Does it use any Power from the Express slot or the Molex connector only seeing i'm building an Low powered PC with not even an PSU but a 90W adapter (Mini ITX)
Because i really can't find any Power requirement specification. Thanks in advanced who ever knows the answer.
Ahh yes audiophile. Please recommend a fantastic speaker system to get with this card :) My room is 20 feet x 15 feet. I want the full experience... er... my budget is about 2000 dollars... Suggestions? If that's overkill and totally unnecessary, how about 500 dollars?
Just how it should sound, provided that the EEPROM data stays as programmed---a design flaw in the C-Media CMI8788 has dogged all Xonar products to some degree. Maybe ASUS should redesign this card around the Creative Technologies CA20K2 for the serious gamer---such a card would be a worthy product for the Republic of Gamers.
@bcschmerker This is not a card for gamers. Asus has cards specifically designed for games and surround that beat any other such card. STX / ST is a car for people who want maximum sound quality for stereo speakers or headphones.
@derbigpr500 Didn't say that the STX was a gamer card; the CMI8788 demands a fairly large amount of CPU time, unlike the CA20K2. I picked the STX on a cost vs. benefit analysis against the Xense; both are well-enough shielded to run adjacent to a video card.
@bcschmerker Yea but STX and Xense are completely different cards made for completely different purpose. Xense is gaming card focusing on surround, STX is audiophile card focused on top sound quality in stereo and running high quality headphones.
Save for twice as long and get Denon AH-D5000's. They will absolutely blow all others out of the water. Nothing is as accurate in the bass, while being balanced in mids and trebles. Capable of that powerful, chest-thumping bass feeling you get with huge speakers, in headphones. Nothing else, more or less expensive does that. You can use an equalizer to fix nearly everything else except fixing a headphone that can't reproduce 20 to 60hz tones accurately.
right so im getting interference with my SoundBlaster xtremeGamer from my graphics card.
This card has a MOLEX power to cut the iterference so that should stop the disk and prosessor noises in my speakers?
I'm a huge audio guy, guitars and cubase is my thing. How suited is this card. I never use headphones and I kinda feel I might be paying for the headphone part of things......
@Harrysound I don't get any interference with my Xonar, no background noise, NOTHING !! it's VERY GOOD in this department !! The Molex power the analog section of the card: DAC, AMP, OPS and it's much cleaner than the pciX current!! :D If you are into guitars and recording, this card might not be for you, especially since you said you never use headphones. This card was made for Audiophile listening, enjoying music at the highest possible levels for computer generated sound anyway !
I have a Xonar and for those people who are afraid to "burn" their headphones it is easy. don´t plug into the Sound Card just in to the Stereo or 5.1 or 7.1 if you have one. Or buy an expensive one like Seinheiser HD models from 30 to 50 O impedance. Like HD580 (145€) not too much expensive, comfortable, hi fi...etc...For now i´m using Philips HiFi headsets and works pretty good. 20 O "only".
i just installed one of these awesome cards in my PC, it mind blowing, its like i've rediscovered all my music again! for all thoes that have asked, it is sold as a 2 channel soundcard, not 5.1 channel...
Can someone please tell me, this sound card - does it support actual 5.1? I would be hooking it up to a receiver via the S/PDIF output (Receiver supports DTS and PLII). Everyone shows this on headphones, but I can't find anyone who says if they used it for surround sound or not which is my primary use (Headphones will be occasional - I have HD595's coming in a few weeks). Will I get TRUE 5.1 surround sound in games (I figure yes because of the DDL and DTS Interactive features, but I'm not sure)?
@Shintsu2 Yeah, the card supports 5.1 through the optical out. Although, this probably wouldn't be the card I would choose for that purpose. I bought one because I wanted (a) high quality stereo setup, and (b) excellent headphone usage.
If you have a modern graphics card, they can send out LPCM 7.1 audio through HDMI if your receiver has HDMI in?
@tfn105 Thanks, I looked around more and saw most other people implied what you did. While I am getting some Sennheiser HD595's soon and plan to try them out for gaming/movies, I definitely like my 5.1 surround setup (I have a dedicated home stereo setup for two channel listening - two systems in fact). My card (GTX 460) does have HDMI out, but my receiver is not new enough and I'm not satisfied with the acoustic quality of the newer ones I can afford - I just went with an HT Omega Claro+.
This card has just *amazing* deep bass and can drive very precise sounds in games, movies and music.
I even tried plugging in a $40 pair of earphones and this card can drive a really powerful sound through them, unlike any MP3 player or phone.
If there is one PC component people overlook.. It is sound cards. These are not placebo. The difference to onboard audio is so big it's ridiculous. It's like the difference between an integrated GPU and a Radeon 6990/GTX590.
@darkzerk7 40$ earphones arent really difficult to run.... there's not much point in having this card unless you have some 500$+ full size headphones.
would using 50 dollar headphones with the xonar essence stx ruin the headphones? I mean everyones talking about 300 dollar headphones for this thing, but what if you used a cheap one would that mean instant blown headphones?
@Backgroundsiren The card won't ruin your 50 dollar headphones, the amplifier on it might, if you set it to a gain level higher than you headphones can handle. Make sure you know your headphone impedance.If your headphones have 32 ohms you should leave it to normal gain, if you have headphones with 100 ohms and above, try the high gain, and if you have 300 ohm headphones and above, you should use extra high gain !!
@LordXerpentoR thanks for responding. i noticed that the wave volume is at max by default. is it safe to keep this at max and just adjust through the little knob volume on the far right instead?
I just got my Xonar STX, had a little trouble getting it running at first, but... now that its going.... Im running a pair of AKG K701's and.... WOW. Its like hearing it for the first time all over again. As if the band was sitting right in front of me playing.
What the uploader said, but yeah, of course not. Like with any headphone amplifier, leave the volume set to 0 and turn up to a comfortable level, regardless of what gain setting you have it set to or what the resistance (in Ohms, probably 32 for your inexpensive pair) your headphones have. The gain setting just changes how much voltage is used to amplify a certain number of dB. Use the lowest setting that gives you acceptable volume with headroom for more.
@Backgroundsiren Nothing will happen to your 50$ headphones, but there's no point using low quality headphones with a high end sound card. Its like watching a blueray movie on a 17 inch monitor.
@Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh Well, thats your opinion, which is wrong. Home theater wont give you such sound quality unless you wanna pay 10x more than this sound card costs.
@thekikoman1 I played every game there is to play on this card, without problems, on windows 7 64 bit. The song is Fear Factory - Zero Signal (instrumental only)
io ho una scheda audio creative che su xp si sente benissimo, audio digitale invece su seven fa schifo come mai perfavore spiegatemi , ma non ce una scheda audio per windows seven che funzione bene e l'audio in digitale si sente bene ?
Could someone please explain to me that when i enable 24bit 192khz on windows 7 64bit, i play a song and the asus audio center does not react to the music (such as the bar graphs wont fluctuate, the "dolby effects" wont work?
@Faztastic Go to control panel and select the sound settings.Select xonar device properties and go to the advanced tab and change the sharing mode sampling rate to 48000 khz 24 bit.DONE
I've been struggling with this sound card for 2 weeks since I got it.
Latest Windows 7 64-bit drivers installed and it hisses, pops, crackles and flutters. ASIO latency is horrible. My 7yr old Audigy 2 had less latency !
Stereo mix function mutes your line in making live jamming impossible.
Sadly the forums are a mass of people on W7 64-bit with the same problems and the Asus tech support is non existant.
However when installed on a WinXP works better but still popping sounds grrrrrrrrr !
@DavidNewland1978 I have it installed on Windows 7 64 bit ultimate and I don't experience any of the problems you mentioned. Mine doesn't hiss at all, except when I have aflash based player open: Youtube etc. I tested the Asio latency with guitar rig 3, I have 5 ms latency, stereo mix works well with line in, it only attenuates the volume a little. Are you sure you installed it correctly ? Maybe your card is faulty. I could be that. Mine is very very quiet.
So many people in the Asus forums reporting the same problems.
After using in XP with no popping, hissing and fluttering, the Win7 64bit drivers seems to be a snag for others as well as myself. The lack of tech support in the forums isnt a help either.
I have an old Creative Audigy 2 Platinum EX with an ASIO delay of 1ms delay.
I really want this card to work, but with a brand new Win7 64bit and the latest (May 2010) beta drivers no dice!
@DavidNewland1978 Oh, one more thing, the hissing or background noise could be from the line in cable. Whenever I plung in a cable in line in without any device on the other side, I get a little hissing, but no popping. When I plung my ipod into line in, everything is quiet again ! I don't know what to say, it shouldn't be doing this.
And how I wish it wasnt. In my XP partition, identical hardware, it's just fine apart from popping at the end of and mp3 ( again a common complaint in the Asus forums ) it's fine. But on Win7 64 bit, latency aside it's got a horrible signal. I might want to add I'm a sound engineer and have recorded many tunes succesfully over the years and if Win 7 64 bit didnt support my Creative audigy 2 platinum ex I wouldnt have needed a new card ! The biggest problem is the stereo mix cont.
muting the line in feature. Using guitar rig I assume you're familiar with having the abitlity to plug your guitar + FX unit into a mixing desk into the Line in input and playing live over nuendo projects / backing music mp3 files. So having a feature which enables you to hear the stereo mix only while muting the line in renders a very useful feature useless. Something which as a given in 2003 technology seems like a huge step backwards. They announced new drivers due already and we need them!
@DavidNewland1978 Whenever I leave a cable plugged into my line in I get hissing when recording, yes. If I unplug that cable, the signal is clean. It took me a while to figure it out. The only 3 things I'm complaining about this card: 1. whenever I'm recording I have to turn up the main volume and switch to normal gain for the headphones, also I have to preguess where I should leave the volume knob so it doesn't distort in my recording.
@DavidNewland1978 The second thing is sometimes the relays don't switch properly and I don't get signal on microphone, aux, line or stereo mix and I have to restart the computer to fix it, sometimes I have to restart it a few times. Maybe a new driver will solve this. Third thing is sometimes id doesn't recognise the extra power molex connector, but I think this can be fixed. Yet I never heard popping from this card, not even once since I bought it. Hmm, strange !!
I'd love this card to work simply because on XP the sound quality is fantastic.
My old configuration was guitar >> mixing desk >> soundcard so I could jam live guitar solo's over backing music. Sadly the " Wave " and " Stereo mix " settings mute the Line in signal making it impossible to do this and this was a feature essential to all musicians. The other problems just mar it even more.
No sign of the new drivers which were due in the 1st week of October too.
But if you're using windows 7, 64bit like I am I cant recommend it - even the latest drivers still dont work. Check out the Asus forums as I cant link here. Seems to work better on XP.
@DavidNewland1978 there's a couple of sites who is giving mod drivers for the xonar's. i have the xonar d2x and i never had problems with the card! also downloaded mod drivers but i haven't tryed yet!
I think the problem is, as with most hardware it'll work perfectly for some and be a complete nightmare for others. I'm a musician so I wanted to use the ASIO 2.0 but it's getting 365+ ms latency ( even when using ASIO4ALL ) which is ridiculous as my Creative Audigy 2 platinum EX had lower latency, was ASIO1 and was about 8 years old ! The forums are full of people having the same problems. As I said earlier, I'd LOVE this card to work, I really would ! Asus just need better drivers.
@markusblomstrand92 it will fit in the 1x slot above your primary 16x slot if that's what you're asking. tight fit but it's not touching the video card
does this thing gonna prevent ur windows from auto sleep mode, cuz i have top card sound blaster faltality champion, sound great but it just fuck up my electricity bill due to cant not perform auto sleep so it run all night long, im thinking to sell this little fucker and get an asus card, do u have any problems with auto sleep on this babe ?
@gmommy88 It's awesome for gaming, no hick-ups in any game I tried, not even older ones. I use win 7 64 bit. I don't know why people are affraid to use this card for games.
@LordXerpentoR Nice video...I have just got the Xonar D2 ,althought it looks very good but i have been following up people on forums saying Asus dont care for there customers and there driver support sux .
i have also heard complaints on the card i have.. the D2 ..many have said it makes popping sounds ,...i have just had the same problem but im fixing myself !
Anyways thats why people are afraid to use ASUS sound cards due to there terrible support ..oh well !!
@stormshadow2100 No more sucky than creative, trust me !! :P All drivers I used for my card worked flawlessly and I met no problems. Hmm I guess the can't afford to fuck up things for their top card !
Hey man thanks for the video. What kind of speakers and/or headphones are you using with this card? I have Logitech Z-2300 speakers and a pair of Grado MS1i headphones for metal and rock music. I currently have no soundcard and I'm looking for the best... but I was thinking this card might be overkill for only having Z-2300's (which aren't bad necessarily) and not uber-expensive audiophile speakers. What do ya think? Thanks again.
@shakespearespqr I ended up purchasing the Xonar DX instead. It had a nice $20 rebate on it and I couldn't resist the price for $60 off Newegg. I figured Essence cards were a bit too ridiculous for my current setup. I'll definitely consider them next time I build a computer. But so far I love the DX! The sound improvement is very noticeable over on-board. Hope you like the ST :)
Is the sound improvement really that big? the people at Head-fi are telling me to dont expect night and day differences or i'll end up dissapointed.
Also, do you use the DX i gaming? if it does only bring dolby headphone, how does it perform when talking about positioning? Does it work well when telling the altitude of objects around you (above and under etc).
No, as far as i'm concerned Windows can manage several soundcards. You will just have to indicate wich sound output do you want to use. (For instance, i think you can plug your headphones on the soudcard and still use the microphone plug in the motherboard)
looks like a good quality card, i'm not sure whether to go with this or if i'd be better with an external usb product like the fubar iv as i have a small antec nsk 1380 so not much room for more internal cards.
The essence is not specifically designed for gaming, but many people use it for that purpose and they are quite happy with it.
It does not have CMSS3d or EAX (althought it can emulate this last one) but it DOES bring Dolby Headphone, wich you can use in the same way as CMSS3d in games and its also a lot better in music and movies.
Nice video:) I heard this was a really great card but was asking miself: my motherboard only have large( full sized) PCI /PCI-EXPRESSS slots so can I still instal the card eaven if it doesn t fill the whole slot or do I need to get some kind of adapter?
@oloftaittinger, YES, it's compatible, you can install all pci-express types into a fullsize X16 pciexpress slot. It doesn't need to cover the whole slot, as long as it's a pciexpress card.
yeah waiting form mine so i can really feel the power of the sennheiser pc 350 or use my B&W speakers on my maranz amp to watch movies without sound issues
So yeah, What I want to know is, it has two 6.3mm audio jacks.
One is for the Headphones and one foe the Microphone I guess.
If I take a normal (non-PC) mic and hook that up (maybe using an XLR to 6.3mm audiojack cable) do you know how well that will sound, can this card power that ok?
Hi there, I couldn't post a comment on your "xonar essence stx" page, so I'll just post it here.
In the Asus forum, I keep reading about latency issues people seem to experience with this soundcard when they plug in a keyboard or also when plugging a guitar into the line-in. Can you verify these? I mean, you said one would need a pre-amp and I agree, but still there shouldn't be such a high latency, should there? Would be nice to hear your thoughts/comments on this.
Hi there, I couldn't post a comment on your "xonar essence stx" page, so I'll just post it here.
In the Asus forum, I keep reading about latency issues people seem to experience with this soundcard when they plug in a keyboard or also when plugging a guitar into the line-in. Can you verify these? I mean, you said one would need a pre-amp and I agree, but still there shouldn't be such a high latency, should there? Would be nice to hear your thoughts/comments on this.
I think you would be better off with a 5.1 or 7.1 card such as the Xonar DX/HDAV 1.3 as these are intended for headphones more than speakers. So unless you're planning on getting (or already have) some medium/high end headphones it'll be a waste on speakers especially z-5500 which aren't really audiophile quality speakers.
So I guess what i'm trying to say is, either get the DX and a good loudspeaker or get the STX and awesome headphones.
I've got some problems connecting my speakers, so ill have to connect it to the headphone plug.
The speakers are connected to a what u call that? well lets just say my bass, cus its basically connected to the bass, and theres a switcher also connected to it, then there a cable ure supposed to connect the bass and the computer, and then the speakers are supposed to be heard, works on my motherboard, but it aint working on this card i bought, why? any ideas? i appreciate the help
Simply awesome bro. I am a huge fan of anything and everything metal and it's like you made this video just for me lol. I plan on picking this up when I get some cash to replace my creative titanium. I want to hear how this monster makes my audioengine a2's sound :D
@ShakeITyEA of course you can! Just remember if your headset is small don't add any extra amplification or you'll damage your headset permanently, or you can set the card to high gain but be mindfull of the maximum volume you use.
You don't need an audio card for music like that...
Sorry I didn't mean that, just had to express what I think of music like that.
Don't get mad. :P Great video btw. I'm thinking of getting it. :D And what kind of headphones/speakers are you using with it? I will use a pair of Sennheiser HD 595.
I respect your opinion, but you're wrong. I use this card with music like this, but I listen to this in flac,ape,wv lossless audio format, and I can tell you there's a huge difference from mp3 audio, especially with this card. The fact that you dislike this type of music, can't comprehend it, is too noisy for you, doesn't mean that it isn't detailed, especially in flac, ape, wv lossless formats. Also, I don't use winamp when listening to music. I use foobar 2000 with wasapi asio driver.
Let me tell you something else, This card was made somewhat specifficaly for rock and metal, brings out the guitars, drums in the song better than most soundcards out there. It even has presets for them.
I don't quite belive that. Sure it sounds good with it, but I don't think they had that in mind when making it. And do you know where you can get albums with only FLAC files?
Every review on the internet about the Essence STX, every test they did on this card says it sounds the best when used for rock, metal and jazz. This sound card was made for musical instruments, especially the rock-metal genres. I told you, it even has presets for them. And yes,they didn't had just rock and metal in mind when they built this card, but the fact that it has 4 separate presets just for these two genres, says it all !!
Allright I'm back mate. I've been google'ing about what you said about the ASUS Xonar Essence STX is designed for rock music and I can't find one other person than you who says so. Just wanted to share that. I got my Sennheiser HD 595 headphones now so I only need the ASUS Xonar Essence STX then my audio setup will be complete.
There is one jack for signal in(either Line in or Microphone in) but the microphone can be connected to the Front Panel pins. That way you can use both Line in and Microphone. That's how I do it !!
Nice pair of speakers. If the edifier has digital conectivity you can use them with this card. Also you can get the Xonar D2X and use the analog connectors. This way, you can benefit from the Burr Brown DAC on the Xonar which probably will be better sounding than the dac from the edifier. If you get the Essence you can use the digital conectivity from the edifier, if it has one I mean and benefit from the headphone amp. You choose.
well.. got this in a christmas gift. I am a gamer, but I was just wondering if you can use a microphone 3.5mm jack and a headphone 3.5mm jack input? Got a bit dissapointed when I saw there were no 3.5mm jack inputs "on" the card... Think I will change it, but what does this card really support? Its sick, dont think I have that much use for it, if you can se what I mean. Really hope to get a answer on this, think I will send it back and swich with another card, but I dont know. Please answer fast
Yes you can use microphone on this card. Not only you can use a microphone but this card has a AC97 codec chip(ASUS JC100) specifically for microphone amplification. There are two ways to connect your microphone to the Essence: 1. you can use a 6.3mm adaptor and plu it into the line in and the card will automatically detect the impedance of your microphone and auto-adjust. 2. (this one is recommended) use the front panel connector pins if you have mic in jack in the front of your computer case
Well, thanks for the answer! Good to know... So, I cant use the 3.5mm microphone jack in the card?:s got sound/mic in one and the same wire... I found a little black thing in the box, can I use this to the microphone, or maybe the gold adapter? Sorry for asking, but i really need help.. And, if you could decide, would you return the card if you were a gamer with a highend headset and a lowend speaker? I do think I have wished the wrong card...
That little black thing is your SPDIF to TOSLINK optical adaptor. It won't solve your microphone problem, first, tell me if you have microphone and headphone connectors on the front of your computer case, the little green and pink connectors.
The answer to your question, would I return this card? NO. I have a high end headset, I play games on this card too and it's fantastic, it works flawlessly, and the drivers are excelent and are updated much much more frequently, unlike Creative. And the microphone benefits from that amplification codec I specified, unlike any other soundcard I know. So, NO, I would NEVER return this !! But that's just me !
If you have microphone and headphone connectors on the front of your computer case, connect the wires from those case connectors to the pins on the Essence STX. I'm reffering to the pins located on the edge of the Essence, right near the Asus Logo, 3:18 in my clip. That way you can use a microphone(with ampification) and leave the Line-in available for other devices you might want to plug in.
One other thing, you might have difficulties determining how the pins will be connected to to the wires. The Essence manual doesn't specify this little detail, THE BASTARDS !! The one thing that got me very mad when I installed my card. I wanted to use the microphone too and didn't know how to connect the wires because it doesn't specify this anywhere, not in the manual, not on the card, nothing.
I'm so frustrated. How does this compare with EMU 1212M or with other sub $200 cards?
I just got my mid-end 2-channel system up and running (around $3500 worth of), and my only source is 5-6 yeard old and shitty sound blaster audigy card. Everything sounds dull and "compressed", even flac files.
I borrowed my friend $500 Marantz cd-player and damn...now I want same kinda sound from my PC!
I just can't decide what to get. I'm running Win7 32bit and heard EMU drivers sucks on it.
Essence STX works flawlessly with Win7 32 and 64 bit. The EMU might have problems not only with Win7, but also with Vista. The support is only for WinXP. The EMU is PCI, the Essence STX is PCI Express. The EMU has more connectivity than the Essence STX. The EMU doesn't have a headphone amplifier , the Essence does. The EMu has digital inputs(coax and optical), the Essence only has digital outputs. The EMU and STX have overall similar soud quality, but the STX has the edge over the EMU, 124db SNR
The Essence has swapable opamps, the EMU doesn't. The Essence has very nice response frequency 10Hz - 90.000Hz, whereas EMU only has 20Hz to 20.000Hz. I don't know about the EMU 1212, but the Essence is very quiet, no hissing, even at max volume, none at all. The EMU is made specifficaly for recording, the Essence is made for music listening, recording, gaming, watching movies. They both have 6,3 mm connectors. Make your choice carefully. I vote for the Essence.
I know that the Essence has much better caps than EMU and op-amps are changeable without soldering. EMU I guess uses better DAC, but that doesn't guarentee it sounds better.
Mind you, that my speakers are $2500 Jamo Concert 8 monitors. They are pretty bass heavy with unbelievable midrange dynamics.
I don't want a card that makes these speaker sound over bright and has loose bass.
But I guess the STX is a huge leap over my pos audigy anyways, so I can't make too bad decision eh? :P
Also I don't need the headphone amp option because I don't use headphones anymore. I had Sennheiser HD600 + MuFi X-CanV2 + X-PSU setup couple years ago.
I don't use inputs also. Analog outputs are what I need only, because I run my speakers with Onkyo A-9755 integrated amp. It takes only analog unbalanced RCA inputs so the card has to do D/A conversion.
Does the Essence have Left/Right RCA analog outputs? Don't wanna play adapters.
Pretty much the Essence is now what I'm looking for.
Yes, the Essence has two RCA outputs, 3:25 in my clip, the white and red ones, the Left and Right channels you seek. The signal is coming directly fron the DAC through the OPAMPS, 124 SNR. You can modify the opamps in time to your liking to obtain the "audio nirvana" you seek.
So I searched and searched and searched about what card I should get...guess what.
I got a Musiland Monitor 02 US and could not be happier. My friend bought a STX and I tested it. It indeed sounded much much better than my old crappy Audigy. But then again I bit the bullet and ordered the Musiland and holy shit. Much more detailed sound than the STX and the basses are more dry and tight.
Even my friend admitted that the Musiland sounds better and it's cheaper. :O
Musiland Monitor has the Xilinx Spartan chip. I've heard many great things about it. I bought my STX for the headphone support since I'm a headphone listener myself.
@makexxx Hi just wondeirng does the Musiland have any software bundled with it, i.e software that can change the crossover like that of the xfi/xonar range? Id love to get the musiland but my music depends on a good crossover software wise.
It comes only with Musiland's own software where you can change the sound level of analog, digital, wmd and asio + also mute em. Also asio buffer from 5ms to 40ms and sample rate changing if you dont want bit perfect output with asio/wasapi/ks.
With crossover changes you mean eq? My system sounds so good with everything flat, so I'm not concerned with eq.
@makexxx thanks for replying, well i have an xfi card atm and although its no where near audiophile quality the digital crossover built in enabled me to designate which frequencies go to the subwoofer and w
Does it use any Power from the Express slot or the Molex connector only seeing i'm building an Low powered PC with not even an PSU but a 90W adapter (Mini ITX)
Because i really can't find any Power requirement specification. Thanks in advanced who ever knows the answer.
psyku 1 week ago
480p video.. my ball sack records better than that.
nawaz2kx 1 week ago
Which one is better for gaming and music? This or creative sound blaster x-fi titanium hd?
stefbcrich 3 weeks ago
Comment removed
stefbcrich 3 weeks ago
Ahh yes audiophile. Please recommend a fantastic speaker system to get with this card :) My room is 20 feet x 15 feet. I want the full experience... er... my budget is about 2000 dollars... Suggestions? If that's overkill and totally unnecessary, how about 500 dollars?
izlude2 1 month ago
any support for soundfonts? (for midi playback) otherwise i'll probably go with the fatal1ty pro...
GarySpatzScam 1 month ago
what is the name of the first music please?
Gfgtx580 1 month ago
I really don't like the music had to turn right off.
EastAngliaUK 4 months ago
Just how it should sound, provided that the EEPROM data stays as programmed---a design flaw in the C-Media CMI8788 has dogged all Xonar products to some degree. Maybe ASUS should redesign this card around the Creative Technologies CA20K2 for the serious gamer---such a card would be a worthy product for the Republic of Gamers.
bcschmerker 4 months ago
@bcschmerker This is not a card for gamers. Asus has cards specifically designed for games and surround that beat any other such card. STX / ST is a car for people who want maximum sound quality for stereo speakers or headphones.
derbigpr500 3 months ago
@derbigpr500 Didn't say that the STX was a gamer card; the CMI8788 demands a fairly large amount of CPU time, unlike the CA20K2. I picked the STX on a cost vs. benefit analysis against the Xense; both are well-enough shielded to run adjacent to a video card.
bcschmerker 3 months ago
@bcschmerker Yea but STX and Xense are completely different cards made for completely different purpose. Xense is gaming card focusing on surround, STX is audiophile card focused on top sound quality in stereo and running high quality headphones.
derbigpr500 3 months ago
FYI TURN THE VOLUME DOWN BEFORE HITTING PLAY
bulviwoodson 4 months ago
Best headphones for this card between $150-200??? Please
Looking at Sennheiser 515?
Irefuselol 5 months ago
@Irefuselol
The Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250 Ohm is great. Look for him.
IMUNTERGRUND 5 months ago
@Irefuselol
Save for twice as long and get Denon AH-D5000's. They will absolutely blow all others out of the water. Nothing is as accurate in the bass, while being balanced in mids and trebles. Capable of that powerful, chest-thumping bass feeling you get with huge speakers, in headphones. Nothing else, more or less expensive does that. You can use an equalizer to fix nearly everything else except fixing a headphone that can't reproduce 20 to 60hz tones accurately.
Username93611 5 months ago
dude that music :-/ made the video a waste
theone2030 7 months ago
@theone2030 you go die :)
Turbostian80 5 months ago
right so im getting interference with my SoundBlaster xtremeGamer from my graphics card.
This card has a MOLEX power to cut the iterference so that should stop the disk and prosessor noises in my speakers?
I'm a huge audio guy, guitars and cubase is my thing. How suited is this card. I never use headphones and I kinda feel I might be paying for the headphone part of things......
Harrysound 7 months ago
@Harrysound I don't get any interference with my Xonar, no background noise, NOTHING !! it's VERY GOOD in this department !! The Molex power the analog section of the card: DAC, AMP, OPS and it's much cleaner than the pciX current!! :D If you are into guitars and recording, this card might not be for you, especially since you said you never use headphones. This card was made for Audiophile listening, enjoying music at the highest possible levels for computer generated sound anyway !
LordXerpentoR 7 months ago
I have a Xonar and for those people who are afraid to "burn" their headphones it is easy. don´t plug into the Sound Card just in to the Stereo or 5.1 or 7.1 if you have one. Or buy an expensive one like Seinheiser HD models from 30 to 50 O impedance. Like HD580 (145€) not too much expensive, comfortable, hi fi...etc...For now i´m using Philips HiFi headsets and works pretty good. 20 O "only".
Foxiol 8 months ago
Could I grab some help?
I'm currently using:
Logitech Z-5500 5.1s
Xonar stx essence
and Razer Carcharias (Headphones)
I bought a Crest platinum Coaxial Digital cable but I can't seem to connect my speakers and sound card. Can I get some instructions?
Also what settings should i have so I don't kill my headphones?
thanks!
AlexXAxel 8 months ago
i just installed one of these awesome cards in my PC, it mind blowing, its like i've rediscovered all my music again! for all thoes that have asked, it is sold as a 2 channel soundcard, not 5.1 channel...
Al19812009 9 months ago
lol knife
exonerator 10 months ago
Can someone please tell me, this sound card - does it support actual 5.1? I would be hooking it up to a receiver via the S/PDIF output (Receiver supports DTS and PLII). Everyone shows this on headphones, but I can't find anyone who says if they used it for surround sound or not which is my primary use (Headphones will be occasional - I have HD595's coming in a few weeks). Will I get TRUE 5.1 surround sound in games (I figure yes because of the DDL and DTS Interactive features, but I'm not sure)?
Shintsu2 10 months ago
@Shintsu2 Yeah, the card supports 5.1 through the optical out. Although, this probably wouldn't be the card I would choose for that purpose. I bought one because I wanted (a) high quality stereo setup, and (b) excellent headphone usage.
If you have a modern graphics card, they can send out LPCM 7.1 audio through HDMI if your receiver has HDMI in?
tfn105 9 months ago
@tfn105 Thanks, I looked around more and saw most other people implied what you did. While I am getting some Sennheiser HD595's soon and plan to try them out for gaming/movies, I definitely like my 5.1 surround setup (I have a dedicated home stereo setup for two channel listening - two systems in fact). My card (GTX 460) does have HDMI out, but my receiver is not new enough and I'm not satisfied with the acoustic quality of the newer ones I can afford - I just went with an HT Omega Claro+.
Shintsu2 9 months ago
haha epic music
xFORNETTx 10 months ago
This card has just *amazing* deep bass and can drive very precise sounds in games, movies and music.
I even tried plugging in a $40 pair of earphones and this card can drive a really powerful sound through them, unlike any MP3 player or phone.
If there is one PC component people overlook.. It is sound cards. These are not placebo. The difference to onboard audio is so big it's ridiculous. It's like the difference between an integrated GPU and a Radeon 6990/GTX590.
darkzerk7 10 months ago 12
@darkzerk7 40$ earphones arent really difficult to run.... there's not much point in having this card unless you have some 500$+ full size headphones.
derbigpr500 6 months ago
would using 50 dollar headphones with the xonar essence stx ruin the headphones? I mean everyones talking about 300 dollar headphones for this thing, but what if you used a cheap one would that mean instant blown headphones?
Backgroundsiren 10 months ago
@Backgroundsiren The card won't ruin your 50 dollar headphones, the amplifier on it might, if you set it to a gain level higher than you headphones can handle. Make sure you know your headphone impedance.If your headphones have 32 ohms you should leave it to normal gain, if you have headphones with 100 ohms and above, try the high gain, and if you have 300 ohm headphones and above, you should use extra high gain !!
LordXerpentoR 10 months ago
@LordXerpentoR thanks for responding. i noticed that the wave volume is at max by default. is it safe to keep this at max and just adjust through the little knob volume on the far right instead?
Backgroundsiren 10 months ago
@LordXerpentoR
I just got my Xonar STX, had a little trouble getting it running at first, but... now that its going.... Im running a pair of AKG K701's and.... WOW. Its like hearing it for the first time all over again. As if the band was sitting right in front of me playing.
wheel0513 9 months ago
Do I can select the exactly impendance of a headphone or I can just select normal medium and high gain level?
Can I specify the impendace by a number like 55 Ohm, 56, 60...?
dizzyggxx 8 months ago
@Backgroundsiren
What the uploader said, but yeah, of course not. Like with any headphone amplifier, leave the volume set to 0 and turn up to a comfortable level, regardless of what gain setting you have it set to or what the resistance (in Ohms, probably 32 for your inexpensive pair) your headphones have. The gain setting just changes how much voltage is used to amplify a certain number of dB. Use the lowest setting that gives you acceptable volume with headroom for more.
Username93611 5 months ago
@Backgroundsiren Nothing will happen to your 50$ headphones, but there's no point using low quality headphones with a high end sound card. Its like watching a blueray movie on a 17 inch monitor.
derbigpr500 3 months ago
no offense but whats up with the gay background music ?
randomvidz94 10 months ago
my xfi gamer just pooped on me, dont knw if i should get another one or a Xonar D2X
kaysniper 10 months ago
@kaysniper get xonar, creative sucks ass with its drivers.
Megadeth6633 10 months ago
Have Asus fixed any of the issues you have talked about in the comments above?
I can't be doing with dodgy drivers.
I've found some stable ones for my XtremeGamer and left it at that.
I record ALOT of music though, never gaming ,never use headphones but I just kinda want this card for some reason.
Harrysound 11 months ago
What's the name of the metal track at the beginning?
kickazzdrummer666 11 months ago
@kickazzdrummer666
cant remember but it's something from fear factory, late 90s i think.
levlobotomy 10 months ago
@kickazzdrummer666
Fear Factory - Demanufacture [album] - Zero Signal
Kejvv 10 months ago
@Kejvv Thanks dude.
kickazzdrummer666 10 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
What the sound 5.06-6.03?
OlolO267 1 year ago
What the sound 5.06-6.03?
OlolO267 1 year ago
What the sound 5.06 - 6.03?
OlolO267 1 year ago
I think PC sound card is simply worthless. Home theater system is way better.
Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh 1 year ago
@Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh Well, thats your opinion, which is wrong. Home theater wont give you such sound quality unless you wanna pay 10x more than this sound card costs.
derbigpr500 1 year ago 4
does this have an adapter for optical ?
xxCPS3xx 1 year ago
@xxCPS3xx, YES !!
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
@LordXerpentoR do u think i should buy this card if i game alot (BBC2,cod.....)and whats the name of the song while u wer unboxing?
thekikoman1 9 months ago
@thekikoman1 I played every game there is to play on this card, without problems, on windows 7 64 bit. The song is Fear Factory - Zero Signal (instrumental only)
LordXerpentoR 9 months ago
@xxCPS3xx uses a mini plug spdif.... its inside the coaxial one....2 in 1 plug :D
Luger718A1 1 year ago
looks nice
luiswega 1 year ago
Connect a good pair of headphones to this soundcard (I have Beyerdynamic DT-770) and the play this watch?v=N6eyRYRj9Gc VERY LOUD :D
33kbpsAACplus 1 year ago
How is this for Gaming? someone made a comment saying it's not very good for gaming, but others say it's great.
1981z28camaro 1 year ago
u should set ur volume output to max if u want no filtering applied to the signal.
kboy3141 1 year ago
io ho una scheda audio creative che su xp si sente benissimo, audio digitale invece su seven fa schifo come mai perfavore spiegatemi , ma non ce una scheda audio per windows seven che funzione bene e l'audio in digitale si sente bene ?
sanfilippo1975 1 year ago
I can tell that you have a good sense of humour :)
So this sound card is Mac compatible??
Darkecy 1 year ago
Could someone please explain to me that when i enable 24bit 192khz on windows 7 64bit, i play a song and the asus audio center does not react to the music (such as the bar graphs wont fluctuate, the "dolby effects" wont work?
can someone explain to me a fix.
Faztastic 1 year ago
@Faztastic Go to control panel and select the sound settings.Select xonar device properties and go to the advanced tab and change the sharing mode sampling rate to 48000 khz 24 bit.DONE
Mucydonia 8 months ago
@Mucydonia thanks buddy
Faztastic 8 months ago
DAMN NICE KNIFE
LauxHawk 1 year ago
do i need like optialc cabel for my z5500 to this card?
KILLCOMBO 1 year ago
don't think you had a big enough knife to open that packaging
silvex300 1 year ago
I've been struggling with this sound card for 2 weeks since I got it.
Latest Windows 7 64-bit drivers installed and it hisses, pops, crackles and flutters. ASIO latency is horrible. My 7yr old Audigy 2 had less latency !
Stereo mix function mutes your line in making live jamming impossible.
Sadly the forums are a mass of people on W7 64-bit with the same problems and the Asus tech support is non existant.
However when installed on a WinXP works better but still popping sounds grrrrrrrrr !
DavidNewland1978 1 year ago
@DavidNewland1978 I have it installed on Windows 7 64 bit ultimate and I don't experience any of the problems you mentioned. Mine doesn't hiss at all, except when I have aflash based player open: Youtube etc. I tested the Asio latency with guitar rig 3, I have 5 ms latency, stereo mix works well with line in, it only attenuates the volume a little. Are you sure you installed it correctly ? Maybe your card is faulty. I could be that. Mine is very very quiet.
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
@LordXerpentoR
Must be a lot of faulty cards out there.
So many people in the Asus forums reporting the same problems.
After using in XP with no popping, hissing and fluttering, the Win7 64bit drivers seems to be a snag for others as well as myself. The lack of tech support in the forums isnt a help either.
I have an old Creative Audigy 2 Platinum EX with an ASIO delay of 1ms delay.
I really want this card to work, but with a brand new Win7 64bit and the latest (May 2010) beta drivers no dice!
DavidNewland1978 1 year ago
@DavidNewland1978 Oh, one more thing, the hissing or background noise could be from the line in cable. Whenever I plung in a cable in line in without any device on the other side, I get a little hissing, but no popping. When I plung my ipod into line in, everything is quiet again ! I don't know what to say, it shouldn't be doing this.
