Create the ultimate cool compact audio system courtesy of Cambridge, Leak and Pro-Ject

Three elegant components come together to create the ultimate in compact but powerful audio systems, melding classic styling and materials with an ultra-modern heart.

Cambridge Audio L/R S speakers

The new L/R S speakers from Cambridge Audio are the first of three sizes of small, powerful and colourful active speaker systems from the British brand. Whilst shown here in a warm walnut finish, the range – which will soon extend to the L/R M and L/R X models – also comes in five other colours, including orange and green.

We’ve been road-testing a pair of walnut finished L/R S, exploring this ultra-flexible piece of audio kit and revelling in the detail design and quality of sound. Combining Bluetooth aptX HD connectivity for hi-res audio with audio over USB and conventional RCA inputs, each speaker puts out 50W of power through its 21mm tweeter (finished in copper) and 3-inch woofer.

The scale is deeply pleasing. Readers of a certain age will remember the early computer speaker systems; brittle plastic accessories that flanked your CRT computer monitor and brought multimedia life to the world of the desktop. As the desktop gave way to the laptop, speakers shrank and audio quality evaporated back to mono. It wasn't until Apple's PowerBook 500 in the mid-1990s that stereo speakers were available in a portable computer. Ultimately, advances in miniaturisation and collaborations with dedicated hi-fi companies (B&O, JBL, Harmon Kardon, etc) meant that laptops were able to claw back some audiophile credibility. It's just not enough, however, and dedicated separate speakers will aways win out.

Crisply flickable microswitches on the rear panel allow you to adapt the speaker sound according to placement – whether it’s against a wall, in the centre of a room or on a desk. Pairing the L/R S with audio over USB and computing has transformed everything from video calls to YouTube watching and listening to streaming services. Having proper stereo separation as well as a welcome dose of power really makes a difference.

Cambridge Audio L/R S speakers, from £399/pair (£449/pair in walnut), CambridgeAudio.com, @CambridgeAudio

Leak TruStream

If you’re pulling audio direct from a laptop or PC (or even a phone), the new Leak TruStream is fine match for the Cambridge speakers. The British company is now breaking out into the world of network music players with the TruStream. Designed to support a raft of contemporary music formats (PCM, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, APE, MP3, AAC, OGG and others), the TruStream is dedicated to high-resolution audio.

Onboard digital-audio conversion can either output to a conventional wired speaker system, supply audio over USB or wireless formats or even just into headphones. Leak has shaped the unit to match its other hi-fi components, which include the CD Transport and Stereo 130 and 230 amplifiers. All follow an established and timeless design language of walnut and brushed aluminium.

Leak TruStream, £999, Leak-HiFi.co.uk, @LeakAudio

Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 Turntable

Finally, here’s a suitable turntable choice to match up with this selection of woody audio wonders. Pro-Ject’s Debut Evo 2 Turntable just happens to be available in a real walnut finish (alongside a rainbow of other options including Gloss Red, Satin Steel Blue and Satin Golden Yellow).

The Austrian company handmakes its products in the EU. The Evo 2 features precision materials like the carbon tonearm CNC-milled aluminium bearing and a hefty 1.7kg die-cast aluminium platter. The Evo 2 also features a stripped-down design that incorporates RCA plugs and power sockets in the plinth itself for a truly minimal form factor.

Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 Turntable, £599, ProJect-Audio.com, @ProJectAudioSystems