Best sub 80 dollar choice for sound cards?

I've got the Creative Sound Blaster X-FI HD external  sound card; and, I'm real happy  with it. I cannot distinguish source direct to my HT from  itunes  to HT via X-FI HD.

Do you care about 5.1 sound?

If not, why not get a cheap external DAC such as the Bheringer UCA202.

For the price of lower than $40 at most places, I say it's a good buy. Many people say for the price it's a pretty decent DAC.

What do you want do do? For listening to music files on your home stereo you will either need  a DAC (digital audio converter) to convert USB output from PC to analog, which your home stereo can receive through an RCA tape input, or you will need a USB to coax or optical S/PDIF converter, to send a digital signal directly to your home stereos internal digital receiver, if your stereo receiver or integrated amp has one. The X-FI HD can do either; plus, it has a headphone jack  and volume control, so if just listening to headphones is all you want to do you can. In other words, the external sound card is a very versatile interface, allowing you to listen as you wish. One more thing, the X-FI HD also allows for either digital or analog signals from your home stereo to be sent to the PC. For example you can digitize your LP collection and store them in something like iTunes, or copy DAT to PC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egaku 

Hello,

 

I'm looking to buy a sound card to replace my integrated audio, there are the choices I've stumbled across so far:

 

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=40&item_id=028753

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=40&item_id=014775

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=40&item_id=013380

 

I understand that this price range won't get me very good audio, but at least it's worth replacing the dreaded integrated sound (I have an old mobo).

 

Do you recommend any other choices around the range? I don't really mind paying a bit more if theres any outstanding choices!

 

OFF TOPIC QUESTION:

I don't know about you guys, but my iPod Touch 3rd Gen seems to sound better than my integrated sound.. It actually seems like its playing music rather than just sound (integrated audio). Is there a logical explanation for this? just curious c:

 

Thanks!

Ipods generally have much better DACs and HP amps then intergrated sound cards, most of them also have a very low noise floor and very good THD figures. most intergrated sound cards are junk. if you play a low frequency test tone (like 30hz or 40hz) on a cheapo intergrated soundcard you will hear ringing, buzzing, or other things that are not a pure sine wave. Ipods can reproduce sine waves very cleanly. in my experience the sine wave tests are the best way to judge audible THD from different sources. i use the low frequency sines because its much easier to hear the higher frequency harmonics produced by the source in contrast to the low frequency tone. some really bad soundcards even have a less then flat response, i had an intergrated soundcard that would not produce sound above 17khz or below 40hz without extremely noticeable noise, ipods will play all the way from 10hz to 25khz flat with low distortion.
 

anything with a headphone output has a headphone amp in it, it's just a matter of how powerful that amp really is. most soundcards i've seen can drive headphones of higher impedances like 300ohms. unfortunately most companies fail to provide power output specifications. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egaku 

Thank you for your thorough explanation (:

 

I guess it's between the Xonar DS and Xonar DG for me, is the DS give better overall sound quality?

 

Also does the DS have a headphone amp? Just making sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Egaku 

Well I just got the Xonar DS and it sounds awesome.. However..

 

The CD that came with it doesn't work, it doesnt show up in my CD drive.

 

If that doesn't work, how do I get the Xonar DS Audio Center to enable GX 2.5?

http://support.asus.com/Download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=Xonar%20DS&p=21&s=1