I have a little money to spend and was thinking about maybe getting a new sound card, but I need a little help. Priorities are good sound quality, low power consuption (while idle) and Linux support.
I play games in WinXP sometimes but EAX support and such are a low priority. I only use two channels and won't be getting a surround reciever anytime soon, so digital output is not required.
The alternatives right now:
- Realtek ALC889A
Onboard on my mobo. Low power consuption but crappy sound? - SB Audigy2 ZS
What I use now. Good compromise between sound quality and power consumption? - Asus Xonar D2X
Great sound but consumes way to much power.. - Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1
Great sound but consumes way to much power like the Xonar D2X? Besides, I don't need an X-Fi with Crystalizer and crap like that. - M-Audio Audiophile 192
Pure HiFi but what about Linux support? Also, isn't this more of a producer card? I won't be doing any recording.