---
product_id: 9097117
title: "Aluminum USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed. [Silver] (AU-EMAC)"
brand: "sabrent"
price: "R348"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
category: "Sabrent"
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/9097117-aluminum-usb-external-stereo-sound-adapter-for-windows-and-mac
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# Plug & Play USB Convenience 48KHz/44.1KHz Hi-Res Audio Premium Rugged Aluminum Build Aluminum USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed. [Silver] (AU-EMAC)

**Brand:** sabrent
**Price:** R348
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎧 Elevate your audio game—because your sound deserves the spotlight.

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Aluminum USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed. [Silver] (AU-EMAC) by sabrent
- **How much does it cost?** R348 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/9097117-aluminum-usb-external-stereo-sound-adapter-for-windows-and-mac)

## Best For

- sabrent enthusiasts

## Why This Product

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

## Key Features

- • **Universal Compatibility:** Seamlessly works with Windows, Mac, and even Linux-based Chromebooks for versatile use anywhere.
- • **Compact & Portable Design:** Lightweight and pocket-friendly, take premium sound quality wherever your work or passion leads.
- • **Zero-Setup USB Plug & Play:** Instantly upgrade your laptop’s audio without drivers—just plug in and immerse yourself.
- • **Sleek, Rugged Aluminum Housing:** Designed to perfectly complement your MacBook or ultrabook with durable, premium metal casing.
- • **Crystal-Clear 48KHz Stereo Sound:** Experience high-fidelity audio with 16-bit resolution for your professional and creative needs.

## Overview

The Sabrent Aluminum USB External Stereo Sound Adapter (AU-EMAC) delivers crisp 48KHz/44.1KHz 16-bit stereo audio through a rugged aluminum chassis. Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, it offers effortless plug-and-play functionality with no drivers required. Perfect for professionals seeking a sleek, portable upgrade to laptop audio, it ensures detailed, distortion-free sound output in a compact form factor.

## Description

desertcart.com: Sabrent Aluminum USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed. [Silver] (AU-EMAC) : Electronics

