Music-oriented soundcard recommendations

[jamesbond007]

Alright, I'm in the market for a new soundcard...I think. I currently have a SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS (regular, came with Dell) and I use the front-panel connections so that I can hook up my headphones directly from the front of the computer. It sounds pretty good, but I was wondering if there's better?

I currently have a cMoy headphone amp that I use to power my Sennheiser HD590 headphones. I run my EQ flat with a hint of treble boost. I'm all about musical reproduction accuracy and balance.

Now, the real kicker is that I use Windows Vista. I love it, so oh well! I know many cards have troubles in Vista, but I'm wondering if anyone can make some recommendations for a great soundcard. I'm not looking to spend more than $300, so keep that in mind. I'm upgrading to the Mini3 headphone amp and would like a new source to compliment the upgrade.

Thanks,
~Travis

 

[Ika]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f46/

look for threads related to soundcards.

 

[Sheninat0r]

Auzentech makes nice sound cards with excellent components and op-amp sockets so you can customize your sound however you want; I think only the X-Meridian and X-Fi Prelude have the sockets. A lot of people debate between those two for music quality, so I'd say either is an excellent choice.

 

[jamesbond007]

Thanks for the replies. I think I am going to go with the X-Meridian after reading the posts at head-fi in addition to Sheninat0r's post. Definitely within budget and should increase the quality of my listening experience.