HiTeC DIGITAL AUDIO X-Mystique 7.1 Gold Sound Card

Pros: Coax and optical SPDIF outputs, excellent sound quality
Cons: Apparently does not work well with nForce4 chipsets (OK with nforce3)

Note: This card should be classified under the AuzenTech brand name, as BlueGears is only the US distributor

This sound card is the difference between night and day. It provides clear, precise sound to my old (circa 2000) Boston Acoustics 5.1 digital flat panel speakers without cracks, pops, or hisses. The driver installation and setup is painless and self-explanatory, and I have not had any compatibility issues to date (i.e. crashes, sound interruptions, etc.) since the purchase of this card over 2 weeks ago. The best feature of this card is its utilization of Dolby Digital Live technology which encodes a sound signal to Dolby 5.1 channel surround in realtime. I primarily use my system for HL2DM, music, and occasionally movies, and this card was well worth the money. While I am no audiophile, I can tell conclude that this card provides a significant improvement in both gaming and music applications.