Manage updates with the Download AppLogitech Squeezebox Duet
Manufacturer: Logitech Part number: 930-000033
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- With its excellent iPod-like remote, the Logitech Squeezebox Duet is an ideal way to stream the full range of digital music--including files on your computer's hard drive, premium subscription music services, and free Internet radio--to your living room stereo system.
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CNET editors' review
Logitech Squeezebox Duet price range: $444.44
- Reviewed by: John Falcone
- Edited by: Matthew Moskovciak
- Reviewed on: 03/04/2008
The good: Network digital audio system includes excellent wireless remote with color screen and scroll wheel control; supports Wi-Fi and Ethernet home networks; compatible with virtually all non-DRM audio file formats, provides access to PC-based music files (on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines) as well as PC-free Internet radio, podcasts, and premium online music services including Rhapsody, Sirius, and Pandora; excellent online account integration; expandable to multiple rooms.
The bad: Minor improvements could make the already good interface even better; scroll wheel isn't quite as responsive as the iPod's; no compatibility with DRM music files such as those purchased from iTunes or Zune online stores; setup process could frustrate those who aren't tech-savvy.
The bottom line: With its excellent iPod-like remote, the Logitech Squeezebox Duet is an ideal way to stream the full range of digital music--including files on your computer's hard drive, premium subscription music services, and free Internet radio--to your living room stereo system.
User reviews
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There and Back again ... a digital music tale
by tethior on May 7, 2008
Pros: Price, flexibility, open source nature
Cons: stability, expandability
Summary: In short summary:
I purchased, setup and lived with the Duet for two weeks. I then returned it.
I had three zones total (upstairs, downstairs, outside)
Duet. Two. As in ...Summary: In short summary:
I purchased, setup and lived with the Duet for two weeks. I then returned it.
I had three zones total (upstairs, downstairs, outside)
Duet. Two. As in two faced, when it worked, it was fine. And when it didnt it was frustrating.
I work in IT. I consider myself more than just "Tech Savvy". Even still, setup on this device was maddening. The Logitech tech support folk were very helpful and patient and after four hours we got it to work. When applying the multiple firmware upgrades / patches it kept losing settings and having to be reconfigured. Each reconfigure required a reboot of my router (D-link). Wireless setup is not so easy to do. Wired setup was only a little better.
The original plan was to have this setup over the wireless network. Whelp, that didnt work so well. 15 feet away from the router the signal would drop and the device would stutter / drop out. Is this the fault of the router? Perhaps. But on more than three occasions the Duet would need to be reboot to synch back into the network (or the router would need a reboot to allow it back in). So that plan was nixed for a wired solution. Purchased a network switch to reuse the network cable going to the Tivo.
Once it was up and running on a wire it was much more stable (the same could not be said for the two other zones). However, access over the remote had similar range issues. I could not sit outside and control the unit (25 - 30 feet away). And performance was intermittently slow (a consistent 15 -20 second delay was the deal breaker. Up to three minute delays did happen)
Lets talk synchronized music for a moment. Yes, the Duet did synch the playback - and it came very close to doing so well. But either network issues or something else got in the way (about once an hour a song would un-synch then re-synch). On a few occasions my local network was overwhelmed by the demand and crashed.
Lets talk NAS (Network Attached Storage). This is in place of having to leave your computer on all the time. For whatever reason the NAS would shutdown in the middle of a track or the Duet would not be able to access the NAS and throw an error (this happened three times, once requiring a reboot of the Duet). In all cases I was able to access my NAS from any of the computers in the network.
Performance. When the remote what in the same room as the router and network speeds were not in question, to scroll through my media library was not as easy as I would like. Not enough screen space (or perhaps poorly managed screen space). Then there was some lag time for the remote to catch up with my key entry. On several occasions I had keyed ahead too far and had to backtrack. In any case I was not able to navigate as well as I would have liked. The remote did fit very well in the hand and was physically well designed. Performance on the Duet was adequate. There were some audio artifacts (noise) in my FLAC files and MP3 files that did not return on repeat playback. Kind of like a juice harp being introduced to Led Zeppelin (along with cow bell). It was often enough to be noticed, but Logitech support could not explain it.
In the end I was not happy with the device. I fully support open source, but never felt comfortable with the basics of the machine to see what was developed by the community at large.
Hence I returned the Duet.
