Rating of the best external sound cards for 2022

Thanks to an external sound card, owners of laptops and ultrabooks will be able to improve the quality and volume of sound. Sound cards installed by the manufacturer do not allow you to enjoy sound effects in games or when watching a movie in full.

How not to make a mistake in choosing?

First of all, you need to decide on the purpose of purchasing a sound card. If it is necessary for home use, then the option with one input and output will be the most suitable.For professional use, you will need 4 or more outlets.

There are two types of power supply for external sound cards: via USB and via the network. Cards that are powered by USB have a lower sound quality, but they do not require an additional outlet to use them.

The presence of the ASIO protocol allows you to play sound without distortion. By installing the free ASIO4ALL driver, you will be able to add the ASIO protocol to any sound card. ASIO has an alternative - WASAPI, but it is supported by fewer sound cards.

Support for sound standards will play a positive role when watching movies, listening to and editing music.

Popular models of external sound cards

External sound card BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC22

BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC22 is one of the popular models of external sound cards for playing and recording high-quality sound. It has a USB interface and does not require additional power. This model has one combined mic/line input and another instrument input. There is support for ASIO drivers. The sampling rate is high enough that the BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC22 can be used in a recording studio.

This external sound card has a durable metal casing, so you don't have to worry about physical damage. On the rear side there is a switch for a microphone preamplifier with +48V phantom power. Next to it is a connector for connecting to a computer. There is a headphone jack on the front panel. Each input has its own adjustment knob and its own operation indicator.

More than 150 plugins for instruments and various effects can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website to work with the audio interface.

Supports Windows and Mac OS operating systems.

The average price is 3500 rubles.

• Compact size;
• Strong but lightweight body;
• Affordable price;
• ASIO driver support;
• The presence of a connector for the tool;
• The interface will be clear even to a beginner;

• Noises appear when recording an instrument;
• When playing some audio files, the sound starts to stutter.

External sound card Focusrite Scarlett Solo

This sound card model has a simple and compact interface. Powered by USB, no need to search for additional sockets. The audio interface operates at sampling rates up to 192 kHz, which is one of the highest rates today.

There is a microphone input with a preamp and phantom power up to 48 V. There is a line input for connecting instruments. There is a three-color indication for each input that will report overload. The front panel has a volume control and a monitor activation button. The headphone output has its own volume control. Connection to a computer is carried out via a USB cable, it is possible to work with Windows and MAC OS operating systems.

A true recording system allows you to connect a microphone and guitar to record sound that will sound the way you intended. The functionality of the card allows you to record both voice and instrument at the same time. You can also add various effects to both vocals and music. Effects can be applied in real time due to zero latency.

After recording, you can edit and share your creations with music software. You will also receive 12 plugins and a music synthesizer.The interface of these programs is quite clear to novice users.

The updated music input will allow you not to worry about the sound and the presence of distortion. The new converters allow you to record excellent sound even at low volumes, which can be amplified in the future without additional noise.

The average cost is 8000 rubles.

• High frequency of discredit;
• Dynamic range up to 100 dB;
• It is possible to purchase a set with headphones and a microphone;
• Color indication;
• Apply effects in real time.

• High price;
• Driver crashes intermittently.

External sound card Steinberg UR12

The metal coating of the Steinberg UR12 sound card is distinguished by its anti-corrosion resistance, and it is also resistant to external factors. The Chinese company Steinberg has established itself in the market as a manufacturer that works with quality materials and performs flawless assembly.

The front panel of the sound card has microphone, headphone and instrument inputs. Each of these inputs has indicators that can be used to detect overload. The microphone input has a preamp and 48V phantom power.

Steinberg UR12 supports the current ASIO 2.2 standard. The playback mode can go up to 192 kHz.

Works with operating systems Windows 7 and above, MacOS. It has a mode with which it can connect to the iPad and work with music applications. The functionality of the card also provides access to Internet broadcasts from a computer.

The Steinberg UR12 sound card is suitable for concerts, mobile DJs and small studios.

The average price is 8300 rubles.

• ASIO 2.2 support;
• Zero delay;
• Compatible with iPad;
• Playback up to 192 kHz;
• Indicators for each input;
• Quality case.

• Noise appears at a high level;
• There may be problems with drivers;

External sound card Creative Sound BlasterX G6

This model from Creative combines an external sound card and a digital-to-analog gaming converter with a headphone amplifier for PC, PS4 and Xbox.

With Creative Sound BlasterX G6, you will notice an improvement in sound quality from the first second. Thanks to this sound quality, you can easily plunge into the entire process of the game and feel everything to the smallest detail. It has the ability to reproduce sound in discredit up to 384 kHz in conjunction with a dynamic range of up to 130 dB. The headphone amplifier works with Xamp and Dolby Digital technology, which creates surround sound. It is also worth noting that the headphone amplifier works simultaneously with two directions of channels separately. It is possible to adjust the volume of the sound, both incoming and outgoing. The presence of modulators will ensure the absence of sound distortion, removing all interference and noise.

The Sound BlasterX G6 has a matte plastic body that is less likely to show dirt marks. It does not have rubber feet, the bottom part is completely made of rubber lining. This feature of the product does not provide much stability on the table, and may collect dust. There is no battery in this model, so it will not be possible to use it mobilely. There are two inputs on the front panel. One is for headphones and the other is for the microphone. The sidebar has buttons for switching profiles and activating the Scout Mode feature.With this function, you can further improve the quality of sound effects. Now in the game it will be possible to notice every change in the action of the enemy.

