I don't see any reviews on this baby so hear ya go. One persons review -
This is a small box hooked up to your home stereo, and also to your internet connection. It also includes a remote control with buttons, ans a scroll wheel. The remote also includes a nice screen. Which displays the interface of surfing stations, and tuning in your personal library. You have various choices of connecting the device to the internet doing wireless, wired, or a combination of both. It is a pretty simple device in regards to what it's job is. It streams music from the internet, and allows you to play your personal library of music. Purely is a music device while not needing a computer (or so they say). Explain more of that later. To connect device to your stereo device provides a RCA, and digital connection option.
Let's start with the negative -
The cons caught my eye rather quickly. I purchased the device from Amazon originally so I had plenty of time to decide if this device was for me. I'm keeping in mind as I open the box. This device is around two years old. So it's been around a while. Figured my experience would be flawless. I found out this was not exactly the case sort of. First I found instructions to be so what limited as far as how the interface actually works. Rather the relationship between box/remote/internet/personal library access. First off all Logitech is making some rather new, and interesting changes to the whole interface. This is what stumped me initially. In fact the real downer is documentation on this stuff is limited out of the box, or on logitech web site. Looking at the marketing of this device it says you can stream music from the internet as well as play your personal music without a computer.
So here is how it works really. You can certainly stream music without your computer, and just with the duet. Though with personal music you actually need to connect to your personal server, or logitechs server software that you install on your computer. If you use the server software from logitech you need to keep a computer on all the time. If you use your own server well that is another device you can buy not related to logitech. Something like a Netgear ReadyNas device which can do other things besides handle the duet. Though that is a hefty expense as well for the average consumer.
Things get a little bit more tricky as well. You have two sources to use to listn to music. One choice is mysqueezebox.com which you can stream music with. Never have to have anything on accept your squeezebox duet however you can not listen to your personal library via this source. The second option is you can you use the squeezebox server which you have installed on your computer, or have on your ReadyNas or similar device. This does allow you to listen to personal music, and streaming however you need to have the computer/ReadyNAS, etc. always on. So you need to choose what option you want to use. You can only connect to one source at a time, but it is very easy/qiuck to switch sources.
The sources were very confusing to me at first. In fact I had a friend helped walk me through it all who already had the device. Logitech does not really guide you at all which really sucks. If it was not for my friend it is very possible I may have returned it. Their are also forums of course you can scan.
So basically tutorials on using the complete interface is a big con
How they market the device is not accurate in my opinion is a big con.
The overall interface is just currently too complicated, and not seamless enough.
Lastly the device I feel is over priced. It is priced to expensive. With that said I was very interested in the device, and had the money. So price did not sway me even after the negative items about device.
This was a very frustrating process.
The positive -
Love the remote. Nice size screen. Buttons/scroll wheel work nicely. Interface on actual remote works well. You can figure out how to navigate pretty easily. The remote is basically the brain of the device. It's all about the remote after box is set up. You don't need to do anything to box once you've plugged it in. The box was easy to set up to my wireless network.
I did the all wireless option of installation. The only thing I would add is I use a airport extreme base station for my wireless network. The settings inside this thing can go pretty deep. So with assistance we went into extreme network settings, and made a bunch of configuration changes. Along with having to do the same in "little snitch" program on my Mac. So depending on your home wireless network you may need to do similar things if you want to maximize how the device works on your network. Of course this goes with any device connected wireless to your network. So those things are nothing new.
For me streaming without a computer was my main reason for buying this thing. You can access a lot of internet radio ! I have my Slacker, and Pandora linked to the device. Those are both apps you can install on the device. They have a bunch of other apps you can install as well. I have BBC, CBC, AccuRadio, Live music archives, sounds and effects. Just to name a few apps. Many others are available. You can also access abunch of FM/AM stations streaming on the internet, but I tend to not use those. Though I have two/three I check out time to time. I don't see a actual NPR app, bit that stuff is very easy to access via internet radio section without using a app. You can do searches for specific things, or look through lists. News, talk, entertainment, comedy, local, etc.
I don't really listen to my personal music much anymore. I'm all about streaming music now days at home. away from the house I mostly use music on my G2. I must admit though I was prepared to take personal music in itunes, and start listening to it on the duet without my computer. Little did I learn later that would not be the case. At this point for personal music with the duet. Is keep my computer on, and switch the mode to server installed on my computer. Keeping computer on all the time was exactly what I was trying to get away from. So basically i'm not using that much. I stick with streaming. This was not a deal breaker in the end about the personal music so I kept the device.
In closing - Yeah I was surprised at some things with device like marketing, overall interface for example. Was not able to play personal music in the way I thought I would be able to. Love the streaming ability of music without a computer. The selection of streaming music is great. Pandora, slacker apps. Along with all the other apps to choose from. Frustrated at first with very things, but getting beyond that.....The device does what I wanted it to do most. stream music, and it streams it easily. The remote is great. Overpriced but manageable to my pocket. After some initial shock I was more then willing to keep the device. For me the positive outweighed the negative. It fitted what I want it to do. Others may feel differently depending what features you want to use it for. So to each his own......
Squeezebox? Duet
Home - Welcome to mysqueezebox.com!
Note - other devices to choose from in squeezebox family.......
