--- product_id: 4005077 title: "StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D)" brand: "startech.com" price: "$125.12" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 category: "Star Tech.Com" url: https://www.desertcart.ec/products/4005077-startech-com-7-1-usb-sound-card-external-sound-card store_origin: EC region: Ecuador --- # Supports 44.1 & 48 KHz sampling rates 7.1 surround sound channels USB 2.0 plug & play connectivity StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D) **Brand:** startech.com **Price:** $125.12 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🎶 Elevate your audio game—because your ears deserve the VIP treatment! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D) by startech.com - **How much does it cost?** $125.12 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ec](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/4005077-startech-com-7-1-usb-sound-card-external-sound-card) ## Best For - startech.com enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted startech.com brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Pro-Grade Sampling Rates:** Enjoy studio-quality playback and recording at 44.1KHz and 48KHz for pristine audio fidelity. - • **Immersive 7.1 Surround Sound:** Transform your laptop or PC audio into a cinematic experience with true multi-channel output. - • **Seamless USB 2.0 Plug & Play:** Instantly upgrade your sound without opening your device—just plug in and configure effortlessly. - • **Effortless Windows Compatibility:** Broad OS support with easy setup on Windows 7 through 11, backed by 2-year warranty and lifetime support. - • **Dual Analog & Digital Audio Support:** Versatile connectivity with 3.5mm jacks plus SPDIF optical output for crystal-clear digital sound. ## Overview The StarTech 7.1 USB Sound Card (ICUSBAUDIO7D) is a compact external audio adapter that upgrades any laptop or desktop with immersive 7.1 channel surround sound via a single USB 2.0 port. Supporting both analog and SPDIF digital outputs, it delivers high-fidelity audio at 44.1KHz and 48KHz sampling rates. Designed for easy plug-and-play installation across Windows platforms, it features user-friendly volume and mute controls, making it the perfect cost-effective solution for gamers, home theater enthusiasts, and multimedia professionals seeking premium sound without internal hardware upgrades. ## 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. Review: Works great with minor configuration requirements (Windows 11) - Device as expected and was extremely reasonable priced. The programs and drivers seem old and the UI looks like its from win95. It isn't necessary for use and can just be a generic usb 2.0 device configured thru windows. It takes a min to configure in win11 but does produce 5.1 surround. Isn't just plug and play, you have to configure it in windows and windows doesn't seem to want to allow you to the menu necessary (No fault of device). I couldn't find the location of the configs in basics system settings menus. WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO TO CONFIGURE: 1-"Open Sound Settings: Type mmsys.cpl into the Windows search bar and press Enter to open the classic Sound control panel.". 2-click on device. 3-configure. Device is great for my use. Computer->EKL Switch->This Device - to transfer my surround between 2 computers using a Logitech 5.1 THX surround. From a gaming standpoint, this functions great and I don't notice a difference between direct motherboard and device sound output. Device shows as DVD quality output. Review: Laptop needs to be connected to 5.1 analog speakers? Get this! - I bought an HP EliteBook 755 G5 with a docking station and wanted to connect it to my existing Logitech 5.1 analog speakers. These speakers have three 3.5mm stereo jacks: Front speakers (green), Rear speakers (black), and Center/Subwoofer (orange). The laptop contains two built-in sound cards. One is only capable of 2.0 stereo and works through the 3.5" audio jacks. The other built-in sound card works only through the DisplayPort connection. For example, if you connect the laptop to a TV with audio capability or to an A/V receiver, that sound card handles that audio output. Since I have a monitor with no audio jacks or processing, I cannot take advantage of that built-in device. (There is another kind of product that could. I’ll talk about it at the end of this review.) I chose StarTech because I had luck with their products in the past. This external sound card is more expensive than the cheap Chinese ones on eBay and it supports 7.1 as well as 5.1. I did NOT have to use the driver CD. I have Windows 10 1809 and it recognized the card immediately. It shows up in the Device Manager as “USB Sound