Hello All,

I am looking for a reasonably priced PC Sound Card that doesn't generate white noise. I am using a sound blaster live one of creatives older cards and i am getting the noise. I don't get the white noise from the amp when it is on without the computer.

Thanks,
Kevin

All sound cards generate noise.

But the noise floor of many cards is quite a bit lower than that of the SoundBlaster Live.
The M-Audio Audiophile 2496 is now often pretty inexpensive and definitely much better for audio quality.

X-Fi is already much better than the Live as well.

What is considered the best for commercial sound quality? What is the best for the money? I am using the sound card in a jukebox application with a commercial amp with a 3 way sound system. Actually the sound blaster doesn't sound to bad with mp3's but i don't like the white noise!

I will checkout the one listed above!

Thanks Guys!
Kevin

For a jukebox application, your best bet for getting rid of the white noise is to go with digital I/O where it counts most -- at the preamp stage.

The SoundBlaster Live! cards version 4, SoundBlaster X-Fi, and the M-Audio cards all have S/PDIF outputs for digital output at 24bit/96KHz, where the X-Fi and M-Audio (and others) all also have optical connectors.

I gig with VST instruments, and my I'm using an ASUS motherboard with the SoundStorm on-board audio because it has almost flawless digital audio at 24 bit with an adjustable ASIO latency of only 2 seconds, but for a Jukebox application like you're describing, you won't need ASIO. I use the digital output of my sound card into a Yamaha Cavit D-50, which is used as a digital preamp, and then line out into the amp.

This setup completely eliminates the white noise inherent in most sound cards, as well as the interrupt noise you get from the video card and other I/O operations (hard disk, mouse movement, etc...)

Where can i get the Yamaha preamp?

Thanks,
Kevin

Kevin,

I got mine off eBay. I only mention this particular one because it was there and does a decent job of what I want it to do. I misspoke earlier, it's actually a "Yamaha Cavit DP-U50", quite a mouthful if you ask me.

You can buy one for $99 from this link: http://store.high-techoffice.com/yadpcaexauso.html

edit: Quote removed