The average price is 14,000 rubles.

• The sound quality is perfect for watching movies, listening to music and playing games;
• Suitable for computer and game consoles;
• Headphone amplifier gives surround sound;
• No sound distortion;
• Ability to configure or disable the backlight;
• Improved case model.

• Not mobile;
• Combined optical and analog input;
• High price.

External sound card Creative Sound Blaster Play! 3

Sound Blaster Play! 3 is a USB digital to analog converter and headphone amplifier. It is a USB connector, with a cable no more than 6 cm and a plastic case, the size of a flash card. Its weight is 10-15 grams. There are two microphone and headphone jacks on the front. The cable has seals that create protection against rupture.

It updates the sound quality without delay by converting the sound from the motherboard. It converts normal sound to 24-bit 96kHz high quality sound. The amplifier works with both the simplest cell phone headphones and professional gaming models. With higher quality headphones, maximum sound effects will be achieved. After downloading the software for certain headphone models, optimized profiles will appear.

When recording sound with Creative Sound Blaster Play! 3, the recording quality becomes many times better, noise and interference disappear even with modern motherboards. Voice recording can also be improved on tablets and smartphones with the help of such a sound card.But this requires USB-OTG support. But at the same time, the recording will not be perfect, but the quality will still be much better.

The software of this card has a simple and accessible interface. It is an equalizer with 11 sound control bands set, which can be customized as you wish, and apply one of the 10 available settings.

To use Creative Sound Blaster Play! 3 no driver installation is required, you just need to connect to the USB port.

The average price is 1700 rubles.

• Does not require driver installation;
• It can be used both with a PC and with a smartphone or tablet;
• Significantly improves the quality of sound and voice recording;
• Affordable price;
• Small size;
• Understandable software.

• Poor functionality;
• Not a large part of users complain about the appearance of white noise.

External sound card Steinberg UR22mkII

Steinberg UR22mkII is a sound card that allows you to record sound that does not differ in quality from the studio. It supports the Cubase Al system sound card and the Cubase LE mobile app. Thanks to this, it can be considered a mobile recording studio. This sound card model fully functions with Windows and MacOS computers, and also has an operating mode suitable for iPad.

The sound card has a durable metal case that reliably protects against any type of physical impact. There are 2 mic preamps with phantom power. The phantom power switch is located on the back of the card. Also on the rear panel you can find MIDI input and output, line output and input for connection. There are indications of power supply and overload control.The front panel has a combo line input, it is used to connect a microphone, guitar or bass. The headphone jack has its own volume control. There is an input for an external power supply, which makes the UR22mkII an independent and mobile sound card.

The average price is 11,000 rubles.

• Quality sound;
• Operation mode 24bit/192kHz;
• Support for ASIO, Core Audio, WDM standards;
• Works with PC and iPad;
• Everything you need for work is located on the front panel of the card;
• Rugged housing;
• Compact size;
• Easy to use, suitable for beginners and advanced users.

• There may be minor issues when running on Windows 10;
• There is no adjustment of the brightness of the indicator lights;
• Weak headphone amps

External sound card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD

The Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD sound card plays and records good sound quality thanks to THX TruStudio Pro technology. This card model has a 24bit/96kHz range and a 114dB front end output. The amplifier supports the work of professional headphones. The software allows you to record and play audio files, and can also remove noise.

On the front panel of the sound card there is a jack connector designed for recording high quality sound and a convenient volume control. There is also a headphone output here. On the back of the Sound Blaster X-Fi HD are an optical input/output, a stereo RCA input/output jack, and a phono stage for recording vinyl discs from a turntable.

When installing the control panel, the user will have access to various EAX effects and an equalizer. It has a clear interface that even a beginner can handle.Due to the lack of ASIO, sound recording and playback occurs with a slight delay. And for this reason, in some cases, interference occurs when the tracks are superimposed.

The average price is 6500 rubles.

• The presence of a phono stage;
• Convenient volume control;
• Ease of use;
• Does not require an additional power supply;
• Excellent recording and sound quality;
• Amplifier for high-impedance headphones.

• Lack of ASIO;
• Not stable due to low weight.

External sound cards from Aliexpress

On the Aliexpress platform there is a large selection of external sound cards. All of them have similar parameters, and most of them are in the same price category. Significant differences are present only in design and color schemes. A distinctive feature of these models is a lower price and, accordingly, a lower sampling frequency up to 48 kHz. They support Windows and MacOS operating systems. According to the recommendation of buyers, sound cards from Aliexpress are perfect for improving the sound when watching movies and listening to music.

The average price is 500 rubles.

Which model to choose?

It is very difficult to give an exact answer to this question. It all depends on your listening preferences. In this case, some users are delighted with the sound quality of an inexpensive model, while others are not satisfied with an expensive model due to the presence of noise and distortion. You should also consider the fact for what purpose you are purchasing it. If you need it to improve the sound of music or a movie, you should not take an expensive and professional model that has rich functionality.But for gamers and musicians, budget models will not work, with them they will not be able to fill all their needs, for which they need a sound card.