Best External Sound Cards of 2025

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External sound cards are a great option for those looking to enhance the audio quality of their computers or laptops. These compact devices can be easily connected to your computer's USB port and offer a range of features such as improved sound clarity, enhanced bass and treble, and even 3D surround sound. They are especially useful for those who work with audio or video editing software, as they provide a higher quality output for recording and playback. Additionally, they are also ideal for gamers who want to experience a more immersive gaming experience.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 External Sound Cards
UGREEN USB Sound Card with Dual Aux
The UGREEN USB Audio Adapter is a versatile external sound card that enhances your audio experience. It adds a 3.5mm audio output and a mic input to your PC or laptop, allowing you to enjoy high-quality sound for gaming, video chats, and music. With its premium stereo audio quality, it converts digital signals to analog, ensuring clear sound without noise. The plug-and-play feature means you can start using it immediately, without the hassle of installing drivers. Additionally, it offers universal compatibility with various operating systems and devices.
Creative Sound Blaster Play!3 USB DAC Amp
The Creative Sound Blaster Play!3 offers an instant upgrade to high-resolution audio with 24-bit 96 kHz playback, ensuring you enjoy a rich listening experience. It supports a wide range of headphones, making it perfect for studio-grade listening. For those who engage in podcasts or in-game communications, the crisp 24-bit 48 kHz voice recording quality is a significant advantage. With its simple plug-and-play functionality, you can connect it to a USB port and start using it immediately, without the need for any drivers.
CSL USB Mini Sound Card with Virtual Surround
The CSL USB Mini Sound Card is a powerful external audio interface designed for seamless use with desktop PCs, notebooks, and tablets. It boasts virtual surround sound, enhancing your audio experience during calls on platforms like Skype and Google Hangouts. With its plug-and-play capability, there’s no need for complicated driver installations, allowing you to get started quickly. Additionally, it features convenient controls for volume adjustment and muting, making it easy for you to manage your audio settings effortlessly.
CSL USB 7.1 External Sound Card
The CSL USB Sound Card is a versatile external sound card that supports up to eight speakers, ideal for enhancing your audio experience. With a USB 2.0 connection, it easily connects to your devices, providing multiple audio outputs for your headphones and speaker systems. You can enjoy simultaneous recording and playback, making it perfect for both gaming and music production. Additionally, it supports various speaker modes, allowing you to customise your sound setup to suit your preferences.
StarTech.com 7.1 USB External Sound Card
The StarTech.com USB Sound Card enhances your audio experience by providing up to 7.1 channels of sound through a single USB port. This means you can enjoy rich, immersive audio for gaming or movies. With support for both analog and digital audio output, it upgrades the sound quality of your existing computer setup. Installation is a breeze thanks to its plug-and-play functionality, allowing you to start enjoying improved sound without any hassle. Additionally, the easy-to-use volume controls and selectable audio outputs make it convenient for you to manage your audio settings effortlessly.
Sabrent USB to 3.5mm Audio Adapter
The Sabrent USB Audio Adapter offers an effective solution for enhancing your computer’s sound capabilities. With its external sound card feature, you can easily listen and speak simultaneously, making it perfect for calls or gaming. The adapter also provides a significant upgrade to 2.1 audio quality, enriching your music and gaming experiences. Its plug-and-play functionality means you can start using it right away without any drivers, providing hassle-free access to your audio devices.
TECKNET USB to 3.5mm Audio Adapter
The TECKNET USB Audio Adapter is an efficient solution for connecting your headphones or microphone to devices lacking a 3.5mm audio jack. With its durable aluminium alloy shell and nylon braided design, you can expect reliability and stability during use. The high-quality sound output ensures you enjoy crisp audio, making it ideal for gaming or music. Furthermore, it's incredibly easy to set up—simply plug it in and start using it without the need for drivers or additional power.
MOSWAG USB to 3.5mm Audio Adapter
The MOSWAG Audio Adapter is a versatile USB to 3.5mm audio adapter that allows you to listen and speak easily. It supports a wide range of devices, including PCs and laptops, making it perfect for various setups. With its plug and play feature, you can simply connect it without the need for drivers, ensuring a hassle-free experience. The compact design with a durable nylon braided cable means you can take it anywhere, providing you with stable audio transmission on the go.
UGREEN USB to 3.5mm Audio Adapter
The UGREEN USB Audio Adapter conveniently converts your device's USB port into a 3.5mm audio jack. This is especially useful for those with devices lacking an audio jack, allowing you to connect headphones or microphones easily. It supports both audio output and input, so you can enjoy clear conversations during video calls or gaming. Additionally, the adapter delivers high-quality sound with a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 102dB, ensuring crisp audio. With its plug-and-play functionality, you can set it up without any hassle, making it perfect for immediate use.
Tendak USB Sound Card with Volume Control
The Tendak USB Sound Card is an excellent solution for replacing faulty audio ports. Its plug-and-play design means you can simply connect it to your device without the need for extra drivers or power, allowing for quick and easy setup. You can adjust the volume easily, ensuring clear sound for gaming, video calls, or music. Plus, the bass adjustment feature enhances your audio experience, providing rich sound quality. This makes it perfect for anyone looking to improve their listening experience without hassle.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does an external sound card make a difference?
It doesn't make a big difference if the sound comes from an external device or an internal device in terms of overall quality. A usb sound card can do it's job just as well as a PCIe one or an on-chip one.
2. What does a external sound card do?
An external sound card usually has a way to input sound as well. A microphone can capture sound and send it to the sound card. The sound card will then amplify the electric current in order to translate it to 1's & 0's for the computer. This process is done through Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC).
3. Are external sound cards any good?
These USB sound cards are excellent choices for video editors and music producers, as they can offer audiophile levels of sound for your device. Even if you don't work in audio, but like to listen to music while you get creative, then the best USB sound cards can make a big difference.
4. How do I connect an external sound card to my PC?
Connect the soundcard to your computer with the USB cable. Connect the USB sound card to your computer by plugging it into one of the USB ports with the USB cable. It is best to use a USB port that has not had any other devices installed to eliminate conflicts.
During our external sound card research, we found 171 external sound card products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 276,611 customer reviews through our big data system to write the external sound cards list. We found that most customers choose external sound cards with an average price of £14.20.
The external sound cards are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of external sound cards, including UGREEN, CREATIVE, CSL-Computer, StarTech.com, Sabrent. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 8,649 consumers with an average rating of 4.9.

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