PimpRig have a review up on a new 5.25" External Enclosure for optical drives named the Laureate and made by the people at Enermax.

The Laureate has to have both the power cord, and the USB plugged in for it to function. The power cord measures close to 10.5', and USB cable is 6.5', which is ample length. The look is very streamlined and clean once all setup. Simply plugging in the USB to my PC and turning on the enclosures power button, WinXP detected the new device and I was ready to move along.

Enermax Laureate USB 2.0 Series 5.25" Optical Drive Enclosure Review