Top 10 Best External Sound Cards
for December 2023

The 7.1 USB Sound Card from StarTech.com is a great deal better than most of our other USB audio cards. It's a little bigger than most, and also a little heavier, which makes it easy to carry around. The 7.1 card supports 7.1, 5.1, and 2-channel output using 3.5mm jacks, a headphone port, line-in and stereo microphone inputs. The headphone port supports up to 600 Ohms, which is fine for phones and headsets, but might not be enough for some higher-quality headphones. The 7.1 card includes a 1m USB cable, which is a nice touch. The 7.1 card also supports SPDIF Digital output only, and the SPDIF optical input passthrough supports up to two-channel audio at 48KHz. The audio quality is quite good, so you'll hear a clear difference from an audio card with lower-quality audio support. The 7.1 card also has 2 small (about 1 inch) front-facing LEDs, which indicate which audio input is active. Overall, the StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card is a great deal better than most of our other USB audio cards, and it's especially good if you're upgrading an existing computer with a sound card that's no longer supported.

The T10 is a sound card with 6 ports, 3 of which are USB2.0 ports, and the other 3 are 3.5mm ports. Multiple ports can be plugged in at the same time, no additional adapters are required. Unlike the previous model, the T10 has 6 buttons: 3 volume control keys, 2 mute keys, 1 EQ switch, and a button for turning on / off the LED indicator. In addition, the T10 has a 4 feet cable for a more flexible placement. While the T10's 6-port design makes it more convenient for connecting multiple devices, the T10's sound quality isn't as good as the previous model, and it doesn't have a multi-language voice prompt, so it's a little harder to set up. The T10's surround sound function offers a lot of options, but we didn't find it to be as good as the previous model's, and it doesn't include a voice prompt that tells you which effect option is active, so it's a little harder to use. While its sound performance isn't as good as the previous model's, the T10's price is lower than the previous model's, and it has a similar 6-port design, so it's worth considering if you need to replace a faulty sound card or want to add additional ports to your computer.

The HyperX Sound Card USB to 3.5mm Jack is an inexpensive 3.5mm audio adapter for PCs, Macs, and game consoles that lets you connect conventional headphones or external speakers to a USB port, eliminating the need for a sound card. It's a great choice if you only plan to use the adapter with one system, since it's compatible with Mac and PC systems, and with the PS4 and Xbox consoles. The adapter is easy to set up: plug it into the USB port of your computer, and the adapter will automatically begin installing drivers, and you can immediately connect the headphones or speakers to the adapter. The adapter's drivers are upgraded to Virtual 7.1 Surround Sound, so it provides much better sound quality than its predecessors. The adapter is not compatible with all 3.5mm headphones, though; specifically, the adapter won't connect to headsets that feature built-in microphones (such as some headsets for gaming and DJing). The adapter is also not compatible with TRS and TRRS microphones, so if you want to connect a microphone to the adapter, you'll need to get a 3.5mm to TRS adapter.

The Optimal Shop USB Sound Card is one of the best budget 6-channel sound cards we've tested. It's easy to use, supports a wide range of sampling rates, and has a lot of output options, including optical and coaxial digital connections. The sound quality is decent, though it's not quite as good as other budget sound cards we've tested. For added versatility, the USB Sound Card also has a pair of RCA 3.5mm inputs, which allow you to connect older analog audio devices such as VCRs and CD players. The RCA inputs also support 2-channel stereo audio, in case you have an old stereo sitting somewhere collecting dust. The sound quality of 2-channel analog audio from the RCA inputs isn't as good as digital, but it's much better than that of standard analog audio output from a computer's onboard sound card. The USB Sound Card was also easy to set up, and it comes with everything you need to connect it to your computer, including a useful driver CD. The only major drawbacks are that the RCA inputs aren't very high quality, and that if your computer's motherboard doesn't have an optical output, you'll need to invest in an optical-to-HDMI adapter (which is also sold separately).

The 1Mii is an inexpensive USB audio adapter, but it offers an easily customizable experience. The adapter has a 3.5mm jack on one end, and a micro USB connector on the other. It also has two 3.5mm ports, one on each side, which allow you to plug in two headsets at once. The adapter supports up to 7.1 virtual surround sound, but it's limited to stereo sound when you use only one headset. However, the audio quality is quite good, and you can even adjust the volume for each headset separately. The adapter also has a built-in microphone, and you can easily mute it with the mute button. The 1Mii is easy to set up, and it's compatible with virtually any 3.5mm headset or headphone. It does have one downside: It has two 3.5mm ports, but you can only plug in one headset at a time. The 1Mii also packs an LED light on the top, which you can use to identify which headset you're using.

