---
product_id: 1601398
title: "NBA-200U USB External 7.1 Channel Audio Adapter (Black), Windows 7/10/11 only, Drivers Required"
brand: "vantec"
price: "$65.29"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
category: "Vantec"
url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/1601398-nba-200u-usb-external-7-1-channel-audio-adapter-black
store_origin: US
region: United States of America
---

# SPDIF optical digital I/O 7.1 channel surround sound USB 2.0 plug & play NBA-200U USB External 7.1 Channel Audio Adapter (Black), Windows 7/10/11 only, Drivers Required

**Brand:** vantec
**Price:** $65.29
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎶 Elevate your sound game—because average audio is so last decade!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** NBA-200U USB External 7.1 Channel Audio Adapter (Black), Windows 7/10/11 only, Drivers Required by vantec
- **How much does it cost?** $65.29 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/1601398-nba-200u-usb-external-7-1-channel-audio-adapter-black)

## Best For

- vantec enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted vantec brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Pro-Grade Sampling Rates:** Supports 48/44.1 kHz for both playback and recording—perfect for high-fidelity music and content creation.
- • **Crystal-Clear Digital Audio:** SPDIF optical input/output ensures pristine, noise-free sound for audiophiles and pros alike.
- • **Immersive 7.1 Surround Sound:** Transform your audio with rich, multi-dimensional sound that puts you in the center of every scene.
- • **Effortless USB 2.0 Connectivity:** Plug into any USB port—backwards compatible and driver-supported for seamless setup on Windows 7/10/11.
- • **Dual Mic Inputs for Stereo Recording:** Capture true stereo sound with separate left and right microphone jacks, ideal for podcasts and streaming.

## Overview

The Vantec NBA-200U is a compact USB 2.0 external audio adapter delivering true 7.1 channel surround sound with SPDIF optical digital input/output. Compatible with Windows 7, 10, and 11, it supports high-quality 48/44.1 kHz sampling rates for both playback and recording. Designed for professionals and audiophiles seeking enhanced audio clarity, it features separate stereo microphone inputs and easy plug-and-play setup, making it a top-tier upgrade for laptops and desktops alike.

## Description

The Vantec USB External 7.1 Channel Audio Adapter is an amazing audio accessory for any computer or laptop. Simply connect this device to any USB port to enjoy true audio bliss with its amazing 7.1 channel audio technology. Sound will never be the same with full-duplex playback, giving you a cleaner and more dynamic sounding experience. Movies, music, and videos will sound surreal; supporting 48/44.1 KHz sampling rates for not only playbacks but recordings too. Combining high quality audio recording and playback capability, the Vantec USB External 7.1 Channel Audio Adapter is the ideal for anyone looking to take their audio experience to the next level.

