Soundcard for Z2300? Options

[teletina]

Help me decide which soundcard is best for Logitech Z2300 speakers. I have an old SB Live Value card which is going into my old pc, so i have to buy something to replace it. I was thinking of Auzentech Meridian, but unfortunately i can't get it anywhere, so i need something else. It will be used mostly for movies, music listening and sometimes creation, and ocassionally a game or two (but i can live happily without eax, since i mostly play RPG). I'm not interested in Creative's Crystalizers or any other useless crap they ship with their cards, those things don't matter to me, i just want the card that's best suitable for the speakers. After reading tons of articles on the web, and looking at the stuff available to me, somehow again it seems i should buy a Creative card. Sound wise they're good enough for me, but i always had problems with my Live card, especially after installing the aspi drivers. That was fixed with kx drivers, but there are none for x-fi series.

Any recommendations?

[Lyx]

Your speakers dont matter, just its connectors.

For others to give you a useful answer they need to know the following:

1. external or internal? (you already covered that)
2. What about game-compatibility? (you already covered that)
3. Which OS? (you already covered that)
4. What kind of outputs do you need? (type of speaker-connections, etc.)
5. What kind of inputs do you need?
6. Do you need MIDI?
7. Your maximum budget.

[teletina]

4. What kind of outputs do you need? (type of speaker-connections, etc.) - i'm not exactly up to speed with this, but besides the usual speaker outputs i don't think i'll need anything except spdif.
5. What kind of inputs do you need? basic line-in should suffice.
6. Do you need MIDI? could be useful, but i can live without it
7. Your maximum budget. around 150$ but i could go up to around 250$

This post has been edited by teletina: Feb 28 2007, 11:23

[teletina]

Ok, since there are no answers, can anyone tell me the difference between SB X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and pro edition?

This post has been edited by teletina: Mar 6 2007, 09:37

[Mark7]

Ok, since there are no answers, can anyone tell me the difference between SB X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS and pro edition?

The difference is that the pro has a better DAC (better line out) and it's overpriced . But you are going to use digital out so you're not gonna use the DAC. I think the X-fi XtremeGamer will be good enough. I believe this card only has optical digital out, so you have to check it your speakers have optical in.

If you don't want eax you can get any card that has bitperfect digital out .

[mat128]

Only the z5500 and the new z5450 (not so new..) wireless ones have ac3 decoders, z5300 and its little brother the z2300 are analog only.

This post has been edited by mat128: Mar 14 2007, 00:42