Need advice on external sound card

Both my headphone/microphone jacks are broken from clumsiness/bad-positioning-of-the-jacks. I'm looking to buy an external sound card.

I've looked around on the forums, and people seem to recommend:

http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=16642

Is this a good one? I live in Canada, so can anyone suggest any online vendors?

Thanks

V.

 

im using this:

http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=17872

great for game and music and.. it's usb so your desktop pc can use it too (more portable)

just use good headset/earphone to maximize the sound effect

 

Ooo! That one looks dandy! Thanks dapetcard.

Do you know of any Canadian vendors?

 

im sorry, but i don't know about canadian vendors, because im from Indonesia

it's about 62$ here in Indonesia

 

I am using that one. It works well I guess. But if you want superb quality, go with M-audio.

Creative has problems in x64 vista (or is it just me? )

 

I'm not worried about quality, I just want to be able to hear sound! I still can't seem to find a good Canadian retailer besides TigerDirect

Edit: I have x64 Vista, what kind of problems am I expecting with the Creative card?

 

In the past, Creative has been synonymous with shoddy drivers. The desktop cards used to take up double IRQ's, and get really fussy if anything was installed next to them. Notebook wise. The drivers have a habit of shutting off your notebook speakers and playing everything through the speaker jack. Minor annoyance.

 

Creative card works absolutely fine with Vista x64!!

I've been running it w/o probs for nearly a year now!!

 

Creative has only caused me trouble...

I installed my creative card in a PCI-slot next to my TV-tuner card in my old desktop. Caused all kinds of troubles. Still hasn't been able to solve the issue.

Long story short, it seems that the creative cards really cause many problems here and there.

 

Install your tv-tuner in a different slot.

 

if you are still thinking of getting this card you will also need this adapter for 5.1 plugin.

 

5.1 plugin as in if I want to hook up surround sound speakers? Yeah..I might have to buy that as I would like to use nice speakers at some point. But that doesn't mean I can't use normal crappy speakers though right?

I did some more looking up yesterday, and I also found:

http://www.soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=844&product=17988&listby=

which seems to be sort of the "updated" version of the one I posted in the OP?

I found that card at this site:

http://www.onhop.ca/product/10197454/?tag=attributes

Anyone know about this vendor?

Edit: And it looks like with this one, you can connect to other speakers wirelessly if you buy the Creative X-fi Wireless Receiver

 

thing is the 5.1 adapter will only work with the older card i posted as it plugs in the end

 

Wow...that a messy amount of wires. I definitely do not want that amount of clutter in that area, since that's where my mouse goes.

That brings me to another concern. Why is it that they put all the important jacks on the right side of the body? Your right arm must be like super straight if you want to use the mouse..

 

the silver front bit is only there to show you and can be put at the back and theres also 2 other wires there that are nothing to do with the card.

and as you said,why is the card slot on the right. great if your left handed.

i use a razer mousemat with a gell wrist rest and it all fits and the card doesnt get in the way.