When I have posted Sonar questions recently, the most common response I've had back is that my sound card (Creative X-Fi) is not up to the job of handling Sonar X3 (audio latency, etc).  So .....  can anyone recommend a sound card that *IS* up to the job, but that won't break the bank (I saved up to buy X3 and didn't particularly want to upgrade hardware as well) and fully supports ASIO? It doesn't need a lot of channels or interfacing, a stereo in and stereo out is fine. Anyone?  

Hi Tim,
 
Had to move this to hardware...   but the short answer is just about ANY sound card OTHER THAN a Creative Labs card or (often) the built in sound chip on your motherboard.
 
Creative make good sound cards if you want to play games or watch movies, but they are no good for the type of audio we do.
 
There are plenty of USB interfaces that give 2 in, 2 out that are very cheap but work well.  You pay extra for high quality mic pre-amps and lots of channels, but if you don't need that the cheap ones will work fine.
 
But not Sound Blasters...

http://www.cactusmusic.ca/Articles/Johns%20Audio%20Interface%20blurb.rtf
 
Certainly a Focusrite Scarlett are top of my list these day's. 
Good reports about Steinbergs U22 as well. 

TimDale
When I have posted Sonar questions recently, the most common response I've had back is that my sound card (Creative X-Fi) is not up to the job of handling Sonar X3 (audio latency, etc).

 
I have a Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-FI Titanium HD PCI-E sound card and it works just fine with its ASIO driver with SONAR.  If you're only making music as a hobby and don't need ultra low latency your card may be sufficient for now.  Your quarter second latency is not normal operation and may be due to all sorts of things, but not the design of your Creative card.  You mention that it was working fine before you switched to Sonar.  It's probably just some setting that needs adjustment.
 
People hate Creative as a matter of course.  I'm not saying they're great, but they're not useless.
 

Paul, doesn't the X-FI have a music production mode to engage the ASIO drivers?
I seem to recall seeing something to that effect.
I used to have an E-MU0404(PCI) that used the Creative ASIO drivers. I loved it.
However, I don't know what, if anything, the X-FI may have in common with its E-MU cousins.
 
That said, Tim, you will find that most of us will recommend what we are using. The good news there is that most current interfaces are pretty solid units.
I would also avoid anything Lexicon(severely outdated). the AKAI EIE(red), and anything else with no mention of ASIO drivers in the specs.
I can recommend the Focusrite Scarlett series(I don't own one, but I've played with the 6i6).
I can definitely recommend the AKAI EIE Pro. Very good ASIO drivers, features that set it apart from the crowd, very flexible and controllable, and a certain coolness in its appearance.
I was a bit leery of USB units, but it has massively exceeded my expectations.
Check it out here:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--AKAEIEPRO

RobertB
Paul, doesn't the X-FI have a music production mode to engage the ASIO drivers?

I haven't played with the driver much.  It just shows up in Sonar Preferences when I select ASIO and I go from there.
I will be testing the card a bit more thoroughly when I get the chance, along with my other cheap Mackie interface (which also works fine for my needs and I really like the ergonomics).
 

hi Tim:
 
I have a Roland FA 101 available (actually it's under the Edirol brand but it was built by Roland)
 
I have the full description in a coffee house thread (you do need a fire wire connection)
 
It's a little old in the tooth but Windows 8.1 drivers are available from Roland's website.
 
it's FREE.

Hi Tom1,
Are you saying you're giving the FA101 away?  If so, yes please, and I'd be happy to pay the postage. I can get a firewire card, it would be worth it to have that many inputs.

i had an x-fi...
 
i hated it.
 
LOL
 
YMMV

that said,
if you are looking for strictly a PCIe card,
i'd look at this:
 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/HDSPePCI?adpos=1o4&creative=55225946401&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CNmewtmTlMQCFUeEfgodjaEATQ
 
 
 
 
that said,
i own and use a Maudio Delta Audiophile 192 card,
and it works just great.
 
i paid about $180 for it,
have never had any issues with it.