"The Vantec 5.1 audio adapter isn't for everyone. If you already have a soundcard in your system capable of outputting 5.1 channels, you probably won't need this, which adds another external device to the mix. However, if you have a laptop or other portable system, most of which only have stereo outputs, this adapter will be helpful, especially if you watch movies a lot and would like to take full advantage of your 5.1 speaker system. Watching movies with a full 5.1 channels is far better than listening to them in down-converted stereo mode. This is the audio adapter's intended use, as it quickly and easily adds 5.1 output support to any system, and does it well."