Portable speakers and a slot for headphones broke. What exactly is a USB sound card?

I had my headphones connected but then tripped over the cord of the laptop, making it fall to the ground and land on the headphone jack something that causes the inner arch. No speakers or headphones are working, leaving me without sound. I am a poor student can not buy a new laptop and I expect a hefty repair bill will cost more than you can afford. I found a "Startech Stereo Virtual 7.1 USB audio adapter card external sound" at Amazon for around £ 10. What is exactly is it? I want something that will plug into a USB port and produces a wonderful thing that is known as sound. Preferably with a slot for headphones. I am not particularly concerned about the sound quality fantastic. Is this what?

USB sound card's audio chip similar to your laptop. the issue you describe is exactly what you need, but 10 pounds is a lot, this one will do what you want:

Creative X-Fi USB 5.1 Surround Sound Card Unboxing

Duracell Powerhouse USB Charger with Lithium ion battery / includes universal cable with USB and mini USB, $49.99 The Duracell Powerhouse Charger offers big time power from a portable charger. It can charge two USB compatible devices at once, including your iPod, BlackBerry or Motorola phone. Recharge it over and over again by simply plugging into your computer’s USB port. Get up to ten hours of extra power for your devices (Based on 680 mAh cell phone. Results vary based on device and usage patterns)….

Crystal Blue USB 2.0 Audio External 5.1 3D Audio Sound Adapter for PC Desktops, Notebooks, or Laptops Brand-new factory fresh and shipped in a plain, clear plastic, no frills ziplock bag. Yet still another amazing USB wonder! Every now and then someone needs a fix for the audio on a notebook PC that has died. No way to do that because it is integrated on the motherboard. You are going to find out quickly that the expense of buying a new motherboard is prohibited and simply doesn’t make a lot of se…

In-Win Case BL631.300TBL Microatx Slim Desktop Black 300W 1×5.25 External Bays USB HD Audio $74.99 Thermal Solutions — Intel Lanyu Ref.Design ,Partition Plate Cooling Tech (PPCT).Safety — Meets RoHS, CE, FCC Class B requirements.Security — Padlock loop / Kensington Lock.Optional — 8cm side fan / IR / IEEE 1394 / Removable air filter/ Chassis intrusion switch….

SanDisk 16GB Cruzer USB Flash Drive $8.90 Sandisk 16GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive SDCZ36-016G-A11 USB Flash Drives…

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TP-Link TL-WN722N 150Mbps High Gain Wireless USB Adapter $12.94 TP-LINK Technologies TL-WN722N IEEE 802.11n (draft) – Wi-Fi Adapter TL-WN722N Network Adapters – Wireless…

Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Amigo II USB Sound Card & Headset Adapter $21.09 Voyetra Turtle Beach TBS-1155 Sound Board TBS-1155 Sound Cards…

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Zoom 3095 USB Mini External Modem – USB – 1 x RJ-11 Phone Line – 56 Kbps $42.70 Zoom 3095 USB Mini External Modem 3095-00-00G Modems…

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