Hot Hardware has posted a review on the Hercules Gamesound Fortissimo II sound card
Enter the Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo II, a soundcard that is advertised as being made for both the hardcore and casual gamer. Priced at around $60 U.S., it fits in nicely between Hercules’ high-end GameTheatreXP ($150) and their entry-level MuseXL ($30). The original Fortissimo was based on the Yamaha YMF744 chipset that worked admirably at the time, but is not sufficient for today’s demanding user. The Fortissimo II is based on the Crystal SoundFusion 4624 audio processor, a slightly scaled down version of the SoundFusion 4630 processor found in the GameTheatreXP and Turtle Beach’s Santa Cruz. The comparison between the two is not unlike comparing an AMD Duron with an Athlon. What is missing then, you ask? Well, with the 4624 chipset, you only get 4 channel gaming, and no MP3 acceleration where the 4630 supports 6 channels and MP3 acceleration.Read more
