Squeezebox Review

There are hundreds of high-quality streaming radio stations on the Web that offer extremely focused playlists: anything from 24 Hour Elvis to Celtic reels. However, there's a catch: you could only listen to these wonderful Web stations while you were sitting in front of your computer. That's not a problem anymore with the Squeezebox, a sleek gadget that interfaces the enormous variety of streaming Web radio stations with your home stereo system, providing one of the best listening experiences out there today.

Pros

Cons

I have to admit: I'm not much of a gadget girl.

However, I do love listening to online radio stations, and I LOVE playing around with Pandora, my own personal, customizable, streaming radio station (I'm listening to it as I write right now!).

The problem was this: there's literally hundreds of thousands of really wonderful, highly targeted streaming Web radio stations out there, but I could only listen to them when I was sitting in front of my computer. Otherwise, I had to settle for the commercial-heavy FM stations or (heaven forbid) actually PAY for satellite or XM radio, something that I was not really eager to do.

Enter the Squeezebox.

What is the Squeezebox? In the most non-techie language possible, it's a way to listen to all of those streaming Web radio stations - and there are a LOT, folks - on your home stereo.

Here's what you'll need to get started with the Squeezebox:

• A wireless network
• the Squeezebox (naturally)
• At least three hours carved out of your day to twiddle with all your new radio stations and add them to your Favorites.

Setup on the Squeezebox couldn't be simpler; you just plug in and go. Within 10 minutes, I was discovering streaming Web stations all over the world, from nonstop Christmas music to Muppet Radio Central (seriously).

Additionally, you can also use the Squeezebox to listen to your favorite customized Pandora radio stations - what a nice change from the garbage playing on most FM radio stations these days, right?

Overall, I couldn't recommend the Squeezebox more highly. We listen to it constantly in our house, and I absolutely love being able to listen to virtually commercial free, stereo quality, targeted radio stations on my home stereo.