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.

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.

With the push and mass acceptance of HD video came the push and mass acceptance of widescreen HD monitors, and so too, has come the push for HD audio. 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound speakers.

Lean Xear3D drivers; Various Dolby technologies at a comparatively low price; Surprisingly clear sound; Compact size

No native ASIO support; DAC only supports up to 16-bit/48kHz; No volume control buttons; Glossy paint blemishes easily

If you've decided it is due time to finally time to do away with the onboard audio on your mobile computer, wanting something that makes your music collection worth listening to, then you can turn to ASUS for that as well. The Xonar U3 is a compact USB sound card, not much bigger than a flash drive.

It's generally accepted that onboard audio cards have gotten much better over these past few years. It was more common before to see dedicated audio cards being installed in computers, but now such components are becoming more of a niche market.

ASUS may be best known for their motherboards, video cards, and laptops; but more and more though they are making a name for themselves with computer accessories. We have covered a handful of their sound cards and other computer audio devices over the years, and in this review we will take a look at...

Simple setup; Easily portable; Adds surround sound for headphones or digital output to a home theater; Feature rich software adds value

Windows only; Audible power hum on microphone input; Disables built in speakers

For just $40, the Xonar U3 squeezes headphone and microphone jacks, an S/PDIF output, EAX emulation, speaker virtualization, and Dolby Digital Live support into...