Review: Cheap way to add a SPDIF output to a PC / HTPC - One year of use. - One year in. I use a desktop PC as a Home Theater PC (HTPC) that I have plugged into a Yamaha receiver. I was using a Sound Blaster sound card in it and the results were "ok" but not great - a distinct lack of silence when nothing was playing. The receiver has a built in DAC that is better than that on the sound blaster or the one built into the PC. I plugged this little dude into the USB port and connected it to my receiver with an optical cable and: IT WORKS! I'm using Linux and the operating system recognized the device immediately, as did the receiver. Whether I'm playing audio files or the sound from movies I'm watching from desertcart/Netflix/Hulu/etc, the sound is much better than from the SoundBlaster card or the onboard sound circuit in the PC. The biggest downside is that MP3s may sound worse as you can hear the imperfections of compression, so, if you are ripping CDs, make sure you use a lossless encoder like FLAC. There are much more expensive boards for this, but unless you have a dedicated room and VERY highend equipment on the other side of the cable, this is as good of a device as you need to get sound from a PC into a receiver and you can put your extra money toward other things that would give a greater improvement - like better speakers. My Yamaha has 3 digital inputs, and many others do as well. Using an outboard DAC is the best way to get sound out of a PC as the analog circuits are too exposed to electrical noise from the motherboard and accessories. By allowing (in my case) the receiver, which is designed to be as noiseless as possible, you greatly improve the sound quality. I've also noticed the CPU runs slightly less than with the sound blaster. FINAL NOTE: I would NOT buy this for the analog outputs and only bought this as a test in using a SPDIF to DAC on my receiver. I feel the analog ports are no better than the ports built in to the PC. They might come in handy if I needed to use it with the analog ports on a preamp that didn't have a DAC, AND needed to move it often - but there are probably better devices for that use.
Review: BEST.... SOUND CARD.... EVER!!! (Update: 10/6/2014) - WOW!!! I have never been so blown away in my life by such a little device! the drivers are simple and diverse, the sound is absolutely amazing for every genre of music and gaming, plus it is portable and easy to install! The only downside is that a headphone and speaker shouldn't be plugged in at the same time on the device, it doesn't prioritize the headphones. This little device is durable, portable, and sounds fantastic! the cheap price isn't because its discounted, its because its a STEAL! I'm not joking when I say this is completely worth the investment, buy this and take full advantage of your speaker set! Edit 10/6/14: Welp, after over a year, this little card is still satisfying as ever! However, I have some gripes I've found over the initial acquiring of this product: * The sound drivers are only meh. While they offer plenty of options to customize the type of sound, the EQ filters, the environment, and microphone and line-in settings, I've had issues forcing it to remember my profiles! It always tends to self-delete my customizations if I either plug it in to a different USB port, or if I try to reboot my computer. Sometimes it remembers, other times it doesn't. Also the UI of the program is not all that polished, but it is easy to use. * The Microphone is surround input, which means you need a splitter to actually make the audio input stereo instead of mono. There are 2 jacks on the side of the device for microphones, so you either need 2 microphones or 1 microphone with a 2 male --> 1 female 3.5mm splitter. Also, there are no settings for this in the driver program. * The headphones jack does not stop the audio output to the other speakers plugged into the device, so you can't use your headphones without having the other speakers still turn on, which is VERY annoying. Other than those major complaints, it's been working fine for me! Still sounds good, there are no issues with the jacks falling loose or becoming duds, the device is still very easy to use, and the line-in and S/pdif features work very well! Overall, still highly recommend it, but it's not quite as poise and polish as I thought it was when I first purchased it. Still a good value!

## Features

- 7.1 Channel Surround Sound
- Simple USB 2.0 Connection (Backwards Compatible w/ USB 1.1)
- Support 48/44.1 KHz Sampling Rates For Both Playbacks and Recordings
- SPDIF Optical Digital Input And Output
- Separate Left And Right Microphone Inputs For True Stereo Recordings
- Set Vantec as Default Sound System, Refer User Guide and Manual Provided

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B004HXGJ3S |
| Best Sellers Rank | #53 in External Sound Cards |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (962) |
| Date First Available | October 15, 2010 |
| Department | accessories general |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 9.6 ounces |
| Item model number | NBA-200U |
| Manufacturer | Vantec |
| Product Dimensions | 3.94 x 2.28 x 1.02 inches |

## Product Details

- **Color:** Black
- **Compatible Devices:** Desktop, Laptop
- **Connector Type:** USB Type B
- **Item dimensions L x W x H:** 3.94 x 2.28 x 1.02 inches
- **Specific Uses For Product:** personal

## Images

![NBA-200U USB External 7.1 Channel Audio Adapter (Black), Windows 7/10/11 only, Drivers Required - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61BRxr4NsyL.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: ouroboros**
A: The eternal cycle of destruction and new creation.

**Q: Can i input 7.1 or 5.1.2 (preferably via optical) into my pc for surround sound playback? i.e. through virtual surround sound?**
A: Thanks for asking.
If your input is 7.1 or 5.1.2, the answer is no.
If your input is stereo, the answer is yes.

First all optical (SPDIF) are two channel (stereo) period. All 5.1 or 7.1 sources thru optical are first compressed into 5.1 or 7.1 (encoded Dolby Digital/DTS) into 2 channel. It goes to a receiver with DTS or Dolby decoder back into 5.1 or 7.1 to the speakers.

Here is why the answer is no, if your input is in compress 5.1 or 7.1 (encoded), you need a decoder, the NBA-200U is not a decoder for Dolby Digital/DTS, for every audio encoder, there must be an audio decoder. If there is no decoder, when you playback, you will only hear buzzing noise.

If your input is stereo, it is not compressed and the NBA-200U will playback thru virtual Surround sound correctly.

**Q: Is there any way to get Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect to work on this device?  I can't get surround sound when I'm playing games on my laptop.**
A: Dolby Digital and DTS are compressed formats, this device does not support compressed formats.

