www.directron.com has some C-media 8738 based cards for like $12, $26 with
SPDIF in/out. 
http://store.yahoo.com/directron/av5121.html
http://store.yahoo.com/directron/av515m.html

I have a c-media chip on my Soyo dragon plus, and I have to say that it
sounds better than any sound card I've ever owned.  6 channels too.  You can
use the kernel cmpci driver, or the alsa cmipci driver (supports almost all
of the features of the card, including SPDIF)

Also, if you're into the SPDIF thing, the Cmedia chips don't mess with your
sampling rate.  SB cards have traditionally upsampled to 48khz, and back
down to 44.1khz before dumping it to the digital out.  

You can't beat the price.  And I would definitely not give up my cmedia chip
for a soundblaster.

Jay

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert P. Goldman [mailto:goldman at htc.honeywell.com] 
> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 2:51 PM
> To: tclug-list at lists.real-time.com
> Subject: [TCLUG] Buying a new sound card
> 
> 
> 
> I was wanting to follow up on an earlier thread --- Best Buy is
> offering both Creative Soundblaster 512 for $49 and a couple of
> Phillips' for similar.  Any word pro or con on the Phillips boards?
> Three year warranty seems appealing....
> 
> Thanks,
> R
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