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StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D)

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 1,666 ratings
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Purchase options and add-ons

Compatible Devices Laptop, Desktop
Brand StarTech.com
Hardware Interface USB
Audio Output Mode Surround
Platform Windows 8.1, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows 11, Windows 10

About this item

  • 7.1 USB SOUND CARD: This External Sound Card adds up to 7.1 channels of audio through a single USB port to your computer; This sound card supports 7.1, 5.1 and 2 channel output using 3.5mm jacks, a headphone port, line-in and stereo microphone inputs
  • UPGRADE YOUR PC SOUND: With support for analog and digital audio output for stereo to 7.1 channel audio applications, the bus-powered audio to USB adapter upgrades the existing integrated audio on a desktop or laptop computer; 1m USB Cable Included
  • QUALITY AUDIO: Supports 44.1KHz and 48KHz sampling rates for analog playback and recording; SPDIF Digital output only supports 48KHz audio playback; SPDIF optical input passthrough supports up to two-channel audio at 48KHz
  • EASY INSTALLATION: The digital audio adapter is easy to install with plug and play support in Windows 7/8.1/10; The external sound card features easy-to-use volume controls and mute buttons; The audio outputs are selectable via the included software

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From the manufacturer

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Turn your laptop or desktop computer into a 7.1-channel home theater-ready sound system

usb

audio

usb

Provides a robust USB audio experience

This versatile External USB Sound Card/Audio Adapter offers a high quality solution for upgrading desktop or laptop sound.

Providing a robust USB audio experience, the USB sound card connects to a host computer through a single USB 2.0 connection, to deliver impressive external audio capability that can instantly be swapped between systems, without having to open the computer case for installation.

Turns desktop/laptop sound into a home theater-ready audio solution

Supporting analog and digital audio for 2 to 7.1 channel audio applications, the external USB sound card provides a cost-saving upgrade from built-in/on-board sound that turns desktop/laptop sound into a home theater-ready audio solution.

Easy to use and easy to install

The external USB sound card features easy-to-use volume control and two external microphone inputs - a convenient solution for any audio application requiring high quality sound with multi-input capability with support for 44.1 KHz and 48 KHz sampling rates for analog playback and recording or 48 KHz for SPDIF.

A more than suitable solution for home theater, gaming or multi-media presentations, the External USB Sound Card is easy to install with plug and play support in Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems.

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StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D)
StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D)
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StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D)


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What's in the box

  • 1x external sound card, 1xUSB Cable, 1xInstallation CD,1xInstruction Manual
  • Product guides and documents

    Product Description

    This 7.1 USB sound cards offers a high quality solution for upgrading desktop or laptop sound. Home Theater-Ready Audio Solution Providing a robust USB audio experience, the external sound card for your laptop or PC connects to a host computer through a single USB 2.0 connection, to deliver impressive external audio capability that can instantly be swapped between systems, without having to open the computer case for installation. Cost-Saving Solution Supporting analog and digital audio for 2 to 7.1 channel audio applications, the SPDIF output sound card provides a cost-saving upgrade from built-in/on-board sound that turns desktop/laptop sound into a home theater-ready audio solution. The audio to USB adapter features easy-to-use volume control and two external microphone inputs, for applications requiring high quality sound with multi-input capability with support for 44.1 KHz and 48 KHz sampling rates for analog playback and recording or 48 KHz for SPDIF. Easy Setup A more than suitable solution for home theater, gaming or multi-media presentations, the External USB Sound Card is easy to install with plug and play support in Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems. The USB stereo audio adapter is backed by our 2-year warranty and free lifetime technical support. Note: The audio adapter’s SPDIF optical pass-through port supports two-channel audio, this port does not support 5.1 or 7.1 audio.

    Customer reviews

    4.1 out of 5 stars
    1,666 global ratings

    Customers say

    Customers like the sound card for its ease of installation and design. They mention it works well with analog output and is easy to use. Some are also happy with the design. However, some customers have issues with driver support and port capacity. Opinions are mixed on sound quality, value for money, and software compatibility.

    AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

    203 customers mention "Works well"154 positive49 negative

    Customers like the sound card. They mention it works well with analog output, performs without issues, and works flawlessly with generic drivers on operating systems like Linux Mint. The line-in appears to work perfectly, and the audio device itself works fine. Customers also say it's a powerful tool for troubleshooting and testing equipment.

