Hmmm... I have X-Fi elite pro, just because the sound "card" is outside of computer. Always, when the audio source is inside the computer, there is some electronic leak to sound component that causes hiss, and other kind of static noice.
How well you notice that baground noice is up to your ears, your speakers and so on. With any normal computer speakers you most propably don't notice anything because those speakers are so poor, that they cause some "noice" by they own.
If you however have good quality hifi-speakers or headphones, there is difference. For me it's important, to some other... well they would not care less...
What is good with X-Fi elite pro:
- high guality components (if you want to sample music, and then put it on the CD or Audio DVD format)
- the external sound unit (less static noice!)
- connections: midi, optical and coacial links etc...
- sound guality with good speakers (It's not pro-stuff, but quite near... If you want pro stuff you nead much more expensive equipment than elite pro! So in comparison it's quite cheap... Yep I know, this does contradigt with the bad things. But everything is relative... Professional stuff is something like 1000$ or more...)
What is bad with X-Fi elite pro_
- the price! (You can get much more memory or anything you want with that price)
- the space (the box is guite big...)
- the difference in sound is allmost nothing if you use normal 100$-300$ computer speakers... So you need hifi quality audio speakers or headphones... (read more money... Good quality headphones are not so expensive, but many want to have surround system and hifi-quality surround system is more like 2000$-4000$...)
http://www.genelecusa.com/ht/products/active-2-way/6020a/
http://www1.electronichouse.com/poty/14753.html
- support (not so many programs support all the features that Elite pro have.)