Fremont, Calif. — Logitech is stepping up its home audio offerings with multiple new products in the coming months, including a new wireless digital media adapter (DMA) packaged with two-way RF remote that permits remote selection of a PC’s songs by title, artist or genre.
In launching its second-generation system to wirelessly connect stereos to PCs located in another room, Logitech made numerous upgrades, including an upgraded RF remote that lets users select PC-based songs for playback by title, artist, genre and playlist. The first-generation system’s RF remote delivered only basic control of a PC’s music files, namely pause, skip and volume. A spokeswoman called it “Sonos for everyone” because it’s the only such affordably priced system to let users view song menus in their hand.
The $249-suggested Wireless DJ Music System, due late September or early October, consists of a desktop transmitter that plugs into a PC’s USB port, and wireless receiver/cradle that plugs into a stereo, and the RF remote, which docks in the cradle for recharging. It also streams Internet radio stations through the PC and allows for station selection through the remote.
Additional receiver/cradles are a suggested $79. The transmitter supports up to 10 receivers, but only one receiver can play at a time.
Like the current system, the Wireless DJ is Bluetooth-based with a range up to 330 feet in most situations, but the company is promoting 150 feet as offering a “consistent connection.”
Upgrades over the current model include the ability to use the Wireless DJ to switch music playback from one room to another without having to manually interact with the PC. The new system also adds the ability to create an active playlist from the remote itself and to select Internet radio stations from the remote.
Both versions:
—use supplied software to aggregate all songs residing on a PC, no matter what folder or format they’re in, and even if a song resides on the PC in multiple formats, the song’s name appears only once on the RF remote, a spokeswoman said.
—stream DRM-protected music by converting it into Bluetooth’s digital format for wireless streaming, she added.
