So does anybody know if the existing sound cards will work with this new api or do we all have to buy a new X-Fi card?

 
Don't know that, but maybe in time...
 
http://connect.microsoft.com/XAudi [...] px?Content ID=5127
 
http://www.extremetech.com/article [...] 632,00.asp
 
There is some information
 

I WOULD BE VERY SUPRISED IF YOU NEEDED A NEW SOUND CARD, although DX10 does have new controllers, the chngeses are mainly graphic, not sound based this would be like having to buy new RAM

I'd be surprised if you needed a new soundcard, because vista doesnt support hardware audio acceleration.
 
I didnt even know there was an audio APi in the works!
 
But it puts new light on the decision by MS to remove hardware audio from vista.
 
now their own API will be in the limelight, because it wont require specialised hardware, and gives developers X360 - PC compatibility. MS has been very tricksy on this one, very tricksy indeed. They screw over creative to ensure their own API gets preference, which means that developers who make multiplatform games can lower development cost.
 
I hope this results in an anti trust suite, Creative vs MS.

Well wouldn't it be possible for creative to create a software program (like the one you currently have to pay for to use an X-Fi card with vista) so that the EAX standard works ontop of microsofts XAudio2. Personally however I have nothing against better and easier porting from X360, it would mean I have a larger chance of playing Mass Effect

Has any new news about hardware audio acceleration? Is it coming back or is this some hopefull though?
 
Some new information in here:
http://connect.microsoft.com/XAudi [...] entID=5127
 
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads [...] laylang=en
 
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/li [...] S.85).aspx