Sound card for Linux?

Ben Scott dragonhawk at gmail.com
Thu Jul 5 16:21:48 EDT 2007


Hi list,

  Can anyone here recommend a decent consumer sound card for Linux?

  I'm getting sick of the performance limitations and poor audio
quality of the Intel/Sigmatel sound built in to my motherboard.

  Unfortunately, I have found *nothing* in the way of useful current
information for product selection guidance.  The ALSA project's main
website sucks rocks and always has.  I found the "Sound Card Matrix"
on a Wiki[1], but it's oriented around someone who already has
hardware and just wants to make it work.  Using it for selection is a
practical impossibility.  I'm also have doubts about how current it
is, or whether it covers the field adequately.

[1] http://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Matrix:Main

  Ideally, I'd like to buy from a company that supports the ALSA
developers (by providing specs and such), but I can't find any info on
such.  Maybe there just aren't any?  :(

  Anything Creative Labs (Sound Blaster) has made in the past several
years isn't supported at all.  They claim they'll have closed source,
binary-only drivers Real Soon Now.  Even if they do eventually get
there with that, binary-only drivers suck a lot.  I strongly prefer
something Open Source.

  I'd like to avoid paying hundreds of dollars for a sound card.  My
needs are modest; I basically want something that's merely adequate.

  I'd like to avoid external attachment (USB, etc.).  I've got enough
clutter attached to my computer as it is.  So I'm looking for PCI (or
PCIe x1, I suppose, but I don't think anyone's making such yet).
Though I guess if I have to go USB, I will.

  Anyone have any useful knowledge they could share?

  advTHANKSance

-- Ben


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