Logitech Squeezebox Boom Wireless Digital Audio Player with Integrated Speakers

...

enter during setup is stored in non-volatile memory so you won't lose any of it when you unplug the unit to move it.

Allow 30 minutes for setup. However, if you already have another Squeezebox product, you can expect a shorter investment of time.

Assembly of the Boom is a breeze. First, you open the remote and remove the protective cover from the battery. Then all that is left is to snap in the plug into the power adapter, connect it to the Boom, and then to your power outlet. Now you are ready for the simple configuration steps.

Logitech continues a trend that they started in other products in giving you a worksheet (only two lines for the Boom) to jot down necessary setup information before getting started. For the Boom this consists of your wireless network information - SSID and encryption key (if your network is secured). I was dreading the step of entering this information based on my experience with the Duet, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much more tactile the D-pad on the Boom's remote was over the Duet's controller. After entering this information, the Boom connects to your network and asks you to choose your music source.

At this point, I would recommend that you choose "Squeezenetwork" even if you never intend to use internet radio or online music services. You will be given the PIN for your unit that you must enter into your Squeezenetwork account. After doing so your new unit will become available in the Squeezecenter software on your PC.

About Squeezecenter. You will in all likelihood have to upgrade Squeezecenter if you have a previous unit as the 7.2 version (or higher) is required to work with the Boom. Download and install is about 5 minutes with a high speed connection. Don't worry; the Boom will tell you if you need to upgrade during the setup process.

At this point you should be good to go for accessing both your music library on your computer and the online music services available through Squeezenetwork.

USAGE: The Boom is essentially flawless. I have it located on the first floor while my computer is on the second floor on the opposite end of the house. However the Boom has no problem finding my network and playing an uninterrupted stream of music. The system is very easy to control as it provides menus that let you select from your PC music library by artist, album, etc. Additionally, I have my Pandora (other paid subscriptions such as Rhapsody can also be accessed) account registered at Squeezenetwork, and all of my Pandora stations are available as well. Finally, there is a plethora of internet radio stations giving access to almost any style of music.

While I admit I am not an audio snob, I think that the sound quality from the Boom is above average. There is a good balance of bass and treble, and the volume can be taken as loud as most people would want without being distorted. Logitech didn't skimp on the speakers that they put on the Boom.

New features that are not on the Duet include a programmable alarm clock. I setup three alarms: 1 for Monday-Friday, 1 for Saturday, and 1 for Sunday. These can be specified as repeating or one time. The only complaint (and this is really being picky) I have with the alarm is that they don't offer a true alarm sound. You can use any of your music, but I have always used an alarm even on clock radios. I settled on the "Rooster Crow".

There are tons of settings that you can adjust, and it would take up too much space to cover them all here. I would suggest using the drill-down menus and exploring what is there.

As if you could need more music than what is on your PC, the Boom also includes a jack for audio input. This does close one gap that the Duet had in that you can now access your iTunes music by connecting your iPod. Unfortunately, the DRM music from iTunes cannot be streamed to the Boom (or any other non-Apple product for that matter).

If you have a Duet, it is of interest that the Duet Controller can be used on the Boom by changing the player that it is controlling. The main benefit that you get from this is the display on the Duet Controller is far better than that of the Boom. For example, you can display all of the alarms that you have set on one screen using the Duet Controller, but you cannot do this on the Boom itself.

CONCLUSION: The Logitech Squeezebox Boom is a fantastic product whether you buy it as a standalone unit or as an expansion to the Duet. Think of it as a portable version of the Duet that you can take from room to room in your house with some additional features such as an alarm clock. As with the Duet, this is another no brainer five star item.

Logitech Squeezebox Boom Wireless Digital Audio Player with Integrated Speakers

...

enter during setup is stored in non-volatile memory so you won't lose any of it when you unplug the unit to move it.



Allow 30 minutes for setup. However, if you already have another Squeezebox product, you can expect a shorter investment of time.



Assembly of the Boom is a breeze. First, you open the remote and remove the protective cover from the battery. Then all that is left is to snap in the plug into the power adapter, connect it to the Boom, and then to your power outlet. Now you are ready for the simple configuration steps.



Logitech continues a trend that they started in other products in giving you a worksheet (only two lines for the Boom) to jot down necessary setup information before getting started. For the Boom this consists of your wireless network information - SSID and encryption key (if your network is secured). I was dreading the step of entering this information based on my experience with the Duet, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much more tactile the D-pad on the Boom's remote was over the Duet's controller. After entering this information, the Boom connects to your network and asks you to choose your music source.



At this point, I would recommend that you choose "Squeezenetwork" even if you never intend to use internet radio or online music services. You will be given the PIN for your unit that you must enter into your Squeezenetwork account. After doing so your new unit will become available in the Squeezecenter software on your PC.



About Squeezecenter. You will in all likelihood have to upgrade Squeezecenter if you have a previous unit as the 7.2 version (or higher) is required to work with the Boom. Download and install is about 5 minutes with a high speed connection. Don't worry; the Boom will tell you if you need to upgrade during the setup process.



At this point you should be good to go for accessing both your music library on your computer and the online music services available through Squeezenetwork.



USAGE: The Boom is essentially flawless. I have it located on the first floor while my computer is on the second floor on the opposite end of the house. However the Boom has no problem finding my network and playing an uninterrupted stream of music. The system is very easy to control as it provides menus that let you select from your PC music library by artist, album, etc. Additionally, I have my Pandora (other paid subscriptions such as Rhapsody can also be accessed) account registered at Squeezenetwork, and all of my Pandora stations are available as well. Finally, there is a plethora of internet radio stations giving access to almost any style of music.



