yes..
read this:
"With all processing options off, a flat EQ and everything set to default, the X-Fi does indeed trump its predecessor in straight-up audio playback. We wouldn't call it a night-and-day difference, though even at its most basic the card would be worth the upgrade for audiophiles. The X-Fi is less boomy than the Audigy 4 Pro, providing cleaner and tighter bass that lets the mid-range shine through a little more. The high-end is also a fair bit cleaner because of this, and the audio on a whole sounds clearer on the X-Fi than the Audigy 4 Pro."
^that's comparing a new card creative just came out with to one of the older ones (they haven't made anything using the x-fi technology that would work with your laptop yet, so you'd have to get one of the older cards. i haven't heard the difference between my card (audigy 2 zs) and the x-fi, but i can tell you mine does sound good with my speakers..)
"It's very hard to express just how good the card can sound with all its bells and whistles running, but to quote our own ears-on at this year's E3, "Before switching on the Crystalizer, the audio would sound perfectly fine, seeming to contain nice bass and clear highs. Switching on the Crystalizer was like pulling out a set earplugs that had been dampening our ability to hear correctly." Though testing an audio system at E3 with all its noise and hooplah is certainly not ideal, and thusly we were a tad hesitant after our listen at E3 to claim that what we'd heard was actually that good, we can now confidently say that, yes, the card is that good."
both quotes from this link:
http://gear.ign.com/articles/644/644186p1.html
that should tell you how much of a difference a sound card can make...
