Good Sound Card for Music Production and Multimedia

[Azoc]

Need advice on buying new Sound Card for my home computer. I need a sound card that can go well with music production but I also need a card for gaming, music, movies etc.

I personally think that Asus Xonar ST would be a good option since it has good ADC/DAC, and it can go well with games. I don't have condenser mic right now, but when I buy it I could probably get mic preamp and avoid Xonar for mic.

Can you explain me what is the main difference between audiophile card (like Xonar ST) and a pro sound card (E-MU or M-Audio)?

 

[MagicPants]

I believe the Xonars are made to work really well with headphones. They'd be good for sound production, but I'd suggest something from M-Audio if you are serious.

Of course M-audio doesn't have a pci-express card, so you might just be better off with the xonar.