    "Works as it should. Be sure to download the latest drivers from the website" Read more

    "Works great out of the box in Linux Mint 22 (Pipewire)." Read more

    "I installed this device on a mini pc system and it worked well for about 9 months. Then for no apparent reason it just stopped working...." Read more

    "...not recognize my headphones that were plugged in, and could not be enabled on both Windows, and the software, additionally, all the mic, and line-in..." Read more

    82 customers mention "Ease of installation"64 positive18 negative

    Customers find the sound card easy to install and use. They mention it's fast setup, the interface is easy enough to use, and the plug-and-play design makes it simple as pie. Some say they don't need to install any drivers or download special packages to get it to work. Overall, customers are satisfied with the ease of installation and the great sound quality of the product.

    "This is an easier replacement than replacing a sound card on an older computer...." Read more

    "...product out of the box (on Linux, with no driver installation) provided a quick link between my amplifier and laptop (using Audacity) to record and..." Read more

    "...The drivers are simple to install, but don't bother with the CD. Instead, go to the website found in the pamphlet provided and download the ZIP file...." Read more

    "...Frankly, it is not quite as easy to use as one might think; this has nothing to do with the product itself which is nothing short of superb...." Read more

    19 customers mention "Design"19 positive0 negative

    Customers are satisfied with the design of the sound card. They mention it's impressive, amazing, and cool. Some appreciate the thoughtful design features. Overall, customers are happy with the product's design.

    "...You bet!!!And it's just great...." Read more

    "This is really a beautiful little box in many ways. I consider it money well spent for some of its unusually thoughtful design features...." Read more

    "...a C-Media Oxigen chip of a very good quality , sounds are very good , crisp , clean , clear and loud on my Logitech 5.1 analog speaker set up...." Read more

    "...It's pretty small and slick and works with linux out of the box AND is made in Malaysia!..." Read more

    177 customers mention "Sound quality"109 positive68 negative

    Customers have mixed opinions about the sound quality of the sound card. Some mention it's good and comparable to an older Creative soundblaster card, while others say there is still a low level sound on the microphone input.

    "...Naturally it will also output straight stereo. It even has a headphone jack as well as an analog line input jack...." Read more

    "...There is a good separation of sound channels for a 5.1 system, but we could find nothing for adjusting the channel volumes...." Read more

    "...But there is still a low level sound on the microphone input. And the left microphone input seems to be a bit distorted compared to the right...." Read more

    "...This was a quick fix and offered 7.1 sound option. My old logitech 5.1 amp surround works great even after 15 years !..." Read more

    55 customers mention "Value for money"31 positive24 negative

    Customers have mixed opinions about the value for money of the sound card. Some mention it's a real bang for the buck, while others say it's worthless trash. They also say it doesn't feel like a quality product and has a pretty serious design flaw.

    "...or mid tier and you want support up to 7.1 then this is the best option for the price...." Read more

    "...Not my best piece of kit but did take me from laptop speakers to my full 5.1 system." Read more

    "...works out of the box with no configuration this has been some real bang for the buck." Read more

    "StarTech… why do you vex me? So let’s cut to the chase… this thing is cheap. They cut corners absolutely everywhere...." Read more

    24 customers mention "Software compatibility"9 positive15 negative

    Customers have mixed opinions about the software compatibility of the sound card. Some mention it does what they bought it for and the tech support is great, while others say the software wouldn't recognize that they had an optical cable plugged in, is sparse, and not compatible with Windows 11.

    "...from the StarTech website, no matter what was done, it would not recognize my headphones that were plugged in, and could not be enabled on both..." Read more

    "...The tech support was top class, solved everything within 15 minutes after troubleshooting...." Read more

    "...Software for CMedia is sparse. I gave up and re-installed the RCA 2 channel dongle for my logitech 5.1 speakers...." Read more

    "...3.5mm jack and drivers that come with my laptop, but the product page is very misleading...." Read more

    12 customers mention "Driver support"0 positive12 negative

    Customers are dissatisfied with the driver support for the sound card. They mention that they can't find the proper driver, it's hard to obtain the correct one, and the support is dead. Some say the drivers are weird and shaky.

