Sound cards manufactured in 2004 could be divided into two categories: entertainment and professional. The first one included cards suitable for the majority of users preferring realistic 3D sound in games and downloaded MP3 files with unusual effects. The second category of experienced users that was constantly growing included owners of high-quality acoustic systems (with a touch of Hi-Fi) as well as users demanding the high quality of digitization and music composers. Fortunately, 2004 brought products to satisfy both categories.