I don't like any of Turtle Beach's current sound cards. The Santa Cruz has a rabid following and I'm assuming this is card that your friend wants you to get. It's still a decent card, arguably better than their newer cards, but it's dated and no longer supported. Speaking as an owner of a Santa Cruz (up to four at one time), get the Audigy2 ZS. It's just as good for music and is better at DVD playback as well. For gaming, well, there's no contest. The A2 owns the market in this area.