Logitech Wireless DJ Music System
Manufacturer: Logitech Part number: 966194-0403
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Logitech Wireless DJ Music System lets you access your PC's digital music collection from the palm of your hand.
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Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Logitech Wireless DJ Music System price range: $216.81
- Reviewed by: John P. Falcone
- Reviewed on: 08/30/2006
- Updated on:02/21/2008
- Released on: 09/01/2006
The good: The Logitech Wireless DJ Music System streams audio--including copy-protected DRM music and Internet radio--from your PC to your home stereo. The system is controlled from a handheld remote with a built-in display and an iPod-like scrollwheel that lets you view and navigate your music collection. The system utilizes a USB transmitter that hooks to your PC, along with a receiver, which doubles as a recharging station for the remote, so it doesn't need a wireless network.
The bad: The scrollwheel isn't quite as responsive the iPod's, and the wireless range--while decent--is less than advertised. The PC Control mode allows for maximum file compatibility but disables the remote's ability to browse when activated.
The bottom line: The Logitech Wireless DJ Music System lets you access your PC's digital music collection from the palm of your hand.
Editors' Note: As of February 2008, this product has been replaced by the Logitech Squeezebox Duet. The rating has been lowered accordingly.
Building on the success of its innovative, user-friendly Harmony remote controls, Logitech is applying the same expertise elsewhere in its accessories empire. Case in point is the Logitech Wireless DJ Music System: The $250 system is anchored by a wireless remote control with a built-in LCD readout that allows you to access and navigate digital music files on your PC or the Internet and hear them on your home stereo.
Unlike competing audio devices that stream PC audio over a home network, the Logitech Wireless DJ broadcasts music from a wireless transmitter that plugs into your PC's USB port. The audio is sent to a small receiver that can be placed elsewhere in your home and plugged into any stereo system with a free auxiliary input. The receiver doubles as a charger/cradle for the Wireless DJ's third and most important component, the wireless remote control.
The remote's slick design and superior ergonomics are obvious descendants of its predecessors in the Harmony lineup. The silver-and-black wand is 8.25 inches long by 2.25 wide and nearly flat, and it includes a removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery housed in its bottom quarter. Its streamlined controls are comprised of just seven keys clustered around a central iPod-like scrollwheel which has a clickable Enter button in the middle. There are three standard transport buttons (previous track, play/pause, next track), Home and Back keys, and two DJ buttons for building and accessing playlists on the fly. Volume controls, including mute, round things out. The remote sits perfectly in your hand, with all of the buttons and the scrollwheel within reach of your thumb, making one-handed control a breeze. The top half of the remote houses the 2-inch-diagonal square LCD readout. The menus on the bright blue monochrome display--My Music, Internet Radio, Now Playing, DJ List, Settings, and Rooms--again take a page out of the iPod book, each having its own contextual submenu.
The Wireless DJ Music System is essentially a step-up product from Logitech's previous streaming solution, the Wireless Music System for PC. But while the addition of the informative visual interface on the Wireless DJ's remote marks a significant step forward, the DJ also retains two of the big advantages of last year's version: no network setup hassles and no DRM (digital rights management) restrictions. Installing Logitech's new StreamPoint software enables the Wireless DJ System to control a variety of leading audio software, including iTunes, Windows Media Player, and Musicmatch. You can stream paid subscription content from any of these services just as easily as home-ripped music.
Setup is fairly straightforward. First you install Logitech's StreamPoint software, which guides you through the configuration wizard; we used a release candidate beta version but didn't encounter any stability problems. The software looks for iTunes, Musicmatch Jukebox, and Windows Media Player libraries already on your PC, and lets you add any other music-rich folders of your choosing. It needs to index these folders and settings periodically so it can stay up to date with your newly ripped or downloaded music, but you can set it to do so automatically at custom intervals.
Next you plug in the wireless transmitter to a free USB port on your PC when the software's onscreen instructions request it. The software verifies that it's working, and then you basically forget about it; just make sure it's placed far enough away from the PC to generate an unfettered signal.
Finally, you set up the receiver base station in a nearby room. The minuscule unit sports two analog line outputs (red and white RCA jacks and a 1/8-inch minijack), so it can connect to any stereo, A/V receiver, boom box, or powered speaker system that offers an auxiliary line input. The receiver also doubles as a recharging station for the handheld remote, which stands upright at a gentle angle when cradled. If you'd like to expand the system, you can purchase as many as three additional receiver/rechargers for $80 apiece, and place them in other nearby rooms--but you can stream to only one receiver at a time.
