Hello all,

I have decided to buy a Powerbook for a trip to Japan, but i need some decent audio output from it. Its a long flight. Hence, i decided a USB DAC would be the best option, i dont expect the internal sound system is up to much.

Does anyone have a recommendations?

PowerWave - USB Audio Interface & Amplifier

Like that?

Or...

iMic - USB Audio Interface

I am a reseller and have the iMic in stock but the PoweWave is currently backordered.

M-Audio Sonica I believe is the most popular hi-fi solution. Well, as hi-fi as a USB DAC gets.

Thanks for the replies. The M-Audio Sonica looks to be the best at the moment.

Don't mean to sound condescending or rude, but do they actually allow you to use laptops on long haul flights?? I have always been told (by the companies i have been with) that i cannot use any mobile phone device, laptop or other "electrical devices" during a flight or while on the plane, even during boarding.

Of course if you menat a "long trip" as in you'll be in Japan for a long while, then are you sure the PowerBook is not up too the sound, i'd rather wait and test it myself. Apple are renouned or several things, great graphics application support (native Adobe GFX etc), great sound support (eg powertools), and also style and price!! .
I'd be shocked if even one of their general purpose laptops had really poor sound, that's just my opinion though, i haven't read any reviews on how good or bad the powerbooks sound capabilities are!

Cheers,

Krisitan

Last I heard, yes, you could use laptops for long-haul flights. You're just not allowed to use electronic devices within the first and last 10 minutes of the flight, i.e. during takeoff and landings.

Of course it's been about 5 years since I've taken an international flight, but I'll be damned if I'm NOT allowed to use an electronic device for a 14+ hour flight. (Oh yeah, I've never flown from UK, so you COULD be right).

@DarkAngel
I know that even the best laptops now really can't go for much longer than 5 hours straight without extra batteries or a seperate power source. Having a USB audio device will only suck away more power too.

afaik, i can use the laptop as mentioned above so long as i dont use wireless ethernet or bluetooth. A lot of the new centrino books have external switchs for wireless lan / bluetooth, so you can be extra sure they are off.

I'll need to take the backup batterie for it, it is going to be a long fight. However, the laptop should alleviate some of the boredom.

As for the audio quality of the powerbook, im not sure. I would not think its amazingly good, plus i want to use this as my listening machine in general use too. I tried a pair of Sony MDR-V700's in a friends ibook, and it was OK, but not amazing. Certainly not as good as my santa cruz.
What you say about USB devices sucking battery power is true, it might not be a good idea to use the USB DAC during the flight. I can wait until i have it properly set up in my flat with a mains power supply before i use it.

On Virgin Atlantic, you can get laptop power adaptors to power them from the plane itself!

I don't know if you have to be in first class or something - I just heard the announcement over the intercom about them being collected at the end of the flight.

You can certainly use laptops during the flight, but not during take off or landing. There are some devices that you can't use at all - furbies were listed in this section!!!

Cheers,
David.

On a plane flight, it will definitely be the headphones that are limiting the listening pleasure, because they can't keep out the engine noise. I think the built in audio out of the Powerbook will be more than sufficient. Rather, look for some of those (expensive) into-the-ear headphones.

I just saw the M-AUDIO Sonica Theater demonstrated. Sounds great! I didn't have headphones so I couldn't do a quick test but he had a 5.1 speaker system pluged into a Toshiba laptop and it rocked.

FYI, it got Best of Show MacWorld 2003.