Device.” Don’t be alarmed if you check the properties and see a message under the “Events” tab claiming "Device requires further installation." If you look at the list, you will see that even though the entry in the list of Events might be the top one, the Timestamp is older than the entries below. This means that this message is normal and has no significant meaning at all, even though it can be confusing and previous Windows versions did not show something similar. Configuring the sound card for 5.1 (or 7.1) audio is simple. Go to the Control Panel and select Sound. Under the Playback tab, click on the “Speakers” for the USB Sound Device and click on the Configure button. Choose 5.1 and click the Test button to make sure everything is connected properly. Click Next. Make sure all optional speakers are selected. Click Next. If you have a satellite speaker system with a subwoofer like me, you do NOT have full-range speakers. You can verify this by plugging in the green plug into a 2.0 stereo source and listen to the sound quality. If it’s sorely missing bass, then they are NOT full-range speakers. Uncheck these options. (BTW, sometimes the front speakers are full-range, but the rear speakers are not. If the rear speakers are smaller than the fronts, uncheck the rear speakers only.) Click Finish. Another option I could have tried would have been to use a device that converts the digital audio supplied over HDMI to analog. desertcart sells such a device: SKSL HDMI Digital Audio Converter. However, I would have needed to buy a DisplayPort to HDMI cable. Also, I would have to get RCA to 3.5mm adapters, too. And, that option costs a lot more. UPDATE 2019-05-15: Just wanted to say the sound quality has been superb! ## Features - 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 ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B002LM0U2S | | Audio Output Mode | Surround | | Best Sellers Rank | #15 in External Sound Cards | | Brand | StarTech.com | | Built-In Media | 1x external sound card, 1xUSB Cable, 1xInstallation CD,1xInstruction Manual | | Compatible Devices | Desktop, Laptop | | Customer Reviews | 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (1,939) | | Global Trade Identification Number | 00065030835466 | | Hardware Connectivity | USB | | Hardware Platform | PC | | Item Dimensions L x W x H | 3.9"L x 2.4"W x 1"H | | Item Type Name | External Sound Box | | Item Weight | 0.09 Kilograms | | Manufacturer | StarTech.com | | Maximum Sample Rate | 48 KHz | | Mfr Part Number | ICUSBAUDIO7D | | Model Name | 7.1 USB Audio Adapter External Sound Card | | Model Number | ICUSBAUDIO7D | | Platform | Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Vista, Windows XP | | Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 120 dB | | Surround Sound Channel Configuration | 7.1 | | UPC | 065030835466 | | Unit Count | 1.0 Count | | Warranty Description | 2 Year | ## Product Details - **Audio Output Mode:** Surround - **Brand:** StarTech.com - **Compatible Devices:** Desktop, Laptop - **Hardware Interface:** USB - **Platform:** Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Vista, Windows XP ## Images ![StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/616-h4ESzBL.jpg) ## Questions & Answers **Q: does i work in ubuntu?** A: Yes it works with Linux including Ubuntu **Q: does this work with linux? Is there linux support from the open source community?** A: Yes it works with Linux. Tested with Ubuntu. Thanks to all of the open source free developers out there who developed a generic driver for USB audio devices. **Q: Is it compatible with windows 8 OS?** A: Yes, it is, just plug it in and Windows 10 or previous versions will install drivers for it. Best sound for me! If you wish you can install the drivers in Startech site and work flawlessly in Windows 10. Best sound with any Windows drivers, configure 5.1 in Control Panel and then double click on the icon/rigth click/enhancements and then speaker fill, you have 5.1 sound. **Q: Does this work in linux?** A: Yes, it did for me. I put it in a machine that was running Linux Mint. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Works great with minor configuration requirements (Windows 11) *by C***H on March 6, 2026* Device as expected and was extremely reasonable priced. The programs and drivers seem old and the UI looks like its from win95. It isn't necessary for use and can just be a generic usb 2.0 device configured thru windows. It takes a min to configure in win11 but does produce 5.1 surround. Isn't just plug and play, you have to configure it in windows and windows doesn't seem to want to allow you to the menu necessary (No fault of device). I couldn't find the location of the configs in basics system settings menus. WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO TO CONFIGURE: 1-"Open Sound Settings: Type mmsys.cpl into the Windows search bar and press Enter to open the classic Sound control panel.". 