It is important to have the best optical card for pc. Let’s take you step by step, type by type, and find the best optical card forpc or you.

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Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Buy: Creative Sound Card READ REVIEW

Best With Headphone Amplifier: Buy: Asus Bit Audio READ REVIEW

Best For Great Quality: Buy: Creative Optical Card For Pc READ REVIEW

Best For Music: Buy: Asus Optical Card For Pc READ REVIEW

Best For Analog Output: Buy: Startech Optical Card For Pc READ REVIEW

Best For Great Price: Buy: Ht Omega Sound Card READ REVIEW

Best For Easy Install: Buy: Ht Omega Optical Card For Pc READ REVIEW

Best Overall: Creative Sound Card

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The Creative Sound Card is the best feature-rich card on the market today. The creative sound card has bass management, is more dynamic and it is all around. 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. Also, it is great for awesome sound quality and it comes with good packaging.

The card runs the cd, installed easily and it is made with exceptional quality. Above all, the creative sound card comes with an expanded list of optimized headphone profiles for the latest headphone models.

Most customers quickly discovered that the card would be addressed in the next build. Moreover, a few strongly agree that the card is not compatible with high quality USB headsets. Also, they strongly agree that this card sounds great and has a nice convenient headphone / mic pod. In short, at the price, they believe that they got a steal of a deal with it.

• This card sounds very unnatural / metallic / hissy compared to the xonar DX.
• This works with any decent speakers, subs and headphones.
• This is great audio for Windows 7/8 and Mint.
• This is No 10 compatible and it is great for immersive surround sound.

Best With Headphone Amplifier: Asus Bit Audio

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The Asus Bit Audio is satisfactory and appropriate and fits well with your daily purpose. The Asus bit audio is inexpensive and it is incredible. Exclusive hyper grounding technology ensures effective noise-blocking, and reduces audio distortion and cross-over interference. Further, the card provides a user-friendly experience via an inviting and intuitive interface.

The card allows the xonar to fit perfectly into most systems. Further, this makes for easy install and it is great for gaming. Lastly, the Asus bit audio is noise free and it is best for detailed sound.

Almost all customers opine that the card is important to install the Asus driver and software anyway. Moreover, a few also found that the card has a stereo mix button in the interface. Moreover, they also found that the card is compatible with older (before 2010) pci. Overall, at the price, they believe that they got a steal of a deal with it.

• Connect front panel audio to the onboard header for easy access.
• This is definitely the right choice.
• This works with win 10 plus it is a great price for snr alone.
• This is good as an onboard spdif optical but it doesn't.

Best For Great Quality: Creative Optical Card For Pc

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Not everyone likes to purchase a card for their daily usage, but the creative optical card for PC would be an anomoly. The creative optical card for PC is great for front panel header and it is perfect for game controllers. It also features a SNR of 106db and the sound blaster audigy rx control panel, a dedicated PC software that allows you full control of every aspect of your sound card. The sound blaster audigy rx is an advanced sound card that represents the perfect upgrade from basic motherboard audio to immersive cinematic surround sound.

The card is black and it allows for low latency. Further, the card is made for easy installation, installed easily and it allows for good sound quality. Lastly, the creative optical card for PC allows full audio customization plus provides studio - grade monitoring.

Most customers opine that the card is another night and day difference better than the realtek alc892. Moreover, they strongly agree that the card does not have the optical digital output noise problem and is a real step up in audio quality. Moreover, a few also found that the card fits all sorts of things.

• This has decent output, it certainly sounds good with Philips Fidelio x1s.
• This allows for easy install, is inexpensive and it allows for full install.
• This comes with even calls it an audigy 5 lol, printed in bold font.
• This works well with pci passthrough on Arch Linux.

Best For Music: Asus Optical Card For Pc

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We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention Asus optical card for PC for regular use. The asus opticalcard for PC is perfect for those who are hearing impaired, or want to have a sci-fi style radar. Stylized on board lighting adds an aura of your hunter's instinct to your building. Kindly refer to the user manual given below for troubleshooting steps. And, this features a sonic radar pro for in-game overlay visualizing incoming audio positioning.

Finally, the asus optical cardfor PC allows for easy installing and it is perfect for front panel header.

Almost all customers quickly discovered that the card is a good card for music and occasional games. And, they also found that the card has a good headphone IC with select-able amp settings while the sound blaster z in the same price range does not. In addition, a few say that the card comes with loudness equalization capability when the strix soar does not.

• The card requires a 6 pin plug, and will not work without it.
• This comes with a shroud for good appearance and handling protection.
• This can make the shittiest of headsets sound good.
• This $ 99 card fares against its upgraded $ 400 + cousin.

Best For Analog Output: Startech Optical Card For Pc

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Startech offers a variety of cards for personal choice and yet maintains quality in all the variants. The startech optical card for PC is configured with standard profile brackets and includes low-profile (half-height) brackets. The 7.1 channel surround sound card is easy to install. The versatile sound card can be used with a variety of audio devices.

The card is compatible with a stereo microphone and it worked the first time. Lastly, the startech opticalcard for computers is backed by a startech.com 2-year warranty and free lifetime technical support.

Almost all buyers agree that the card includes drivers for it and also has drivers for Windows XP to Windows 8. In addition, they also found that the card comes with similar software and is truly plug and play. Also, a few also found that the sound card will continue to output sound through the 8 audio channels.

• Add hi-fi digital optical 71 surround sound to your computer through pcie.
• Supports digital optical or analog audio devices through spdif or 3.5mm jacks.
• This is perfectly out-of-the-box in windows 10.
• Look for startech branded packaging to ensure you are getting a genuine startech product.

Best For Great Price: Ht Omega Sound Card

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The omega sound card should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. The HT omega sound card provides up to 7.1ch surround sound through analog, optical and coaxial outputs. Anti-pop circuitry and front panel audio support are built-in along with a gold plated rca connector for coaxial digital output up to 192khz. In addition, the card is used for each analog channel with a swappable socket type opamp at the front channel out. Lastly, the high omega sound card is incredible and it is inexpensive.

Most buyers agree that the card is used to connect to an older video card with an internal 2-wire s/pdif header. And, they say that the card is far from the price of one as well. Moreover, a few say that this is one of the rare currently produced PCIE audio cards with both toslink s / pdif in / out and a coaxial s / pdif out. To sum up, many customers have used the HT omega sound cardfor more than a few months without any issues, and it shows no sign of giving up.

• Headphone amplifer opamp through front panel audio.
• Built-in front panel audio pin for audio connection.
• The sound card can be connected to a device with a spdif input.
• Up to 24 bit / 192 khz sample rate.

Best For Easy Install: Ht Omega Optical Card For Pc

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The omega optical card for PC is capable of outshining several other cards featured in this list in overall features for the price point. The HT omega optical card for PC provides up to 7.1ch analog outputs, optical input/output, coaxial output, 2pin digital input and 2pin digital output onboard. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. Further, it works with lots of detail and it would be perfect with great customer support. Above all, the omega optical card for PC allows for easy installing and its sound is incredible.

Almost all buyers opine that the card has the software to run on your operating system. And, a few say that the card can generate a dolby digital signal from all internal sources. And, a few also found that the card is good as hdmi but can work without a video signal. In conclusion, at the price, they believe that they got a steal of a deal with it.

• The bundled audio control software will really make this card shine even more.
• This card handily bested the similarly priced offerings from emu and m - audio.
• This is a high quality sound card that works great.
• The card is pci and you have 2 pci slots on that board.