[george87]

Onboard audio has definitely improved in recent decades (I've been using and playing around with sound cards since I was five), but it's still leaps behind what's available in the form of external DACs and audio interfaces. If you want to upgrade your listening setup, one option to consider is getting active (powered) speakers like the KEF LSX II or Airpulse A300 Pro (or something like the Edifier S1000W as a budget friendly option), which you can feed digital audio signal straight from your PC via USB, Optical/Coaxial, Bluetooth, or WiFi. These types of speakers have high quality DACs with matching amps built in, so you can create a minimalist setup outperforming many other configurations. If you need advanced features for recording and producing audio (e.g., midi, professional line/mic inputs, high-impedance headphone outputs, etc.) just throw in a dedicated audio interface (e.g., something made by Focusrite or MOTU) between your PC and active speakers, and you're set.