Squeezebox Boom!

[sleepysurf]

Just got a Squeezebox Boom for my home office. This is the FOURTH Squeezebox in my house! I had been debating whether or not to assemble a small two channel system, with a small integrated amp and bookshelf speakers. I decided to try the Boom first, and boy am I glad I did! This compact beauty utilizes built in DSP, and puts out surprisingly good sound for it's diminutive size. I had it up and running in 5 mins, streaming FLAC files, and accessing my Pandora stations. Having only a single (power) cable makes it a breeze for bookshelf placement. I keep it synchronized with my main 2 channel setup, so I can run out and listen to the same stream on my Summits. My only quibble thus far is an occasional lag when using the remote. Overall, I think Sean and his design team at Logitech/Slimdevices have hit another home run with this latest Squeezebox entry. For those of you already using Squeezeboxes, I would certainly recommend the Boom for a secondary bedroom or office system.

 

[amey01]

Cool - let's have a big review soon!

 

[tonepub]

or garage system, really cool!

 

[sleepysurf]

Cool - let's have a big review soon!

Sorry, no time for a big review, but here's a link to their White Paper explaining how they get an 85Hz-20k freq response (even down to 50Hz at low listening levels!) using only 3" woofers and separate soft-dome tweeters...
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/uploads/a/ad/Logitech_Squeezebox_Boom_Audio_Design.pdf

The unit offers a separate sub/headphone output, for those who want to add a separate powered sub. It also has an optional "StereoXL" mode to simulate a wider soundstage, which I probably won't use. It uses Class D amplification throughout, so I wouldn't call this an "audiophile" setup per se, but rather a very elegant and capable wi-fi boom box.

 

[amey01]

I'll get one (or two) of these - one day!!

 

[JonFo]

Sorry, no time for a big review, but here's a link to their White Paper explaining how they get an 85Hz-20k freq response (even down to 50Hz at low listening levels!) using only 3" woofers and separate soft-dome tweeters...
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/uploads/a/ad/Logitech_Squeezebox_Boom_Audio_Design.pdf

The unit offers a separate sub/headphone output, for those who want to add a separate powered sub. It also has an optional "StereoXL" mode to simulate a wider soundstage, which I probably won't use. It uses Class D amplification throughout, so I wouldn't call this an "audiophile" setup per se, but rather a very elegant and capable wi-fi boom box.

Very Cool!

I just read the linked white-paper and man, did they do a good job. Surprising value!

I especially like how they handled the subwoofer option.

Now I need to get one for my wife's sewing room system, which currently has an Altec Lansing iPod dock based system that sounds like cr*p.

But then, this puts me on the slippery slope of having to replace the four (or is it five?) AudioTron network players that have been chugging along for more than 8 years.

Sigh, upgrades, they never end

 

[amey01]

But then, this puts me on the slippery slope of having to replace the four (or is it five?) AudioTron network players that have been chugging along for more than 8 years.

Squeezeboxes are cheap - do it! What are those AudioTron players anyway? Pic?

 

[sleepysurf]

Squeezeboxes are cheap - do it!

Yeah, but don't forget the basic Squeezebox models still need an amp/speakers (or powered speakers). The Boom is great, as it's fully self contained, sounds decent, and can be found online for under $260.

 

[JonFo]

Squeezeboxes are cheap - do it! What are those AudioTron players anyway? Pic?

Ah, the original networked audio player, the TurtleBeach Audiotron is a classic.
They did not need a central server component, they just depended on shared folders on networked PC's or NAS devices. very simple and robust.

I guess I was an early adopter of networked audio, as I started my rips to the server back in 1998.

Not that AT's were perfect, but after 8 years, I still use all of mine every week. Depending on what we're doing, the AT's are playing some playlsit or another in one of the rooms.

Today, a Squeezebox based system looks very attractive, and I'll switch to something new soon.

I'm just deciding if I want to use SB proprietary server and clients, or try and go with an open standard like DLNA.

Does anyone know if the Squeezebox server supports DLNA protocols for both server and clients?



Here's a pic of the AudioTron:

 

[sleepysurf]

Does anyone know if the Squeezebox server supports DLNA protocols for both server and clients?

I don't think it does (yet), but here's a Slimdevices thread on that subject...
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=18295

 

[Craig]

When I read the title of your thread I thought your Squeezebox exploded!

Cool...I'll have to come by and check it out soon. Perhaps the remote lag can be fixed with a software update or a setting reconfiguration?

 

[amey01]

Ah, the original networked audio player, the TurtleBeach Audiotron is a classic.
They did not need a central server component, they just depended on shared folders on networked PC's or NAS devices. very simple and robust.

I guess I was an early adopter of networked audio, as I started my rips to the server back in 1998.

Not that AT's were perfect, but after 8 years, I still use all of mine every week. Depending on what we're doing, the AT's are playing some playlsit or another in one of the rooms.

Today, a Squeezebox based system looks very attractive, and I'll switch to something new soon.

I'm just deciding if I want to use SB proprietary server and clients, or try and go with an open standard like DLNA.

Does anyone know if the Squeezebox server supports DLNA protocols for both server and clients?



Here's a pic of the AudioTron:

That looks very cool Jon - so without a server component, does the AT store a database of music itside itself? I've always thought that would be a far more elegant solution than running a heavy/bulky server.