Sound Cards

Last Updated: September 19, 2007

Today's Best Choice

For most people, any sound card and middle of the line speakers that come with a computer will work fine.

Avoid built in sound for desktop computers.  Motherboards (main circuit board) don't have the circuitry or fidelity as compared to sound cards.  The difference can really be heard while playing music.  The frequency range (kHz) is not as wide and there is more distortion.

	The $34 Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 sound card is a basic sound card without any certifications.  It does have EAX Advanced HD 3.0 support for gaming.  Buy it online. Read owner reviews at NewEgg (over 125 reviews, 4/5 stars).
	The $80 HT OMEGA STRIKER 7.1 sound card is designed to connect a computer to a home theater system.  It includes Dolby Digital and DTS certifications, optical and coaxial connections to the digital SPDIF ports on an AV receiver, and analog ports for computer speakers.  Buy it online. Read owner reviews at NewEgg (over 45 reviews, 5/5 stars).
	The $80 Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 sound card is an advanced sound card made specifically for games.  It has the processing power to make sounds come from discrete positions rather than just the left side or right side.  It includes DTS Digital Surround and Dolby Digital EX certifications for music and movies.  Buy it online. Read owner reviews at NewEgg (over 330 reviews, 4/5 stars).
	The $101 bgears b-Enspirer 7.1 sound card excels in clarity and many people are using them in home made Home Theater PCs (HTPC).  Many owners also commented how bloated the software was for X-Fi and Audigy cards compared to this card.  It has several DTS and Dolby certifications as well as optical S/PDIF in and S/PDIF out connectors.  Buy it online. Read owner reviews at NewEgg (over 65 reviews, 5/5 stars).
	The $153 Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional 7.1 sound card adds 64MB of high speed RAM to the X-Fi XtremeGamer card above.  It's supposed to make games go faster by adding RAM, but I've never seen a comparison on how much faster it really is.  I'm skeptical.  It includes a game port for older joysticks.  Buy it online. Read owner reviews at NewEgg (over 290 reviews, 4/5 stars).
	The $60 Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook is a better sound card for games and music than the one that comes with notebook computers.  It does not offer the connection options offered by the larger, external Sound Blaster Audigy2 NX.  I have not found a review that compares the Indigo to this card to know which is better.  Buy it online. Read a review from PC Magazine (Dec 2004).
	The $152 Echo Indigo IO is an audiophile's dream for listening to music or DVDs.  Notebook computers have a mediocre sound card and poor speakers.  This replaces the audio card and includes a jack to plug in a pair of headphones or external speakers.  The more you listen to music or DVDs, the more you'll appreciate quality sound.  Buy it online. Read a review from PC Magazine (Nov 2002), ExtremeTech (Sept 2004).

Brand Name

Creative pretty much owns the sound card business with its X-Fi and Audigy lines of sound cards.  There are very few, if any, problems related to compatibility or support because of its popularity.  Chaintech products rated well by owners at NewEgg.com, but it appears Chaintech is getting out of the sound card business.  Their web site doesn't have sound cards and they've also discontinued making motherboards and video cards.  Future compatibility and support is a concern.