    "...The sound, when it worked, seemed fine. The drivers were a bit weird, but again it seemed to work...." Read more

    "...Set up was pretty easy, 'cept for one thing: the driver was incompatible with Win7! Oy...." Read more

    "On Windows 10 Asus laptop: Did not have the proper driver. After hooking it up it only showed two speaker configuration...." Read more

    "Works great, had some driver issues with windows XP. This was slightly dissapointing. I had to INSTALL a FAKE OS to run this...." Read more

    11 customers mention "Port capacity"3 positive8 negative

    Customers are dissatisfied with the port capacity of the sound card. They mention that the SPDIF optical ports only support two stereo channels, and the PC supports HDMI sound but doesn't provide 5.1 output ports. The LR, Center, Sub, and headphone ports were all dead.

    "...After hooking it up it only showed two speaker configuration. DVD shipped with unit, but I do not have DVD drive on my laptop...." Read more

    "...But the pc supports HDMI sound but does not provide 5.1 output ports.I looked at different solutions including Bluetooth 5.1 speakers...." Read more

    "...2 channel via optical was also cleaner...." Read more

    "...seems as if the headphone and 2.1 ports are linked and no other ports work at all. Pick either port, pick any setting in the software, same result...." Read more

    Its a soud card
    5 out of 5 stars
    Its a soud card
    Very easy to install.I advise to get the drivers straight from the web, dont fool with the drivers on the disk.The company makes on disk for all products they sell.
    Thank you for your feedback
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    Top reviews from the United States

    Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2024
    Works as it should. Be sure to download the latest drivers from the website
    Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2013
    I have a home theater in which I have a media center computer; this uses a GNU/Linux operating system (Xubuntu). Its default sound is good (it has a TosLink output) but I wanted something better, to wit, USB sound output. (This review will be of most interest to those who also use Linux.)

    I received this StarTech.com 7.1 USB Audio Adapter External Sound Card with SPDIF Digital Audio Sound Cards ICUSBAUDIO7D yesterday and I now have it set up.

    Frankly, it is not quite as easy to use as one might think; this has nothing to do with the product itself which is nothing short of superb. Rather the difficulties are due to the nature of your computer and just how knowledgeable you are about changing parameters.

    The default in almost all computers is for the sound to be routed through the computer's internal sound card to the line or headphone output jack. These are analog jacks. The quality of the computer's sound card determines the quality of the sound you will hear.

    Unfortunately, most internal computer sound cards are mediocre. Of course there are some which are superlative but these are few and far between (not even to mention very expensive).

    This little inexpensive device allows complete bypassing of the computer's sound card in favor of your amplifier or receiver. If you have a high quality one, it and it alone will determine the quality of the sound you hear (of course this also depends upon the quality of that to which you are listening!).

    As stated, I use a GNU/Linux operating system on my media center computer located in my home theater (it is a ZaReason MediaBox 5330 model with the Intel i5 processor and 16 GB RAM).

    Hooking this device to a computer is very easy. You merely take the included USB cable, plug one end into your computer, and the other end into this device.

    Then you connect one end of a Toslink cable to the S/PDIF output on the back of this sound card and you plug the other end into the appropriate Toslink connection point on your amplifier/receiver.

    Will you then immediately hear digital sound?

    No.

    First you must go into your sound settings section and change the settings from the default analog to the appropriate USB digital setting.

    After you do this, will you then hear digital sound?

    Again, no.

    You must go into the sound settings section of the programs you use to play media. In my case, I use three: VLC Media Player, SM Player, and Audacious.

    Each of these has its own settings menu (in VLC's case, you'll want to use the advanced menu rather than the simple one).

    Once all of THOSE are set properly, will you THEN hear digital sound?

    You bet!!!

    And it's just great. The sound in my theater, whether playing music (FLAC files) via Audacious, or movies (videos), especially ones with "surround" tracks, through VLC or SM Player, is so much better than the analog (surround) sound I previously used as to make such a comparison meaningless. There is no comparison! My wife can easily hear the difference and I would guess that almost ANYONE would hear the difference.

    DTS (regular or lossless)? Not a problem. Dolby Digital (regular or lossless)? Not a problem. 7.1 output? Again, not a problem.

    Just a pleasure!

