I have a newer Creative Audigy 2 soundcard with coaxial digital out that gets sent to a CAL Gamma DAC, which goes into an Accuphase P-300 Amp (I use the amp as a preamp) driving Studio 20s. I like the sound. i figure the PC is a hostle place for analog audio, so I get the signal out in digital form and let the DAC handle the rest.
My weak link may be the sound card. Audiophiles think highly of M-Audio. My Audigy2 is fully gold plated and they seem to have done an excellent job with noise, overall sound quality, build quality, etc. Plus, I think their support is pretty decent with constant software patches, upgrades, etc. Claimed to have 24/96 capability as well if you prefer to let the card do the number crunching. Hope this helps.
My weak link may be the sound card. Audiophiles think highly of M-Audio. My Audigy2 is fully gold plated and they seem to have done an excellent job with noise, overall sound quality, build quality, etc. Plus, I think their support is pretty decent with constant software patches, upgrades, etc. Claimed to have 24/96 capability as well if you prefer to let the card do the number crunching. Hope this helps.