Logitech intros the Squeezebox Duet network music system

Engadget recommends you hum The Who's "Squeeze Box" while reading this post. That said, Logitech has just announced details for their latest Squeezebox, dubbed the Squeezebox Duet. The system controls your myriad musical devices with a wireless controller that can interface with multiple 802.11g Duet receivers. The controller's 2.4-inch LCD lets you browse your music library using a "familiar" scroll-wheel (now where do we recognize that from again?). But you're not limited to your own tunes, you can also tune-in internet radio providers like Rhapsody and Pandora. The Squeezebox Duet "network music system" comes with both receiver and controller for $400, and will be available in the US and Europe this month. Want additional receivers for other rooms, they'll be available for $150 while additional controllers will be available for $300. There's no escape from the music ...

[Jiggy1 @ Feb 7th 2008 1:06PM]

I have had a sonos system at home for the last couple of years, and I absolutely love it. I don't see anything that this can do that my sonos system cannot, although it is certainly a cheaper alternative to sonos.

The fact that the sonos components have built in amps (they also offer models without the amp), you don't need an existing audio system to add music to an area, you can just plug in speakers directly and not worry about whether the system is on and tuned to the proper input etc. And the way sonos handles multi room is very slick.

I'd suggest anyone looking at this system to give a good look at sonos before buying it.

[Deputy Doffoos @ Jan 5th 2008 8:28PM]

Is this "The Who" group more like AFI or more like Fall Out Boy?





;-P

[Deputy Doffoos @ Jan 5th 2008 8:31PM]

^ ^^ ^
BLASPHEMY!!






I'm so lonely that I replied to myself! Please low rank me ASAP!

[SteveMB @ Jan 5th 2008 9:33PM]

I'm pretty sure it's Mariah Carey.

[Richard @ Jan 5th 2008 8:28PM]

I have a TON of gadgets.

Of all of them, from cars to phones to HiFi and televisions, my Squeezebox is the best. Bar none!

This new iteration looks interesting - so long as it continues to be a clock, weather station and RSS feed ticker.

[Richard @ Jan 5th 2008 8:44PM]

Very cool looking product. Thinking about getting one of these for my room, living room, and maybe setting up some outdoor speakers for when I smoke my cigars. :)

Anybody have a mulit-room system? Do you like it? Anyone know if this will work with Zune music?

[Jason @ Jan 5th 2008 8:45PM]

Looks like a sirius stiletto.

[BobTurbo @ Jan 5th 2008 9:00PM]

Logitech have managed to make the once nice looking squeezebox into ugly pc-garbage. I wonder what the thought process was: hmm, here is a nice looking product, we need to make it ugly like the rest of our products before we sell it.

I had a Squeezebox once and the analog out was very poor (worse than my internal soundcard doing analog out).

[Ian @ Jan 6th 2008 9:15AM]

Let me see if I understand this fully.
The new SB Duet looks to replace the current SB3? If so that's a super price drop of near 50% (needed to happen anyway).
Also I am guessing that any WiFi device could be used to control a whole house system.
Suddenly Logitech and slimdevices have become ultra competitive once more.

[SuperQ @ Jan 6th 2008 1:05AM]

Of course this isn't just another product by Logitech. The new remote is being designed by the former SlimDevices people. The remote is also a fully open source Linux hacking platform. You can check out the source in the subversion repository on their site. I've been beta testing the remote device against my small network of SqueezeBoxes (the ones with the VFD screen) The thing is pretty easy to setup and use.

[fnigga @ Jan 6th 2008 5:28PM]

just a heads up:
i've been playing with the remote, then known as "jive" (i was a limited beta tester) for a few weeks, and it is actually pretty nice
the controller has some sweet wiimote-style motion tracking built in, though until this point at least, there's been no good implementations of it that i know of
i don't really like the "familiar" scroll wheel; rather than an ipod-style touch sensitive thing, it's just a movable circular piece of plastic, that you physically twirl in a circle with your finger
nice system overall though, and i'm hoping it'll be considerably less buggy when they actually release it