Razer Barracuda AC-1 or an Asus Xonar DX/D2X. I like the Razer more for gaming, where the Xonar is better suited for a HTPC, but both, I believe, are far more stable and offer better quality than Creatives offerings.
Currently, I using Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Sound Card. Its work very well on my computer. If you are looking for an upper mid-range card to replace onboard sound, then this is definitely a good choice. The software that comes with the card is not spectacular, but it gives you quite a few options and it is easy to use. One of the great selling points is the ability to dynamically configure the output / input jacks on the back of the card.
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