While I admit I am not an audio snob, I think that the sound quality from the Boom is above average. There is a good balance of bass and treble, and the volume can be taken as loud as most people would want without being distorted. Logitech didn't skimp on the speakers that they put on the Boom.



New features that are not on the Duet include a programmable alarm clock. I setup three alarms: 1 for Monday-Friday, 1 for Saturday, and 1 for Sunday. These can be specified as repeating or one time. The only complaint (and this is really being picky) I have with the alarm is that they don't offer a true alarm sound. You can use any of your music, but I have always used an alarm even on clock radios. I settled on the "Rooster Crow".



There are tons of settings that you can adjust, and it would take up too much space to cover them all here. I would suggest using the drill-down menus and exploring what is there.



As if you could need more music than what is on your PC, the Boom also includes a jack for audio input. This does close one gap that the Duet had in that you can now access your iTunes music by connecting your iPod. Unfortunately, the DRM music from iTunes cannot be streamed to the Boom (or any other non-Apple product for that matter).



If you have a Duet, it is of interest that the Duet Controller can be used on the Boom by changing the player that it is controlling. The main benefit that you get from this is the display on the Duet Controller is far better than that of the Boom. For example, you can display all of the alarms that you have set on one screen using the Duet Controller, but you cannot do this on the Boom itself.



CONCLUSION: The Logitech Squeezebox Boom is a fantastic product whether you buy it as a standalone unit or as an expansion to the Duet. Think of it as a portable version of the Duet that you can take from room to room in your house with some additional features such as an alarm clock. As with the Duet, this is another no brainer five star item.

Logitech Squeezebox Boom Wireless Digital Audio Player with Integrated Speakers

...

enter during setup is stored in non-volatile memory so you won't lose any of it when you unplug the unit to move it.





Allow 30 minutes for setup. However, if you already have another Squeezebox product, you can expect a shorter investment of time.





Assembly of the Boom is a breeze. First, you open the remote and remove the protective cover from the battery. Then all that is left is to snap in the plug into the power adapter, connect it to the Boom, and then to your power outlet. Now you are ready for the simple configuration steps.





Logitech continues a trend that they started in other products in giving you a worksheet (only two lines for the Boom) to jot down necessary setup information before getting started. For the Boom this consists of your wireless network information - SSID and encryption key (if your network is secured). I was dreading the step of entering this information based on my experience with the Duet, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much more tactile the D-pad on the Boom's remote was over the Duet's controller. After entering this information, the Boom connects to your network and asks you to choose your music source.





At this point, I would recommend that you choose "Squeezenetwork" even if you never intend to use internet radio or online music services. You will be given the PIN for your unit that you must enter into your Squeezenetwork account. After doing so your new unit will become available in the Squeezecenter software on your PC.





About Squeezecenter. You will in all likelihood have to upgrade Squeezecenter if you have a previous unit as the 7.2 version (or higher) is required to work with the Boom. Download and install is about 5 minutes with a high speed connection. Don't worry; the Boom will tell you if you need to upgrade during the setup process.





At this point you should be good to go for accessing both your music library on your computer and the online music services available through Squeezenetwork.





USAGE: The Boom is essentially flawless. I have it located on the first floor while my computer is on the second floor on the opposite end of the house. However the Boom has no problem finding my network and playing an uninterrupted stream of music. The system is very easy to control as it provides menus that let you select from your PC music library by artist, album, etc. Additionally, I have my Pandora (other paid subscriptions such as Rhapsody can also be accessed) account registered at Squeezenetwork, and all of my Pandora stations are available as well. Finally, there is a plethora of internet radio stations giving access to almost any style of music.





While I admit I am not an audio snob, I think that the sound quality from the Boom is above average. There is a good balance of bass and treble, and the volume can be taken as loud as most people would want without being distorted. Logitech didn't skimp on the speakers that they put on the Boom.





New features that are not on the Duet include a programmable alarm clock. I setup three alarms: 1 for Monday-Friday, 1 for Saturday, and 1 for Sunday. These can be specified as repeating or one time. The only complaint (and this is really being picky) I have with the alarm is that they don't offer a true alarm sound. You can use any of your music, but I have always used an alarm even on clock radios. I settled on the "Rooster Crow".





There are tons of settings that you can adjust, and it would take up too much space to cover them all here. I would suggest using the drill-down menus and exploring what is there.





As if you could need more music than what is on your PC, the Boom also includes a jack for audio input. This does close one gap that the Duet had in that you can now access your iTunes music by connecting your iPod. Unfortunately, the DRM music from iTunes cannot be streamed to the Boom (or any other non-Apple product for that matter).





If you have a Duet, it is of interest that the Duet Controller can be used on the Boom by changing the player that it is controlling. The main benefit that you get from this is the display on the Duet Controller is far better than that of the Boom. For example, you can display all of the alarms that you have set on one screen using the Duet Controller, but you cannot do this on the Boom itself.





CONCLUSION: The Logitech Squeezebox Boom is a fantastic product whether you buy it as a standalone unit or as an expansion to the Duet. Think of it as a portable version of the Duet that you can take from room to room in your house with some additional features such as an alarm clock. As with the Duet, this is another no brainer five star item.