I next purchased, setup and am living with the Sonos system. The Sonos proprietary network has not given me any trouble. I had it setup and running within an hour of opening the box. The Sonos unit that is wired has an extra port and acts as a network switch so I did not have to run an extra line or buy additional hardware. Synchronized playback has yet to even hint at a problem. And while the remote is big (not quite clunky) it responds beautifully and was easier to operate. I am now looking for some GPL stuff for the Sonos as the manufacture does put some of their code out to the community.
Is the Sonos more expensive? Yes. Do you get what you pay for? In the case of the Sonos yes. But I sure do hope they come down in price and add some to the feature set now that there is another game in town!
Bottom Line: If you are using a wired system and just need one “zone” to liberate your music, the Duet may just be the right answer for you. If you plan to fill your house with sound, don’t plan to do it with Duet.17 out of 18 users found this user opinion helpful.
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User Reviews? Let's wait until we USE one!
by kpfeif on March 6, 2008
Pros: Great Open Source Community, Terrific D-to-A
Cons: I guess iTunes DRM, but hey, that's going away, too.
Summary: Ok, first and foremost, the user "ro53ben" above is a longtime Sonos advocate and big contributor on the Sonos forum, so consider the source (google "ro53ben sonos").
For me, it ...Summary: Ok, first and foremost, the user "ro53ben" above is a longtime Sonos advocate and big contributor on the Sonos forum, so consider the source (google "ro53ben sonos").
For me, it was between the Squeezebox and the Sonos. Sonos is closed architecture and yes, awfully expensive. The Duet (which I received today) will replace my Squeezebox3. It's the perfect choice for my whole-home audio system. I just need one source to replace my 200 disc CD changer to provide music throughout the house. This fits the bill. The UI is great, bright and responsive. The setup was easy, and I'm very happy.
The Duet is $200 less than the cheapest Sonos alternative...oh yeah, you have to pay $40 extra for the Sonos charger. Add the open source community to the mix with the great plugins availabile, and it's a winner.10 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic concept but very unstable product.
by aginggen on July 1, 2010
Pros: Great concept.
Cons: Extremely unstable.
Summary: I was looking for a solution that would allow me to listen to my iTunes music library on my stereo. I tried the solution provided by Apple (apple Airport Express ...
Summary: I was looking for a solution that would allow me to listen to my iTunes music library on my stereo. I tried the solution provided by Apple (apple Airport Express connected to my stereo, wireless connection to my iMac, iPhone remote app). I then discovered Logitech Duet and fell in love with the concept. On paper, much more flexible than the Apple solution (one user friendly remote that everybody in the family can use, no need to use iPhone as a remote, no need to continuously run iTunes on my mac, access to Pandora and other services, etc.). I did some research and compared this solution to the Sonos. I decided to go for the Duet as it was more reasonably priced and as it addressed my needs.
My initial impressions were very positive. The remote is easy to use, the system was easy to install (I should mention that I consider myself as reasonably computer-savvy since I have an engineering background and since I used to be in charge of the maintenance of the network of a small company), and I could stream my iTunes music to my stereo. Bonus: I also had access to Pandora.
I own the system for 6 months now. And over time, I discovered the main flaw of the Duet: it is extremely unstable. Every time a software upgrade is downloaded on my computer or on the Duet, it takes me hours to fix the system (numerous reboots and download of upgrades). This happens on a regular basis (at least once a month). And as mentioned above I have a pretty good understanding of computers and networks. It is also unstable in use: the Duet freezes and refuses to restart. The streaming stops in the middle of a song. The Duet looses its connection to my iMac.
My assessment: the Duet is not ready for prime time. I still love the concept, it is great when it works. But it is equally frustrating when it does not work and when hours of work are required to re-stabilize the system.
I am now frustrated enough to spend time to write this review... and to start looking for another solution.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Stellar looking interface and great functionality
by akbungle on March 5, 2008
Pros: All your music in the palm of your hand! Excellent price when compared to the Sonos or any other streaming device.
Cons: Set-up I'm sure could be easier but .....?
Summary: To "Not Entirely Convinced" the Sqeezecenter 7.0 fixes the sync issues and about the Rhapsody music service last I heard Sonos could only do one stream compared to three ...
Summary: To "Not Entirely Convinced" the Sqeezecenter 7.0 fixes the sync issues and about the Rhapsody music service last I heard Sonos could only do one stream compared to three on the Slim devices.
