good it sounded playing my music on computer. Even the internet radio playing through this unit sounded better than any standard radio tuner. Read my experience at musicserver.blogspot.com

I have a huge investment in my current audio system (more than $20k). I read about the Squeezebox on one of the audiophile websites, and was intrigued by having all my music accessible on a computer, but with sound quality to match my high end CD player. After a month of living with the Squeezebox, I can confirm how good it sounds, how simple it is to set up, and how versatile it is. I have not turned on my $3000 CD transport in 2 weeks, and plan on selling it shortly.

I encourage anyone ready to set up a computer system to visit my blog at musicserver.blogspot.com to see how easy it was to set up your music collection on a computer.

For the 95% of people out there who don't understand or care about audiophile quality sound, don't worry. A stock Squeezebox playing your music stored on your computer will sound better than anything you can buy for any reasonable amount of money.

For the uninitiated, a Squeezebox is part of a system of storing your CD collection on computer, and you use the Squeezebox to access/browse your computerized music collection. You need a computer, of course, and to get the best sound quality, you need to rip your music using a high quality format, like WAV or Apple Lossless or FLAC. It works with computers running Windows, Linux or Apple operating systems, and it does not require an expensive computer. Many users are running it with a laptop! It connects to your computer either wirelessly (using built in wifi connection) or via an ethernet cable.

After a month of playing with this unit, I cannot see how I could ever go back to using a CD player. I love being able to tune in and listen to Internet radio stations without having my computer turned on. I bought another Squeezebox for the family home theater system; now my wife can play my collection without me having to worry about misplaced cd's or the kids scratching CD's!!

For hardcore audiophiles who are dubious about how an inexpensive box can compete with separates, read my blog. This box is the real deal, and when upgraded (and particularly when used with your favorite high end external DAC), it is awesome!!! If you don't have or don't want a external DAC, the Squeezebox can be modified by a number of companies to upgrade the existing DAC and produce sound quality to rival top high end players.

The audiophile press and internet gurus are abuzz about this product for good reason. I was pretty skeptical, but it was so cheap I figured I had little to lose. I am not one to gush about gear, but this box is just phenomenal!!! I've rediscovered my music.

I have a new $200 Roku M1000, which is in a audio system, located in my garage and works and looks great. However, I needed another DAR for a system in the house, which I could read the display from across the room. I tried the D-Link DSM-320 (see my review), which I returned. For $300 the Squeezebox v3 Wireless fit the bill. The unit has a solid feeling, looks terrific in my home theater system and I can easily read the display from across the room (A+). The 802.11g WEP setup and configuration was a snap (A+). Installing the SlimServer server software setup was easy (A+). Usablity of the software and remote (A+) is intuitive, making navigation by album or artist or folder or playlist fast and easy. Plays WMA, MP3 files perfectly, including controlling the current selection or setting a playlist using a web browser and the SlimServer.

Fantastic.

That's the short story.

There are plenty of well-marketed but poorly designed consumer electronics out there, many from companies who often rely on their corporate size to impress users. But much of what they're selling is marginal when it comes down to it.

Not this time.

I've been on the prowl for some time, hunting for a networked media player to put in our living room, in order to leverage the large music database I have organized on our home "server." My wife really likes music in the house, and it had been a while since we had a reasonable means to play her collection. I'd done some searching through many electronics review sites, as well as Consumer Reports and user forums, trying to find some way to compare apples to oranges; most devices do different combinations of things, so it is tough to sort out what we would need.

Wired connectivity was contemplated, as I didn't want to put a burden on our household wireless network, which gets pretty busy with everyone in the family accessing our server's image library, scans folders, using print services, and automated backup tasks pushing loads of information over our 802.11g setup. Also, since our network is running WPA-PSK on the wireless, this would limit the number of media players if I opted to go wireless.

However... I wasn't sure where the player would eventually end up, and didn't want the trouble of running a new network wire down the walls. A check of media player capabilities turned up the Squeezebox 3 as a player which they claimed could handle WPA-PSK. Another media player, SoundBridge by Roku, was in the running up to that point, but it has no WPA-PSK, which is important for a secure home wireless network.

But I learned the Slim Device's Squeezebox has more unique features that made it a standout player, including its abilities to play more audio types and can act as a wireless network bridge. Never mind that, aesthetically, the Squeezebox is gorgeous.

After placing my online order for a wireless Squeezebox, I found that their SlimServer software is free to download, even if you don't have a Squeezebox, and was necessary for the Squeezebox to work. I wasn't thrilled about needing to run a separate application on the server. An email was sent to the tech people at Slim Devices, and a reply was sent quickly, and they assured me the SlimServer ap takes very little processor overhead. [Note: The SlimServer software is better than other player server software, because the volume control goes to 11, not just 10]

It also turns out someone out there has written "Softsqueeze," which acts as a Squeezebox emulator on a PC, and is free to boot. This allowed me to setup and test the SlimServer software prior to the Squeezebox arriving, including the setting up of a Christmas playlist for my wife.

