Logitech Squeezebox Radio review
By Tim Stevens 
posted Oct 6th 2009 12:22PM
posted Oct 6th 2009 12:22PM
The Radio is a good bit smaller than the Boom, roughly two-thirds as wide. Think of this as a Boom with the right speaker lopped off, meaning yes, this is a mono device -- at least when not paired with headphones or something else connected to the 3.5mm output jack. That takes us to the second drawback: that's the only output. Audiophiles looking for a low-impedance way of getting their low-bitrate tunes to their high-end Goldmund setup should either order a Squeezebox Duet or wait for the upcoming Touch, which we will also be reviewing in due time.
The Radio is, as the name might suggest, intended to replace the average desktop radio; the sort of thing you might groove to in the kitchen or plunk down by the bed. It's particularly well-suited to that bedside task, shipping with a selection of sound effects built-in, including a number of white noise favorites like a light rain, a distant thunderstorm, and even a windy night. If only there were a fan noise it'd have all the standards covered. It sets its clock automatically when connected to the 'net, does a lovely job of gradually amping up the volume of whatever noise or stream selected to wake up to in the morning, and can be programmed to let you sleep in on weekends -- even if your week ends on Tuesday. The lack of a red clock display option means it's not the perfect alarm clock, but it's mighty close.
Like its predecessors, this thing isn't of much use without some internet love, either wired through the Ethernet port on the back or wireless through an 802.11g connection. Turn it on and it emits a lovely little piano riff, but unless there's a PMP of some sort connected to the 3.5mm input on the back, there will be no further tunes played here until a connection is achieved.
Entering in Wi-Fi security info through the scroll-wheel is a pain (you'll be regretting going for that 128-bit WEP key after about the fifth character), but once done it'll remember things internally and automatically connect quickly. From there a slew of streams are up for grabs. We were quickly able to find all of our favorites, even Brennan Underwood's Monkey Radio, the stream that introduced us to Kruder & Dorfmeister and the glory of acid jazz way back in the mid '90s.
Streams buffer quickly and track info is displayed on the tiny 2.4-inch LCD, a big improvement over the monochrome display of the Boom. This gives room for proper menus and graphics and easier navigation. This also makes room for a variety of apps, the most notable being Facebook integration. You can check for status updates, read your wall, and browse through photos. A Flickr app means photos from there, too, and while viewing them on a screen that's smaller than a credit card doesn't sound like much fun, it is a lovely bright thing, much higher quality than expected, with near 180-degree viewing angles and plenty of contrast.
Other notable apps include music delivery services Pandora, Last.fm, and Slacker Radio. Pandora in particular will make a number of users warm, with a simple interface that displays album art for whatever track is playing, will post the name of the current track to Facebook if you want to annoy friends, and even to jump from an artist in Pandora over to similar artists in Last.fm. Not enough? Flickr photos of the currently playing band can be browsed and, of course, party poopers can tell Pandora to never play that track again.
But what if you're a real party pooper and aren't into the whole social network, Web 2.0 thing? The device can stream downloaded files as well. Just install the Squeezebox Server software, which is open source and also available in installable flavors for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X for those who don't feel like compiling it themselves. Once installed, it will serve up all your tunes, whether they be regular MP3s or purchases from iTunes.
And how will all those tunes sound? Just fine. Don't expect anything miraculous, but keep in mind this is intended as a bedside radio for casual listeners and you'll be fine with it. To be more specific, the sound is a bit hollow, delivering reasonable if somewhat boomy bass, good highs, and shallow mids -- and with no equalizer there's no tweaking to be done. But, again, we found the sound to be quite good in moderate-sized rooms, even if it is coming from half the speakers found on the Boom.
We tried to find something not to like about the Squeezebox Radio, but didn't have much success. We thought the bright screen would keep us awake at night, but it kindly turned itself off even as it kept the tunes pumping. We thought it'd forget to wake us up after we unplugged it and moved it to a new room, but sure enough our alarm settings were still there (5:44am, ouch), because they're stored online. About the only thing we can find as a serious fault is a 45 second start-up time, which is rather obnoxious if you just want to get some tunes rocking while you're chopping broccoli. The lack of a remote is a drag, too, as is having to pay extra for a battery pack. Oh, and it's impossible to keep clean. But, for a very fair $199 those seem like minor faults, all. We love this thing.
"Squeezing to a bedroom near you"
+1
And they just released the software to hook this baby up to your Shiny Windows Home Server:
http://www.wegotserved.com/2009/10/05/squeezebox-server-7-4-for-windows-home-server-released/
Anyone know if it has DLNA support, that would have to be the clincher for me.
It does not have DLNA or uPnP support. That is why I don't use any squeezebox devices.
Anyone else have The Who stuck in their head now?
"Momma's got a Squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night..."
at that price, why not get an ipod touch with some inexpensive speakers? this thing needs to be $99, not $199.
people want simple and beautiful solutions.
all those wires from your cheap speakers will not be as nice as this box.
how about winamp and a computer?
no, it can't be $99 because the Wi-Fi b/g/n itself costs $99
...
I'm still weary of Logitech's build quality.
... but would totally love to own this :(
The Squeezebox division has a much better build quality standard than some of the other logitech stuff. I haven't seen the radio yet, but I have a boom and the build is very solid.
