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USB to optical adapters send digital audio to a receiver or soundbar. Check whether they are one-way.

This guide is built from product listings, not our own testing, so confirm compatibility with your operating system and ports on the product page.

Last updated: October 30, 2026.

Quick Picks

Product Type Best for
Newfame Portable USB External Sound Card 5.1 (SPDIF Optical) USB optical sound card 5.1 channel SPDIF for PC
Optimal Shop 6-Channel External Sound Card USB 5.1 sound card USB 2.0, 5.1 surround
LiNKFOR USB to SPDIF Coaxial RCA and 3.5mm USB to coaxial converter Coax RCA and 3.5mm
XMSJSIY USB to Optical SPDIF and 3.5mm Adapter USB to optical converter Optical plus 3.5mm
Duttek USB to Optical Audio Adapter USB to SPDIF adapter Unidirectional TOSLINK
USB to Optical Audio Adapter Cable (Unidirectional) USB to TOSLINK adapter One-way USB to optical
StarTech USB Sound Card with SPDIF USB sound card with digital out SPDIF digital audio and stereo mic

Our Picks

1. Newfame Portable USB External Sound Card 5.1 (SPDIF Optical)

A portable USB external 5.1 sound card with SPDIF optical output, per the listing. It was listed at about $17 on Amazon.com when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Good for: sending PC audio to a receiver. Strengths: optical output and low price. Weaknesses: lesser-known brand. Skip it if you want analog only.

Check on Amazon

2. Optimal Shop 6-Channel External Sound Card

A 6-channel USB 2.0 external 5.1 surround sound card, per the listing. It was listed at about $18 on Amazon.com when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Good for: budget 5.1. Strengths: low price. Weaknesses: lesser-known brand. Skip it if you want a known brand.

Check on Amazon

3. LiNKFOR USB to SPDIF Coaxial RCA and 3.5mm

A USB to SPDIF coaxial RCA and 3.5mm audio converter supporting PCM, per the listing. It was listed at about $18 on Amazon.com when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Good for: receivers with coaxial inputs. Strengths: coax output. Weaknesses: lesser-known brand. Skip it if you need optical.

Check on Amazon

4. XMSJSIY USB to Optical SPDIF and 3.5mm Adapter

A USB to optical SPDIF Toslink and 3.5mm jack audio adapter converter, per the listing. It was listed at about $19 on Amazon.com when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Good for: consoles and receivers. Strengths: two outputs. Weaknesses: lesser-known brand. Skip it if you want a known brand.

Check on Amazon

5. Duttek USB to Optical Audio Adapter

A unidirectional USB A to SPDIF TOSLINK digital audio adapter, per the listing. It was listed at about $22 on Amazon.com when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Good for: soundbar connections. Strengths: low price. Weaknesses: one-way only. Skip it if you need a mic input.

Check on Amazon

6. USB to Optical Audio Adapter Cable (Unidirectional)

A unidirectional USB to TOSLINK optical audio adapter cable, per the listing. It was listed at about $24 on Amazon.com when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Good for: sending audio to a soundbar or receiver. Strengths: simple output. Weaknesses: one-way only. Skip it if you need a mic input.

Check on Amazon

7. StarTech USB Sound Card with SPDIF

A USB external sound card with SPDIF digital audio and a stereo mic, per the listing.

Good for: digital output to a receiver. Strengths: SPDIF and mic input. Weaknesses: price not confirmed in our check. Skip it if you want the cheapest.

Check on Amazon

How to Choose

Optical vs coax

Match your receiver input.

One-way

Many adapters only output.

Console use

Check console support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these work with PS4?

Check the listing.

Which is best?

See Quick Picks.

Optical or analog?

Optical is digital.

Bottom Line

For 5.1, the Newfame. For simple output, the Duttek. For coax, the LiNKFOR.

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