There are many compact home audio systems nowadays that try to integrate audio from iPods and FM radio. But in almost every product I checked out, there was some compromise that sacrificed connectivity or sound quality.

I wanted true stereo separation that is not possible with small all-in-one units. I wanted to feel the sound. I wanted “easy to use”, (difficult to quantify, I know). What this meant for me was an elimination of the “digital stuff” of audio setup (apart from the iPhone of course). I didn’t want a glorified clock radio.

And it still had to be a compact system to satisfy Sarah’s desires, and the constraints of our living room.

Back in December, Sarah bought me this very cool 1970s Sony FM tuner from Hawthorne Vintage. This unit is radio only (no amplifier) and offered a great retro centerpiece that was very easy and satisfying to use. Tuning the radio is a fun experience itself: turning the physical knob, watching the large dial turn and hearing each station blur past, aligning it so that the signal is strongest. It’s an activity that I think is missed on modern digital systems. It’s a bit like the fun you get from a manual transmission on a car: its probably not the most efficient system, but it can be more fun.

Next I set about finding the appropriate speakers to go with it. A subwoofer was out since there was no place for it. I settled on these AudioEngine A2 speakers purchased from Amazon. In addition to their great reviews for sound quality, I purchased them for their extremely simple and iconic design. They were just “speakers”. They sound great, and for the most part look great. The company did decide somewhere along the way to slap their logo on the front in the most unconsidered way, which does detract from their appearance.

So overall I am very happy with this setup, apart from the logo. Sometimes you just have to create your own setup to meet your needs.