Just built a new HTPC 3 days ago and the internal sound QUALITY of the ASRock B360M-ITX/ac isn't the best, I also need digital output for my pioneer amplifier which is connected with my klipsch hdt-600 and I've been a die hard fan of internal sound cards since a long time because they give you a lot of options in one place. I've been away from the current market, so my question is which sound card is the best right now? in terms of sound quality, it should have digital out, nothing else is needed except sound quality. A quick google research referred me to this page of some pcie cards, are these good? need expert advice. Thanks in advanceYou could use something like this: https://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/40ts-21100.php?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=**LP%20-%20Shop%20-%20Audio%2FVideo%20Products%20-%20Auto&utm_term=4577060748522626&utm_content=Poor%20Perf-%20(Bottom%2020%25)%20-%2040TS-21100%20-%20Analog%20to%20Digital%20Audio%20Converter,%20Dual%20RCA%20Female%20to%20RCA%20Female%20%20-%20%2419.17

Analog to digital converter.

Myself I setup a HTPC and due to the internal sound dying I bought a USB Sound Card that plugs into a USB port and provides decent sound. But my setup is just 1 woofer with 2 speakers in my living room.

At some POINT I am going to do away with the VGA cable connection and go with HDMI for higher quality video and the HDMI will handle audio/video and the 52" TV has an audio jack to connect to my audio system direct.

The USB sound Cards look like a USB Thumb drive but they have a microphone and headphone jack, which this headphone jack can connect to the auxiliary input of a stereo or the input of a sound system such as my 2 by 1 setup. The USB sound cards are like $15 on newegg and if Windows 7 or newer the driver for it is detected upon INSERTING the USB sound card.What amplifier are you using? Does it support HDMI? I MUCKED about with sound cards using both optical and analogue outputs into a receiver with my HTPC. It worked but I grew tired of mucking around with sound settings/drivers in Windows and was never overly impressed by the quality. I ended up returning the card (Asus Xonar DSX) after it kept dropping out requiring a reboot.

In the end I gave up and bought a new receiver (Denon AVR-X2400H) that supported HDMI. Not the cheapest option but works brilliantly. HDMI is pretty much the best quality you'd be able to get, 5.1 over an optical connection is compressed, HDMI is lossless. Works entirely PLUG and play - plug all devices into the receiver, receiver into the TV and then get audio from all HDMI devices including audio from the TV fed back to the receiver using ARC. The HDMI CEC stuff is also useful, receiver powers on automatically when I turn on the TV, I can control the receiver's volume from any remote - so much less hassle than I had with my old receiver.