Logitech Squeezebox Duet review

26 March 2008 10:57 GMT / By Paul Lester

We've seen some pretty capable audio streamers over the last few years, from Sonos’ excellent Digital Music System to Logitech's Wireless DJ and the Squeezebox 3.

The Squeezebox Duet is a bit of a combination of the three, offering Sonos-style functionality and content support and Wireless DJ style remote controller operation.

This new model incorporates a 2.4-inch colour display though, which not only makes it easy to browse and manage internet radio, podcasts, online download services and personal collections but can also display album art and supports a customisable interface.

The device connects wirelessly via the supplied receiver, which hooks up to your home cinema setup via either composite, digital coax or digital optical connectivity.

If you don't have a wireless router you can alternatively connect directly to a wired network through the Ethernet port on the receiver.

To get things up and running you'll need to do a bit of legwork before you can sit down and put your feet up, namely signing up to Logitech's SqueezeNetwork service and downloading the SqueezeCenter software to allow you to select and share media folders from your computer.

All of this is free though, and once you've got everything installed and ready you can complete the setup by configuring the Duet to access your wireless network via the supplied remote, which supports 64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption.

Once correctly connected you can browse the various media content available using the remote, which offers a responsive mechanical scroll-wheel and range of well-conceived controls to help you move through the menus and browse large collections with ease.

You can create playlists on the fly and add selected links or tunes to a "favourites" collection for quick access later.

There are a range of extras here such as an alarm clock, full search features and customisable screensavers and wallpaper. You can also fine-tune things through the account setup pages of the SqueezeCenter software, adding podcast feeds, configuring the wide range of plug-ins and specifying exactly how your audio collection is viewed and indexed.

It's impressive that Logitech offers such a wide range of content here but access to these sorts of services is nothing particularly new.

Where the Duet stands out is in the effective design of the stylish remote, an excellent degree of usability and consistent performance.

Both streaming quality and pure audio quality are exceptional, and with a decent home cinema setup behind it you'll certainly get the most from both your home collection and the range of content available online.

Verdict

We'd be surprised if Logitech's Squeezbox Duet doesn't become the new leader in home audio streaming. It has combined many of the best bits from Sonos' setup, and previous entries in its own range, to produce a superb solution that puts a massive range of content at your fingertips.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Logitech
Price as reviewed: £279.99
The good: Superbly compact and stylish setup, very easy to browse and manage collections, excellent streaming performance and audio clarity
The bad: Very little
Quick verdict: The Squeezebox Duet is an excellent setup that puts a massive range of audio at your fingertips
Score
Winner