Wi-Fi Music Players
This is a small box hooked up to your home stereo, and also to your internet connection. It also includes a remote control with buttons, ans a scroll wheel. The remote also includes a nice screen. Which displays the interface of surfing stations, and tuning in your personal library. You have various choices of connecting the device to the internet doing wireless, wired, or a combination of both. It is a pretty simple device in regards to what it's job is. It streams music from the internet, and allows you to play your personal library of music. Purely is a music device while not needing a computer (or so they say). Explain more of that later. To connect device to your stereo device provides a RCA, and digital connection option.
Let's start with the negative -
The cons caught my eye rather quickly. I purchased the device from Amazon originally so I had plenty of time to decide if this device was for me. I'm keeping in mind as I open the box. This device is around two years old. So it's been around a while. Figured my experience would be flawless. I found out this was not exactly the case sort of. First I found instructions to be so what limited as far as how the interface actually works. Rather the relationship between box/remote/internet/personal library access. First off all Logitech is making some rather new, and interesting changes to the whole interface. This is what stumped me initially. In fact the real downer is documentation on this stuff is limited out of the box, or on logitech web site. Looking at the marketing of this device it says you can stream music from the internet as well as play your personal music without a computer.
So here is how it works really. You can certainly stream music without your computer, and just with the duet. Though with personal music you actually need to connect to your personal server, or logitechs server software that you install on your computer. If you use the server software from logitech you need to keep a computer on all the time. If you use your own server well that is another device you can buy not related to logitech. Something like a Netgear ReadyNas device which can do other things besides handle the duet. Though that is a hefty expense as well for the average consumer.
Things get a little bit more tricky as well. You have two sources to use to listn to music. One choice is mysqueezebox.com which you can stream music with. Never have to have anything on accept your squeezebox duet however you can not listen to your personal library via this source. The second option is you can you use the squeezebox server which you have installed on your computer, or have on your ReadyNas or similar device. This does allow you to listen to personal music, and streaming however you need to have the computer/ReadyNAS, etc. always on. So you need to choose what option you want to use. You can only connect to one source at a time, but it is very easy/qiuck to switch sources.
The sources were very confusing to me at first. In fact I had a friend helped walk me through it all who already had the device. Logitech does not really guide you at all which really sucks. If it was not for my friend it is very possible I may have returned it. Their are also forums of course you can scan.
So basically tutorials on using the complete interface is a big con
How they market the device is not accurate in my opinion is a big con.
The overall interface is just currently too complicated, and not seamless enough.
Lastly the device I feel is over priced. It is priced to expensive. With that said I was very interested in the device, and had the money. So price did not sway me even after the negative items about device.
This was a very frustrating process.
The positive -
Love the remote. Nice size screen. Buttons/scroll wheel work nicely. Interface on actual remote works well. You can figure out how to navigate pretty easily. The remote is basically the brain of the device. It's all about the remote after box is set up. You don't need to do anything to box once you've plugged it in. The box was easy to set up to my wireless network.
I did the all wireless option of installation. The only thing I would add is I use a airport extreme base station for my wireless network. The settings inside this thing can go pretty deep. So with assistance we went into extreme network settings, and made a bunch of configuration changes. Along with having to do the same in "little snitch" program on my Mac. So depending on your home wireless network you may need to do similar things if you want to maximize how the device works on your network. Of course this goes with any device connected wireless to your network. So those things are nothing new.
For me streaming without a computer was my main reason for buying this thing. You can access a lot of internet radio ! I have my Slacker, and Pandora linked to the device. Those are both apps you can install on the device. They have a bunch of other apps you can install as well. I have BBC, CBC, AccuRadio, Live music archives, sounds and effects. Just to name a few apps. Many others are available. You can also access abunch of FM/AM stations streaming on the internet, but I tend to not use those. Though I have two/three I check out time to time. I don't see a actual NPR app, bit that stuff is very easy to access via internet radio section without using a app. You can do searches for specific things, or look through lists. News, talk, entertainment, comedy, local, etc.
I don't really listen to my personal music much anymore. I'm all about streaming music now days at home. away from the house I mostly use music on my G2. I must admit though I was prepared to take personal music in itunes, and start listening to it on the duet without my computer. Little did I learn later that would not be the case. At this point for personal music with the duet. Is keep my computer on, and switch the mode to server installed on my computer. Keeping computer on all the time was exactly what I was trying to get away from. So basically i'm not using that much. I stick with streaming. This was not a deal breaker in the end about the personal music so I kept the device.
In closing - Yeah I was surprised at some things with device like marketing, overall interface for example. Was not able to play personal music in the way I thought I would be able to. Love the streaming ability of music without a computer. The selection of streaming music is great. Pandora, slacker apps. Along with all the other apps to choose from. Frustrated at first with very things, but getting beyond that.....The device does what I wanted it to do most. stream music, and it streams it easily. The remote is great. Overpriced but manageable to my pocket. After some initial shock I was more then willing to keep the device. For me the positive outweighed the negative. It fitted what I want it to do. Others may feel differently depending what features you want to use it for. So to each his own......
Squeezebox? Duet
Home - Welcome to mysqueezebox.com!
Note - other devices to choose from in squeezebox family.......
Wi-Fi Music Players