Peripheral and accessory maker Logitech has introduced two new entries in its Squeezebox line of network-away music players: the Squeezebox Radio and the Squeezebox Touch. Although both devices are Wi-Fi enables and are designed to let users tap into their own music collections as well as Internet radio or music subscription services, they aim at different sets of needs: the Squeezebox radio is designed for a desktop, nightstand or end table—somewhere you might want a little bit of music without the hassle of a boombox or full-fledged computer—while the Squeezebox Touch is designed to hook into an existing home music system and bring a users’ digital tunes to the big speakers. Both devices will stream DRM-free music from iTunes libraries, free Internet radio services like Pandora, as well as subscription services like Napster, Rhapsody, and Last.fm.
“Digital music and the Internet have radically changed how we discover, share and listen to the music we love,” said Logitech product marketing menager Sam Feng, in a statement. “Now, millions of people are downloading music through iTunes and listening to Internet radio stations and music services and our newest Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi music players bring it all together.”
The Squeezebox Radio is a small box about the size of an old-school console radio (5.1 by 8.7 by 5 inches) with an integrated multi-driver speaker setup (a 3-inch driver and a 3/4-inch tweeter. The Squeezebox Radio sports a 2.4-inch LCD display for track data, album art, and the like, and is designed for kitchens, nightstands, end-tables, or other areas where folks might want to tap into streaming audio or personal music collections: just turn it on, hook the Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) up to your network, and go. The Squeezebox Radio sports an ambient light sensor, a headphone jack for private listening, and even an alarm so it can be used on a nightstand. For folks who want the unit to be truly portable, Logitech will offer a separate rechargeable battery pack.
The Squeezebox Touch is designed to hook up to a home audio system, and offers a 4.3-inch color touchscreen display and remote control: the display handles track and station info, album art, and even visualizers, while pumping out audio to a users’ “good” audio gear via a stereo RCA connection: and just to make audiophiles that much happier, the Squeezebox Touch supports 24-bit, 96Khz audio. The Squeezebox Touch also sports a USB port and SD slot for quickly sideloading music and photos.
Both units can share music recommendations via Facebook, download friends’ status updates, and pull down photos from Flickr.
The Squeezebox Radio should be available in September at a suggested price of $199.99; Logitech will also offer a red limited edition of the unit. The Squeezebox Touch should launch in December for a suggested price of $299.99.
