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The last thing we tested with the FORTISSIMO was music. We hooked it up to our test stereo and played some CDs and MP3s. While audiophiles might scoff at the sound quality, we found it a little harsh on the high-end but otherwise just peachy. The playback was sharp enough for us to make out plenty of the inadequacies of MP3s, which is bad if you listen to poorly encoded MP3s but good if you want accuracy in your sound reproduction.
In addition to drivers, the FORTISSIMO comes with two bits of software. The first software bit is Guillemot's snappy looking audio player interface called Media Station. Media Station gives you a pretty front end for playing CDs and adjusting volume. Unfortunately it appears to be designed for use on monitors running at 640x480. At 1024x768 we had to lean forward to make out the controls. We prefer the stock Windows CD player interface. The second software bit is Acid DJ, which is a highly accessible sequencing program for those who want to dabble in sampled music. It's not two turntables (Technics SL-1200MK2!) and a microphone, but you still might be able to have some fun with it. The FORTISSIMO's software bundle is a bit anemic, and at least for this reviewer, Acid DJ is going in a stack of unwanted CDs. But bundles are rare for cards this inexpensive so we can't fault the FORTISSIMO too much.
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