After a number of postponements I had mentioned in my earlier review, the Auzen X-Fi Home Theater sound card finally made it to the market in September 2009. The manufacturer first posted the news that it could be preordered and then the upgrade program for owners of X-Fi Prelude 7.1 and X-Meridian 7.1 took off. When the long-anticipated product came out, I had some serious doubts about whether it needed a comprehensive review since it looked the same as the Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 with an added audio-over-HDMI capability. Well, I have to confess now that my suspicions were not well grounded.So, what are the key benefits of the Auzen X-Fi Forte HomeTheater HD sound card which comes at a recommended price of $250 and who is it intended for? If you’ve got an Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 and have paid a lot of money for the joy of listening to your favorite music in highest quality, does it make sense to give it back for only $50 under the upgrade program conditions? I will try to give you the answer in this review but will put off the test of this sound card with high-definition formats (Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio) until a future report. First, I will tell you a few words about the purpose the X-Fi Forte HomeTheater HD was designed to fulfill.