Slimdevices Squeezebox 3 - £229

The Squeezebox 3 is the latest basic model from Slimdevices

After the success of the Squeezebox 2, the product was taken one step forward with a dramatic redesign (the main compaint with the Squeezebox 2 was the design)

This new design means it looks as good alongside the hifi, as it does in the kitchen/bedroom

Sound quality from the unit is excellent and this is where it stands out from the competitors, especially with support for all lossless audio formats

The web interface is a very useful inclusion as it allows control of all Squeezeboxes from one computer, or wireless enabled PDA

Support for BBC Radio (via the AlienBBC plugin), synchronization across rooms and Internet Radio (including the excellent Pandora service) are yet more excellent features

For those who like VU Meters, this is available as one of the screensavers

The only drawback of this product is that setting up the software can sometimes be difficult

	Rating	Notes
Price		For the quality of components, the price is excellent, but compared to the competition it seems pricey.
Sound Quality		Superb, high grade components and plenty of upgrades available. Digital output for use with a DAC
Ease of Use		Once installed, it is very easy to use, however, installation can occasionally be problematic. Superb web interface allows control by PC, PDA, web tablet.
Compatibility		Requires the slimserver software on a PC/NAS which does restrict options very slightly. No UPnP support. The inclusion of Pandora is a big plus point.
Looks		Excellent, a great improvement over the previous SB2.
Audio Formats		Supports WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, WMA, AAC Loses out only on lack of support for itunes purchased music. Also Squeezenetwork internet radio and BBC internet radio stations (via a plugin)
Reliability		Initial problems with the screens now solved. Hardware is very reliable, but wireless can be temperamental
Networking Support		802.11b and 802.11g WEP 128-bit and WPA Ethernet Port
Overall		The choice for audiophiles and computer enthusiasts. Sound quality is superb, but may not be suitable for those not technically minded.

Pro's

• Sound quality
• Quality of components
• Pandora Support
• Audio formats supported
• Looks
• Plugins available/open source software
• Web interface

Con's

• Can be tricky to setup
• Lack of support for itunes purchased music
• Wifi can be temperamental with some routers

Supported hardware/software

Name	Compatible
Twonkyvision
Slimserver
Musicmatch Jukebox
Windows Media Connect
iTunes
Netgear
Philips MediaManager
Sonos
Any Network Share

Name	Compatible	Instructions
Qnap TS-101		Pre-installed
Buffalo Linkstation		Here
Buffalo Terrastation		Here
Infrant ReadyNAS		Here
Linksys NSLU2		Here
Lacie Ethernet Disk
Maxtor Shared Storage Plus
Kuro Box		Here
Freecom FSG-3

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