In ,
Jim Lesurf wrote:

You may also find that the mic input clips 'line' level voltages since a
mic input may have a preamp stage which can't cope with such 'high' levels.
Any hardware gain adjustment may be after this stage. This, again, all
depends on the specific hardware in the box.

In general I'd be wary of the analogue stages of hardware in a normal
computer. Might be OK. But a dedicated special purpose external 'sound
card' may well give much better results.

From what I've read you're quite right to be wary of standard sound
cards or onboard audio. A few years ago one of the regulars on
uk.comp.homebuilt used to point out that a reference design for sound
cards had an over-severe clipping circuit on the line-in (not just mic)
which would clip at well under the usual maximum level. And this design
was used by the vast majority of sound cards.

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TH * http://www.realh.co.uk