Best External Sound Cards for Laptops in 2020

Sound Blaster has been synonymous with PC audio for decades and the G6 is the current cream of the crop. It's technically aimed at gamers, but anyone looking for great audio will enjoy the virtual 7.1 surround sound, the dedicated headphone amplifier, and the absolutely superb 32-bit 384kHz DAC .which makes this more than a match for the best quality lossless audio files.

The E10K is perfect for music lovers and doesn't toss around endless, unnecessary features or exterior design points. It's a simple-looking aluminum box with a headphone jack, a big old volume wheel, an on/off control for the bass boost, a coax and line out, and is powered by Micro-USB. It's compact, too, making it perfect for laptops. With a 24-bit/96 kHz DAC, it's capable of pushing out a great sound on high-resolution audio.

The major selling point of the GoXLR mini is how users can have total control over various audio devices while streaming PC or console games online, but underneath all that awesome it's also a superb sound card. This little box, along with the intuitive companion application, is capable of funneling all your various PC audio channels as well as an external microphone, which gives you total control over levels and much more.

If all you want is something cheap and small enough to stash in your bag when you hit the road, this is the answer. The G1 is Creative's smallest Sound Blaster external sound card, but still has 7.1 virtual surround sound, a built-in headphone amplifier, and a powerful engine pushing it all. It's as great for gaming as it is immersing yourself in your favorite music or movie.

Despite being the size of a USB thumb drive, this little red stick contains an astonishing amount of audio power. At the heart of the Dragonfly is a 32-bit Sabre DAC that will make your high-quality, lossless music sound tremendous through your favorite headphones, which it's perfectly capable of pushing with a 2.1V output. It's expensive, but it's hard to find a more powerful sound card in a package this portable.

If you're gaming on your laptop then the Astro MixAmp is the external soundcard to pair with it. It's not particularly expensive, has lots of connectivity and flexibility, and will allow you control over your game and party audio balance. The latest model has a much improved audio engine, you can get Dolby audio and with the companion app, you can customize your sound profiles to suit your own tastes.