The Box .. the bundle ..

Alright then, let's get this thing on the road. The Forte 7.1 packaging is not overly large and feels quite heavy compared to its size. The box is loaded with audio industry standards and specifications all to catch and hold the potential buyers attention. Every inch of the box shows details about the new offering and reminds me greatly of a graphics card box showing a glowing character in the midst of gaming.

While packaging is cool and trendy, we really only care about the stuff inside it don't we ;) So What's in the Box?

The X-fi Forte 7.1 bundle offers:

• Auzentech X-fi Forte 7.1
• Break Out Cable
• Fiber optical cable
• Driver CD
• Quick Start Guide
• Optical Adapter
• Full sized PCI bracket

A Closer look at the Card
The card is a small form factor product, being half height the Auzentech designers wasted no PCB real estate on this card and for its relatively small size the card is loaded with audio technology and components as we will get into later in the review. Above we can see a S/PDIF Combo Jack, the dedicated headphone output and the D-15 Sub connector for the break out cable.

We already get an impression of what the card is and what it can do, but let's peek at it's specifications.