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Gold Member Username: ChitownPost Number: 1295 Registered: Apr-05 | In looking for a totally different product I ran across this: http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA700.aspx It is similar to Squeezebox but it also does video's etc. It is also cheaper by about $50 http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202827392&loc=111&sp=1 Right off the bat I can think of a few reasons that it is actually inferior. Most important the fact that it doesn't have a display and you have to turn on the TV to browse through the menus. I know that Squeezebox has a good DAC, but of what use it if I'm going through the TOSlink to my receiver? In essense the receiver is doing that work The other thing that I don't like about the Netgear box is that it doesn't seem to have a toslink. Though it does have a digital coax So tell me what you think before my 30 days runs out. |
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Bronze Member Username: ToltersdPost Number: 15 Registered: May-06 | Without a direct comparison it is hard for me to comment on the Netgear box. However, the way I have been using the "squeezebox" over the last two weeks since I bought it, is by entering play lists using the remote and the squeezebox display. Both the computer and the TV are not in the same room as the stereo. Thus, the Netgear box would not work for me as it needs a display hooked up to it. As a foot note: there are cheap 5 inch LCD panels available that one could used instead of a TV, for instance: http://www.overstock.com/sm-road-theater-rt-500-5-inch-lcd-monitor-with-fm--pg-p roframe_pi-1507840_ti-82124.html But trying to get this to work would be too much tinkering for me. As to the user-friendliness of the squeezebox compared to other devices here is a link to a review from the New York Times praising the squeezebox (that's how I first heard about it): http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/technology/circuits/09pogue.html?ei=5088&en=57 7a3f1d9f174fc4&ex=1297141200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1160712703- s2D6ZfwHP3azlKE5TrW+Kw But again I am personally in no position to make comparisons. In general, no matter what electronic device you buy today, it will be surpassed by something better and cheaper within a pretty short time. On that note an argument could be made that one should wait another year or so until devices like the squeezebox become available for less than $100. It seems the competition is heating up and these boxes are becoming mainstream rapidly (look what happened to wireless networking gear over the last 3 years). To me the squeezebox is user-friendly and fairly fool-proof, sounds as good as CDs from a player and represents significant progress over sorting through your CD cases. And it was expensive enough that I won't be tempted to throw it out in six months to buy a better toy. PS: the squeezebox has both digital optical and digital coax outputs. |
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Bronze Member Username: ToltersdPost Number: 16 Registered: May-06 | Another thought to add on: I was worried that the limited display of the squeezebox (1 to 3 lines, depending on how you set it) would be insufficient to browse through your music effectively. It turns out that for the 300 albums I have on the computer the squeezebox display (combined with the rather intuitive remote) is perfectly fine to find everything quite easily. |
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Gold Member Username: ChitownPost Number: 1299 Registered: Apr-05 | I concure that the display issue. My wife didn't even want to hear that we would have to turn on the TV just to browse through the menu. I also concure that the prices will keep dropping and the video option will become greater. I can always buy another one with a video option ina few years and put this one in the bedroom replacing the CD player. |
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Gold Member Username: ChitownPost Number: 1300 Registered: Apr-05 | Decent article. Even though I'm still having some trouble with the Pandora site. |