Cheap Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi Internet Radio and Wireless Music Player Sale

My favorite Squeezebox device. Clean design with beautiful, fast and responsive vacuum fluorescent display. The new LCD based ones look just cheezy and don't hold handle to the elegance of VCD.

Also, it is far more customizable compared to Touch or Radio - lots of 3rd party plugins, such as Custom Browse that allow you set up custom menus, e.g. simplified browsing for kids or elderly, or separating libraries between "dad's" and "kids'".

Highly recommended (along with Boom, also an excellent player).

This is the best Squeezebox model they ever made, now sadly discontinued. Easy user interface, simple setup. It just works. The newer models have flashy color screens but less usability.

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!

The Squeezebox is probably one of the best overall tech/audio purchases Ive made. Combines both of my favorite hobbies, PCs and High Fidelity audio into an easy to use and access system. The key here is without sacrificing sound quality which is hard to find in other systems. The sound quality from the Squeezebox with its Burr Brown DACs is slightly better than my normal CD player. Personally I cant tell a difference between the Squeezebox with properly recorded flac files versus Onkyo/Marantz players. I would say on par with mid end $300 CD players. It is so convenient and enjoyable to have your entire collection at a press of a button and not have to swap out discs. When you get bored of cycling through your collection the Squeezebox also has streaming radio which I didnt care for at first but something I use now on a daily basis, my favorite being the UK station Absolute Radio. The remote control is pretty basic, UI is easy to understand and well thought out. Not at all intimidating for first time users and with a little bit of knowledge is easy to setup and connect to your network. One of my favorite features is using a cell phone, in my case a Sony Ericsson W995 to control the Squeezebox server. With any mobile device with WiFi you can just go to [...] and access your entire music library and control everything from playback to volume. FWIW I chose the Classic over the Duet for the larger display and cheaper price. I knew beforehand that I was going to use a mobile device to access the server so I didnt really have a use for the Duet control, as cool as it looks. All in all the Squeezebox is one of the best additions Ive added to my HiFi system. All music lovers should grab one immediately, you wont regret it!