Logitech's quality has been solid. I've been reviewing their products for over 7+ years... I'm happy with their overall quality and performance.
I've never had an issue with Logitech's build quality. My favorite mice, keyboards, speakers etc.
Yeah - Logitech definitely wouldn't be the one I'd criticize for build quality. In my experience their products are actually quite solid and reliable.
Same. Love their 2.1 computer speaker setups.
I love my Squeezebox Boom. I've had it for almost a year, spent over $300 on it, and use it every time I'm in the kitchen!
I love music (and listen to some obscure stuff) and love internet radio too.
This is an amazing solution. I manage servers for work and when I go home I just want a set-top radio for me to press a button and start listening to music. This device IS a radio, (a high quality one) but instead of picking up AM/FM signals, it just gets internet radio with the ability to stream media you have sitting on a machine.
Gee. Glad to see you guys are reading these comments. (not). Just to remind you of the questions we asked last time (plus a few extras):
What is the snooze interval? Is it configurable?
Does the clock dim at night?
Where is the snooze bar?
Is the alarm volume separate from the streaming volume?
How does the display show that the alarm is set?
Are there multiple alarms?
What does the display look like when it is just a clock?
What is the snooze interval? Is it configurable?
* Yes, completely configurable.
Does the clock dim at night?
* It says in the article, yes. It's also configurable.
Where is the snooze bar?
* push the big knob in.
Is the alarm volume separate from the streaming volume?
* Yes
How does the display show that the alarm is set?
* Not sure, probably an icon on the screen like the boom does.
Are there multiple alarms?
* You can configure any number of alarms for any days of the week. The only thing I wish it would do is allow different volume settings per alarm.
What does the display look like when it is just a clock?
* Not sure
>What is the snooze interval?
9 minutes
>Is it configurable?
at this time no, but firmware updates are always free so it could be added in a future firmware release
>Does the clock dim at night?
there is an ambient light sensor and it does dim at night. also there are different clocks available that have different levels of brightness. I might recommend "Digital Clock (Black)" if a dim clock is an issue.
>Where is the snooze bar?
press the big knob or press the volume knob, both act as the snooze button
>Is the alarm volume separate from the streaming volume?
yes, they are separately configured.
>How does the display show that the alarm is set?
screenshots show this well:
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/SqueezePlay_7.4_Release_Notes#Alarm_Clock
also not shown: an alarm icon appears in the status bar
>Are there multiple alarms?
yes (see screenshots in above link)
>What does the display look like when it is just a clock?
http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/SqueezePlay_7.4_Release_Notes#New_Clocks
hope that helps,
#!/ben
What ThomD said! It would -fantastic- if you guys could review this from the point of view of an alarm clock. I have a 15 year old Sony clock radio dying to be replaced with something like this, but the alarm and sleep functions need to be straightforward.
Oh, I guess I was wrong about the snooze interval. It's configurable on the regular squeezeboxes.
Thanks guys, that is some great information. Through the wiki I found this PDF which answers a lot of questions.
http://www.logitech.com/repository/3257/pdf/24378.1.0.pdf
Nice!
How much does the battery pack cost?
Will the Boom be updated to have a color screen and the Flickr/FB "apps" too?
I have a Boom, and I really don't see why anybody would buy this Radio deal over the Boom. Seems like you're losing a speaker and gaining a tiny color display. Also, 45 second startup time? My Boom turns on and is playing music in just a couple of seconds. Love the included remote control, also. It's been my bedroom radio / alarm clock for over a year now and it works very, very well.
Hopefully Logitech doesn't stop producing the Boom in favor of this Radio, because I'd like to buy another Boom or two one of these days...
I also have a Boom, and while I can kind of see the appeal of having album art display when playing music, for me the Boom primarily serves as an alarm clock, so having a simple digital display is not a problem (and the fact that it dims automatically is glorious, since if I roll over to that side it's just inches away from my face). Although it sometimes takes a little effort to hit it, I like having a dedicated snooze bar that I can easily reach for as well. Anyone who is primarily looking for an alarm clock should take a look at both the Boom and the Radio, especially if the price of the Boom comes down a bit due to the launch of the Radio.
The 45 second boot time described is from a hard power off, which isn't really a fair comparison because the Radio also has a "soft off" that shuts the screen off and is sitting in standby. (soft power off is press the power button, hard power off is press-hold the power button). Coming back from soft off, which is what most people will be using, is basically instant.
FYI, the Squeezebox Radio is not a replacement product for Squeezebox Boom.
$199? Meh.
There is an accessory available in Nov. for a remote and a battery pack to make it mobile.
http://www.logitechsqueezebox.com/products/squeezebox-radio.html#tab3
It'd be nice to see a direct head-to-head of this with the Vtech IS9181, as I can already see some advantages in Vtech's corner, as well as some in Logitech's, but no clear winner.
AFAIK, Engadget never did a review of the Vtech, although it gave it aways as a prize (twice).
D.
I should note that the Vtech comes standard with a remote, and can run on AA's (standard).
@Yodaman ... I would buy this over the boom because my nightstand is small. Also, I would save a few bucks...
I can read my facebook pages on the 2.4" screen ?
great..
that will be handy.
Does this integrate with Reciva like all the other internet radios? Otherwise where does it aggregate its internet radio list from?
No this integrates with radiotime. Blows reciva away imo