Review: WOW! This thing sounds smooth, detailed and very nice !!!!! - This lovely metal encased USB external "sound card" pleasantly surprised me. The metal case is sturdy aluminum and not just a thin metal wrapping over plastic. The device uses a * single-chip * C-Media CM108 audio processor solution to handle the audio processing. Everything, and I mean everything, is handled on a single chip, including the 48 KHz DAC, USB hardware protocols, crystal clocking, synchronization, headphone amplification... everything. You can google more info on the C-Media CM108 chip to view all the technical specs. It's an impressive chip considering its low price and how well it can process digital audio. In summary, it was a simple plug-n-play operation to use it, no software required. I hooked it up to the USB port on my MacPro running OSX 10.9 and selected "USB Audio Device" in the "Sound" system prefs panel for audio output. What shocked me was the quality of the sound out of this little device, which was very good -- highly detailed but at the same time smooth and lush. No signs of any distortion or clipping became evident even when driving the audio output to its maximum limits. I think the quality of this detailed but smooth and lush sound may be due to the monolithic "one-chip" solution which keeps clocking time lags down to the bare minimum due to the ultra-short signal paths. I first tried the device with a pair of lightweight, inexpensive Panasonic headphones (32 ohms) and loved how well things sounded with a 320-kbps MP3 audio stream. OK, that was unexpectedly good, so time to push this one-chip CM108 solution a bit more to see what it can do. Next, I had it drive my large Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro headphones (250 ohms). At this level of impedance you typically need to start thinking about using a high powered, dedicated headphone amp that can fully "grab" the phones and make them perform to spec. While the sound coming out of the DT-990 Pros was a tad lacking, it wasn't as bad as I had expected. Very listenable with the bass just a little bit short in the area of fast attacks. No signs of any background hiss or distortion and plenty of volume, too. I'm impressed! Would I use this $7 USB audio device to power a pair of large, high-end headphones? No, that would be a disservice to what a pair of truly high-end headphone can deliver. However, for the $7 bucks I paid for this little gem, it's truly amazing. I'm going to see if it works on my Acer Chromebook, too, since it says that it supports Linux. If so, then it would be a way to get much better sound from an inexpensive Chromebook laptop. Downsides? Well, as one poster mentioned, it appears to only have a mono-microphone input. This may be a problem for people who want to use this device for making stereo recordings. Also, if you are into experimenting with Software Defined Radios (SDR), then the lack of stereo input means this device cannot handle an I/Q data input stream required to process SDR demodulation. Also, I noticed that the L/R channels appeared to be reversed in their positions. I suspect the L/R wires to the output jack may have been incorrectly connected by the assemblers in China. None of this is an issue if you you are just looking for a small, sturdy, high quality device to drive a pair of moderately priced headphones. It can do that in spades and does it extremely well. Highly recommended. UPDATE 12-05-2014: It works seamlessly with my Acer 720 Chromebook !!!! I simply plugged it into the USB 3.0 port on the right side of my Acer 720 Chromebook and then adjusted the volume level in "Settings". No software required. Sound immediately went from the internal sound jack to the analog output of this small USB audio device. I took the analog output of this USB device and then fed it into a small, dedicated headphone amp -- the Topping NX1 -- and then into my Koss DJ100 headphones. The sound was heavenly. If you are looking for an easy means of increasing the quality of the sound from an inexpensive Chromebook, I can verify that this device works without a hitch on an Acer 720 Chromebook. Sweet!
Review: Did end up receiving a faulty unit with swapped audio channels; Customer service replaced without a fuss - Updated 5/11/15: Audio quality may actually be worse than your current setup, something I've noticed for a while but finally got around to writing here. Strong highs and clamped lows can make your music, videos, or games sound sharper and weaker, depending on what you're playing and your headphones. This isn't immediately noticeable and is clearly not severe enough to turn me or others off, but this should be taken into consideration. All other impressions still stand about 2 months later. --- + Build quality feels solid and compact with nice presentation + Virtually no setup required to use + Customer service is excellent (details below) - (Update 5/11/15) Sound quality can be worse than current motherboards/sound cards with weak bass and sharper treble - No custom Sabrent drivers to customize sound input/output processing This has a nicer metallic presentation and build quality than what is expected from the plastic, black one Sabrent also offers. It is fairly large, certainly larger than I could picture from the images (which are not, by any means, inaccurate), whereas the plastic version looks more combat. Otherwise, make sure you have a USB port that won't conflict with anything used exclusively by wireless receivers or external hard drives, though a USB extension cable is conveniently provided if needed. The sound quality going in and out initially sounds exactly as it should be: it doesn't sound any better or worse than it should for 48 KHz stereo output and 44.1 KHz mono input. Depending on what you're listening to and your previous setup for sound, you may find that this outputs noticeably worse. For a cheap and reliable device of this nature, this shouldn't be an issue to most though (since audiophiles should seek repair or sound card replacement). However, there are alternative sound adapters that may have better audio quality if this is something that is unacceptable to you. I do wish that there were a driver provided that extends the software-side functionality of this adapter since Windows' only option is Automatic Gain Control, but I appreciate that it can be easily initialized and plug-and-played. To say the least, this is absolutely phenomenal given the price, compared to several other general-purpose USB audio adapters that I also considered. Do note that faulty units with swapped L/R stereo channels still seem to be out there. I received the order quickly from Store4PC, and was disappointed to find that the issue echoed in many reviews appeared in the one I was shipped and that posts about the problem already being fixed didn't apply. However, I sent one email about the issue to andrew@sabrent.com, who posts on virtually every negative review about product defects. I didn't see any signs of follow-up from other customers, but the experience was actually very painless and helpful. I received a reply almost exactly 24 hours later notifying that a replacement would be shipped immediately. I received the replacement unit as quickly as the original one from the same seller, barring the weekend wait. The replacement fixes the swapped channels and looks and functions exactly the same otherwise! Very surprising and pleasant experience with this product and company. Will continue to update if there are any abnormal issues with longevity or build quality, but it appears to be a very solid product that is very easy to recommend.

