Got my Prelude....First Impressions! :)

[Miwo]

Analog inputs. you don't get any of the Preludes benefits when using S/PDIF / Coaxial since Digital to Analog conversion just gets done at the receiver end. You either buy the Prelude for Analog output, or DDL/DTS support with Creative EAX, which will be added at a future date. So for now, its biggest and only benefit is Analog output.

A Chaintech AV-710 outputting bit-perfect data using SPDIF/coax would likely sound no different than a Prelude, X-Fi, Meridian, etc etc for that matter. This is why you see users with hundred dollar external DACs using el-cheapo soundcards like the AV-710. The reason is because all bit-perfect digital output sound the same in 2ch.