7 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Siperb unit completes the Squeeze line-up
by MuckleEck on March 6, 2008
Pros: compact and easy to use
Cons: slight niggles on set-up
Summary: In particular, to "not entirely convinced", I for one am not interested in Rhapsody, Slacker or Pandora as living in Europe they are not available, so the fact the the ...
Summary: In particular, to "not entirely convinced", I for one am not interested in Rhapsody, Slacker or Pandora as living in Europe they are not available, so the fact the the squeezebox may or may not be able to stream these is irrelevant to me.
What I am more interested in is the fact that this remote gives me a visual access to my music easily in a configuarable way that I view by composer/ensemble/work/conductor or other combination without being fixed to the artist/album combination.
Finally the quality out of the duet is leagues ahead of any other simarily priced (even some more expensive) digital music systems.4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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My patience was NOT rewarded!
by StillSilly on April 9, 2009
Pros: Connected to my wireless network immediately. Loved the connection with my Slacker account. Awesome remote.
Cons: The connection drops were maddening. The remote needed a factory reset three times a day. The range was limited to about twenty feet. The longest we could get it to play during three week trial was 38 minutes. And then it would just stop.
Summary: I was very excited when I unwrapped my new Duet. The packaging was slick and functional. The remote was awesome, with vivid display colors. It connected to my wireless network ...
Summary: I was very excited when I unwrapped my new Duet. The packaging was slick and functional. The remote was awesome, with vivid display colors. It connected to my wireless network immediately and then to my Slacker account. When I first played music, I was happy, happy, HAPPY! And about ten minutes later it just stopped. I fooled around with it, updated the software, made sure the firmware was the latest release, etc. and then got music (for about 15 minutes). Contacted support, who taught me how to easily perform a factory reset on the unit. After three weeks of frustration, I decided to return it. Not worth the aggravation. Nice try, Logitech, but the bugs are not worked out yet on this unit.
Update 2/19/11 Bought another unit, as a friend told me the issues were worked out. It took awhile and, many updates later, the system runs with a good degree of continuity before failing. But, make no mistake, it does fail. If you can put up with a 90% uptime rate, you'll be happy.
Updated on Feb 19, 2011
Updated on Feb 24, 2012Update: The firmware upgrades worked. My music is finally seamless! Now worth the money!At least when it was $350.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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don't waste your money
by srupp9271 on June 21, 2010
Pros: when it works it's great
Cons: totally unreliable, sometimes it works a lot of times it doesn't
Summary: When it works it really is awesome, especially together with rhapsody you have the world of music in your hands. The bad thing is it disconnects all the time! We ...
Summary: When it works it really is awesome, especially together with rhapsody you have the world of music in your hands. The bad thing is it disconnects all the time! We have a Roku Netflix player as well. It is basically the same thing as the squeeze box but it works with video instead. Well the Roku works great, almost never disconnects and if the internet goes out it just reconnects to the network. The same thing can't be said about the Squeeze box. Don't believe me? Just go to the Logitech home page, go to support. then go to support community, and read a little through the online forum. Hundreds of people with the same problems. Another problem with this product is the battery charger. The remote doesn't sit in the cradle snuggly, therefore not charging, ever! The only way to fix this was to put a piece of cardboard into the cradle. Buy something else !
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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From out of the box to listening to music in 15 minutes
by egalore on February 10, 2010
Pros: Easy set up--the basic hardware installs like any other audio component. Server and wi-fi configuration took only 5 additional minutes. Plays lossless sound files. Remote control is intuitive. Great display.
Cons: A touch screen would be nice. Can't play ZunePass. WMA - Lossless requires translation (which happens automatically, but it really ought to be native.) The digital to audio conversion could be better, but there is a digital out for a stand alone DAC.
Summary: Finally, I can easily listen to all of the music I've accumulated over the years. Sound quality is a major concern for me and I appreciate that I can ...
Summary: Finally, I can easily listen to all of the music I've accumulated over the years. Sound quality is a major concern for me and I appreciate that I can play lossless sound files on the Duet. Listening to music playing out of my computer's sound card never appealed--I'd rather go without than suffer such poor quality. Set-up of the Duet was much easier than I expected. I have had fewer issues with streaming than I would have expected given that our server has a weak wireless signal. I am listening to music that I didn't even know that I had! I would definitely buy another Duet and recommend it to anyone.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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They need to make mysqueezebox.com more stable
by hattonj on January 31, 2010
Pros: Good value (when it works) .. vs Sonos.