For the most part, using the Wireless DJ is a pleasure. We were able to access our favorite Internet radio stations and all of our iTunes songs--including purchased songs--with a few easy spins of the remote's scrollwheel. Music can be accessed by artist, album, song, or genre, irrespective of whether the individual song is "native" to iTunes, Windows Media, or Musicmatch. Songs from any PlaysForSure-compatible service should be able to stream as well, so long as they're in one of the highlighted directories. Moreover, in addition to playlists that you've already created in those programs, you can create new playlists on the fly--just navigate to the song, and click the the DJ Add button. Likewise, you can shuffle play through the DJ list or your entire music collection. (We keep saying music, but you have access to the full gamut of your audio files, including podcasts, so long as it's a supported file type--MP3, WMA, or AAC.)
There's a final option on the Wireless DJ that's a great catch-all: PC control mode. Essentially, it just dumps whatever sound you can hear on the PC straight to the Wireless DJ's outputs. You lose the ability to navigate your music (until you return to the PC and exit the mode, you're stuck controlling only volume and--sometimes--track up/down), but you get to hear a full range of PC or Web-based audio away from your computer. That includes Web-based streaming services from Last.FM and Pandora, as well as online versions of Sirius, XM, Major League Baseball--whatever you could pull down to your PC. Similarly, the PC control mode lets you stream additional file formats--Ogg, Real Audio, wav, and so forth--so long as you're running a compatible player on the PC.
While our overall experience with the Wireless DJ Music System was positive, it does have its share of caveats and issues. First and foremost, the wireless range was less than the 150 feet (from transmitter to recharger/base station) that Logitech claims. Testing in an office and home environment, we got to a distance of about 50 to 60 feet--albeit with walls and ceilings in the way--before things started crackling. Moreover, while the lack of wireless networking makes for quick and easy setup, it also restricts the Wireless DJ's placement options--by contrast, network-based systems offer greater flexibility because the receivers can go anywhere within the range of the Wi-Fi or Ethernet home network. Moreover, most network digital audio receivers (such as the Roku SoundBridge or Slim Devices Squeezebox) can stream Internet radio, even when your PC is powered off, if you have a broadband router. The Wireless DJ requires the PC to stay on to function at all, and anything beyond light Web surfing or office applications may adversely affect the streaming performance--playing Doom 3 and streaming iTunes simultaneously isn't recommended. Finally, while the scrollwheel is definitely a great way to navigate file lists, it's not as responsive as the iPod's, and there's currently no way to adjust its sensitivity.
It's also worth mentioning that the Wireless DJ may be overkill if your musical life revolves around your iPod. Dedicated 'Podheads will probably be better off opting for the Belkin TuneStage or the Logitech Wireless Music System for iPod, both of which stream music straight from the iPod to a nearby stereo. Alternately, if you're on a tight budget--or you don't mind leaving having the iPod tethered to the stereo--you can simply run a patch cable from the player's headphone jack or recharging dock.
For a large number of digital audio fans, though, the Logitech Wireless DJ Music System is going to be an ideal solution. The iPod solutions, for instance, don't you give you access to streaming Web radio services that you can get on the Wireless DJ. And as good as the aforementioned SoundBridge and Squeezebox products are, the Wireless DJ's handheld form factor and lack of DRM restrictions make it a compelling rival. After all, why squint at a miniature LCD readout across the room when you can have one no further than an arm's length away?
Editors' note: We are continuing to test the wireless range and battery life of the Wireless DJ and will update this review with any relevant information in the near future, if and when events warrant.
User reviews
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It's good, but....
by gt4877c on November 4, 2006
Pros: Wirelessly plays the music stored on your computer through your home stereo
Cons: Scroll Wheel too slow, iTunes compatibility, Yahoo Music Unlimited Compatibility
Summary: This is a great product. A great idea. But Logitech clearly didn't spend enough time in development before getting this out to the market.
It does what it should. ...Summary: This is a great product. A great idea. But Logitech clearly didn't spend enough time in development before getting this out to the market.
It does what it should. You plug in the device to you computer, it searches for the music, and then you select the music and it plays on your stereo.
However, there are many issues I've come accross after using the system for 2 days.
Scroll Wheel: If you want to scroll through 700 songs, forget it. The scroll wheel is set at one speed and won't speed up, even if you scroll faster. This is a serious issue when trying to select your favorite artist.
Internet Radio: It will only play stations you've added to your playlist in itunes or Win Media Player. Forget stations in Yahoo Music Unlimited, or anything that's not itunes or WMP.
iTunes Songs: Also, I've had some trouble playing some songs from iTunes. Haven't figured this out yet, but some songs will come up with an error when a playlist will try to play them. These are songs that play in iTunes normally.
PC sounds: The sounds that your PC plays when using Instant Messengers or other programs come through on my stereo now even when it is not playing music. I've looked, but I can't find a setting to turn off letting PC sounds go through to the stereo.
