Advice on Setting Up A Laptop-Based Audio System?

If you have no interest in wireless, then Airport Express is just an alternative connection to USB, or audio out to powered speakers. I'm not sure one is any better than the others, though I don't have enough first-hand experience with this yet. But you mentioned an external DAC, and the Express is one.

If it's a home office, however, consider this: You could take the Express downstairs to your main system and play music from your computer system on it. (Or buy a second Express for your audio system.) That, plus wireless Internet and printing for $129 is a pretty good deal.

If you're talking about a workspace at work, however, wireless may hold no advantage at all. In that case, a set of powered speakers, or passives and a used amp, might be the better choice.

If I go with passive speakers and a used amp, could someone recommend a small digital (preferred, as they run cooler) amp that I could use for my desktop setup?

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=2_2/qid=1092385599/ref=sr_2_2/602-7525827-2021468?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B00009W44B

Target sells a cheap digital amp on the web. Don't know anyone who has tried it.

If your Apple PowerBook has a FireWire I/O connection, I would forget about the USB connection route and take advantage of the higher bandwidth and stability of the FireWire connection. M-Audio offers the FireWire Audiophile, a compact audio/MIDI interface with 4 X 6 audio I/O, powerful on-board mixing, ultra-low latency ASIO software direct monitoring, and a 1 x 1 MIDI I/O, which sells for less than $200 on the street. M-Audio, KRK and Mackie Tapco offer very nice sounding powered (i.e., active) monitors for less than $400 per pair on the street. MAudio's StudioPhile BX5 Monitors, KRK's RP6 Rokit Powered Monitor and Mackie Tapco's Tapco S5 should provide far better imaging, higher resolution and more audiophile punch than your current PC speakers. Keep in mind that you will have to invest in a complimentary subwoofer in the future for low bass output.

You can start with a M-Audio Transit and a Ack! Dack. Then later when you want it to sound better and have some money to spend, get the Ack! Dack modded and install the transit inside, eliminating the Toslink interface.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer