I’ve got a PC hooked up to the TV set in my living room. It’s handy for looking at Web sites on a big screen, adding to the Computer Blog (as I’m doing right now!) and especially for watching video clips on the Internet.

One problem, though: The audio output of my Asus Aspire L100 PC is a little low for the input of my TV set, and cranking up the TV audio introduces unwanted noise into the listening experience.

While that’s tolerable for brief YouTube clips and such, with the advent of Web sites like Hulu that let you view complete TV episodes and even full-length movies, I wanted to improve my computer’s audio output.

Unfortunately for me, the L100 is a mini-desktop, about the size of an encyclopedia volume and with no room inside for a replacement or supplemental audio card.

 Then I found the Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro USB Sound Card at the CompUSA Outlet Store in Plano. As the name suggests, it plugs into your USB port and effectively provides you with a new sound card.

The Audio Advantage is about the size of a USB memory stick and almost as easy to use (you do have to install some drivers to make it work, but it is designed for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X computers). It’s powered by the USB connection; no AC supply or batteries are needed.

There’s just one output on the Audio Advantage Micro, a 1/8 inch stereo headphone-style jack (the same kind you’ll find on every PC), but the AAM also comes with an adapter that lets you plug in a standard optical digital cable to a surround-sound receiver.

I don’t have one of those, but the Control Panel software provided with the Turtle Beach device lets you select from a variety of simulated surround sound effects that can improve the listening experience with a standard two-speaker setup. I tried them, but was well satisfied with the default settings. Turtle Beach says the effects are especially effective with headphones, but my goal was to get better sound on my TV.

And I did.

This $30 upgrade was all I needed to create a more cinematic audio experience with my viewing setup. It makes all the difference when watching program-length clips on the Web; the Audio Advantage Micro boosts the volume level and generates a noiseless soundtrack. As a bonus, I can detach it from my living room setup and pop it in my computer bag for improved mobile listening with my laptop.

Be sure to check out this product if you have a PC that needs a sound boost.