**Q: Are there any special drivers required for windows home server OS?**
A: Not really sure what do you mean by home server. I use it with Windows 7 x64 and it does not need any 3rd party drivers. The OS recognizes the device automatically, hope it helps

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cheap way to add a SPDIF output to a PC / HTPC - One year of use.
*by D***S on February 10, 2025*

One year in. I use a desktop PC as a Home Theater PC (HTPC) that I have plugged into a Yamaha receiver. I was using a Sound Blaster sound card in it and the results were "ok" but not great - a distinct lack of silence when nothing was playing. The receiver has a built in DAC that is better than that on the sound blaster or the one built into the PC. I plugged this little dude into the USB port and connected it to my receiver with an optical cable and: IT WORKS! I'm using Linux and the operating system recognized the device immediately, as did the receiver. Whether I'm playing audio files or the sound from movies I'm watching from Amazon/Netflix/Hulu/etc, the sound is much better than from the SoundBlaster card or the onboard sound circuit in the PC. The biggest downside is that MP3s may sound worse as you can hear the imperfections of compression, so, if you are ripping CDs, make sure you use a lossless encoder like FLAC. There are much more expensive boards for this, but unless you have a dedicated room and VERY highend equipment on the other side of the cable, this is as good of a device as you need to get sound from a PC into a receiver and you can put your extra money toward other things that would give a greater improvement - like better speakers. My Yamaha has 3 digital inputs, and many others do as well. Using an outboard DAC is the best way to get sound out of a PC as the analog circuits are too exposed to electrical noise from the motherboard and accessories. By allowing (in my case) the receiver, which is designed to be as noiseless as possible, you greatly improve the sound quality. I've also noticed the CPU runs slightly less than with the sound blaster. FINAL NOTE: I would NOT buy this for the analog outputs and only bought this as a test in using a SPDIF to DAC on my receiver. I feel the analog ports are no better than the ports built in to the PC. They might come in handy if I needed to use it with the analog ports on a preamp that didn't have a DAC, AND needed to move it often - but there are probably better devices for that use.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ BEST.... SOUND CARD.... EVER!!! (Update: 10/6/2014)
*by C***N on February 7, 2012*

WOW!!! I have never been so blown away in my life by such a little device! the drivers are simple and diverse, the sound is absolutely amazing for every genre of music and gaming, plus it is portable and easy to install! The only downside is that a headphone and speaker shouldn't be plugged in at the same time on the device, it doesn't prioritize the headphones. This little device is durable, portable, and sounds fantastic! the cheap price isn't because its discounted, its because its a STEAL! I'm not joking when I say this is completely worth the investment, buy this and take full advantage of your speaker set! Edit 10/6/14: Welp, after over a year, this little card is still satisfying as ever! However, I have some gripes I've found over the initial acquiring of this product: * The sound drivers are only meh. While they offer plenty of options to customize the type of sound, the EQ filters, the environment, and microphone and line-in settings, I've had issues forcing it to remember my profiles! It always tends to self-delete my customizations if I either plug it in to a different USB port, or if I try to reboot my computer. Sometimes it remembers, other times it doesn't. Also the UI of the program is not all that polished, but it is easy to use. * The Microphone is surround input, which means you need a splitter to actually make the audio input stereo instead of mono. There are 2 jacks on the side of the device for microphones, so you either need 2 microphones or 1 microphone with a 2 male --> 1 female 3.5mm splitter. Also, there are no settings for this in the driver program. * The headphones jack does not stop the audio output to the other speakers plugged into the device, so you can't use your headphones without having the other speakers still turn on, which is VERY annoying. Other than those major complaints, it's been working fine for me! Still sounds good, there are no issues with the jacks falling loose or becoming duds, the device is still very easy to use, and the line-in and S/pdif features work very well! Overall, still highly recommend it, but it's not quite as poise and polish as I thought it was when I first purchased it. Still a good value!

### ⭐⭐ Review
*by C***L on July 9, 2023*

En connectant le Vantec sur un port USB d'une Shield TV Pro (le nouveau modèle), je pensais pouvoir avoir un son Dolby Digital 5.1 sur la sortie optique. Et bien non ! Stéréo au mieux. Par contre ça fonctionne en le connectant sur le port USB d'un PC sous W10 mais c'est pour moi sans intérêt. Je retournerai donc le produit.

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*Product available on Desertcart United States of America*
*Store origin: US*
*Last updated: 2026-02-22*