Crosley Radio CR3001A Ranchero

They might not make things like they used to, but they at least design things to look like they used to. Crosley created the Radio Ranchero for exactly that purpose. It's a combination iPod dock and AM/FM radio that looks like it came straight out of the 1950s. There?s no doubt the retro Radio Ranchero looks cool, but at $199.95 (list), it should offer more than good looks. But few features and disappointing audio quality make this speaker dock a bit of a tough sell.

Design
The first thing you?ll notice about the Crosley Radio Ranchero is how strikingly retro it is. Rectangular and blocky, with glossy colored sides, the system is available in black, red, or green, the latter is an exclusive version you can only get at Urban Outfitters stores. There's also a large silver grille, and a big analog frequency meter with metal dials. It looks like it would be at home on a 1950s diner counter or kitchen table. The only modern concessionshows is an iPod dock on the top, with playback controls set into the bezel of the dock. The back is minimal, with only power, auxiliary 3.5mm, and coaxial antenna inputs.

The feature set on the Crosley Radio Ranchero is similarly minimal. It?s an iPod speaker dock with an AM/FM radio?and that's about it. There is no remote (despite playback controls sitting right in front of the iPod dock, where the iPod itself is clearly accessible), no display, not even a clock function. For a $200 speaker dock, it really doesn?t offer much beyond retro aesthetics. While not offering an iPod dock (but it works with auxiliary input), the Grace Digital Victoria Nostalgic Internet Radio ($229.99, 3 stars) includes a clock, a remote, and access to thousands of Internet radio stations while offering a similarly attractive retro design for just a little more.

Performance
Audio quality is disappointing for a $200 speaker dock. I listened to Charlie Mingus?s "Reincarnation of a Lovebird," and the usually crisp (despite the decades-old recording) piano notes sounded muddled and soft. It doesn?t sound terrible, but it also doesn?t sound satisfying for a speaker of its size and price.

Our standard bass track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," produced mixed results. While the flat bass notes got fairly loud and were distortion-free, any sort of textured bass (deep bass notes coming from an instrument, and not a flat low-frequency tone) suffered from heavy distortion.

If you love the 1950s aesthetic, the Crosley Radio Ranchero is a nice conversation piece. However, at $200 with no remote, significant connectivity, or even a clock, it falls fall short for the price. Its middling audio quality only makes it more disappointing, considering you can get more useful speaker docks for less and a much more functional and vintage-looking Internet radio for just a little bit more. For the same price as the Crosley Radio Ranchero you can get our Editors' Choice iPod dock, the Altec Lansing Octiv 650 ($199.95, 4 stars), which adds a useful app with EQ functions and better audio quality. If you have an iPhone or other iOS device, consider instead a wireless speaker, like the Logitech Wireless Boombox ($99.99, 3.5 stars). Both speakers offer better sound quality and a much more convenient experience, even if they don't have any retro appeal.

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