"If you download MP3s and WMAs from music services (...), you have been listening to compressed music where quality and clarity have been compromised. With Sound Blaster X-Fi, all the sparkles lost during compression will be restored and remastered automatically, making your music sound even better than it did on the original CD, in real time!" => Lost sparkles will be restored, music will sound better than on CD... Sure!

And I just ordered an Audigy 2 today. Oh well, no biggie. I've been using a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz the past couple of years and I'm certain the Audigy 2 will be more than enough for me.

It may sound different than played through other cards. You may even think it sounds better. But it will never(!) sound more original. What is lost during mp3-compression can't be brought back. And there is no way a mp3 can sound better than the CD it is ripped from. The quality discussion is all about transparency: differents from the original in the compressed file should be as small as possible. If the mp3 would be played back better than the CD it would be negative transparency. This sounds like Terry Pratchet does their marketing... Maybe with this card the last Limp Bizkit EP would sound better than an old one played through onboard sound. LMAO

Music I doubt it.. Games, yeah theres definately a big leap in capabilities.

Philips said something similar regarding their Philips Aurilium USB soundcard. Sure it might sound good, but you can't resore what's not there anymore.

I would assume as much also, especially since the last driver Turtle Beach ever released for the Santa Cruz was a buggy beta back in 2003. The Santa Cruz may support EAX, but I can testify it sure as heck doesn't support it very well. In games the TB/SC is horrible. I'll be sure to never buy another Turtle Beach product ever again.