Best Headphones External Sound Cards in 2026

power source type: Corded Electric

AUTO MIC MUTE AND UNMUTE WITH VOICEDETECT FEATURE – Avoid fumbling over your mic mute button in a video call with our VoiceDetect feature, which mutes you automatically when you stop speaking, and unmutes you instantly as you start speaking. If you need to talk to someone on the side, disable the VoiceDetect feature temporarily by manually pressing on the physical mic mute button, and reactivate the VoiceDetect feature by pressing on the same button

TWO-WAY NOISE CANCELLATION WITH NOISECLEAN FEATURES – Reduce unwanted background noise during an online work call from both ends of the conversation with the NoiseClean features. NoiseClean-out works to remove noise on your end by suppressing your static background noise like vacuum cleaning, so you can be heard clearly by the others. On the other end, NoiseClean-in does the same to the incoming audio of your co-workers, so you can hear them clearly in your headphones—minus their noise

SUPER EASY TO SET UP – VoiceDetect and NoiseClean are part of our SmartComms Kit's suite of smart communication features. Simply plug the PLAY! 4 to your PC, download the Creative app (for Windows 10 and later) to get started, or further customize them via the Advanced settings. The software also comes with Sound Blaster Acoustic Engine, our suite of industry-leading audio processing technology like Surround immersion, and CrystalVoice that enhances voice clarity during video calls

SUPPORTS DOLBY DIGITAL AND DTS – Now with support for Dolby Digital Live and DTS Encoding for even more delivery options to your external audio devices The AE-5 Plus also supports 5.1 discrete and 7.1 virtual surround, as well as Sound Blaster’s Surround Virtualization technology

POWERFUL DISCRETE HEADPHONE AMP – Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus features Xamp, our custom-designed discrete headphone amp that utilizes bi-amplification technology to power each earcup individually with 1 ohm output impedance and drives studio-grade headphones of up to 600Ω, including high-end planar-magnetic headphones

PRISTINE AUDIO QUALITY – Featuring the SABRE32 ultra-class PCI-e DAC to deliver up to 32-bit / 384 kHz playback with a 122 dB DNR, ultra-low distortion and jitter, the AE-5 Plus is more than capable of hi-res audio for games, music, and movies; put simply, for discerning audio lovers of any kind, the AE-5 Plus is set to blow past your expectations with pristine audio and powerful performance

7.1 DISCRETE SURROUND WITH SUPER X-FI AND DOLBY DIGITAL LIVE - Supports up to 7.1 discrete and virtual surround with three types of surround sound delivery: 1. Super X-Fi technology that recreates the listening experience of a multi-speaker system in headphone, 2. Sound Blaster Surround Virtualization’s famed surround processing that is driven by algorithms that are capable of optimizing spatial information of incoming audio for a complete and immersive auditory experience, 3. Dolby Digital Live

IMPROVED COMMUNICATION WITH SMARTCOMMS KIT AND CRYSTALVOICE - Features our SmartComms Kit, a suite of smart communication features that simplify the way you take work calls on Windows 10 platform. Turn on VoiceDetect to auto mute and unmute your mic, or get rid of static background noise in your own environment as well as the other parties' via our two-way noise cancellation feature NoiseClean. In tandem, CrystalVoice technology enhances voice for clear recordings and in-game communications

CONNECT WITH EVERYTHING - With a newly added optical-in port, it is now much easier to connect multiple audio devices, from external microphones and headsets, to platforms like your PC, Mac, gaming consoles, and even your multi-channel speaker systems. Just power up the Sound Blaster X4 via the USB-C port, and enjoy high-quality audio with everything. The Sound Blaster X4 is also a headphone amplifier that is capable of driving studio-grade headphones of up to 600Ω

Advanced chipset is designed to process the legendary EAX reverb engine for powerful enhanced audio

Immerse yourself in full cinematic 7.1 multi-channel audio, perfect for games, movies and music

106dB SNR ensures a high level of audio quality and supported operating systems is Windows 8, Windows XP SP2 or higher, Windows Vista SP1 or higher, Windows 7, Windows 10

Easily converts the PC into a cinematic entertainment system by providing a compelling 5.1 surround sound

Advanced Audio Processing with SBX Pro Studio, a suite of Sound Blaster audio processing technologies that let you bring out the best in your audio

Includes the Sound Blaster Audigy Fx Control Panel, PC software that puts you in full control of the SBX Pro Studio suite of technologies

Supports true 7.1 channel audio input signals for realistic virtualization of gaming effects and audio cues with perfect accuracy and positioning

Enhance your gaming experience through the headphone amplifier, capable of driving a wide range of gaming to studio-grade headphones.

Powerful and fully customizable BlasterX Acoustic Engine, powers the Sound BlasterX G1 to deliver various audio enhancements for optimized gameplay

PRISTINE AUDIO CLARITY – With up to 116 dB SNR at an amazing bit rate of up to 24-bit / 192 kHz, enjoy impressive audio quality for your every need. The sound card also features gold-plated connectors, speaker optimization technology, and digital content encoding capability for the best digital audio performance. Coupled with Audio Stream Input / Output (ASIO) support, Sound Blaster Z SE delivers low-latency and high-fidelity audio, even for your recordings

SBX GAMING EQ PROFILES – Emerge as the last man standing with our updated SBX Gaming Profiles for hot titles such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch, PUBG, and more. In-house tuned and optimized to sound the best for the respective games, you can get started right away or further tweak the EQs, instead of having to create the profiles from scratch. Simply select the respective game from our latest Sound Blaster Command software’s menu, and be battle-ready instantly

IMMERSIVE SURROUND SOUND – Get fully immersed and stay focused on your games with our surround sound. The Sound Blaster Z SE now supports 7.1 virtual on headphones and speakers alongside discrete 5.1 for speakers. You can even switch between headphones and your speakers via the software for those times you want to pump the bass, or go stealthier with your headphones. For extra delivery options to your external devices, the Z SE also supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS Encoding

Device Type - Sound card

Interface Type - External

Localization - English