As the title says im looking for a good sound card, i have the speakers and amp (150w Wharfedales paired with a 100w Teac amp) but im not sure which to buy?
The soundblaster z looks good but the asus strix soar looks good too. Basically what im asking is which is the better card and which 1 has the most stable drivers?
Sorry cant post links 
You shouldn’t be looking for internal soundcards but for external ones.
Basicly any internal soundcard is inferior to an external one. (Price vs Price)
For an external DAC on the cheap look for something like a Shiit Modi 3, a Cambridge Dacmagic, Audioqeust Dragonfly V1.2 and stuff like that.
I use a modded Oppo Sonica DAC myself wich sounds great and has loads of features but its pricey. Dacs can be had for 30,- to extreme’s of many thousands.
Whatever you pick just make sure its not a gimmicky “Gaming” and/or internal DAC/Soundcard
@Liéndel - what variant audio card are you currently using & how is it lacking…? Granted you have hi-fi level speakers & amp., but are you sure that better than an on-board sound chip will give you the sound quality you’re after?
A DAC is more likely to be the kind of kit that musicians would use, not your average gamer with a bit more than ‘regular’ disposable income. Factor in, also, that not everyone can appreciate, let alone hear, the difference that £00’s spent on audio output will make.
By way of input, my motherboards’ on-board sound chip is a Soundblaster X-Fi MB3… which I would suggest is good enough for a majority of PC gamers.
I replaced my Soundblaster Z card for a SoundblasterX AE-7 card.
The AE-5, 7 and 9 is the way to go if you want to use studio type headphones as the card will run up to 600 oms sets.
The newer cards are more supported than the Z’s now in drivers.
But the AE cards are expensive but the 5’s will do for gaming, the 7’s and 9’s are more for musical reproduction and Pro studio work.
Depends on if you want to watch blurays, music on your system through your amplifier and headphones.
Most can get away with onboard sound, but if you want to move to less interference, sound quality than dedicated soundcard will do. Even the new AE cards. Best to shop about, look at reviews and decide.
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