[tlug] Best sound card for Linux

[Dave M G <dave@example.com>]

TLUG,

I would have thought that Creative/Sound Blaster would be the safest bet 
for Linux support, just based on the fact that it's so widely used and 
probably the hardware that people would attempt to develop for.

However a search on the net indicates that this is actually not the case 
at all. I have seen many sites warning people away from using 
Creative/Sound Blaster cards entirely.

What I can't get is a clear read on what is the most reliable card. I'm 
not looking for features, or digital output even. I just want the most 
rock solid reliable card on the market today.

There is a list of ALSA compatible hardware on the ALSA web site. But 
there are dozens of brands listed, and, as far as I can see, no listing 
by either popularity or rating to try and discern which ones or the most 
common and most reliable.

Has anyone bought an internal PCI sound card in Japan recently? Is there 
a brand that I'm likely to find in the local (Akihabara or Shinjuku) 
electronics shops that I can take home with certainty it will work in Linux?

--
Dave M G
http://www.tlug.jp/wiki/User:Dave_M_G