    Why would I need a device such as this? It is because my receiver, a Yamaha RX-Z9, was made just before the introduction of HDMI connections. If you have a receiver AND a computer with modern HDMI connections, you don't need this. One HDMI cable will carry picture as well as audio. But if you want digital sound output from your computer, with all of its advantages, and your computer does not have an HDMI output, and/or you have a receiver which does not have HDMI but DOES have digital audio connections, then this is your device.

    And, at 33 bucks or so, it won't break the bank!

    It also has analog outputs which carry up to 5.1 analog channels if your receiver has those inputs. Naturally it will also output straight stereo. It even has a headphone jack as well as an analog line input jack. It's quite a versatile instrument!

    By the way, the changes in audio configurations I mention above apply to ALL computers regardless of the operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.). It may be a bit trickier to use with a Windows computer (a CD with the necessary drivers for Windows is included; no special setup is required for Mac or Linux) but it still shouldn't be too difficult for fairly knowledgeable people.

    Its specifications claim it supports 16-bit 44.1/48 kHz sound output. But I can tell you that playing a 24-bit 48 kHz sound file sounds tremendous. I played a "record" downloaded from a company called Pristine Classical. It has several pieces within it: all of the experimental stereo recordings made by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony, recorded in 1954. I chose to buy the 24-bit 48 kHz FLAC file and I played it through this device just this morning.

    I need not say any more than that it sounded as if it had been recorded yesterday!

    For all practical purposes, no one need worry about any "limitations" in this unit's specifications.

    Just please take my advice: if you are comfortable about changing parameters within a computer, or, if you know someone who is, or even if you are willing to spend money to hire someone who can install this properly, then by all means buy this item if you have need for such a device.

    If you are not comfortable, for any reason, then merely use the default sound settings of your computer. Frankly, they are adequate for many people.

    But I truly am extremely happy I bought this StarTech device. (It is not the first item I have bought from this company; in my experience, their products are first-class in every way.)

    I give it my highest recommendation for anyone who has need for it.

    Thank you very much for reading this.

    Lawrence H. Bulk
    81 people found this helpful
    Report
    Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2024
    This is an easier replacement than replacing a sound card on an older computer.

    There is a good separation of sound channels for a 5.1 system, but we could find nothing for adjusting the channel volumes.

    When there is no sound, there is a very low, occasional background pop. Probably from a capacitance discharge.

    You will also be adjusting volume often due to the sound level of the audio recording.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2024
    Works great out of the box in Linux Mint 22 (Pipewire).
    One person found this helpful
    Report
    Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2024
    I installed this device on a mini pc system and it worked well for about 9 months. Then for no apparent reason it just stopped working. I tried different speakers, cables, USB port and verified the sound settings and defaults hadn't changed on my system. I disconnected it and plugged my speakers directly into the stereo headphone jack (the HDMI input to the monitor is both video and sound) and I was back in business. I guess you get what you pay for. I was pretty surprised this device even worked for $38, so I'm not shocked it lasted only 9 months. I have less clutter on my desk without it now anyway.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2020
    With a new Dell XPS computer that lacks a Line-In jack, I have been looking for an effective way to add this function. This looked like a winner, with the Line-In as well as two microphone jacks on the side panel for right and left channel. I was hopeful that it would be the solution to my problem.,

    Ordered from Amazon and received promptly. But when I plugged it in, there was a base hum on the microphone inputs, more on the left than the right. And the Line-In did not work at all. Contacted Amazon, the they promptly send a replacement.

    Plugged in the replacement, the Line-In does appear to work perfectly. But there is still a low level sound on the microphone input. And the left microphone input seems to be a bit distorted compared to the right. One other problem, with my previous computer, using the sound card, while recording with the Line-In I could monitor the recording through the speakers. With this box, whether using the internal sound card or the box's speaker output, there is no sound from the speakers while recording. Makes editing and producing difficult.

    Sum total is that the replacement box may be performing as well as it can, but that is still not satisfactory. I likely will return it and opt for an internal sound card.

    Top reviews from other countries

    Translate all reviews to English
    Julio Cesar Moreno Guzmán
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bueno
    Reviewed in Mexico on January 17, 2023
    Buen artículo, cumple a la perfección con su funcionamiento, solo que su software no es nada intuitivo
    Bab
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent produit pour avoir du son 5.1 natif.
    Reviewed in France on September 6, 2024
    J'ai acheté ce produit pour avoir du vrai son 5.1 natif sur mon système son 5.1 Logitech Z5500 en utilisant les trois câbles jack.

