recommendation cheap external soundcard for my laptop

Posted by: Claus-Thoegersen on 27 July 2008

I am considering to get an external soundcard for my Laptop, wich is running Windows! The idea is to use the computer mainly for playing internet radio on the hifi system. Any recommendations? My own idea is that a sort of Creative card could do the job, and that the most important thing may be to find a card wich analog fono sockets making the connections to my 252 easier.

I will not just use the built in sound chip, because I need that card to output synthesized speech for my screen reader.

Posted on: 28 July 2008 by Keith L

Hi Claus,

I think the lack of a reply is mainly down to the fact that many on this section of the forum are using macs. Distributed audio is so easy when your laptop has digital toslink output as bog standard. Is Windows much better for those who have impaired sight?

ATB Keith

Posted on: 28 July 2008 by Manu

I recommend you to go with a USB DAC, not with a sound card. It sounds much better and is easier to use: no drivers to upgrade, no tons of unusefull software to load, no conflicts with the on-board card...
Search this forum, you will have some models recommandations.

Posted on: 28 July 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen

quote:
Originally posted by Keith L:
Hi Claus,

I think the lack of a reply is mainly down to the fact that many on this section of the forum are using macs. Distributed audio is so easy when your laptop has digital toslink output as bog standard. Is Windows much better for those who have impaired sight?

ATB Keith

Over the last 15 years there has been no competition Windows has been the only choose if you needed a screen reader on the computer. For the really tehcnical people there has been some Linux free tools, but not in a graphical environment and not for everybody!

Since OSX 10.4 there has been a screen reader included called Voiceover. Unlike the very simple almost useless Narator supplied with Windows XP and Vista Voiceover seems to be a tool you can actually use. I am told it works very differently than the best expensive Windows Screen reader like the one I am using, but it should work, and it is beeing actively developped by Apple.

see
http://www.apple.com/accessibility/voiceover/

Claus

Posted on: 28 July 2008 by Claus-Thoegersen

quote:
Originally posted by Manu:
I recommend you to go with a USB DAC, not with a sound card. It sounds much better and is easier to use: no drivers to upgrade, no tons of unusefull software to load, no conflicts with the on-board card...
Search this forum, you will have some models recommandations.

I suppose you mean something like the usb version of the Benchmark DAC or similar. Not very expensive but not cheap either. In the long run I am going to use a Nas sollution and some sort of a dedicated streaming device, for now I just want to get access to the internet radios my cable provider does not care to provide.