The Oxford 971 is a 16 channel In/Out, 24 bit, 192kHz, Midi and S/PDIF FireWire800/400 to Audio bridge. It is designed to meet the needs of the next generation quality multi-channel audio systems. Typical applications for Apple® Computers and PCs include FireWire surround speakers, external audio cards and I/O units for GarageBand™ . The integral power supply of Firewire allows speaker systems to be created without additional external power supplies. Its plug and play nature means that there is no longer a need to install internal sound cards, opening the way for superior sound systems on laptops and providing a simple route for sound upgrades.