Cheap Audio Cards?

[KaiserJ]

i have to buy an audio card / headset for my mother; she wants to use her computer to use skype.

is there any point in buying something expensive, or should i just go the cheap route?

any thoughts / previous experiences are welcome

[aegis]

her computer doesn't have a sound card but is new enough for skype?

you might have success with a usb headset. built-in sound card.

[KaiserJ]

it's actually my old computer; its not a fossil yet (has AGP port, graphics card, win xp, usb... plays original half life pretty smooth, but beyond that it's iffy) but there's always been a problem with the microphone... it's got an onboard soundcard that causes the mircophone to constantly crackle and sound awful.

[knorke]

are you sure its not the microphones fault? maybe broken cable.
for soundcard, i would get the cheapest possible if its only for skype or some pc speakers. perhaps an old soundblaster card? I use one in a similiar old computer and it works good.
similiar for the headset, comfort to wear is probally more important than 5.1 ultra surround sound when telephoning.
A volumecontrollthing build into the cable might be nice to have, easier to use and stuff.

[CarRepairer]

I totally forgot about audio cards! Just hearing "audio card" is a blast from the past. Thanks for the memories :)

[knorke]

i even have a network card

[CarRepairer]

i even have a network card

Let's keep it going...

[rattle]

I raise you by one of these...

[AF]

RAWR

[Master-Athmos]

I'd go for a headset with integrated sound card like a Senneheiser PC 26 USB. In general the choice in terms of which to choose probably is a matter of taste / in this case a matter of which one your mother thinks would feel comfortable...

[Forboding Angel]

Introducing the new HOTNESS in audio cards!



It even has a game port!!!!!111!!ONE!!!ELEVEN!!!!!ELEVENTYONE!!!!

[TradeMark]

cheap? serlsy, audio cards are the cheapest parts in computer already.

you can get one with 5Ôé¼

[SinbadEV]

USB Mic + CUrrent crappy card should be fine... or even webcam with built in mic... or even playstation 2 eyetoy

[Caydr]

Get a USB audio card and a USB mic.

Logitech's USB mic is excellent. Bear in mind that I own an extensive collection of headsets - this USB mic picks up my voice better from a foot away than any headset I've owned. It also seems to have some built-in noise canceling... if I'm not mistaken, there's a mic on the top that picks up ambient noise, and another on the front that is more... directional. Then the two signals are compared and the noise is removed.

That's my blind conjecture, anyway. All I know for sure is, it sounds surprisingly good.