The Creative Sound BlasterX supports a speaker output of 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. The low-impedance mode supports headphones from 16-149Ω whereas the high-impedance mode supports headphones from 150-600Ω. The Creative BlasterX has a button to switch from low-impedance mode to high-impedance mode. Those won’t work with the budget soundcards mentioned above.Ĭoming to the Sound BlasterX G5, it supports headphones from 16Ω to a whopping 600Ω. The only reason to buy expensive soundcards is if you really high-impedance headphones or a condenser microphone. It starts with Creative’s Sound BlasterX G5. Now, if you bump up the budget to $100, you get to the foot of the premium USB soundcard segment. It also integrates a noise isolation IC to help remove hissing from the audio output.ĭownload Sound Blaster Connect for Windows PC | Android | iOS 6. The sound card works with multiple platforms such as macOS, Linux, Windows, PS4 and above, etc. So basically, it supports dedicated mic, inline mic, and audio out for headphones via the same 3.5-mm port. Talking about the port, the 3.5-mm jack is a TRRS port. It can sneak in easily to the USB port without blocking other peripheral devices. The sound card has an all-metal build with a sleek metallic finish. It provides a simple USB-to-3.5mm port which doesn’t require any additional driver installation. If you are looking for a simple solution to get an extra 3.5-mm port, the UGreen USB sound card is a great option. If you want a device-only to drive high-end headphones, a DAC would make more sense. Hence, if your requirement sides with using a mic and headphones, get a sound card. DAC/AMPs, generally, don’t have a mic port but there can be exceptions. Sound cards do come with a mic input port that lets you use your headphone and mic with the same sound card.

However, the only distinguishing factor between a sound card and a dedicated DAC is the mic port. If you spend enough money, you can get a sound card with good-enough DAC/AMP combo like the ones from Creative or Focusrite. Theoretically, these are different but practically, most sound cards have a DAC included in them. Well, whatever the reason, here are some of the best USB sound cards for computers.Īlso Read: Best Gaming Consoles Under $200 for Kids (3-7 Year Old) Difference Between Sound Card vs DAC vs Ampįoremost, there’s a lot of confusion between a sound card, DAC, and AMP. You might need a sound card just for an extra 3.5mm port or to improve the audio quality of your gaming headphones. Now, everyone has a different purpose to buy a sound card.

Best external sound card for cost