Looking for a PCIe sound card that is great for stereo, and has a microphone in jack...

[g_iordache]

Hi,

 

On this website, the only recommend soundcard is the Lynx Studio Technology AES16/e. Can you recommend any other card? I have three concerns:

 

1/ the card seems to be old (we are talking PC gear),

2/ the price is too high for me (alternatively one can say that the card offers too much)

3/ I am a plug and play person, and the back of the card doesn't have the usual connectors for either speakers (I have a Klipsch 5.1 set, and I'm using it in 2.1 configuration), or a headset (I want a microphone jack too - I am using the PC for Rosetta Stone).

 

I've been on the web over the past few days, and found:

 

1/ Creative's PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series at $160, and

2/ ASUS Xonar Essence STX Virtual 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface 124 dB SNR / Headphone AMP Card at $200...

 

Both cards seem to still offer more than I need (I'm after a good stereo card, with a headphone amp (ideally), and a microphone jack).

 

Need I say that I would mainly use the card for music?

 

Thank you for your help,

 

Gabriel

 

PS: I am using Windows 7/64 bit (Family), and both Creative and Asus seem to have the drivers for this OS.