i just got a Zacate as an HTPC. annoyingly there was a hum on the analog outs, both on onboard as well as a low-to-mid-range "audiophile soundcard," a Razer Barracuda AC-1. probably my fault for running a 12 foot 1/8" to RCA. i fixed it with a $30 USB DAC/Soundcard from Diamond (i really wanted multichannel, but $100 from Creative was a bit expensive "just to see if it would work"), and even tho it's just 48/16, i'm impressed enough to speak up about it. it seems louder (higher line voltage, maybe?) than my old but broken workhorse, the Chaintech AV-710 as well as some crap X-fi.