## Features

- Premium Aluminum Ruggedized Housing matches the Macbook/Ultrabook
- High Quality Audio (In/Out) at 48KHz/44.1KHz sampling rate with 16-Bit Resolution
- Plug and Play Functionality, Including 2foot Extension USB cable

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B00OJ5AV8I |
| Audio Output Mode | Stereo, Surround Sound |
| Best Sellers Rank | #58 in External Sound Cards |
| Brand | SABRENT |
| Built-In Media | AU-EMAC |
| Compatible Devices | Laptop |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,772 Reviews |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00819921011688, 05580007501113 |
| Hardware Connectivity | USB |
| Hardware Interface | USB |
| Hardware Platform | Laptops |
| Item Dimensions L x W x H | 1.7"L x 0.4"W x 1.1"H |
| Item Weight | 1 ounces |
| Manufacturer | Sabrent |
| Maximum Sample Rate | 48 KHz |
| Mfr Part Number | AU-EMAC |
| Model Name | USB auf Klinke 3,5 mm |
| Model Number | AU-EMAC |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Platform | Windows |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 98 db |
| Surround Sound Channel Configuration | 2 1 |
| UPC | 819921011688 801947371822 |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Warranty Description | 1 Year Limited |

## Product Details

- **Audio Output Mode:** Stereo, Surround Sound
- **Brand:** SABRENT
- **Compatible Devices:** Laptop
- **Hardware Interface:** USB
- **Platform:** Windows

## Images

![Aluminum USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed. [Silver] (AU-EMAC) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/4101SudLsuL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ WOW! This thing sounds smooth, detailed and very nice !!!!!
*by A***E on November 25, 2014*

This lovely metal encased USB external "sound card" pleasantly surprised me. The metal case is sturdy aluminum and not just a thin metal wrapping over plastic. The device uses a * single-chip * C-Media CM108 audio processor solution to handle the audio processing. Everything, and I mean everything, is handled on a single chip, including the 48 KHz DAC, USB hardware protocols, crystal clocking, synchronization, headphone amplification... everything. You can google more info on the C-Media CM108 chip to view all the technical specs. It's an impressive chip considering its low price and how well it can process digital audio. In summary, it was a simple plug-n-play operation to use it, no software required. I hooked it up to the USB port on my MacPro running OSX 10.9 and selected "USB Audio Device" in the "Sound" system prefs panel for audio output. What shocked me was the quality of the sound out of this little device, which was very good -- highly detailed but at the same time smooth and lush. No signs of any distortion or clipping became evident even when driving the audio output to its maximum limits. I think the quality of this detailed but smooth and lush sound may be due to the monolithic "one-chip" solution which keeps clocking time lags down to the bare minimum due to the ultra-short signal paths. I first tried the device with a pair of lightweight, inexpensive Panasonic headphones (32 ohms) and loved how well things sounded with a 320-kbps MP3 audio stream. OK, that was unexpectedly good, so time to push this one-chip CM108 solution a bit more to see what it can do. Next, I had it drive my large Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro headphones (250 ohms). At this level of impedance you typically need to start thinking about using a high powered, dedicated headphone amp that can fully "grab" the phones and make them perform to spec. While the sound coming out of the DT-990 Pros was a tad lacking, it wasn't as bad as I had expected. Very listenable with the bass just a little bit short in the area of fast attacks. No signs of any background hiss or distortion and plenty of volume, too. I'm impressed! Would I use this $7 USB audio device to power a pair of large, high-end headphones? No, that would be a disservice to what a pair of truly high-end headphone can deliver. However, for the $7 bucks I paid for this little gem, it's truly amazing. I'm going to see if it works on my Acer Chromebook, too, since it says that it supports Linux. If so, then it would be a way to get much better sound from an inexpensive Chromebook laptop. Downsides? Well, as one poster mentioned, it appears to only have a mono-microphone input. This may be a problem for people who want to use this device for making stereo recordings. Also, if you are into experimenting with Software Defined Radios (SDR), then the lack of stereo input means this device cannot handle an I/Q data input stream required to process SDR demodulation. Also, I noticed that the L/R channels appeared to be reversed in their positions. I suspect the L/R wires to the output jack may have been incorrectly connected by the assemblers in China. None of this is an issue if you you are just looking for a small, sturdy, high quality device to drive a pair of moderately priced headphones. It can do that in spades and does it extremely well. Highly recommended. UPDATE 12-05-2014: It works seamlessly with my Acer 720 Chromebook !!!! I simply plugged it into the USB 3.0 port on the right side of my Acer 720 Chromebook and then adjusted the volume level in "Settings". No software required. Sound immediately went from the internal sound jack to the analog output of this small USB audio device. I took the analog output of this USB device and then fed it into a small, dedicated headphone amp -- the Topping NX1 -- and then into my Koss DJ100 headphones. The sound was heavenly. If you are looking for an easy means of increasing the quality of the sound from an inexpensive Chromebook, I can verify that this device works without a hitch on an Acer 720 Chromebook. Sweet!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Did end up receiving a faulty unit with swapped audio channels; Customer service replaced without a fuss
*by A***N on March 17, 2015*

