A great external sound cards can upgrade an average laptop or PC into a complete multimedia centre that can rival the highest-grade of speakers and headphones. Unluckily, most times than often, the motherboard in our PCs comes with default or integrated sound card PC that is capable of offering a high-quality and immersive audio.
Product | Brand | Name | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Creative | Sound BlasterX G6 Hi-Res | Check Price on Amazon | |
Creative | Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 Headphone Surround HD Audio External Sound Card | Check Price on Amazon | |
StarTech.com | 7.1 USB Audio Adapter External Sound Card | Check Price on Amazon | |
VANDESAIL | USB External Sound Card, VANDESAIL USB2.0 | Check Price on Amazon | |
Creative | Creative Sound Blaster X7 High-Resolution USB DAC 600 | Check Price on Amazon |
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The nine best External Sound Cards in 2024 for the PC
Considering what was explained previously, the external sound card enhances the audio of a PC. This is precisely what the external card does to your PC.
These cards have several benefits; they come in such a way that you do not open up your personal computer to get new hardware inside.
All you have to do is to plug in an external card to the system by using a USB sound port. Just get in plugged in and get a speaker system or a pair of excellent headphones, and watch how quickly your sound gets transformed.
With so many of these devices currently available in the market, it gets difficult to know the best card to get for either your laptop or your PC. To understand how to make a decent, we can show you seven different options that you can quickly get in the market now.
The 9 Best External Sound Cards for Your PC
1) Creative BlasterX G6
First, we have a great device from Creative. The product this time around is the BlasterX G6. The BlasterX G6 is among the best external audio cards which you can currently get in the market by performance.
The device enables you to make immersive and significant enhancements to your computer setup and your gaming component. It also allows you to affect upgrades to other areas of your system and more functions.
This is the perfect choice if you need more performance sound compared to that which is provided by the stock system sound card.
Creative’s BlasterX G6 offers an innovative technology which processes audio sounds. It functions by instantly upgrading nearly any sound system. With this BlasterX G6 component, users will get total audio customization. Furthermore, they will also get improved audio realism by way of 7.1 surround virtualization.
While this may not offer an actual surround, the quality provided is as close as the expected quality. For PC users who are die-hard gaming fans, this BlasterX G6 comes with a unique feature known as the Scout Mode.
This feature functions explicitly to improve the audio cues during the game – this makes it possible for you to hear the sound of the enemies before they get to spot you. Simply Amazing! Get the headphone amplifier and you just may earn yourself some enhanced PC experience.
Buy It Now: Amazon
2) Creative Sound BlasterX G5
The Sound BlasterX G5 is another audio device from Creative that serves to enhance your PC or your laptop. The thing here is that most music fans or avid gamers are unable to fork out several hundreds of dollars trying to purchase a sound card.
We correctly understand why they can not do this. The law of diminishing returns further corroborates this theory. In this case, the law states that costlier sound cards PC tend to better once you get beyond a specific point. In this case, the Sound BlasterX G5 may somewhat be the point in question.
In light of this, the device comes highly recommended for avid audio fans, YouTubers, Streamers, and all gamers that are in search of getting high-fidelity audio sounds without breaking the bank. Get the headphone amplifier and you just may earn yourself some enhanced Pc experience.
Talk about getting your system enhanced on a budget. This is the best solution for everybody. Also, focusing on the card device, it is small in size.
However, it comes with numerous vital features like the native 7.1 system surround support, the Baster Acoustic Engine Pro, 3D audio, the in-built SB-Axx1 audio processor and the audio-grade headphone amplifier.
Buy It Now: Amazon
3) StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card
Whereas this StarTech external USB card tends to look less appealing and attractive like numerous high-quality cards produced by creative, it compensates for this lack of stylish looks by offering outstanding features. The device fully supports from 2 to 7.1 system channel analogue and digital audio.
It is also able to handle sampling rates of 48kHz and 44.1kHz for both recording and playback functions.
Furthermore, the front panel comes with just about comes with all the needed audio connector. Contained in the box, are only the sound card plus the connector – the USB cable. It is not a demerit that these are the only contents ion the box.
This does not mean a lack of features as it only indicates that the developers of the device wished to concentrate of the quality of the sound rather than expending money unnecessarily on the features that would cater to the people who have no use for better sound quality.
PC users, gamers, and audiophiles are recommended to check this device from StarTech to see how it performs with their systems.
Buy It Now: Amazon
4) External USB Sound Card
This USB alternative is strictly considered by people who have no idea about how to add an external device to their PCs or laptop. It is incredibly user-friendly, and the setup process is easy. All the users have to do in this case, is to plug it in their laptop or their PC, and they are all set.
The device easily converts the USB port of your computer to a PC sound card. Despite this function, it is still compatible with most existing 3.5mm audio headphones, speakers, microphones, or headsets. Get this headset/headphone amplifier and you just may earn yourself some enhanced PC experience.
While this device may not come in as the cutest device in the market, the deal here is that it effectively gets the job done satisfactorily. One great benefit of this device is the fact that it can stand in place of sounds cards that might have been broken. The downside of the card is that it may not be a reliable alternative to upgrade the current sound that you have now
Buy It Now: Amazon
5) Creative Sound Blaster X7
This is the fifth device from Creative that gets featured on our list. While other cards from Creative were meant for the average sound enthusiasts and gamers, the Sound Blaster X7 begs to differ. This device is targeted for serious audio quality lovers and lovers of games.
