Product Category: Wireless streaming audio player

Manufacturer: Logitech

Where to Buy: Amazon.com [Affiliate]

Price: $333.99 USD

System Requirements: 802.11b/g network or hard-wired Ethernet, and a computer (Windows or Mac OS X) to host the Squeebox software.

Specifications: Available at the Logitech Web site.

Pros:

• Powerful audio streaming system capable of many tasks;
• Attractive design, small shelf footprint with multiple audio outputs;
• Excellent audio quality.

Cons:

• Expensive;
• Total reliance on WiFi makes for a bumpy experience;
• Incompatible with some (most?) 802.11n routers;
• Complex setup and overall operation make it for experienced users only.

Summary: The Logitech Squeezebox Duet is a potent combo that makes for a powerful home audio solution for music, podcasts, streaming radio, and more. Unfortunately, because it's such a complex product, it's not overly user friendly. In the many months I've been using it, I've felt like I've had to fix problems with it every other week. It's more like a computer and less like an appliance, with all the dubious reliability implications that statement implies. Still, it has great potential and when it works, it works really well.

I Had It Easy Before

My first experience with a streaming home audio solution was a Roku Soundbridge M2000. I used that product for years, and it was amazingly fast and easy to set up and start using. It detected the music on my network without requiring any extra software. The remote control was a simple tool that used infrared, so changing the volume or pausing the music was immediate - even if it was only line of sight. The remote would run on two AA batteries for six months at a time. The M2000 was as reliable as the clock radio in my bedroom, and I would have kept using it if the shelves I had built for my digital wall project could accommodate it. Unfortunately, it was a very wide piece of hardware and I needed to replace it. I looked at a few different options, and thought that the Logitech Squeebox Duet looked like a compelling alternative. Little did I know I was in for quite the adventure with this product!

Figure 1: My first network music player, the Roku M2000.

When trying to find a solution to some of the troubles I'd have with this product, I came across a quote that summed up my experiences with it perfectly: "...this is not an appliance, it's a science project, albeit a really good one." This couldn't be more true. The Squeezebox is like a buying a chemistry set - you have all the tools to create some really interesting things, but you have to put in some serious work to get what you want...and things might just blow up in your face if you're not careful.