Rob Williams
11-13-2008, 01:45 PM
From our front-page news: Last summer, you wouldn't have imagined a company like ASUS would release their own audio card, much less do a good job with its design, but as we first saw in our review of their Xonar D2 (http://techgage.com/article/asus_xonar_d2_sound_card/), we knew they meant business. They weren't simply strolling into the audio market to add their name to the pile... they managed to outperform some of the better-known competition.
I'll admit that I've become somewhat of a Xonar fanboy. Shortly after Rory reviewed it, I ran out and got one (aka, I sat at the computer and ordered one) and have been loving it ever since (especially since it works under Linux!). The thing is, though, I generally use speakers less than 5% of the time while on the PC, so when I first learned of the company's new headphone-specific audio card back at Computex, I couldn't wait to learn more.
Well, our friends at Hardware Canucks have got an early preview, and so far, the card is looking incredibly drool-worthy for anyone with a higher-end pair of headphones. It should be made clear that the new Xonar Essence STX isn't some wimpy card, and to take full advantage of what it offers, you are going to want a good pair of headphones. I think generally speaking, if your headphones cost less than what the card will cost at launch, you are likely missing out on what makes the card so special.
The article doesn't mention the chipset used, but we can assume it would be similar to the one used on the original D2/D2X/DX. It uses similar DAC chips as well, Burr Brown 1792A, offering a killer 124dB SNR. The card also has independent power planes to split the headphone output from the microphone input, which is designed to keep the signals clean. Add swappable opamps, EMI shielding and other cool features... this might just be the killer-app for headphone users. We'll be sure to get one in soon and have Rory put it through its paces, so stay tuned.
http://techgage.com/images/news/asus_xonar_essence_stx_hardwarecanucks_111308.jpg
There are many high end audio components on this card and the sections have been designed and positioned on the PCB with maximum sound/signal quality in mind. There are quite a few noteworthy sections and additions to the Essence that haven't been seen on a sound card meant for the mainstream up until this point.
Source: Hardware Canucks (http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/11709-exclusive-asus-xonar-essence-stx-sneak-peak.html)
I'll admit that I've become somewhat of a Xonar fanboy. Shortly after Rory reviewed it, I ran out and got one (aka, I sat at the computer and ordered one) and have been loving it ever since (especially since it works under Linux!). The thing is, though, I generally use speakers less than 5% of the time while on the PC, so when I first learned of the company's new headphone-specific audio card back at Computex, I couldn't wait to learn more.
Well, our friends at Hardware Canucks have got an early preview, and so far, the card is looking incredibly drool-worthy for anyone with a higher-end pair of headphones. It should be made clear that the new Xonar Essence STX isn't some wimpy card, and to take full advantage of what it offers, you are going to want a good pair of headphones. I think generally speaking, if your headphones cost less than what the card will cost at launch, you are likely missing out on what makes the card so special.
The article doesn't mention the chipset used, but we can assume it would be similar to the one used on the original D2/D2X/DX. It uses similar DAC chips as well, Burr Brown 1792A, offering a killer 124dB SNR. The card also has independent power planes to split the headphone output from the microphone input, which is designed to keep the signals clean. Add swappable opamps, EMI shielding and other cool features... this might just be the killer-app for headphone users. We'll be sure to get one in soon and have Rory put it through its paces, so stay tuned.
http://techgage.com/images/news/asus_xonar_essence_stx_hardwarecanucks_111308.jpg
There are many high end audio components on this card and the sections have been designed and positioned on the PCB with maximum sound/signal quality in mind. There are quite a few noteworthy sections and additions to the Essence that haven't been seen on a sound card meant for the mainstream up until this point.
Source: Hardware Canucks (http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/11709-exclusive-asus-xonar-essence-stx-sneak-peak.html)