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I have absolutely no idea about how the FubarII or III sounds like. However, from all the posts that I have sifted through in the past, it seems like the Zero DAC is one of the best "bang for buck" DACs around, since it is easily mod-able, comes with its own headphone amp, and provides a pretty decent sound. As for the cables, I do not think that you'll need a specific RCA to 3.5mm wire. Instead, what I'd recommend is to simple purchase a pair of RCA cables from LHS Electronics@SLT and then simply buy an RCA to 3.5mm adaptor that you can find easily in any electronics stores.

Hmm. I've been trying out recording my guitar with my PC before using Sonar 6 PE, but as with what you've said, I've been getting a slight static sound as well. All my methods of tweaking the settings have led to naught, so I would think that it's probably due to the poor build of the motherboard's ADC. I would think that investing in an "external soundcard" of sorts, like the lavry's AD-10 (boom goes the wallet) if you're serious about recording.

I guess it's all up to how much space you can afford. Getting a $2k set of speakers, but then constricting them within a small space would just kill the entire soundstage and depth altogether. Personally, I have a Zero DAC ($200) running to a PopPulse 70W amp ($300) to a pair of Quad 12L2 speakers ($1100) and a pair of Leo Research Supertweeters ($100), all linked together with about $140 worth of Beldens and Canare cables. Throw in a pair of speaker stands I got for $250, and it costs $2090. I'm not bragging, but I'm just questioning the price for the Dynaudio speakers.