[1226su]

I now want to upgrade its sound quality with a USB sound card for my laptop (Toshiba M200, the model two more years ago). However, my concern is that whether this kind of rig(USB sound card) did help a lot in better sound quality for a laptop? Or are there any other ways I can do to improve the sound quality of my laptop?

BTW, I did some research and now keep my eye on the 3 models (Auzen VR Fidelity, Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1, and ASUS Xonar U1) Of course...just if you guys agree USB Sound card is a great solution for a laptop or I wouldn’t go for anyone of them.
 
Could anyone give me some advice and suggestion about this issue or even the 3 models listed. Really thanks in advance.

 

[particleman14]

I was in your same position looking for a big upgrade to my PC sound.  i opted for a uDAC as the price was right and the form factor is great for portability.  the sound improvement is quite significant coming from stock laptop sound.
I currently run my udac to my mini3 amp.  However the headphone amp on the udac is more than adequate, especially for portable use.  for an entry level product, the uDAC is a nice and inexpensive way to get better sound from your laptop. 
you can also go the DIY route, and make your own dac as there are a number of good designs on these forums (bantam, grub, y1/2).  but if you don't want to get into DIY, the uDAC is a good start and saves your wallet...for now.

 

[Apocalypsee]

I just bought X-Fi Suround 5.1 USB a couple days back, there are one more choice, the Xonar U1 but I bought the X-Fi because I need some extra feature it offer, like SPDIF out, RCA line out for my speaker and separate headphone out for my headphones. I loved it, its a huge upgrade over onboard sound, for both my desktop and laptop

 

[Hybrys]

As a note, unless you plan on modding it, the X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB is known to not sound all that great.  I'd recommend a uDAC if you can spare the ~$100.  It has all the features the above poster touts of the X-Fi, such as a headphone out, RCA line-out, and SPDIF out.  It also runs off USB power, and thus makes the uDAC a perfect little portable solution.

 

[Apocalypsee]

Quote:

As a note, unless you plan on modding it, the X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB is known to not sound all that great.  I'd recommend a uDAC if you can spare the ~$100.  It has all the features the above poster touts of the X-Fi, such as a headphone out, RCA line-out, and SPDIF out.  It also runs off USB power, and thus makes the uDAC a perfect little portable solution.

Yes, I agree, unless you into modding the stock don't sound as good as others offer in its price range, also I agree that Nuforce uDAC is a great choice if you have the same needs as mine, the only problem is uDAC costs more in my country and in very limited quantity, forcing me to buy the X-Fi

 

[1226su]

I tried to find some info. about uDAC and found it's really small and compact.
 
But how about its sound quality compared with Xonar U1 or X-Fi Surround 5.1? Actually, uDAC costs more than the other models I mentioned above. If uDAC's high price is mostly credited to its extremely small size but just in the same level of sound perfromance as the other models (such as ASUS Xonar U1 or X-Fi) are, I think I might choose the cheaper ones. 
 
Really thanks for any suggestion.

 

[Hybrys]

Having not heard the U1 or XFI, I couldn't be certain.  But, the uDAC isn't just all hype.  And for the $20 you'd save vs the U1, it would massively out preform it.  For the 5.1, it's a different story.  If you're willing to open it up and change the opamps, you can customize the sound to your liking, and the value might be slightly better.  The quality would still most likely be better on the uDAC, though, especially stock.  Try to grab a used uDAC in our forums for ~$80-90, and you're golden.

 

[1226su]

Really thanks for you guys’ kind replies. It seems many people here recommend an external DAC more than an external USB soundcard.
 
I check the spec of Nuforce uDac and ASUS Xonar U1, but still a little confused. Are the functions of an external DAC almost the same as those of an external USB soundcard? Or can I assume the 2 rigs are almost the same but just in different names (external DAC V.S. an external USB soundcard)?
 
Well... I'm not a professional...but ifpossible, could anyone here let me know what the specific differences between them? Thanks a lot.

 

[Hybrys]

They're the exact same thing.  A sound card has a DAC and an amplification unit, but usually with more features that some people don't need (IE: inputs, surround sound, etc.).  A dedicated DAC or DAC/Amp is usually a more dedicated unit, often offering better bang for buck due to the less features.

 

[1226su]

Thanks for all you guy's replies. May I jumpt to a conclusion that DAC (such as Nuforce uDAC, usually with headphone amp) is targeted at music enthusiastic while external USB soundcards (such as Xonar U1) target at general users who watch movies, listen music, and play games thru laptop?
 
Thus, if I want a multi-functions rig, I had better go with an external USB soundcards; if I focus on music listening, then I should go an external DAC instead. Is that right??

 

[Dojomoto]

 I'd like to add that:
1.) The uDAC isn't going to give you 5.1 or surround output if you ever hook up your laptop to multiple speakers, instead of headphones
2.) If you DO choose to go the uDAC (or any DAC) route, you can just add a decent amp anytime in the future and feed your computers sound (music, movies and games) to the amp for a real nice improvement, which you will probably not get out of a cheap sound card.
 
Future proof whenever possible to get the most bang for your buck.