If you are just a casual user, you do not need a sound card. Or
at the very basic, just buy an entry level sound-card for <$50.
Creative has quality low-end sound cards.
Ob the other hand, if you are willing to fork out $170 for a
sound-card (Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtrememusic), spend an
additional %55 to modify its capacitors and op-amps, spend an
additional $250 on a set of relatively high end speakers (Creative
Gigaworks T40 for me), there is absolutely no comparison between
on-board music and sound card.
My friend who is expert in computer audio told me one should
only spend at most 30% of the price of speakers to get the audio
accessories (e.g. sound-card). Hence, only do consider sound card
if you have very good multi-media speakers (not those cheap
<$100 type of speakers). We are talking about high end
multi-media speakers such as Aego M, Klipsch, Creative Gigaworks,
etc.
Any higher end than that, you need bookshelf speakers +
amplifier.
hmm.....im planning to use cerwin vega cls215 to go
with my new comp(soon to buy), already have power amp
