multiple outputs, multiple cards?

[chronoso]

So I want to hook up a headphone amp to my computer. should be no problem, right? just get a decent sound card and plug from the line-out jack into the line-in on the amp. that'd be fine if i wanted to only use my 'phones, but what of my speakers? i've got a 5.1 analog system which mean my line-out (and my center/sub and rear channel) jack(s) is/are spoken for...so no dice.

should i pick up a second sound card just for the headphone amp and somehow finagle the software to use both?

if i put a splitter on the line-out jack, wont i be dividing the output of that channel between both the amp and the speakers (which would be bad)?

oh, and i'm currently driving my headphones through the headphone jack on the external breakout box for my audigy (get your groans out now, i like playing games, ive pretty much got no choice) which drives my sen580s (and hd600s) just fine, but id like a little more power and a nicer sound.

i...dont want to drop the cash for a DAC just yet, but...any ideas?

-james

 

[[AK]Zip]

I am running 2 sound cards no problem at all. I had 3 at one point when I had onboard enabled.