What's the best sound card?

[Deathwish]

I need a suggestion for a sound card that will give me a strong anaolg output & preferably also a digital output (optical).
I play most of my music directly from my computer rather than burning to cd, but when I do this presently I have to run the analog output of my sound card to a booster b/c the signal is so low.
I would like to improve on sound quality greatly.
I can't only use the digital output b/c at times I record mp3s to tape & my stereo won't take a digital signal & record it to tape (Sony).
I've seen stereo systems with a USB input but my whole system is Sony & I'd rather not replace it just for that.
I tried and Extigy external USB device but not only was it scratchy at times like a CD skipping (700MHz PCU & only 128MB ram) but the digital optical output it gave mne would not allow me to record to tape.

[feenix]

I am surprised about the Extigy not giving decent sound. I have one on a long USB lead which is connected to my Hifi system and I get terrific sound out of it.

The other point about connecting it to you cassette tape. I don't use the optical lead but the 6 analogue (RCA) connectors straight to the equivilent on my A/V receiver which, in turn is connected to my cassette deck in the normal analogue way and records fine (not that I do a lot of that nowadays!). I assume you have at least a stereo amplifier so you could connect the same way as me but just using the front (left and right) RCA connectors from the Extigy to an Aux input on your amp (or directly to the inputs on your cassette deck if you wanted to).

Hope this helps or at least gives you an option

[Deathwish]

Thanks. I guess I could but I got frustrated when the sound was scrathy. Mabey its b/c I only have a PIII 700MHz PC or mabey I I didn't enable all of the proper settings (DMA) or something.
But in case it was my slow PCU, I thought I would do beter with a good sound card which I hear can actually improve PCU performance rather than depend on it.

[disturbed1]

Maudio makes some killer professional audio cards. Including a couple of USB versions.

7.1 surround USB $119 MSRP http://www.midiman.com/index.php?do=products.focus&ID=eee876ef2e6cbb4ac377f83c406e8885

[Kurt S]

Couldn't agree more with Disturbed1. Creative Lab cards are great for gaming but they really are crap when it comes to high quality fidelity. Look at the M-Audio cards. They are "real" pro cards and if your serious about good audio, you need a pro quality card.