[JohnR]

Would anyone have any advice/recommendations on a system for traveling? I am going (more?) nuts in hotel rooms with no music. Needs to be light and compact enough to go into my carryon.

[Edit: I mean with loudspeakers, not headphones ]

[Haoleb]

Take your pick  aa

Samsung K5 MP3 player with built in speakers:




This here is a very popular model that needs no introduction:



Maybe you need a bigger carryon? 

[Den]

Hi John!   Man in a Suitcase!   I too have been traveling a lot lately...composing this msg on my phone in the Miami airport.  Assuming you travel with laptop, I suggest a Squeezebox, ICE amp,  and speakers of your choice, maybe some of your single driver specials. The newer ICE modules use SMPS,  and my mono's weigh about 2 lbs each with 6x6x2 inch Al case.  AC voltage adaptable.

[Doublej]

Some sort of inflatable speaker might fit the bill

http://www.shoptronics.com/elhotairinsp.html

[Scott F.]

Hiya John,

I would go for the original battery powered Sonic T amp. For a source I'd go for an iAudio 60 gig portable player. When it comes to speakers, the Sonic Impact site has quite a few portable speakers to choose from.

The Sound Pads are pretty interesting as a portable speaker. Klaus uses something like these in his audio art speakers.
http://www.si5.com/products.php?pID=4024

The Gen1.5 Portable Speakers look pretty interesting.
http://www.si5.com/products.php?pID=4022

Heres a link to the mfgrs using the flat panel NXT loudspeaker technology.
http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/pooled/articles/BF_NEWSART/view.asp?Q=BF_NEWSART_100726

Heres the iAudio website
http://www.cowonglobal.com/
I use the X5 and I like it a lot. It plays FLAC files, MP3, AAC and all the other biggies.

[konut]

I second the SqueezeBox recomendation. I use a Red Wine modded SB3, Genelec 8020s, and a Sunfire Super Jr sub. Everything fits into a 'flight case'. I'd dispense with the sub for your requirements. The Genelecs are powered and have a great midrange due to their active biamping. They go surpisingly low for their size. They are somewhat hefty, at 3.7 kg ea., but cast aluminium makes them bulletproof. Here's a review.  http://www.hometheatermag.com/subsatloudspeakers/1206genelec/  The 6020 is RCA inputs, the 8020 is XLR. Imagine laying on your hotel bed and having remote  controled lossless audio at you fingertips!  aa

[Andy T]

JohnR,

My suggestions aren't as hi-fi as some of the others. But they're simpler and more tote-able.

I have a Tivoli Songbook portable radio. It has an auxiliary input that I plug my laptop into. Sound is mono, but beats the clock radio in the hotel room by a bunch. Songbook has other benefit of being an alarm clock. So no wake-up call required. Its the size of a hard-cover book. So reasonably pack-able. Can handle built-in rechargeable batteries but I always take the wall-wart/charger along.

I also have a JBL On Tour speaker system (http://www.jbl.com/jblontour-1/flash.html) that I plug my laptop into. Smaller than the Sogbook, but is just speakers. Fills the room better than the Songbook. But no alalrm clock or radio. Runs quite a while on 4 AAA batteries but I take the wall wart along with this too.

Both of these would work equally with a portable music player of course.

[randytsuch]

Would anyone have any advice/recommendations on a system for traveling? I am going (more?) nuts in hotel rooms with no music. Needs to be light and compact enough to go into my carryon.

[Edit: I mean with loudspeakers, not headphones ]

Why not headphones?
I know some people don't like cans, but they can make very nice music.  Get an ipod or similiar (I have the Rio Karma), and a reasonable pair of IEM's (I have the superfi 5 pro's), and you have a decent, very portable system. 

You could also get full size cans, for the hotel, but with IEM's, you can use them on the plane, and in the room.

Randy

[JohnR]

Hi Randy, I just don't like them.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I ended up just getting a pair of these:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2173,CONTENTID=10908

Not exactly hifi but they're OK for now. I have in mind a project using a Neo3 and an Aura 4" driver.