Aureal made the SQ2500, which was a great card. I had 2 versions of it, the one with Digital Coaxial and the one with Digital Optical connections. Sweeter sound you'll never hear than an SQ2500 with the HARDWARE equalizer set specifically to your speakers!
But alas, 2001 was the end for Aureal. Creative bought them for the sole purpose of SEALING the technology. They'll never use it, never develop on it, never release new drivers. Aureal was on the virge of pushing Creative OUT of the high-end soundcard market, and Creative used shear money to put them out of business. Creative HATED Aureal, FEARED Aureal, so you can see why the did what they did. Illegally by the way.
<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>