Rubin Recommends

To start this off I’ll let you know I’ve been a fan of Logitech’s products for awhile. I’ve used a lot of different ones from remotes and mice to computer speakers and portable iPod speakers. This is why I’m always curious about their new products. One of my favorites is the Harmony remote, which I use everyday to control my entertainment setup.

The Squeezebox™ Boom from Logitech is their smaller WiFi radio/speaker system that is apart of the Squeezebox™ family of products. When I first saw it I thought it seemed cool, but was worried that there would be no way to make something that seemed so complex simple. I think I was wrong, it was fairly easy. I’m now sitting here with one of the nicest internet radio/alarm clock combos I’ve had the chance to use. Someday I hope to have a bigger place and put other Squeezebox products in every room…dare to dream.

I opened the Squeezebox™ Boom and was quickly on my way to connecting it via WiFi on my network (you can use it with Ethernet too). The setup was simple, and even entering the weird WPA password I have wasn’t that bad. To do so, you turn the dial on the front (or remote) to enter in the characters (it didn’t take as long as I was scared it would) and you’re done. Once it’s connected the firmware automatically updates and tells you to go to squeezenetwork.com to register a username. On the Boom’s screen there’s a simple pin number that you enter while signing up. At this point my setup was complete and the system was ready.

The rest of the setup is really customizable, meaning you can add additional streaming radio services, change settings, etc. I first logged into squeezenetwork.com and setup my Last.FM username, which is how I’m listening to my Last.Fm recommended radio as I type this. I then added the software on the Mac so I can stream my iTunes to the player from my computer in another room. I was also able to subscribe to my favorite podcast, KCDIY Radio. I’d say this was all done in about 12 minutes. You can also fully customize the Boom via the squeezenetwork, from how it displays song titles, add/edit alarms and anything else that you can change.

After you’re entered that information from your computer, you can access all those changes via the Squeezebox™ Boom itself. Even before I made those more personalized changes, I could have been listening to their default presets. It works with Pandora, Last.FM, Sirius, Slacker and others. Oh, and you can actually log into the Boom directly from your computer via its IP address, which allows you to control it through a web interface. This is done easily through system preferences after installing the Mac software. Mainly helpful for a multi-device setup.

Pros:

• Easy WiFi setup (True 802.11g networking)
• Clear easy to read display (Displays artist name, song title and other info about the current audio)
• Easy customizing with Squeezenetwork website
• Great sounding speakers
• Simple Mac software for streaming current music collection (non DRM tracks) to the boom. Supports all the audio formats you’d need from compressed to lossless. Also, you don’t need to install this to use the other internet radio features
• Clean slick design
• Includes a line-in cord for iPods and other devices
• Remote
• Made me have new appreciation for Last.FM radio

Cons:

• Small learning curve for non-tech types. Instructions on the website are very thorough though
• No DRM support, which is really only an issue with iTunes downloads from before the switch to non DRM
• Wish it was lighter and had rechargeable batteries so you can easily move it room to room. Only runs on A/C power
• Slick surface looks great until you use it a few times, then no so much. (small but thought I’d mention)

In closing, I’m not sure the Squeezebox™ Boom is something I personally need to have with the way my house is currently setup (or current budget), but I am enjoying it a lot. If you’re someone who has a larger place and wants music everywhere you turn, I think it’d be great to have. It currently has a price tag of $230 at Amazon. To find out more indepth info visit the Squeezebox site, http://www.slimdevices.com.

Update: After using it for a few days, I’ve still only been using Last.FM radio which with Pandora is probably all I will typically use it for. Works really well. You can even “Like” songs that are playing via the Boom and they update on the Last.FM site.