The idea for me was to give my computer a optical out, which in turn would provide 5.1 sound. Installation is fairly light which is an advantage and that includes Dolby Digital Live! which ensures that even 5.1 signals that are not DTS or AC3 sent over.

a useful improvement to any laptop's on board sound capabilities

nice boost in sound quality and volume

cheap build quality and isn't particularly pretty

I am a competitive gamer for CS:GO. I needed a sound card for my gaming laptop and this does the job well. With Dolby Headphone, Dolby Prologic IIx and EQ set to treble, I am able to pinpoint enemy's exact position, distance, reload etc. Besides, you can also play with the microphone effect.

I recently bought this doubting it would improve my headphone audio much, turns it out has done just that. It has boosted my Astro A40 audio as well as enabled my PC to use the Optical cord, which enables the headphone's 7.1 feature. Sounds absolutely terrific, I couldn't be happier.

When it comes to listening to high-quality music, users depend on high-end audio equipment. PCs and notebooks come with integrated audio solutions and that has been the trend for several years now.

both headphone and 2.1 speaker awesome sound. clear and better sound quality.

Easy To Install

Runs Hot

I have tried many options to get better sound from my Asus gaming laptop when connected to my home theater setup with poor results from other USB adapters (only option with laptops) But this one is a game changer! This completely blew me away.

Absolutely fantastic optical out Amplified analog output; increases headphone volume a great deal Fantastic software that just works great and also very simple with many adjustment options Crystal clear sound; Plugged into my gaming laptop and hooked up to my 7.1 home theater with two amplifiers and...

None that I have found yet

This Asus Xonar U3 sound card is good. I connected this with my laptop. It's made of plastic and feels cheap plastic. IMHO, it's over priced. I recommend this product only if you really need a sound card due to the poor quality of your onboard lap/desktop sound card.

It won't take up much room in the recycle bin

This thing was designed for use with a laptop; Mine's only six months old, and it cannot use this device