The PC it is destined for is also my Games PC, but being until recently my most powerful PC, it is also used for sound processing. It has been acquiring more and more tasks, though, as I re-arrange my other PCs. About the only thing I will not put on it if Office.

At the moment, that PC has an Ensoniq PCI sound card. Fairly basic, but works. All I want is the same but with S/PDIF in and out. That's all. The expensive Creative cards that do S/PDIF in and out also happen to provide extra frills like 3D Audio (nice, but I've been doing it without it for years), DD in hardware (don't watch DVDs on my PC), 5.1 analog out, etc etc etc. And digital in/out is added as a creme-de-la-creme on an over-specced sound card. [frustrated grunt].

The Hoontech card I can at least get in Australia. The other one I was looking at a few weeks ago was the [link|http://www.chaintech-excel.com/Level%203/L%203%20Product%20Specs/Audio/MD%20Mate.htm|ChainTech MD Mate], but I have no idea how to get one in Australia (yet - there are some possibilities). Both companies have been around a while - Hoontech happen to specialize in professional sound cards, so there's an advantage right there, but Chaintech have also been around awhile and make this type of thing in several fields. At least the Hoontech card gets some good reviews. That's promising.

Wade.