Logitech has unveiled the Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi music player and the Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wi-Fi music player. Both Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi music players give people simple, intuitive access to a wide variety of music choices including free Internet radio, personal digital music files and music subscription services.
“Digital music and the Internet have radically changed how we discover, share and listen to the music we love,” said Sam Feng, product marketing director of Logitech’s Streaming Media business unit. “Now, millions of people are downloading music through iTunes and listening to Internet radio stations and music services and our newest Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi music players bring it all together. Just plug one in and you can be ready to discover and enjoy music from around the world.”
Logitech Squeezebox Radio
The Internet has changed everything, including your radio. With the Logitech Squeezebox Radio, you’ll get the simplicity of old-fashioned radio with the power of the Internet wherever you want to listen to music.
Unlike other complex Wi-Fi music systems, Squeezebox Radio sets up easily. You just plug it in, turn it on, connect to your home network and like magic, you’ve got access to a world of music -“ Internet radio, your personal music collection including DRM-free iTunes Plus downloads, and subscription services such as Last.fm, Napster and Deezer. And the Squeezebox Radio’s colour screen can display album art, track and station information, visualisers and more.
With six preset buttons located on the side of display, at the touch of a button the Squeezebox Radio makes it easy to enjoy your favourite song, Internet radio station or playlist. With automatic brightness adjustment and a built-in alarm clock, the Logitech Squeezebox Radio is even ideal for your bedside table. And if you want to listen to music in private, a 3.5 mm jack lets you plug in your headphones.
At just 5.12 inches (130 mm) by 8.66 inches (220 mm) by 5.04 inches (8.5 cm), the compact design makes the Squeezebox Radio ideal for your living room, kitchen, bedroom -“ even your patio. While it’s a space-saver, the Squeezebox Radio still delivers clear sound with minimal distortion -“ no extra speakers required -“ thanks to the 3/4-inch high-definition, soft-dome tweeter and 3-inch high-power, long-throw woofer.
For your convenience, a rechargeable battery pack (sold separately) lets you move the Squeezebox Radio around your home without interrupting the music. The battery can power your Squeezebox Radio for up to six hours and recharges automatically when it’s plugged in.
Logitech Squeezebox Touch
So you can seamlessly discover a world of music and play it through the existing stereo system you already own, the Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wi-Fi music player has a stunning 4.3-inch colour touch screen that lets you easily select and play music as well as view album art. Plus, to provide a better listening experience, the Squeezebox Touch supports sampling rates of up to 24 bits at 96 kHz, delivering rich sound with very little distortion. Simply plug in the Squeezebox Touch to your existing speakers, connect to your home network and you are ready to rock out. An included USB port and SD card slot on the back of the Squeezebox Touch also lets you access music and photos stored on flash drives and memory cards.
The intuitive Squeezebox interface was designed for speed and convenience. The Squeezebox Radio and Squeezebox Touch colour displays help you quickly locate your favourite radio stations, playlists or music services or add new applications that let you enhance the music listening experience.
And if you’re a Facebook fan, you can share music recommendations, as well as check out your friends’ status, recommendations, and full-colour photos right on your new Squeezebox. Photo slide shows from the popular photo-sharing site Flickr are also supported on both new Squeezebox Wi-Fi music players.
Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi music player is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in September for a suggested retail price of $199.99 (U.S.). For a limited time, a special edition Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi music player will be available in red at http://www.logitech.com and select retailers. The Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wi-Fi music player is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in December for a suggested retail price of $299.99 (U.S.). The Logitech Squeezebox Radio Accessory Pack (which includes a battery pack and IR remote) is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in November for a suggested retail price of $49.99 (U.S.). The Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wall-Mount Bracket is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in December for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.).
In general, the Squeezebox Radio is an excellent product. However, Logitech has misled its customers into believing that there is a separate battery pack and remote available. In fact, my experience with the company suggests that they have been unable to provide it for whatever reason. For those of us who purchased the radio specifically for its use with a battery, it has been a frustrating experience. A written letter to its business office has resulted in no response.
Future customers should be warned that this company cannot be counted on to deliver what it promises.
Pat