For portable-to-portable comparison, the audio quality of recordings made with ONE certainly kicked the pants of those made with my Zoom Handy Recorder H2. Sound quality in and out is comparable to the original Duet model. While the mic preamp and AD/DA converters in ONE aren't the top-of-line options available in Apogee's Symphony I/O, or more comparably, the Quartet, they will turn your handheld 'iWhatever' into a perfectly credible recording device for keeper tracks captured on the go.
Moreover, ONE can still be powered by USB when paired with a Mac. This gives ONE an advantage over other units in the Apogee line, since Duet for iPad and Mac doesn't allow the battery- powered option. The unit also runs on a pair of AA batteries for maximum portability. ONE is powered by a universal power supply with adapters for use in North America, Europe, United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan. We have truly arrived in the future, where the key components of your mobile recording rig can travel in your pockets.
The ONE is also very handy with iPhone and iPod apps. Now targeted for maximum convenience with iPad applications, it remains as useful with the Mac as ever. After making enhancements to the company's two-channel Duet and introducing the four-channel Quartet, Apogee went on to upgrade 2009's original ONE audio interface.