I love the Napster streaming (again.. when it actually works)Cons: Constantly struggling to connect to Mysqueezebox.com (the web based server run by logitech to stream stuff for you). .. thus making it useless for streaming Internet radio or Napster.. works fine if you only want to stream your own music from a PC.
Summary: If only they could sort out the availability of Mysqueezebox.com this would be a great product. Otherwise it's just frustrating.
Summary: If only they could sort out the availability of Mysqueezebox.com this would be a great product. Otherwise it's just frustrating.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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elegant system that's simple to set up and use
by anniemiles on November 13, 2009
Pros: Getting up and running with the Duet is easier than with most other streaming devices I've tried. The Duet detected the networks in my area, and let me choose which one to join.
Cons: I have a few gripes about the Duet, which came up in the course of my testing. While playback was often faultless, at times the Duet would fail to play a song or cut out in the middle of a song.
Summary: Overall, this is an elegant system that's simple to set up and use, and it offers a reasonably priced alternative to high-end products such as the Sonos Digital Music ...
Summary: Overall, this is an elegant system that's simple to set up and use, and it offers a reasonably priced alternative to high-end products such as the Sonos Digital Music System. But its habit of cutting out or failing to play a song can be extremely annoying.
In addition, the scroll wheel on the controller is not as responsive as those you'll find on an iPod: Getting to the exact menu item I was interested in was frequently frustrating. I also experienced long lag times between pressing a button and seeing a result. Some of the delays occurred when the system was dealing with resources on the Web, though I have only custom <a href="http://www.superiorpapers.com/">essay writing services</a> application running at the same time, and so the lag may be attributed to latency on the Net. Other times, however, something as simple as changing the volume took a few seconds to kick in.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Logitech
- Part number: 930-000033
- Description: Squeezebox Duet consists of a multi-room Squeezebox Controller & charging stand, and a Squeezebox Receiver. The multi-room controller with 2.4-inch color display makes it easy to browse playlists, albums, artists, and more. Even search by name. Convenient scrollwheel, simple menus, and intuitive buttons make navigation a breeze. Expert engineering and sophisticated audio rendering technology provide sound clarity to please even the most demanding audiophile. Advanced 802.11g wireless technology eliminates the need to string wires everywhere just to listen to the music from your computer. And setting up an additional room is simple as pushing a button - even on secure networks. Access millions of songs, thousands of Internet radio stations, and music service providers such as Pandora, Rhapsody and Slacker, without ever turning on your computer using SqueezeNetwork, the unique Internet service. Even your personal music collection can be stored online in an MP3tunes music locker and played through your Squeezebox. Connect the Squeezebox Receiver to your stereo or powered speakers and create a musical oasis. Add additional Squeezebox Receivers and listen to a different song in each room, or synchronize them and hear the same music everywhere.
General
- Product Type Network audio player
- Width 6.1 in
- Depth 4.4 in
- Height 1.1 in
- Color High-gloss black
Audio
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Total Harmonic Distortion 0.002 %
- Additional Features Upgradeable firmware
Networking
- Connectivity IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi),
IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet),
IEEE 802.11g,
IEEE 802.3u (Fast Ethernet) Digital Media & Network Players
- Network player type Network audio player
- Network player functionality Digital audio playback,
Internet radio playback - Network player supported digital audio standards WMA,
WAV,
PCM,
FLAC,
Ogg Vorbis,
Apple Lossless,
AIFF,
MP2,
AAC,
MP3 Inputs & Outputs
- Connections 1xNetwork(RJ-45)-Rear,
1xSPDIF output-Rear,
1xSPDIF output(RCA phono)-Rear,
1xAudio line-out(RCA phono x 2)-Rear - Coaxial Digital Output Yes
- Optical Digital Output Yes
Accessories
- Remote Control Type Remote control
- Features LCD display
- Included accessories [Jul 2, 2008 from CDS: Miscellaneous] Remote control,
Audio cable,
AC power adapter,
Remote control charging stand - Cables Included Audio cable
Miscellaneous
- Slot Provided None
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 2 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 2 years
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Logitech products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Logitech
- Address:
6505 Kaiser Dr., Fremont, CA 94555
