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Logitech's Two New Squeezeboxes Bring Streaming Audio to the Living Room
Logitech's Squeezebox Touch is Coming (With Touchscreen)
Lightning Review: Logitech's Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Audio Player
Logitech Squeezebox Boom: A Squeezebox Streamer Attached to Quality Speakers
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Logitech Makes Grab at Sonos' Audience with Squeezebox Duet
Logitech Buys Slim Devices, Promises Autonomy

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dnheller
09/03/09

In reply to Logitech's Two New Squeezeboxes Bring Streaming Audio to the Living Room
Streaming long audio and video via packet-switched networks in place of broadcast over radio frequency is about the biggest waste of bandwidth possible. Just ask AT&T wireless network users about the effect of iPhone users on the network.

Use the radio, or use your iPod. Don't hog up the bandwidth shared by everybody, you solipsistic robots.
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AmphetamineCrown
09/03/09

@dnheller: Hey genius, these devices use Wi-Fi, so it isn't like what I use comes out of your hide--even locally--unless there is a serious Wi-Fi network capacity issue to begin with. If there is, its probably because every person has set their WAP to the same damn channel and you live in a high rise--if that is the case, you ought to coordinate with your neighbors.

"Just ask AT&T wireless network users"? Like the iPhone users you seem to be denigrating? Aren't they AT&T wireless network users too? Don't get a chip on your shoulder because Apple came up with a mobile broadband device people could actually use. Oh yeah, do you think AT&T would be investing as much in its 3G data network and plans for the 4G network if it wasn't for those iPhone users?

Radio sucks, and I'd be just as happy to see the entire damn AM and FM band reallocated for mobile networking. Slim devices use minimal bandwidth, so don't get so damn high and mighty, you conceited twat.
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Edited by AmphetamineCrown at 09/03/09 9:49 AM AmphetamineCrown was starred AmphetamineCrown was unstarred

AOClaus
09/03/09

In reply to Logitech's Two New Squeezeboxes Bring Streaming Audio to the Living Room
I think I'd rather just use a 360 or PS3. A stand alone device that does the same thing for streaming audio just doesn't make sense, at least not at that price.
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Edited by AOClaus at 09/03/09 5:21 AM AOClaus was starred AOClaus was unstarred

underwhelm
09/03/09

@AOClaus: That's sort of like saying you'd rather use a 360 or PS3 to browse the web. Setting aside whether they do the "same thing" as a squeezebox, which they can not, the functionality on the consoles is not implemented as well as on the squeezebox.

As for what a Squeezebox can do that the consoles can't: Squeezeboxes can be controlled entirely remotely using a web interface. I can turn on the squeezebox in the kitchen from three rooms away. Squeezeboxes can be easily synchronized to play the same music through the whole house. Squeezebox Boom & Radio can be used as alarm clocks. When idle or "off" they can display the time, weather forecast, box scores, or a host of other things. And they can be hacked to do even more: their software is open source.

Setting all that aside, there's something to be said for not having to turn on either of those electricity slurping beasts—and your TV/projector—if all you want to do is listen to some music.
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EnochLight
09/03/09

@underwhelm: well put. These devices are excellent at what they do and far more elegant than a clunky game system/media server. I've got the Boom as well as a Classic and Duet - never been happier (I also own a 360 and PS3 and never use them for music streaming).
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AmphetamineCrown
09/03/09

@EnochLight: Amen. My wife, my wife's parents, my parents, our nanny, babysitters all find the Duet in our living room easy to use and understand. I'd hate to try to explain to them how to get music out of the PS3.
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doctorSpoc
09/03/09

@underwhelm: except for hiRez... if you get a $99 airportExtreme you can do basically the same thing too, get a few of them to synchronize and play music all over your house.. if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you can control that music from anywhere in the house too...

appleTV + iPod Touch/iPhone(means you don't need the TV on and can control from anywhere in house) does video (home, ripped DVDs, rentals, purchases), music, photos (home, Flikr, mobileME), youTube, TVshows etc... and appleTV is $229.

this thing is overpriced... loose the touch screen (useless) and price at $150-200 and it might get a look... but probably not since it still doesn't do video streaming as well and so many other cheaper boxes do.

Logitech is WAY behind the curve on this one!
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AmphetamineCrown
09/03/09

@doctorSpoc: Yo. These are not the only two products in this line. Slim Devices produces a range of devices, including the more-or-less original squeezebox from 10 years ago. On that basis, I wouldn't so much call them "behind the curve." They intro'd this one because punks like you were going "ooh, it doesn't have a touchscreen."

Slim devices make remarkably good *audio* equipment for the money. Sure, the airport has a built in DAC. The slim devices have a very good DAC--a high end burr brown. Slim Devices' range of products--all very good for the money in terms of audio quality--includes the $2000 Transport, the only streaming audio device I know of that has a AES/EBU digital output and an external clock sync capable of mating with my dCS stack.

So, yeah, obsess about "HiRez" audio while you play your crappy mp3s through your crappy airport express. This is for grown ups.
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doctorSpoc
09/03/09

@AmphetamineCrown: LOL... crappy mp3?? what the hell are you talking about??

why not use apple lossless... output digital via TosLink to an external DAC (of MY choosing) and then into my amp... you are clueless man... lol... you can do this with a $99 airportExpress, or $229 appleTV.. they will faithfully hand over their digital bitstreams to a DAC of much higher quality than anything in that SlimDevices device that got REALLY crappy, underwelming reviews and cost like $1399... it's you who's playing with the toy. you don't need an expensive device to hand over a perfect bit stream to DAC... you have no idea what the hell you are talking about... i'll spend my money on the DAC where you DO need to in order to get good sound.. you keep playing with your overpriced TOY... what a joker! guys like get scammed so easy... do some research (not ads in audiophile mag.. i mean text books..lol) and find out what really matters... look at the stuff that LINN is doing... hypocrites! before.. it's the transport, the transport... now transport, shmansport, bits is bit, get the bits to the DAC...

so go ahead and waste more of your money on junk.. and i'll continue to use it on stuff that really matters...
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AmphetamineCrown
09/03/09

@doctorSpoc: The airport express isn't intended to be an audio device, it's intended to be a wifi access point. For ordinary consumption, the DAC in the AX is crap--you get much more for your money with a SB3, which I believe is the real issue here. As an ordinary customer--someone using the analog outs--your music will sound far better from an slim devices box than the AX.

If you have a decent external DAC, you actually sound, frankly, like you might benefit from swapping out your AX for a SB. Jitter from the AX is crappy. Over the years, I've tried boatloads of digital solutions from the audiotrons to headless PCs with USB/PCM converters, to media PCs with EMU cards, to the AX, to the transport, to the little slim devices. Trust me on this one. All digital is not created equal.

But, if you just want a dick measuring contest, have at it. I've heard Linn gear. If you think they are technically or acoustically on par with dCS in the digital realm you need to broaden your horizons. I'd say, after extensive listening tests, there might be one other system on par with dCS. But heck, I wouldn't even trade the Theta gear in my secondary systems for anything Linn has ever produced (except maybe those cute little clock radios they made).
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doctorSpoc
09/03/09

@AmphetamineCrown: i don't have any Linn gear.. i was merely stating that they have now fully embraced the music server paradigm... so it seems it's only you with his dick out :P
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AmphetamineCrown
09/03/09

@doctorSpoc: Only me? Hmm.

On the other hand, that is kind of the way I prefer it.
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