The Squeezebox has no speakers, but has several types of audio output connectors, covering all the bases. I wanted a clean and stealthy install, while still sounding good but not breaking the budget. A set of Logitech X-230 powered PC speakers (a pair of stereo speakers and a subwoofer) were a good buy, and sound great in this configuration.

When the Squeezebox arrived a few days later, I managed to do the setup in short order, without even cracking open the manual (the hardest thing was entering our 63-character WPA pre-shared key).

Several minutes after that, I was smitten.

First, the sound: it is great.
Next, usability: great. Very responsive, quick music start-up, and extremely smart interface design.

The Squeezebox looks fantastic sitting on one of the end tables in the living room, with a subwoofer hidden behind the love seat in the corner of the room and small stereo speakers peaking out each side of the love seat. All anyone sees is the player itself.

Simple.

I appreciate being able to control all aspects of the player - including being able to turn it on - from my laptop computer anywhere in the house, through the SlimServer's web interface. I've installed a couple user-created plugins to the SlimServer which allow playing Real Audio streams to be transcoded and sent to the Squeezebox in real time. I tested the setup, and found CPU utilization on the server to be extremely small, and bandwidth usage on our network to be similarly efficient; in a week and a half of usage, we've had no incidents of playback problems, even though I'm often connecting to our server via remote desktop, and moving lots of files to and from the server, and multiple computers using our wireless network to access the Internet.

The Slim Devices Squeezebox 3 is easily one of the best electronics I've ever purchased, and next time won't hesitate to buy another.

Oh, and my wife loves it!

SB3 is the breakout audio product of the last 5 years. While others here use it to distribute MP3 content I use it for its high quality lossless capability. By ripping to FLAC one can distribute what, in some ways, is better than CD quality sound throughout one's home. Experts maintain that the SB3 has remarkably low jitter which you may notice as improved clarity. In my own tests the SB3 compares favorably to a $5000+ CD player.
Specifically the SB3's bass response was slightly off in pitch and clarity and the depth was attenuated in a minor fashion.

On the other hand if you are listening to your average mass market CD player you are hearing worse right now.

A few overall comments to those contemplating a purchase:

a. This is a great box by any measure.

b. Fingertip access to your music will mean you will realize more value from your music collection.

c. Forget about lossy format ripping. Ripping is time consuming, do it once and do it right, storage is cheap.

d. The convergence of the computer and high end audio is here ---
enjoy cheap, high quality digital sound.

e. If you are looking at the McIntosh, Linn or Escient music server systems --- forgetaboutit... Save your money and architect a better solution with the SB3, a cheap dedicated PC, a bunch of cheap storage and optionally one of the better outboard D/A converters...

Cheers

I just picked up the Squeezebox over the holidays and it has quickly become one of my favorite toys. I mostly listen to music in my car and living room and was transporting my iPod between both places and to the computer to add new files. This arrangement caused several inconveniences. I always had to update the iPod playlists before I could listen to new/seasonal music. I was limited to listening to what my iPod could hold. My wife had no music at the house while I was in the car and I had to shuttle the docking station between my stereo and PC.

The Squeezebox has resolved all these issues and more. Now I have access to my entire collection from the living room. All my iTunes playlists and artist/album/genre/song/etc information is available and searchable. The remote control is constantly being passed around when I have friends over, the intuitiveness of the product means that everyone finds their favorite songs in seconds.

While I didn't buy the Squeezebox for internet radio I find myself regularly using it. It gives you easy access to thousands of stations, many commercial free with no fees like satellite radio. Since the signal is digital each radio track displays artist and song info. Whatever you listen to, you will find several stations that beat the ClearChannel garbage on traditional radio. For some reason I get a kick out of having a choice of 5 Russian stations.

Setup is a cinch, and I have not experienced any technical difficulties that were caused by the squeezebox. The Squeezebox is a fraction of the price of Sonos and technologically superior to the Roku Soundbridge. Definitely a worthwhile purchase, highly recommended.

I spent maybe 30 minutes installing the server software and setting up the wireless LAN. It wasn't too hard, but could be a bit challenging for those who never learned how to program their VCRs before they became obsolete. I paid my daughter to rip my entire CD collection (a bit tedious) so now I'm listening on "shuffle" to everything I own. Quality is great. One of these days I'll get some playlists set up.

Minor negatives: Display text isn't quite big enough to read from my easy chair 12 feet away, so I have to get closer to make music selections (maybe I should just keep some binoculars handy). Server software doesn't automatically know about newly ripped albums after initial installation, and it's not that obvious how to update it. Doesn't support ASCII entry of WEP keys for secure WLAN (which is the only way my access point works) so I had to use an ASCII table to translate the key to hexadecimal.

Observation: There are no buttons or knobs on the squeezebox -- don't lose the remote.

Rarely have I been as jazzed by a new gadget as I've been with the Squeezebox. This small device - and calling it a gadget is really doing it a disservice, it's really a quality-oriented, high-tech audio component that bridges your computer-based music collection to your home stereo - has changed the way I listen to my music collection.

