[fusedpro]

I'm in the market for a new sound card. My main activites include watching anime/movies, listening to music, and some light gaming (Team Fortress 2). Right now I have an X-Fi Xtremegamer but I want something better. I'm looking at HT Omega's Claro or RAZER Barracuda, both seem wonderful but I'm not sure. I'm trying to avoid Creative after that whole driver ordeal so yeah... If you have any recommendations, let me know.

I'd like to keep the price, well, as cheap as possible, preferably under the $150 mark. On another forum I was recommended this:
AUDIOTRAK - Prodigy 7.1 HiFi

Never heard of the brand or card before so once again I'm unsure. If anything, I'm a complete audio newbie but can tell a difference in quality, sound-wise, so, yeah, guidance is needed. Last thing I can think of saying is that I want to avoid modding of any sort.

 

[Operandi]

No point in going overboard with the source (soundcard in your case) when you'll be using Logitech speakers. No matter what soundcard you go with the Logitech's will be the weakest link in your system.

Note, I'm not putting your speakers down. I'm currently using my Logitech's and will be for awhile yet but musical reproduction is not a characteristic of multimedia speakers, Logitech included.

 

[fusedpro]

That's fine by me by all means. I know these speakers aren't the best on the market and I'm not really asking for anything audiophilistic, just something better than what I currently have. No real loss in me swapping out the Xtremegamer in case you're implying just stick with what I have, my friend is waiting to buy it off me for a good chunk of money in return.

 

[[L]es]

stick with it.. you can't find anything that's a good match for your logitech other than that.

 

[Shahrose]

the HT omega claro PLUS or the x-fi prelude are your best bet. the claro plus sounds slightly better with music but the prelude gives you much better performance in games.

 

[Akabeth]

The above ^ posts are quite true

I also own the Z-5500, and I can attest that I don't listen music with them... Perhaps, only Trance music and some rock songs.

I think this speaker is designed for gaming. It has pronounced bass, almost overpowering for the Z-5500 (just look at the subwoofer for this). I use this a lot with 360 and pc and it suits my use. You won't get much out of the midrange from those speakers... which is pretty munch the majority of music listening :\

When I do critical music listening in PC, I have always used headphones, period. Soon enough, when all my components are bought/shipped I probably won't be spending much time with the X-Fi Elite Pro headphone jack. It'll go through RSA Predator's DAC. Though for the majority, it'll be iPod>LOD>Pred.>Headphone setup.

 

[Hookem]

If you have your extreme gamer sold and can move to the Audiotrak for cheap I would jump on it.

Floridamusic has good prices on the HD2 and sells the 7.1 for 129 bones...On paper it seems they would be hard to beat.

Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 HiFi - 7.1 surround sound PCI audio interface