HDMI->Analog audio predicament

[pulstar86]

It seems every HDMI receiver and converter out there costs more than a new budget 5.1/7.1 speaker setup. I'm perfectly happy with my old Creative 6600 set and find no need to upgrade. Should I go with an external soundcard with analog jacks, or is there a reasonalby priced HDMI converter that I haven't found yet? The advantage to getting a converter is that it would in theory support hidef consoles as well. What's the best solution for surround audio for notebooks?

 

[festerovic]

In your case a USB sound card isnt a bad idea. It lets you keep the sound system you already have with a minimum of fuss. You can also hook up consoles to the 6600 via the optical cable input.