Difference Between a USB DAC And a USB Sound Card

The word "DAC" is often used to describe an external digital-to-analog converter with an integrated headphone amplifier—a device such as the one pictured above. The same wording is regularly used for a USB sound card. However, a USB sound card is a significantly more elaborate device than a USB DAC with an integrated headphone amplifier.


Both a DAC and a headphone amplifier are essential parts of a sound card (pictured above). However, compared to "just" a DAC with an integrated headphone amp, a sound card also offers a microphone input and accompanying electronics (analog-to-digital converter, ADC), as well as line-level speaker outputs, which support stereo and potentially even surround speaker configurations. Better ones also come with an optical input and output, as well as sound mixing capabilities. Last but not least, any sound card worth its salt is accompanied by a software driver containing a host of useful features, such as a system-wide equalizer, DSP sound profiles, virtual surround sound technologies, and much more.

In short, USB DACs and sound cards aren't intended for the same users. If a microphone input and various useful extra features are what you're after, then a proper sound card is the only option for you. Luckily, modern USB sound cards don't fall behind dedicated DACs with integrated headphone amps even in terms of power output and overall sound quality, so our lives are that much simpler.