The first thing you should ask your self is what sound signature are you looking for, like explain the type of sound you want to us, so we can help you better. As for sound card's the only reason to get one is if you want the features of the sound card like surround headphone, and other features. If you don't care for any of that. Then you can just get a external dac amp or a all in one unit. If you do want the sound card features then a sound blaster Z is a good choice as it usually goes for 60-65 dollars on ebay, But I don't know how much that is in Canadian.
If you want the gaming functions that badly, I would just say grab a cheap sound card that has optical with the option to send stereo mix to optical and then spend the rest on the headphones and then external dac and amp or all in one unit. That way you get your basic functions for gaming while you get the audio performance for your general and over all listening. This what I currently do now with my DGX sending dolby headphone to my Bifrost uber which I using a LD MK2 2.0 tube amp with my beyerdynamic T90's when I game. I have used the Audio-GD NFB15.32 which the NFB15 replaces and i found it to be a good dac/amp combo unit which does a good job with amping headphones. besides usb, it does have optical and coaxial inputs. You might be able to find a older NFB12.0 or the 15.32 in the sell section for cheap if your lucky. The Aune T1 is a good choice and you have the optional choice to change the tube to a different sound to change the sound signature.
Sounds like the said person never used any other sound cards other then the claro halo or don't realize there been other sound cards to come to the market since that card came out, like the Z series including ZXR. The claro halo is using the same chip as the Xonar STX and ST with optional H6 board which offers the same outputs as the claro as well Headphone amp and at some cases can be found cheaper like the STX and both have op-amp sockets for rolling op-amps if you are into that.
As for it being better then the dac/amp in the price range, which ones has he been looking at as there plenty in the claro price ranges that can out perform the card sound performance wise and ones that can't. The only thing the claro has going for it really is Dolby headphone and muiti channel output. Which the Razer surround software can do for external dac/amp's and it free. If your gonna spend that much on the claro halo you might as well add a tad more and get a ZXR at this point or time unless you find a ZXR that is the same price as the claro halo.