I am currently using a Realtek ALC887 on-board sound chip connected through line-out to a set of recently acquired Raumfeld Stereo M speakers. Either the audio signal of my on-board chip is rather weak or my speakers are unable to amplify it properly: In order to listen to music on my computer at moderate volume levels, I have to turn the speakers' volume setting to around 60 %.
It gets worse when playing movies on my computer: During relatively quiet movie scenes the speakers sometimes go completely silent as if there was no audio at all. They seem to be unable to handle the faint audio signal coming from the on-board chip of my mainboard. It doesn't happen with every movie but often enough to be a nuisance. It's funny but I did not have this problem with my old set of low-end PC stereo speakers.
I've called up Raumfeld support and they've said that the speakers are only meant for listening to music and not for watching movies. The software of the speakers actually has an option to boost the line-in signal. However this comes at a significant loss in sound quality which is why it's not a viable solution for me.
My question: Could a better sound card help me here? Are there any sound cards that output a "stronger"/"louder" audio signal? If so, what exactly would I be looking for in a dedicated sound card? If not, what other options do I have?