Other than these issues, I love the product. I wouldn't recommend it though, until Logitech get the problems fixed with an update.11 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Of all wireless music systems, this is the one to beat!
by miles_fan on August 10, 2006
Pros: It has all the pros of their Wireless iPod but now with added DISPLAY and improved form factor
Cons: If there are any, I can't tell yet.
Summary: I was just raving to a couple people about the Logitech iPod wireless system because it gets around the DRM hand cuffs that would prevent me from enjoying my hundreds ...
Summary: I was just raving to a couple people about the Logitech iPod wireless system because it gets around the DRM hand cuffs that would prevent me from enjoying my hundreds of iTunes downloads in any other room than my office if I opted to buy any number of currently available systems. Apple's own Airport Express WON'T WORK with my existing PC-based wireless network because they didn't see the need to support more than a handful of wireless routers (not the one I bought last year for $100). The SlimDevices Squeezebox description says it controls iTunes, but not until small print or a full 3rd party review do you learn that that's only for non-DMR files in playlists on iTunes--who the heck uses iTunes if they're not downloading music from it? And the cool looking but extremely pricey Sonos system won't play downloaded iTunes even though the design misleadingly mimics iPod's looks.
Then I see this 2-day old announcement on CNET and I'm thrilled. A system that circumvents unfair DRM headaches, has a DISPLAY, and provides the simple plug-and-play set up for which Logitech is famous. It may be expected to cost twice as much as their iPod system, but this one is worth more than twice what they're charging. It is likely to KILL everything else that poses as a wireless digital music system, regardless of price. This is what I've been waiting for--a company that knows that a proprietary system (their networking is proprietary) should only be used when it facilitates an end user's enjoyment of property he/she rightfully purchased and should be able to enjoy however he/she sees fit. It doesn't allow me to make copies and give them to my friends (without a loss of fidelity), but it does allow me to extend my options for personal consumption. Something no other company one has gotten right yet. Kudos Logitech. Can I get on a waiting list?8 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works as advertised (mostly)
by forkboy on January 10, 2008
Pros: Very easy setup, nice remote
Cons: too short usb cable for base transmitter
Summary: I concede I've only had it up and running for a day, but the Logitech DJ works very well for what it is: an inexpensive music streaming device. Installation ...
Summary: I concede I've only had it up and running for a day, but the Logitech DJ works very well for what it is: an inexpensive music streaming device. Installation was a breeze (but I recommend downloading the latest software from the Logitech site instead of using the included CD-ROM); the set-up wizard was very self-explanatory. It worked on it's very first try, which is a great thing considering the usual headaches that come with loading new software and hardware.
I'm only streaming to one room so I cannot speak of issues related to multiple rooms and the transmitter and receiver are fairly close together (albeit on different floors) so I'm having no reception issues.
My only complaints thus far are that the USB cable with attached transmitter (which attaches to your computer) is too short (especially when you're trying to meet the requirements of keeping the unit at least 7-feet from your wireless router) and the DJ doesn't utilize your wireless router to transmit.
On the up side, and this is big, I found mine at my local Best Buy for $49.99!! As it has been discontinued Best Buy is moving it out. This is, without a doubt, the best price I've seen anywhere.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very impressive product for the price
by silentrunning on March 19, 2007
Pros: Very easy setup. No network knowledge necessary.
Cons: A little tedious searching large music collections
Summary: I went online and researched just about every device I could find that would play my music collection from my PC to my home stereo. At the end of a ...
Summary: I went online and researched just about every device I could find that would play my music collection from my PC to my home stereo. At the end of a few days this was the device that came up the winner based on the information available on the internet. Now that I have purchased the unit I can only say I am very satisfied. The unit has all the capabilities I wanted (In particular the PC control mode) at a very affordable price. The setup took about 10 minutes and went smoothly with no problems. I was impressed with how easy the setup was. The sound quality is very good and my music library was automatically setup very quickly. The searching is a little tedious but I notice they have a software update to improve the search features. I expect that they will continue to improve this feature. It is my sincere opinion that this is the best product in it's price range. If you want to play your digital music collection on your home stereo without a lot of hassle or expense this is the product.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A must have accessory for people who use stereo equipment to play their music collection.
by mcgrat07 on January 7, 2007
Pros: It does what is says, and does it well
Cons: Lack of compatability with latest version of iTunes
Summary: This is a great concept with great execution. The interface/design is great. The only shortcoming is that it did not appear to work with the latest iTunes. I had ...
Summary: This is a great concept with great execution. The interface/design is great. The only shortcoming is that it did not appear to work with the latest iTunes. I had to revert back to version 6 something. Not a big deal, but a flaw.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Outstanding product for the money
by mneer on January 5, 2007
Pros: Does everything it says it will and makes listening to my music very enjoyable.
