I enjoy my music again

The Squeezebox Classic is simple and high-quality workmanship. The display is simply not comparable to conventional TFT displays, as clear and easy to read. I wear glasses have no problem from 4 meters and could still in doubt even switch on the largest representation.

The audio ports can be selected from Digi optical / coaxial and analog, so that everyone finds his proper connection. A low power headphone goes off directly.

The network can then be connected via Fast Ethernet cable or real 54Mbit gross 802.11g wireless with WPA / WPA2 security. Not only in 802.11b 802.11g WLAN and all clients drive effective only gross 11MBit max.

The media formats, there is hardly a DRM-free format that is not supported. This shows the efficiency of the box. DRM - hmmm, the stuff from the iTunes Store can always just Apple, because they do not license their methods to others. On CD and then in FLAC format on the computer, so I'm doing it.

Yes - the Squeezebox needs special software and can not easily access a UPnP drive or network share. However, the SqueezeCenter software runs on Win / Mac and various Linux / Unix derivatives and can also be installed on high-NAS systems. For this purpose there is a very large community on the Internet that one always happy to help in any doubt. A wiki is and will be maintained.

* Additional 1.1.2009

SqueezeCenter is already a full-blown application and I can only in the operation with the IR remote control (control in the Classic display) ... uh ... well ... recommend eg a NAS as QNAP TS-209II. For large music archives, control via web browser and / or iPeng (or similar) these little boxes are seemingly overwhelmed and react very slowly. This is my opinion, which has resulted from a number of discussions in the appropriate forums. When choosing the Squeezecenter server hardware should you have to stop taking some time to inform, to avoid disappointment.

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I just want to put any prospective downloading and installing the free SqueezeCenter warmly. The software can be controlled via a Webbinterface and therefore on any other device to stream (Winamp, etc.), which also support MP3 Internet radio streams (converted here if necessary using Lame on the fly!). In addition, the remote control there is the Softsqueeze available as player and this simulates 100% Squeezebox incl. (Skin switch, since the transporter is standard). Simply schonmal try the hardware - awesome. The coolest plugins (iPhone / iPod Touch users times under [...] behold) there's there, but I can not describe here. Just try and behold in the forums.

Alternatively, I do not need SqueezeCenter, since you can also access back to the top on the internet SqueezeNetwork. To this end, the player under [...] Register (also Softsqueeze possible!). The SqueezeNetwork is a Data Center, which is operated by Logitech and for example, provides access to a variety of music services. Various internet radio collections (Shoutcast, etc), Last.fm scrobbling / Radio (great alternative to the Pandora is no longer available in DE) and others are available here. I use such currently MP3tunes as storage for my own songs and I need not at all a computer with the SqueezeCenter, I'm going to build yet from a power-saving VIA C7 system under Ubuntu Linux and (supplement:.. Based on Gigabyte STA / C + 1GB RAM + 250 GB HD and Ubuntu Desktop 8:04 for some time in operation and very happy with). Oh, here you can also control the player or the means of the browser. :-)

The Squeezebox Classic can be easily combined and played with the Squeezebox Duet. SqueezeCenter also supplies more players regardless parallel or synced (multiroom).

But the open system is also a disadvantage. I can not just turn everything and the system runs almost by itself. However, the effort is limited. Also, I can not just use a cheap UPnP NAS, I have here at z. B. recourse or higher NAS existing (old) hardware (QNAP, Synology etc., see my supplement above) calculate with. The clock / alarm function is not exactly brilliant ... they always need a running SqueezeCenter server or the Inet connection to SqueezeNetwork, otherwise you will not run - well.

So I rediscovered this small box my music and I regret it really just that I had there not already decided earlier on. It runs stably, quickly and absolutely stable even when the stream connections to Inet radio stations, MP3tunes or last.fm radio.

As I said above: Download SqueezeCenter, install and then try simply times with the Softsqueeze Player everything. Softsqueeze players still register in SqueezeNetwork and then the full range of options is already available. That's how I found my way to this great piece of hardware and software.

Clear recommendation.

* Supplement 23.07.2009

I would like to go again on the concept behind the Squeezebox.

But the Squeezebox (also the other devices of the series) relatively stupid quality hardware players that decode and play back audio streams. In the case of the Classic the device can display more data and IR code received on the remote control.

The main work done SqueezeCenter (SqueezeNetwork is an adapted Squeezecenter on Logitech servers), which represents the brain of the Squeezebox. In Squeezecenter the music is managed and possibly trancodiert if Squeezebox does not directly support the format. In Squeezecenter all codes sent from the IR remote at the Classic are processed and then converted into control commands, the Classic does not handle directly the IR commands. The display outputs are fully rendered in Squeezecenter and then sent to the Classic. Actually, everything is only about Squeezecenter insofar as it is not an audio stream that is being processed by the box.

Of course, this approach has a disadvantage, because the requirements for the Squeezecenter servers are quite high. On the other hand, the system of course is thus extremely flexible, as limited by the hardware only a small extent. The existing for SqueezeCenter plugins are an example, or the ability and extensive music collection with eg manage 250,000 titles, as far as the hardware is designed accordingly.

It also is not the old hardware players are forgotten, so even through the first SLIMP3 Player from 2001 still current Squeezecenter.

Maybe I was able to explain a few features that are due to other hardware players. I admit, does not fit any shoe.