Shopping for a sound card, suggestions?

[joklem]

Hello, I searched Google for 2 days to find a comparison between some cards, without much luck as far as a definitive answer goes...

My setup: I use an analog cable to connect my onboard (modern mobo) to a 1988ish Luxman R-113 receiver, which drives either my sennheiser headphones or a pair of good old speakers.

I'm also running Windows 7

I'm currently split between those 3 cards:

-Asus Xonar DX
-Auzentech X-plosion Cinema (the one with the upgraded opamps)
-X-fi titanium

Music/movie sound quality is my main concern. So which one do you think would be the best considering my setup?

 

[abswindows7]

I'd personnaly go with the xonar since it is Asus, but you may want to go with the cheapest since there is no big difference between those card.

 

[jasperjones]

I assume that receiver is stereo/2.0 since you mention 1988ish.

External audio generally provides superior sound quality over internal PCI/PCIx stuff. I'm more into pro audio so not sure what a good entry-level external usb audio interface is. but i claim for 2.0, with good amplifier and speakers, a cheap external USB or firewire audio interface will sound better than comparable PCI/PCIx based stuff. It should def be possible to get something external at the price lower than the Asus Xonar DX.

 

[joklem]

I ended up going for the X-Fi titanium Fatal1ty. The shop didn't have Xonars in stock and reviews said it was about the same quality. Price didn't matter too much. Creative did piss me off with the Audigy2ZS/Vista drivers fiasco, but the X-fi drivers installed without a problem on Windows 7 so I forgave them.

Yeah my setup is 2.0. Just curious, why do you think a cheap external interface would be better? Less processing? (Also, I don't have any processing on the amp, it's just an amp with tone levels, no EQ etc)

 

[AMD_FAN_BOY]

you should check Auxentech first....I have buy one for my recording studio PC and WOW!!!! CANT be more satisfied at 149$ can