I don't think the issue is the quality of the line in, as many today are capable of decent recording using the PC's line in jack, on it's built in card/chip, but the test was skewed a bit to start with. You are sending Digital audio into the PC, All premixed and complete at 16 bit, 44,100 sample rate, certainly nothing a average PC sound card can not handle.

The real isuue with built in PC cards, is the ability to process fast enough not to introduce latency, and not to start to pop and crackle. Take that same sound card and compare multiple tracks of 24 bit, sound and the problem begin. It is not the card per se, but the drivers that lack. Plus the preamps are not the same. But the sound you used needed none of these as it was pre made, and up to the job to start with. The card will do, but all of us who have tinkered with this stuff know very well that the overall quality of what we did came up with at least the introduction of prosumer gear.

If all you are doing is transfering digital audio in and out of the computer, you need nothing more than the build in card/chip. If you want to do heavy recording a reasonable step up is needed. For most of what we do, no one really needs a 48 track pro consloe board. So much is done at the software level now.

Don't kid yourself that a better interface, with well written drivers won't make a difference in a full on recording project though.

HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini with 16 gig of ram, BiaB 2025, Realband, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 9 32c , Melodyne 5 editor, Presonus Audiobox 1818VSL, Presonus control app.