The infinity Primus P163 hasn't been mentioned. I've seen it on sale recently for $100/pr! Works great with t-amp, and in nearfield won't need sub for sure.
I generally dislike internal soundcards. Too much trouble to change setup, and the bus interface can be outdated sooner than one expect.
There was discussion of neutrality and accuracy. IMO it's a moot point without taking environment into account. "What is performed live" is an illusion: it's not unique. Most live performances are amplified/mixed, if not tuned, so what neutrality are we kidding ourselves with here? Even for acoustic performance, it can make a huge difference where you sit relative to the performer(s). There's a good reason seats are priced so differently in concerts, and any musician can tell you which hall has better (or worse) acoustic. Ultimately it's what and how we perceive the sound, not the measurements, that's the most relevant. Just my $0.02...