2-click on device. 3-configure. Device is great for my use. Computer->EKL Switch->This Device - to transfer my surround between 2 computers using a Logitech 5.1 THX surround. From a gaming standpoint, this functions great and I don't notice a difference between direct motherboard and device sound output. Device shows as DVD quality output. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Laptop needs to be connected to 5.1 analog speakers? Get this! *by G***E on June 8, 2019* I bought an HP EliteBook 755 G5 with a docking station and wanted to connect it to my existing Logitech 5.1 analog speakers. These speakers have three 3.5mm stereo jacks: Front speakers (green), Rear speakers (black), and Center/Subwoofer (orange). The laptop contains two built-in sound cards. One is only capable of 2.0 stereo and works through the 3.5" audio jacks. The other built-in sound card works only through the DisplayPort connection. For example, if you connect the laptop to a TV with audio capability or to an A/V receiver, that sound card handles that audio output. Since I have a monitor with no audio jacks or processing, I cannot take advantage of that built-in device. (There is another kind of product that could. I’ll talk about it at the end of this review.) I chose StarTech because I had luck with their products in the past. This external sound card is more expensive than the cheap Chinese ones on eBay and it supports 7.1 as well as 5.1. I did NOT have to use the driver CD. I have Windows 10 1809 and it recognized the card immediately. It shows up in the Device Manager as “USB Sound Device.” Don’t be alarmed if you check the properties and see a message under the “Events” tab claiming "Device requires further installation." If you look at the list, you will see that even though the entry in the list of Events might be the top one, the Timestamp is older than the entries below. This means that this message is normal and has no significant meaning at all, even though it can be confusing and previous Windows versions did not show something similar. Configuring the sound card for 5.1 (or 7.1) audio is simple. Go to the Control Panel and select Sound. Under the Playback tab, click on the “Speakers” for the USB Sound Device and click on the Configure button. Choose 5.1 and click the Test button to make sure everything is connected properly. Click Next. Make sure all optional speakers are selected. Click Next. If you have a satellite speaker system with a subwoofer like me, you do NOT have full-range speakers. You can verify this by plugging in the green plug into a 2.0 stereo source and listen to the sound quality. If it’s sorely missing bass, then they are NOT full-range speakers. Uncheck these options. (BTW, sometimes the front speakers are full-range, but the rear speakers are not. If the rear speakers are smaller than the fronts, uncheck the rear speakers only.) Click Finish. Another option I could have tried would have been to use a device that converts the digital audio supplied over HDMI to analog. Amazon sells such a device: SKSL HDMI Digital Audio Converter. However, I would have needed to buy a DisplayPort to HDMI cable. Also, I would have to get RCA to 3.5mm adapters, too. And, that option costs a lot more. UPDATE 2019-05-15: Just wanted to say the sound quality has been superb! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Underpowered - you may need a powered USB hub *by K***R on March 4, 2026* This device was working fine for about 2 months on a Windows 11 machine and then quit. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling in Device Manager and updating drivers, etc. The thing that fixed it was a powered USB hub, which is odd because it was the same USB port I had been using previously without issue. The price is right, and it functions well, but you might need a powered USB hub to go with it. ## Frequently Bought Together - StarTech.com 7.1 USB Sound Card - External Sound Card for Laptop with SPDIF Digital Audio - Sound Card for PC - Silver (ICUSBAUDIO7D) - Dayton Audio BST-1 High Power Pro Tactile Bass Shaker 50 Watts RMS, 4 Ohms Impedance - Turn Any Surface into a Speaker System - Generates Subwoofer Lows - Dayton Audio DAEX58FP Flat Pack 58mm Exciter 25W 8 Ohm --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ec/products/4005077-startech-com-7-1-usb-sound-card-external-sound-card](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/4005077-startech-com-7-1-usb-sound-card-external-sound-card) --- *Product available on Desertcart Ecuador* *Store origin: EC* *Last updated: 2026-04-23*