The Sound Blaster X7 external USB sound card comes with a robust amplifier which comes with a low-latency Bluetooth connectivity. The device also comes with a Dolby Digital decoder which enables wireless streaming of audio files directly from mobile services.
This sound card from Creative was constructed based on the more innovative SB-Axx1 multi-core Digital Signal Processor (DSP) which can process human voice, restore creative sound, and the processing of proprietary effects. This X7 device provides high-resolution audio playback which has a 24 bit 192kHz. Furthermore, this can easily power any given headphone close to 600 Ohms.
Whereas this 24 bit USB sound card may not be affordable, users are guaranteed to get their money’s worth by the performance of this device.
Buy It Now: Amazon
6) Be excellent External USB Sound Card
This device is by far the cheapest and most-pocket friendly sound card on this list. It also comes with unique features. It certainly boosts your audio quality. This Be excellent Sound card uses both the USB sound blasterx hub as well as one microphone input and two audio outputs.
To connect this card to your personal computer, you will need the long USB 2.0 cable plus an integrated magnetic ring for noise reduction. In terms of portability, this specific sound card is ideal for travelling. It is also an excellent choice for those gamers that built up a rig for gaming by using their server motherboard.
Buy It Now: Amazon
7) Sewell Direct Soundbox Pro
People who have an audio system which connects by way of an RCA connector, then they will organically need the USB sound card which enables you to plug in the absence of adapters directly. Maybe, there are not numerous sound cards of high quality which has RCA connectors.
This Sewell Direct Soundbox Pro comes with the front RCA connectors, three different typical 3.5mm outputs which give surround sound, a dedicated microphone connector, one line-in 3.5mm input, and two numbers of optical connectors which offers both output and input.
This means that the device from Sewell Direct comes with different excellent connectivity alternatives, meaning that users can easily plug any audio component that they have lying about in the house. Some of these audio components are mixers, mixing boards, bookshelf speakers, amplifiers and numerous other devices that are compatible with the surround sound system.
Buy It Now: Amazon
8) Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi 5.1 Surround Pro
This entry is the fourth product from Creative to make this lost of leading USB sound cards in the market. This fourth entry from Creative guarantees excellent sound performance. It is an audio system that can upgrade the ability of your surround sound pretty rapidly.
The device initiates the connection to the studio setup through a digital cable. The resulting output is often some superior audio performance.
Your computer would have to be equipped with an audio chip; however, lots of computer hardware do so currently. This device is equipped with the headphone and microphone jacks which give a superior voice recording performance, or it also offers more detailed or more private listening through headphones.
Buy It Now: Amazon
9). Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi
The Sound Blaster X-Fi is an excellent device from Creative. Creative as an original equipment manufacturer is a renowned name when it comes to external sound cards. This means that the brand is the best option that you can use with any integrated or stock card which you could have.
The X-Fi system from Creative is a device that can easily get connected with any given home theater system, headphones, or speaker system. If it does connect eventually, it can offer a fantastic 5.1 surround sound technology.
Furthermore, the Sound Blaster X-Fi comes with some game-changing features and specifications. The device has most of its slots which are plated with gold to help stop rusts and corrosion. Moreover, this provides a better transmission.
Furthermore, the Sound Blaster X-Fi comes with an effortless installation despite if you do not understand how to go about the install it. The device works by using USB 2.0 technology. Therefore, this means that all you have to do is to get a cable and plug the same into the computer or the USB port of your laptop.
Furthermore, the external card is equipped with its individual IR remote. This remote feature makes it easier for the surround sound to be muted. The remote can also be used to adjust the sound volume. The functions of play and pause are also controlled with the remote. The remote is also used for so many more parts. This shows how significant the remote is to the device.
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Our verdict on the best external sound cards to use on your laptop and PC
This post is used to highlight the nine best external sound cards. These card devices are best suited for the laptop or the PC. You can switch any one of these mentioned devices onto your USB sound port for improved and streamlined performance. These devices guarantees heightened sound quality that you can take advantage of. If you have any external sound card for PC that you are planning to purchase, it is recommended that you stop to check the features. You could compare the features to those on this list to see how they measure up.
Furthermore, one other factor to check when purchasing sound cards is the price. These devices come in various prices which range from the most expensive series to the more pocket-friendly variants.
If you were to buy one, ensure that you do not sacrifice quality for the price. While all the sound cards listed here are of a high-quality (and cheaper too!), it is essential to choose quality over price.
Product | Brand | Name | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Creative | Sound BlasterX G6 Hi-Res | Check Price on Amazon | |
Creative | Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 Headphone Surround HD Audio External Sound Card | Check Price on Amazon | |
StarTech.com | 7.1 USB Audio Adapter External Sound Card | Check Price on Amazon | |
VANDESAIL | USB External Sound Card, VANDESAIL USB2.0 | Check Price on Amazon | |
Creative | Creative Sound Blaster X7 High-Resolution USB DAC 600 | Check Price on Amazon |
* If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more details, please visit our Privacy policy page.