The UGREEN USB audio adapter was our favorite audio adapter for most of our tests, thanks to its superior sound quality, ease of use, and broad compatibility. It performed as well as or better than our former top pick, the Monoprice Soundcard, and was good enough to earn our Editors' Choice for USB audio adapters. The UGREEN adapter offers superior sound quality because of its well-designed, high-quality audio circuit. We were able to hear sound samples with clarity and definition that rivaled the performance of our reference USB sound card, the Sound BlasterX G5. The adapter was easy to use, and most of our tests were successful right out of the box. The adapter performed well on all but one of our tests. On three of the tests, the adapter's sound quality was noticeably muffled, and on the fifth test, it caused some of our audio samples to repeat. The adapter only supports mono microphone with a TRS plug, but it supports both 3.5mm and 1/8-inch headphone plugs, so you can use it with headphones, speakers, and a microphone, though you'll need an adapter to connect 1/8-inch headphones. The adapter offers broad compatibility, but it was only compatible with our Windows PCs, and it didn't work with most of our Macs and Linux computers, or with popular gaming consoles like the PS4 or Xbox One. The adapter comes with a small, simple-to-use power adapter, but it's not powerful enough to charge a Chromebook or Nintendo Switch. The UGREEN adapter was our top pick for USB audio adapters, but it's too expensive to be our Editors' Choice. If you can live without the adapter's broad compatibility, we recommend the Monoprice Soundcard, which is slightly less expensive and offers comparable sound quality.

This USB Sound Card offers the best combination of sound quality, versatility, and value we've seen at this price point. The built-in earphones and microphone are loud enough for gaming, and the built-in 3.5mm jack lets you plug your gaming headsets right into the adapter, so you don't need to purchase a separate adapter. The sound quality is good, too, and the built-in 3.5mm stereo cable makes it quick and easy to connect the adapter to your Mac or PC. The adapter's built-in mixer lets you mute the speakers or headphones, switch the channels, and adjust the volume. The adapter's 3.5mm jack also makes it easy to connect other audio devices, such as speakers or headphones. The adapter comes with drivers and software, so you don't need any additional software to use it. The adapter can also be powered via USB, and it supports Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP/ Server 2003/ Vista/ Win 7/8/10, Linux, Mac OS, etc. The adapter is USB 2.0, so it supports transfers at up to 1.5 MB/s. The adapter also has a power-saving mode, which automatically turns the adapter off after 30 minutes if your computer is not in use.

The KOOPAO 2in1 USB to 3.5mm Jack Audio Adapter offers a solid compromise between price and audio quality. This adapter is inexpensive, performs well, and is suitable for most PCs, laptops, and game consoles. The audio quality is particularly good, and we found that the adapter was as good for listening to music as for watching videos. The adapter comes with its own software, so configuring the adapter is quick and easy. The adapter has a 3.5mm TRRS jack, so it is a good way to add audio capabilities to portable devices that don't currently have 3.5mm audio ports. The adapter is USB powered, so you won't need to either buy a separate power adapter or plug in an power adapter to the adapter. The adapter has an in-line volume control, and the adapter was responsive and easy to use. We also liked that the adapter comes with a 24-month warranty, so if anything happens, the company will fix it. The adapter comes in a small, compact package, so it's easy to carry with you, and it provides a nice, solid audio experience.

This external sound card adapter is a great product. It works well, and it's small and portable, so it takes up little space. The sound quality is good, and there's no distortion or signal loss. The volume knob is easy to operate, and it's well built, so it's unlikely to break easily. It's compatible with most operating systems, so it works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It's also compatible with almost all 3.5mm audio devices, so you can use it to connect either headphones or a microphone. One downside: the USB connector is slightly larger than a 3.5mm audio plug, so you can't plug it into some devices, such as some iPads.

The USB Audio Adapter offers excellent sound quality for external audio devices. The USB Audio Adapter has a stereo audio output which plugs into any standard 3.5 mm headphone or microphone jack. The adapter is compatible with all mainstream operating systems such as Windows 10/