I went from onboard sound (realtek on a z-68 board) to this and did notice an immediate difference. Bass is more snappy, mids more natural and highs are now nice and crisp. Anyway, the real advantage for me at least is that I now have no problem listening to music for long periods at a time and at high volumes without succumbing to listening fatigue. Previously I could not listen even at moderate volumes for more than 20 minutes at a time.