Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsChoosing a Whole-House Music System
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2010
First a word about shipping...
Amazon did its usual excellent job of placing the order and getting it shipped promptly. However, beware of the "super saver" shipping plan, which uses FEDEX followed by a handoff to the post office for final delivery. This service may be free, but it is untraceable. Check for yourself: go to [...] and if you try to track anything, it will just tell you it is in transit or has arrived at an unspecified place. Not very helpful!
In my opinion, spend a couple of bucks more and get your items shipped by UPS. These folks can tell you exactly where your item is at any moment! Worth the peace of mind.
Choosing a whole house music system- how to decide
Unless you house is wired for sound, which mine isn't, this choice basically comes down to Sonos or Squeezebox. I spent a LOT of time researching all available units. If you are the type of person who can take a new PC out of the box, update and configure it and attach it to a network successfully, you should have no trouble with Logitech products.
If you are the type of person who needs to call the Geek Squad for help doing a network install, better stick with Sonos. It will cost 2-3 times as much to do the same thing as Logitech, but it is extremely simple. It basically installs itself.
After reading hundreds of user comments here, it seems there are 2 groups of users: the 80% of people who can figure these units out and love them and the 20% who never get these units going reliably for some reason, hate them, and then send them back. If you are an accomplished computer user and network user, and have a STABLE home network, you likely will have no trouble.
You will need to decide whether to get a music player like the Squeezebox Classic, or an all in one player with speakers like the Squeezebox Radio or Squeezebox Boom. Sonos also has similar types of players.
Using Squeezebox with a NAS
One of the main reasons for purchasing Logitech Squeezebox was to be able to use it without a computer online, just using my ReadyNAS DUO. (A NAS is Network Attached Storage, basically a freestanding hard drive.) That way each Squeezebox controls the server directly, without any other hardware involved. Very simple!
This particular NAS unit has built in Squeeze Server software and is able to stream to multiple Squeezeboxes. This option on the NAS must be enabled using the user interface RAIDAR > Setup > Streaming services, and you should also update the NAS to the latest Squeezebox software version after activation. Detailed instructions on how to do this will be found on the streaming service page. It is easy, and unless you do this, your squeezebox may not recognize the NAS.
Installing Software
There are two servers involved here: one on your NAS or computer called Squeeze Server, and one on the web called [...]. Both of these have changed names recently so it can be confusing.
Each of these is personalized with your (same) user name and password. You can connect Squeeze Server to either the local server or the web server, but not both at once. (You can however run more than one instance of Squeeze Server at once on different PCs). You will access internet radio stations via the web server.
As part of a new install, you will need to gather your music into one place such as "My Music." Install the local Squeezebox Server software (a free download, aka SqueezeCenter) and let it know where your music resides. If you only plan to use internet radio, and no local music sources, you may skip this step.
You will also need to set up an account at [...] (aka [...]) to gain access to internet radio. This software is also free as are many of the radio stations. Some stations do require a subscription, though. This all sounds complicated but it will become very clear and simple once you see it in action.
Note: SqueezePlay Beta, which is the free software player simulator, is not entirely bug free. I could not get it to run reliably.
Installing Hardware
The installation instructions for the Squeezebox Radio are very sketchy, just a quick start guide, but those for the Squeezebox Classic and the Boom are much better. Just follow the instructions for the Classic and setup is accomplished very easily. It will find your network, and ask for your WEP key. The only tedious part of installation is entering this key. (You do need to know if you have a 64 bit or a 128 bit WEP key). Do not lose the remote because there are no controls on the unit itself. If the unit loses power however it will remember this key.
Next the Classic will add itself to your network and update its onboard software. Finally, go to [...] on the net and then enter your user name and password into the unit (also tedious, entered "cell phone" style on the remote) using the same ones you used to set up the account on the net. This will instantly add the unit to your internet account. Adding favorites becomes extremely easy this way. If you hear a station you like on the Classic, just press the "heart" button on the remote and it is immediately added to [...] on the net, making your favorites available to all squeezeboxes on your network.
Installation of the Squeezebox Radio is very simple. Entry of the WEP code and Squeezenetwork user name and password is like operating a combination lock: by turning a knob, and quite intuitive. The first thing it does upon connection to your network is update its software; note that this can take up to an hour!
System Performance
Sound quality is excellent. Speed of access is nearly instantaneous. Someone wrote that they thought the ReadyNAS Duo was underpowered to run Squeezebox Server, but I disagree.
Sound from the internal Squeezebox Radio speaker is excellent. Build quality, fit and finish of the unit is excellent. It has quite a bit of "heft" and does not feel like a cheap unit. It is stable and reliable. Easy 5 stars!
It is remarkable how everything works so well together. You can have any combination of sources (PC servers, NAS server, mysqueezebox server on the net) sent to any combination of players (separate or synchronized) and controlled by any unit (IR remote, wireless remote, or a completely different PC from the server PC or 2 PCs controlling 2 different squeezeboxes), and it all works very well! I think this flexibility is better than having a hard wired music system in your house. As an added advantage, you can take it with you when you move!