Cons: Some songs are mislabled due to fact that the internet does not always have the correct order of songs for a given album. This is not a Logitech issue.
Summary: Fantastic product, I use WMP exclusively and when I do purchase iTunes I burn a CD and then rip it to WMP so I do not have any of the ...
Summary: Fantastic product, I use WMP exclusively and when I do purchase iTunes I burn a CD and then rip it to WMP so I do not have any of the problems that others have mentioned. Please understand that the only competition for this product cost 4 times as much so.....
I have over 600 CD's and now I can play what I want when I want. The sound quality is as good as the original CD and the remote range is excellent.
The initial setup was amazingly easy with the setup process walking you through each step and actually verifying and reporting that the step was successfully completed before moving on. Entire process took less than 20 minutes.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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fantastic idea!
by ops2189 on December 27, 2006
Pros: portable, total control in the palm of your hands and the problems listed by the editors are minor!
Cons: the software has real problems. It disconnects when switching between users. errors between wmp and itunes settings and more!
Summary: This product has all the makings of a success but short on the software. I had non stop problems with it updating my play lists and finding my rooms. It ...
Summary: This product has all the makings of a success but short on the software. I had non stop problems with it updating my play lists and finding my rooms. It didn't play well with itunes, but ran good with wmp (not great). Range is limited and the manufacturer gives a thousand reasons you could be having problems. A few hundred to many!! Reception was intermitent with drop in phone conversations and popping noises. A microwave in use within 25 feet and thru a wall will kill your music enjoyment. But the biggest problem is family. If you don't have a few hours to explain the ins and outs of over coming problems to family that wants to use it, don't bother. I lost their interest in the product after telling them more than once it will not continue working when you switch user profiles on your computer. It went back and i am still looking for a replacement.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works like a champ!
by inobrac on December 31, 2007
Pros: Works on three floors
Cons: Doesn't read folders, only tagged files
Summary: I got this for christmas and love it. I pointed the software towards my mp3 directory and once it had it all catalogued, it was ready to go. I can ...
Summary: I got this for christmas and love it. I pointed the software towards my mp3 directory and once it had it all catalogued, it was ready to go. I can use it all over the house and can even adjust the volume. It is sleek looking and not too pricey. Definately would suggest to anyone who hates hooking up their laptop to their stereo or burning cd's for parties...
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Features of Sonos for fraction of price
by julios1 on February 15, 2007
Pros: it works! great design, great UI, easy to set up (I have a PC)
Cons: none... yet ;)
Summary: i wanted to buy the Sonos system since it came out but just couldn't pull the trigger because of price - Logitech did this one right - this is ...
Summary: i wanted to buy the Sonos system since it came out but just couldn't pull the trigger because of price - Logitech did this one right - this is a killer product - go for it!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Nice job, but unusable larger libraries
by haislmj on January 29, 2007
Pros: Great screen, Nice reliability, Easy install
Cons: Exceedingly limited oftware interface
Summary: From a performance standpoint (installation, operation without crashing, etc.), this is one of the best wireless players I have seen (and I have owned 3). However, the software interface on ...
Summary: From a performance standpoint (installation, operation without crashing, etc.), this is one of the best wireless players I have seen (and I have owned 3). However, the software interface on the remote has only limited and very rudimentary search capabilities resulting in the need to manually scroll through your entire library of music (beginning with Artists/Albums/Songs starting with the letter "A") to reach any Artists/Albums/Songs in your library. This is a huge detriment for Artists/Albums/Songs beginning with letters later in the alphabet and renders the Wireless DJ almost unusable for larger music libraries. Other players from Creative and Sonos have expanded search functionality. A software upgrade to include similar functionality is very much needed for this player.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Logitech
- Part number: 966194-0403
- Description: The Logitech Wireless DJ Music System makes it easy to play your PC music on your stereo. Enjoy all of your music in your living room: MP3s, WMAs, iTunes, Internet radio stations - even podcasts and subscription audio. Use the long-range remote to browse through your entire music collection and see what's playing - all from the comfort of your sofa. The Wireless DJ Music System combines plug-and-play simplicity with the clarity of digital audio, doesn't require a network, and works throughout your home.
General
- Enclosure Color Black
Display (Projector)
- Type LCD display
Remote Control
- Type Remote control
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x ( 4 pin USB Type A ), 1 x Audio line-in ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ), 1 x Audio line-in ( RCA phono x 2 )
Battery
- Technology Rechargeable
- Required Qty 1
- Included Qty 1
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 2 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 2 years
Manufacturer info
- Logitech
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Logitech products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.logitech.com/
- Address:
6505 Kaiser Dr., Fremont, CA 94555
