StarTech USB to Stereo Audio Adapter Converter Sound Cards ICUSBAUDIO

by StarTech

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 1.3 x 9.6 inches ; 1.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000NPKGGK
• Item model number: ICUSBAUDIO
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,688 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 23, 2007

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The StarTech ICUSBAUDIO USB 2.0 to Audio Adapter turns a USB port to audio jacks and lets you to add headsets and microphones to your computer without needing to unplug other devices. The adapter is USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 compliant and supports the USB audio device specification 1.0. Installation is as simple as plugging it in and the sound quality it outstanding.

The StarTech ICUSBAUDIO USB 2.0 to Audio Adapter works with Windows 98SE and up, and Mac OS 9.x and later. It is backed by a 1-year warranty.

Product Description

This USB to Stereo Audio Adapter Converter lets you add headsets and microphones to your computer without the need to unplug other devices! Compliant with USB 2.0 and USB audio device specification 1.0, this USB to audio adapter couldn't be any simpler to install. Compatible with Windows 98SE and up, as well as Mac OS 9.x and later, the USB Audio Adapter integrates into any computer environment, providing superb sound quality and convenience that can't be matched.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars horrible output sound quality, September 1, 2008

By 

Lanchon - See all my reviews

This review is from: StarTech USB to Stereo Audio Adapter Converter Sound Cards ICUSBAUDIO (Personal Computers)

I bought this item after reading the reviews, hoping that the sound output would be better than those chinese $4 devices you can find anywhere with shipping included. my suspicion now is that this item is in fact that same device in a different plastic case (which by the way is not a quality case either).

the output sound quality is horrendous, lacking definition and response in the high end of the spectrum. no amount of fiddling with software or external EQs can rescue the sound to an acceptable quality level. also, when wave and mixer volumes are maxed out (the default setting) the device saturates horribly.

I'm not an audiophile but I have good hearing and pay attention to detail. the device delivers unacceptable performance for music playback (including movie viewing IMHO) but could be used for voice or game sound effects. or for any use if you have a dirt-cheap speaker system.

I haven't tested the input.

also note that I got this item in black, not white as shown.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No problems whatsoever., May 2, 2008

By 

Nicholas Perez - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: StarTech USB to Stereo Audio Adapter Converter Sound Cards ICUSBAUDIO (Personal Computers)

I ordered this for my Acer laptop when the built in sound-card broke. The adapter itself is too big to fit into a USB port without blocking access to another, but they realized this and included a small USB extension cord, which is convenient & completely solves the problem. I'm running Vista, and upon plugging the device in, it was recognized automatically without the need for any manual driver installation. The reports from other reviews about it being rather loud are true, but I noticed no distortion and was able to get it to a perfectly reasonable level. I had no issues with audio latency either. Recommended.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars sound is fine, but volume control is poor, April 13, 2008

By 

Richard Edwards - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: StarTech USB to Stereo Audio Adapter Converter Sound Cards ICUSBAUDIO (Personal Computers)

I got this for my laptop, which has awful sound. The sound from this USB adapter is fine, and a big improvement over the internal sound adapter.

But... the volume is way to high. I listen with headphones, so it is very uncomfortable when the volume gets wrong. I have the volume set at 3 (out of 100!) and go up to 5 in a noisy office. And that is with the application levels set very low too. Every so often some rude application makes a warning beep at high volume and just about scares me out of my skin.

Get this adapter if you will use it with speakers with a volume control. Don't get this adapter to use with headphones unless they have a volume control.
Get this adapter if you are deaf, or want to be deaf.