Creative Card w/ Audioengine 2

[gurudeva]

Hey, my first post!

This site is WAY over my head! I think you guys would be the people to turn to for this...

I have a dell laptop and I'm interested in getting better audio for listening to music in stereo. I want to get the Creative Expresscard Sound Blaster X-Fi Notebook sound card and output to Audioengine 2s. Is this the best/cheapest way to get quality sound? I know that's subjective...

Will this sound better or worse than the Boston Acoustics i-DS3?

Thanks!!!
-Bryan

 

[2sooners]

Cheapest--Best BEHRINGER: UCA202 ~$29 usd delivered
Daughter uses on her dell laptop w/grado phones. loves it. highly recommend .flac source.
lots of nice (enough) usb dacs ~$130 range.

 

[2sooners]

Yes it also hooks to preamp with rca L&R. No pristine opamp here, just good enough.
For 29 bucks it is a solution.

 

[dangus]

The UCA202 is capable of S/PDIF output as well, so you could hook it up to a fancy DAC or digital receiver/processor.

 

[Glowbug]

Hey, my first post!

This site is WAY over my head! I think you guys would be the people to turn to for this...

I have a dell laptop and I'm interested in getting better audio for listening to music in stereo. I want to get the Creative Expresscard Sound Blaster X-Fi Notebook sound card and output to Audioengine 2s. Is this the best/cheapest way to get quality sound? I know that's subjective...

Will this sound better or worse than the Boston Acoustics i-DS3?

Thanks!!!
-Bryan

Welcome to DIYAudio, btw

M-Audio makes some stuff you might want to check out, as well 🙂