I have a used SB Live! 5.1 16-bit sound card for 800 bucks shipped - it's not the SB Live "value" btw.... bought this soundcard for 3.1k and used it for 1.5 years before getting a ZS. Cost of the card today is Rs.2,150 but people prefer the cheaper SB Live value over this primarily for it's price. It's in good working condition, I'll test it once more before shipping to make sure. Comes with all accessories except original retail box.
16-bit vs. 24-bit.... I wrote about it in detail on these forums before but can't seem to find it. Anyway, in a nutshell... 24-bit is better, however, if audio was recorded in 16-bit even a 24-bit soundcard will play it in 16-bit... CD, mp3, wma, etc. are all 16-bit.
@hunt3r, I already pointed out that the "value" card is available for a much lower price which is why people prefer them...
It wont make much of a difference mohit. Unless u buy a Audigy 2 ZS or Xfi which can upmix to 24 bit, the regular 24 bit cards only play 24 bit audio in a very limited no of situations.
Rio, they stopped selling the "Value" cards three years ago IIRC. The only Live cards u get nowadays is the Live 5.1 (not value) and Live 7.1 24 bit.