    En effet, étant passé sur Windows 11, les pilotes Realtek modifiés qui fonctionnaient sur Windows 10 pour utiliser la sortie son optique ne fonctionnaient plus sur Windows 11, ils permettaient d'accéder au DTS et Dolby Digital pour regarder les bluray en DTS 5.1 et éventuellement jouer aux jeux vidéos qui le supportaient (ce qui était devenu très rare).

    Je suis donc passé au branchement via les trois câbles jack (ma carte mère me requérait d'utiliser une des trois sorties jack en façade sur mon boitier pc, mais il n'en a pas, je ne pouvais pas donc brancher les trois câbles jack directement sur mon pc pour avoir du 5.1), et j'ai donc acheté ce boitier pour ce faire. Une fois le logiciel installé (Xear audio center), il suffit de sélectionner "surround 5.1" et on a donc du son 5.1 pour les contenus concernés.
    Le mieux, c'est que non seulement les films, mais aussi les jeux vidéos sortent automatiquement un son 5.1 natif, par exemple Black Myth Wukong ou Star Wars Outlaws. C'est donc bien mieux que d'utiliser des pilotes Realtek modifiés (qui de toute façon ne fonctionnent plus sur Windows 11) pour les jeux vidéos.

    C'est donc le logiciel Xear Audio Center qui est aussi très performant, et fonctionne parfaitement (pour l'instant) sur Windows 11.

    Le fait d'utiliser les sorties jacks pour le son ne génère aucun souffle (bruit blanc) lorsqu'aucun son n'est joué sur vos enceintes.

    Au final, ce produit StarTech est excellent et il n'y a aucun besoin, si vous voulez un son surround, d'acheter des cartes son externes à 150€ ou plus.

    En ce qui concerne les 3 câbles jack que j'utilise, j'ai acheté ceci sur Amazon : "Câble Audio de 3,5 mm, zdyCGTime 3 vers 3 3,5 mm Jack mâle vers mâle stéréo Audio câble auxiliaire Cordon pour 5.1 Logitech Enceintes d'ordinateur (1,5 m/1.5 m)".
    MR J R WIBBERLEY
    5.0 out of 5 stars decent sound quality
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2024
    I needed this as the onboard sound chip on my motherboard stopped working. It's a little annoying to have to use an external device, but once it's sat on top of the PC case, I soon forgot that it exists. As usual with soundcards, the software for controlling it is not particularly great. You do need to install this though, as you can significantly alter how bassy/tinny etc (bass/treble) it sounds. I suspect some reviews complaining about sound quality have not chosen the right speaker profile and messed with the equalizer. I haven't noticed any lag in the audio, or any weird artifacting in the sound output, so it's doing its job fine and has been for 2 months.

    It works fine in Linux as well as in Windows, too.
    Tom
    5.0 out of 5 stars Goed geluid
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on April 1, 2024
    Fijne soundcard
    Werkt nog beter als je de updates download vanaf de website
    Jose Luis Alvarez Moreno
    5.0 out of 5 stars Instalación sin drivers ni software y funcionando
    Reviewed in Spain on December 7, 2022
    Mi placa base tiene algún tipo de problema con la salida trasera, de manera que sólo se oye un canal de esa salida. Así, opté por comprar una tarjeta de sonido externa (ya se sabe que ahora ya no se puede montar nada dentro de la caja, con lo que ocupan las gráficas).

    Antes de éste, compré otro modelo genérico muy habitual por Amazon. Aparte de requerir instalación de software (no reconocido por Windows 10), una de las salidas no funcionaba, así que lo devolví y le puse la review que se merece.

    Opté a continuación por este StarTech y ha sido una experiencia mucho mejor. Conectado y detectado directamente, sin drivers ni software. El nuevo dispositivo de audio aparece y funciona sin más.

    De la calidad de audio no puedo hablar porque lo uso para mandar efectos de telemetría a los bodyshakers de mi asiento de simulador. En ese sentido, funciona como es de esperar, con su canal frontal, trasero y central. Ahora tan sólo hace falta que siga así durante mucho tiempo.