MaximumPC 2008 06

W

hen you see a color display on a
music-streamer’s remote control,
it’s natural to assume that the
manufacturer is going after the vaunted
Sonos Digital Music System. But after
thoroughly testing the Squeeze-
box Duet—Slim Devices’s
first new product since be-
ing acquired by Logitech—
we’ve concluded that Sonos
has little to worry about.
But the Squeezebox Duet isn’t
a failure—in fact, it’s the best Squeezebox
yet—but it’s aimed at an entirely diff erent
audience than the Sonos. Where the Sonos is
closed, proprietary, and relatively static, the
Squeezebox operates on open-source soft -
ware that encourages tinkering, third-party
development, and evolution. You’ll fi nd a host
of plugins for the SlimServer soft ware (now
called SqueezeCenter) that all Squeezeboxes
run on, and if you can’t fi nd one for your task,
you can roll your own.
But sound is the most important criterion
for measuring an audio streamer’s perfor-
mance, and the Duet’s design forced Logitech
to drop the 24-bit Burr-Brown DAC that lent
previous Squeezebox models their sweet
disposition. We’re happy to report, however,
that the 24-bit Wolfson WM8501 DAC that
replaced it is very much its equal. Rather use
outboard gear? The Duet is outfi tted with
optical and coaxial digital outputs, as well
as analog stereo. The device supports every
important fi le format, including AIFF, FLAC,
MP3, OGG VORBIS, WMA, and WAV na-
tively; and AAC, APE, Apple Lossless, MPC,
and WMA Lossless transcoded.
The new Squeezebox
receiver is smaller than

the Squeezebox 2 and can be tucked away

in your entertainment center—just make

sure it can reach your wireless access point.

The receiver is equipped with a 10/100 Eth-

ernet port, but in the ideal installation, the

remote will communicate with the receiver

(and control other Squeezeboxes) over your

802.11b/g Wi-Fi network. In the absence of

a wireless network, the remote will establish

a wireless connection with the closest

receiver, but your range will be limited be-

cause the devices will operate in ad hoc (as

opposed to infrastructure) mode.

The Squeezebox controller displays

album art, artist and song information, play-

lists, and other information on its 2.4-inch

backlit LCD (the buttons are backlit, too). The

remote is easy to master: A mechanical scroll

wheel lets you move up and down through

lists, and you press the center button to open

menus or select items. Four buttons arranged

around the perimeter of the wheel let you

add songs to your playlist, play a selection,

move back through menus, and move to the

top-level menu, respectively. The remaining

fi ve buttons control volume up/down, track

forward/back, and pause. The controller isn’t

nearly as elegant as what Sonos has to off er,

but it’s a huge leap forward from previous

Squeezebox remotes.

The Sonos Digital Music System remains

the product to beat in terms of elegance and

effortless setup, especially for multi-room

configurations, but Sonos can’t touch the

Squeezebox’s programmability and sheer

flexibility. The Squeezebox Duet is much

cheaper, too. – M I C H A E L B R O W N

Logitech Squeezebox Duet

Lots of changes to one of our favorite

streamers—all good!

+ -

VERDICT

$400, http://www.logitech.com

9

Terrific remote

control, inexpensive,

open source.

Piggybacks on your

Wi-Fi network,

compatible only with

802.11b/g.

SQUEEZE

LOGITECH SQUEEZEBOX DUET

THROTTLE

Audio File AIFF. FLAC, MP3, OGG VORBIS,

Formats WMA, WAV (native) AAC, APE,

Apple Lossless, MPC, WMA Loss-

less (transcoded)

Networking 10/100 Mb/sec Ethernet;

802.11b/g

Display 2.4-inch LCD in remote control

Digitalto 24-bit Wolfson WM8501

Analog (24-bit resolution, 192kHz

Converter sampling rate)

Audio Outputs RCA, S/PDIF, Toslink

SPECIFICATIONS

The Squeezebox Duet receiver has a low pro-

fi le, with just one multicolored LED to inform

you of the device’s status.

http://www.maximumpc.com | JUN 08 | MAXIMUMPC | 83