First, the concept behind the device is more than just evolutionary. An audiophile-grade component that lets you play your digitized music collection (songs ripped to your hard-drive from CDs) on a high quality stereo opposed to the usual portable device (iPod, etc) has opened up a whole new world of convenience, flexibility and quality to what used to be a very cumbersome proposition. Now, my CD collection is stashed at the back of a closet to stay. No more bulky CD players taking up rack space, no more jewel cases, no more mislaid or mangled CDs.

Since I already had a home network, adding the SB3 was a no-brainer. Granted, some technical aptitude will go a long way to keeping the experience from becoming frustrating, but even a technophobe will eventually figure out how to get it all running. In such a case I strongly suggest enlisting the help of a tech-savvy friend or relative. There's also plenty of tech assistance to be found on the Slim forums if you run into a problem.

Next, the implementation of the device is excellent. Stylish, sure. But the sound quality and functionality are both top-notch as well. A variety of connection options on both the networking and audio sides (wired ethernet, wireless 802.11a/g, digital coax and toslink outputs, analog RCA outputs) make the device suitable to different home-layout needs and system configurations. The Squeezebox fits in equally as well in the $400 Home-Theater-In-a-Box system as it does in a $50k high-end audio system, or in a small, simple kitchen or bedroom setup.

Sound quality is dynamite, in most cases reported to equal or surpass all but the most high-end CD transports, provided the right source material (lossy MP3s will never sound as good as the original CD on a decent home stereo, while lossless ripped music such as FLAC generally sounds better due to elimination of technical limitations associated with mechanical-based sources, eg. CD player).

Clear, pristine, 3-dimensional sound is the result. Along with the well-done (if sometimes slightly buggy) Slimserver software, it's a knock-out combination for making access to your music collection easier and more logical than ever with the potential for great sonic improvement to boot.

Multiple Squeezeboxes in different rooms allow you to stream different songs from your centrally stored music collection to different locations. Bach in the in-law suite, Britney in the kids' room, ACDC in the garage, and jazz in living room. The flexibility and functionality built into such a small, simple-to-operate device is mind-boggling, not to mention the price-point, which delivers sound equal to devices costing 10x as much and whole-house audio similar to systems costing 3-4x the Squeezebox.

The SlimServer software provides a useful and flexible method for accessing your music collection (or, I should add, internet radio as well), storing your collection's tags (artist, album, song title, genre, year, etc) in an easily searchable and sortable database with a user-friendly, web-based user interface. Because it's open source software, there's already a blooming cottage industry of add-on features from stock tickers to, goodness, there's just a lot of funky, sometimes very cool stuff growing on the branches of the Slim Devices tree. (Slimserver, the controlling software - akin to WinAmp or Windows Media Player - is basically a webserver, allowing the ability to control your music and playlists from pretty much any web-browser on your home network, including hand-helds, browser-enabled phones, laptops, PCs, touch-screen panels, etc).

The overall result is that between the convenience of access and interface options and the quality of audio, I have a massively revitalized interest in a music collection that had frankly seen only sporadic play the past few years. I've been listening to old CDs and hearing new things, and listening to CDs rarely dug out of the collection before. Just because it's so easy. And that puts quite a smile on my face.

I bought two wireless Squeezebox 3's (...). Like most other reviewers here, I've been smitten by this device and very impressed by the elegant simplicity of the open source slimserver software. From a simple web interface I now easily control what's piping across squeezeboxes or computers scattered around the apartment (synchronized, or playing their own thing), or separately control them via handeld remotes.

Customer support is also very efficient and no-hassles in its approach. One of my Squeezeboxes stopped working about a week after purchase. I emailed to explain the problem and tech support wrote back a short email with an RMA number asking that I ship the unit back. They shipped me a new unit via UPS the very same day I handed my unit to UPS, so I was back up and running a new Squeezebox within a few days.

I love this device. I have it in my bedroom, paired with the H/K Soundsticks II. It is a sleek and elegant looking solution. There are some great features including sleep timer, and an alarm clock (which is the only reason I can think of why they included a "rooster" sample in the natural sounds section!)

The only issues I have are:
(1) sometimes it will shut itself off randomly. Also, switching between SlimServer (where you can share your iTunes library) and SqueezeNetwork (where you don't need a PC turned on-- it goes straight over wireless internet) sometimes is clunky, as the system needs to reset.
(2) I cannot see all my music that's in my iTunes library. Perhaps that has to do with Apple's DRM lockdown scheme, but I can only see music that was burned from CD's; nothing I purchased via iTunes. I probably don't know all there is about the file formats, but that seems weird. If it's in my library, shouldn't it be available to Squeezebox? There are lots of settings I can change in the web-based SlimServer console; I actually got confused at all the settings (for which I don't blame Squeezebox; it means they engineered it to be very configurable). I guess I just have to browse the forums to find out how to get my purchased music to show up.

Neither of these is a reason not to buy this device. It is truly innovative-- well worth it!

This was very easy to install/setup...just follow the directions. The only "issue" is if your firewall needs to be adjusted but they cover the needed changes in the Owner's Manual and online.

I was listening to internet radio, without a PC, in less than 10 minutes.

I'm planning on buying additional units for other rooms in my house.