[batfastad]

Hi guys

For ages I used the 3.5mm minijack output on my shuttle box to go to an input on the back of my amplifier.
It worked.
But for various reasons I decided to go for a new soundcard.
Creative Audigy 2 ZS Video Editor
Which I realise is primarily a video-editing box but apparently it has what amounts to an Audigy 2 soundcard inside it - so I realise my setup isn't totally audiophile friendly.
I needed an external USB solution because I'm using a shuttle box and the PCI slot in there has my TV tuner card sat in it.

I have a fairly decent £20 ixos interconnect going from the stereo line outputs on the Audigy 2 ZS Video Editor box, into an input on the back of my amplifier.

The improvement in sound quality has been noticeable since the addition of this Creative Audigy box.

Problem is, if I have my amp turned up to about 3/4 to 2/3rds volume on the dial I can hear a hissing noise.
At that same volume, there is no hissing from my other hifi components (cd player, minidisc deck, cd recorder).
If I turn down the audigy soundcard volume in the system tray, then the hissing does get quieter.

This isn't a major problem, as I never use my amp that loud.

But is that a problem with my set-up? Should I be worried about it?

Is that just an artefact of using a computer as a source component - with all the interference and stuff going on round the machine? (plus my shuttle's wireless antenna is about 10cm from the external sound card box, though moving it doesn't make any difference)

I'm not really concerned about it in terms of playback, but I have started to experiment with recording audio using this Audigy 2 ZS Video Editor box and wondered if this hissing interference would be affecting my recordings.
I want to eventually get rid of my Sony CD recorder (ebay), but I'll hold on to it if it's making a big difference to my recording quality.

Any ideas / opinions?

Thanks

Ben