The ability to hear is the ability to experience the world around us in a manner that none of our other senses can give us. Sound is what lets us know when an unseen object is nearby or far away. Sound is what tells us when someone is angry or upset. It conveys emotion and helps us develop a sense of space. Sound lets us know when we are in a cavernous hall or a cramped room. Without sound the world around us becomes empty. For years when it came to producing sound on a computer there was one company above all, Creative Technology. With their supremacy over the sound card market it would be an uphill battle for any company to offer a competing product. Then Vista came along and changed the rules. Now with a even playing field manufactures have started to offer their own brand of sound card. And thus I present to you a sound card from a company known for high quality product, the Xonar D2 and Xonar U1 Sound Station. Two products for two very different purposes.