USB External Sound Cards 

The first and simplest to use is from Creative Labs, the other solution is a very powerful offering from TerraTec.

My not that recent notebook has a less than brilliant sound chip and it’s internal speakers are not that great for anything more than the odd beep or grunt. So when the chance to look at Creative’s Sound Blaster MP3+ came along I took it.

There is a getting started sheet and that is all you are likely to need. Install the software, plug in the USB lead from the 12x7x2cm box that is the sound card and then attach speakers via the supplied Y splitter cable. After a reboot you should be greeted by whatever opening sound you have chosen from Windows as it arrives at the desktop. My first job was to lower the volume as there is far more capacity in the Sound Blaster MP3+ than my internal sound chip could ever muster.

The same Y splitter cable can be used to connect to the two line in sockets beside the line out offerings, also on that side are Optical in and out sockets. A standard USB cable plugs into the side of the unit with a switch beside it to allow digital only or digital/analog connection. The box also has a volume switch beside a headphone socket and the right of that a microphone socket. There is an LED on the top of the unit that glows when connected to a PC or notebook. At this point I settled down to enjoy output from CD’s played back though the Sound Blaster and some not that special speakers, however those speakers never sounded so good.

I also attached the unit to a Cube PC that for some reason would not recognize it’s internal sound card, perfect sound from an otherwise mute Cube PC.

The TerraTec company produce a lot of sound cards and other specialist equipment both software and hardware and are much favoured by a lot of semi professional musicians. Although you could use this with a basic set of speakers you would be far more likely to have a 5.1 or better system. Perhaps for playing back DVD movies and getting the effects that you miss when you don’t see the films in the cinema.

While the TerraTec offering will again work on a notebook I suggest the desktop PC is the more likely connection as few notebooks have the power to do justice and the speaker setup need a static setting for optimum results.

The unit is also small at 17x7.5x2cm one end has a fixed USB lead protruding the other end dual sockets for MIC/Optical In and Headphones/Optical Out. The front of the unit has two analog in sockets and six analog out (three pair) sockets. Thus you have true output for six channels. There is some software on a provided CD, apart from a basic control panel there is some DVD software InterVideos WinDVD and also Traktor DJ Mixer.

Dependant on your needs one of these two USB products should allow you to hear superior output from your notebook or desktop. Prices, Creative SoundBlaster MP3+ around £35 while the TerraTec Aureon 5.1 USB is around £85.