[noggin]

Topic title = Intel Kaby Lake Hardware and the question was of Deskmini supports Bitstream audio, and it does. Hardware wise it's not an issue, or doesn't have to be.
If an OS (or it's drivers), don't support the possibilities of the hardware then there lies the problem. If one would like to have HD audio, and Linux isn't supporting that (I don't know, never use it), then why would one choose a Linux solution?

Because you want to upgrade an existing, working, Linux solution rather than switch OSs (and pay for Windows)?

If one will pay for new hardware (no upgrade), in this case a Asrock Deskmini with a Kaby Lake desktop CPU, why not for an OS if that gives you what one wants?
Windows 10 costs about €20,- as an digital license, not really a lot of money comparing it to the rest of the package?

Not great if you are running TV Headend or other Linux-only software on the box. Some people do their best to avoid Windows for appliance-like devices.