Updated 5/11/15: Audio quality may actually be worse than your current setup, something I've noticed for a while but finally got around to writing here. Strong highs and clamped lows can make your music, videos, or games sound sharper and weaker, depending on what you're playing and your headphones. This isn't immediately noticeable and is clearly not severe enough to turn me or others off, but this should be taken into consideration. All other impressions still stand about 2 months later. --- + Build quality feels solid and compact with nice presentation + Virtually no setup required to use + Customer service is excellent (details below) - (Update 5/11/15) Sound quality can be worse than current motherboards/sound cards with weak bass and sharper treble - No custom Sabrent drivers to customize sound input/output processing This has a nicer metallic presentation and build quality than what is expected from the plastic, black one Sabrent also offers. It is fairly large, certainly larger than I could picture from the images (which are not, by any means, inaccurate), whereas the plastic version looks more combat. Otherwise, make sure you have a USB port that won't conflict with anything used exclusively by wireless receivers or external hard drives, though a USB extension cable is conveniently provided if needed. The sound quality going in and out initially sounds exactly as it should be: it doesn't sound any better or worse than it should for 48 KHz stereo output and 44.1 KHz mono input. Depending on what you're listening to and your previous setup for sound, you may find that this outputs noticeably worse. For a cheap and reliable device of this nature, this shouldn't be an issue to most though (since audiophiles should seek repair or sound card replacement). However, there are alternative sound adapters that may have better audio quality if this is something that is unacceptable to you. I do wish that there were a driver provided that extends the software-side functionality of this adapter since Windows' only option is Automatic Gain Control, but I appreciate that it can be easily initialized and plug-and-played. To say the least, this is absolutely phenomenal given the price, compared to several other general-purpose USB audio adapters that I also considered. Do note that faulty units with swapped L/R stereo channels still seem to be out there. I received the order quickly from Store4PC, and was disappointed to find that the issue echoed in many reviews appeared in the one I was shipped and that posts about the problem already being fixed didn't apply. However, I sent one email about the issue to andrew@sabrent.com, who posts on virtually every negative review about product defects. I didn't see any signs of follow-up from other customers, but the experience was actually very painless and helpful. I received a reply almost exactly 24 hours later notifying that a replacement would be shipped immediately. I received the replacement unit as quickly as the original one from the same seller, barring the weekend wait. The replacement fixes the swapped channels and looks and functions exactly the same otherwise! Very surprising and pleasant experience with this product and company. Will continue to update if there are any abnormal issues with longevity or build quality, but it appears to be a very solid product that is very easy to recommend.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good product from Sabrent that's essentially plug-and-play. Fixes my driver-switching habits from speakers to headphones.
*by L***S on November 19, 2016*

I have an HP ENVY 15 with Windows 10 which puts out phenomenal sound out of the external speakers, but plugging into the headphone jack creates terrible fluctuation in sound. This can be attributed to the Beats Audio driver and HP not updating their driver to fix this horrible flaw. I didn't want to have to continuously switch drivers via Device Manager every time I wanted to plug in my headphones to my laptop. So, I decided to look into getting an USB external sound adapter. I decided to purchase this one because of its reviews, and it worked just as reviews have mentioned. The driver installs the moment it is plugged in, and it's essentially plug-and-play after the installed driver.. The sound quality is great as I've used it for listening to movies and music. I have not used the mic, and probably won't since I only bought this for its headphone connectivity. I only have two minor issues with this sound adapter. First, it installs separate drivers for each USB port it is plugged into. I have 3 USB ports; for every port I plug this USB sound adapter, it creates a driver for it in Device Manager. This can possibly create a conflict between sound drivers. Also, it does not sit flush in my laptop on the USB port I want to use. On my ENVY, there's one USB port on the right side of the laptop--the port I want to use for plugging it into. Because of its body shape when plugged into the left side, which has 2 USB ports, the USB sound adapter would block the other USB port. Because of these two minor issues, I deduct a star. Otherwise, it serves its purpose very well for me.

## Frequently Bought Together

- SABRENT Aluminum USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed. [Silver] (AU-EMAC)
- SABRENT USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed. (AU-MMSA)
- SABRENT Aluminum USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and Play No Drivers Needed [Black] (AU-EMCB)

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-08-25*