Home Stereo of the Future, revisted

May 5, 2008 8:34 AM

Looking for a home stereo setup that supports internet radio, traditional radio, CD's and MP3's without a computer in the middle.

My wife and I want to buy a nice home stereo system that can handle both the old and the new. This earlier thread from 2005 asks very similar questions to what I'm looking for, but a lot can change in three years.

My wife enjoys listening to internet radio stations using iTunes, but she hates having to leave her computer on when she's just listening to music. She also has an iPod which she uses to listen to audiobooks while at the gym, but sometimes she wants to continue them at home without having to put on earphones. And of course we still have / buy CD's. (heck, sometimes my wife pulls out cassette tapes from high school!)

Ideally it'd also be able to handle surround sound and speakers in different rooms in the house.

Any suggestions?

posted by rouftop to technology (3 comments total)

Well, Sonos is still an option. Sonos can't play stuff from the iTunes Music Store, but it can play Internet radio, Pandora, Last.FM (with a hack), etc.
posted by mkb at 8:50 AM on May 5, 2008

Not a single system, and still requires a computer for MP3 listening, but for computer-free Internet radio and computer-encumbered music streams around the house, I think you might be happy with Logitech's Squeezebox Duet.

I know I have been happy with my Squeezebox Classic.
posted by notyou at 8:54 AM on May 5, 2008

Assuming you're not just looking for an all-in-one system, get a receiver with internet radio and iPod capability and a separate CD player (and speakers, of course). The Denon 3808ci and Onkyo 905 are both good choices, although maybe overkill for you.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 12:48 PM on May 5, 2008