Optimal Shop USB 2.0 External Sound Card 5.1 Blue 6478484

External USB 2.0 5.1 Sound Card

This external adapter adds six-channel 5.1 surround audio to a PC or laptop through a USB 2.0 connection. It is aimed at users whose built-in audio has failed or who need an optical S/PDIF output without installing an internal card. The unit supports 48 KHz sampling for digital playback and recording. It works with Windows 98 through Windows 8 without extra hardware.

Compact Plastic Enclosure With Optical Port

The blue plastic housing measures 4.1 in by 3.8 in by 1.2 in and weighs .181 kilograms, so it sits unobtrusively on a desk and travels easily in a laptop bag. Three 3.5 mm analog jacks handle front, rear and centre/sub channels, while a single Toslink port carries digital output to an external decoder or amplifier. Power and data share the USB cable, removing the need for a separate power supply.

Replaces Missing Or Limited Onboard Audio

The device upgrades systems that lack 5.1 analog outputs or a digital optical port, letting owners connect multichannel speaker sets or a home-theatre receiver. The jump is worthwhile when the source material is already encoded in DTS or AC3 5.1, such as certain games or HD movies; standard stereo files will remain two-channel. It does not suit users who require hardware-accelerated positional audio APIs or sample rates above 48 KHz.