Product Reviews

The Squeezebox is widely regarded as the benchmark for network music players. We call it a music player rather than an Internet radio because, although it lets you access online radio stations, this is a secondary function to being a well-polished interface for your MP3 collection.

The slick interface applies to both, and, combined with the large, bright display, makes the Squeezebox a pleasure to use. There's a wide choice of stations to listen to, although you may have to set up many UK stations manually. BBaC stations, for example, are conspicuous by their absence, but can be added easily using a third-party plug-in called AlienBBC for the SlimServer software. SlimServer is the software that runs on your PC and allows the Squeezebox

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to access your music collection and Internet radio, although there's a 'favourites' system that can be used to connect to Internet stations directly via your router when your PC is switched off.

There's no FM tuner for conventional radio, and no built-in speakers, so you'll need either headphones or a separate set of powered speakers, unless you plug the Squeezebox into your hi-fi. However, raw sound quality is the best here; the digital outputs and support for FLAC (a higher-quality alternative to MP3) will please hi-fi enthusiasts.

The Squeezebox is unique in providing access to Pandora. This is a service that lets you create your own radio station. Simply tell Pandora a song you like, and it'll create an endless, advert-free stream of similar-sounding music. You can also access Rhapsody's catalogue of over two million songs on demand. Both services require subscriptions, but if you love music, they're more than worth it.

Finally, the Squeezebox beats the others here with its comprehensive options, including different alarms for weekdays and weekends, RSS support for watching the latest news headlines scroll past, and access to SqueezeNetwork's free - and huge - on-demand library of live music.

If you don't need built-in speakers or FM radio, the Squeezebox should be top of your list.