USB devices with good headphone out?

[Tsal]

Hey guys,

I want to upgrade the lousy sound chip in my laptop and am looking for a relatively inexpensive USB sound to be used with laptops and whatnot, and the prime criteria is good headphones/line out quality as I do most of my listening with a pair of AKG 240M's.

Also, the unit will be carried in a backpack with the notebooks and also needs to be both PC and Mac compatible.

I've been looking at such USB units under $200 as SB Audigy NX Notebook, M-Audio Fast Track / Mobile Pre / Transit and Yamaha UW10.

[DirtDog]

M-Audio MobilePre is a good choice. I've been using mine for several months. It only has a 1/8" headphone out connector, which could be a shortcoming. Drivers are a bit wonky, but when they are working sound is pretty good - very low noise for such a value unit.

DD

[Hawkeye]

Will you need mic preamps? This makes a difference in what you may want to look at.

If you want two preamps for mics, I'd try the USB 1.1 Edirol UA-25. Very stable and high performance for the price (around $240). M-Audio also makes a couple of well-regarded USB cards (Audiophile USB and Mobile Pre USB)

If you just want a better soundcard for line in / line out and are not shy using PCMCIA, I would try the Echo Audio Indigo I/O. It has had very good reviews.

If your laptop has firewire, you open up a whole series of additional selections (Edirol FA-66, M-Audio Firewire Audiophile, Firewire 410, Presonus Firebox.... the list goes on).

Some of these interfaces also come with sequencing / digital audio software if that's interesting to you.