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
@LordXerpentoR
And how I wish it wasnt. In my XP partition, identical hardware, it's just fine apart from popping at the end of and mp3 ( again a common complaint in the Asus forums ) it's fine. But on Win7 64 bit, latency aside it's got a horrible signal. I might want to add I'm a sound engineer and have recorded many tunes succesfully over the years and if Win 7 64 bit didnt support my Creative audigy 2 platinum ex I wouldnt have needed a new card ! The biggest problem is the stereo mix cont.
DavidNewland1978 1 year ago
muting the line in feature. Using guitar rig I assume you're familiar with having the abitlity to plug your guitar + FX unit into a mixing desk into the Line in input and playing live over nuendo projects / backing music mp3 files. So having a feature which enables you to hear the stereo mix only while muting the line in renders a very useful feature useless. Something which as a given in 2003 technology seems like a huge step backwards. They announced new drivers due already and we need them!
DavidNewland1978 1 year ago
@DavidNewland1978 Whenever I leave a cable plugged into my line in I get hissing when recording, yes. If I unplug that cable, the signal is clean. It took me a while to figure it out. The only 3 things I'm complaining about this card: 1. whenever I'm recording I have to turn up the main volume and switch to normal gain for the headphones, also I have to preguess where I should leave the volume knob so it doesn't distort in my recording.
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
@DavidNewland1978 The second thing is sometimes the relays don't switch properly and I don't get signal on microphone, aux, line or stereo mix and I have to restart the computer to fix it, sometimes I have to restart it a few times. Maybe a new driver will solve this. Third thing is sometimes id doesn't recognise the extra power molex connector, but I think this can be fixed. Yet I never heard popping from this card, not even once since I bought it. Hmm, strange !!
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
@LordXerpentoR
I'd love this card to work simply because on XP the sound quality is fantastic.
My old configuration was guitar >> mixing desk >> soundcard so I could jam live guitar solo's over backing music. Sadly the " Wave " and " Stereo mix " settings mute the Line in signal making it impossible to do this and this was a feature essential to all musicians. The other problems just mar it even more.
No sign of the new drivers which were due in the 1st week of October too.
Tech support = 0%
DavidNewland1978 1 year ago
@DavidNewland1978 send me your card :)
falosi86 1 year ago
@falosi86
If it wasnt so expensive, I would :P
But if you're using windows 7, 64bit like I am I cant recommend it - even the latest drivers still dont work. Check out the Asus forums as I cant link here. Seems to work better on XP.
DavidNewland1978 1 year ago
@DavidNewland1978 there's a couple of sites who is giving mod drivers for the xonar's. i have the xonar d2x and i never had problems with the card! also downloaded mod drivers but i haven't tryed yet!
falosi86 1 year ago
@falosi86
I think the problem is, as with most hardware it'll work perfectly for some and be a complete nightmare for others. I'm a musician so I wanted to use the ASIO 2.0 but it's getting 365+ ms latency ( even when using ASIO4ALL ) which is ridiculous as my Creative Audigy 2 platinum EX had lower latency, was ASIO1 and was about 8 years old ! The forums are full of people having the same problems. As I said earlier, I'd LOVE this card to work, I really would ! Asus just need better drivers.
DavidNewland1978 1 year ago
what is with the million drum beat per second hyper fantasia audio??? is that REALLY necessary!
HoodaThunket 1 year ago
How many cm thick is the card? Is it less than 20 mm? I'm worried about it not fitting ;0 ?
markusblomstrand92 1 year ago
@markusblomstrand92 it will fit in the 1x slot above your primary 16x slot if that's what you're asking. tight fit but it's not touching the video card
Kerberoz01 1 year ago
does this thing gonna prevent ur windows from auto sleep mode, cuz i have top card sound blaster faltality champion, sound great but it just fuck up my electricity bill due to cant not perform auto sleep so it run all night long, im thinking to sell this little fucker and get an asus card, do u have any problems with auto sleep on this babe ?
imkool0316 1 year ago
хех таким брутальным ножичком разделывает коробок :)
xgamer222 1 year ago
i understand the card is great for music but can anyone tell me how it is for gaming?
gmommy88 1 year ago
@gmommy88 It's awesome for gaming, no hick-ups in any game I tried, not even older ones. I use win 7 64 bit. I don't know why people are affraid to use this card for games.
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
@LordXerpentoR Nice video...I have just got the Xonar D2 ,althought it looks very good but i have been following up people on forums saying Asus dont care for there customers and there driver support sux .
i have also heard complaints on the card i have.. the D2 ..many have said it makes popping sounds ,...i have just had the same problem but im fixing myself !
Anyways thats why people are afraid to use ASUS sound cards due to there terrible support ..oh well !!
stormshadow2100 1 year ago
@stormshadow2100 No more sucky than creative, trust me !! :P All drivers I used for my card worked flawlessly and I met no problems. Hmm I guess the can't afford to fuck up things for their top card !
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
background music sucks!
OglanciMuslum 1 year ago
is that foobar that you're using?
iamipula 1 year ago
Hey man thanks for the video. What kind of speakers and/or headphones are you using with this card? I have Logitech Z-2300 speakers and a pair of Grado MS1i headphones for metal and rock music. I currently have no soundcard and I'm looking for the best... but I was thinking this card might be overkill for only having Z-2300's (which aren't bad necessarily) and not uber-expensive audiophile speakers. What do ya think? Thanks again.
jamnoopers 1 year ago
@jamnoopers
I think i'm going to buy the ST version (its more or less the same but PCI) and i only have a pair of relatively cheap (70€) Creative Aurvana Live.
You can always upgrade the headphones in the future.
shakespearespqr 1 year ago
@shakespearespqr I ended up purchasing the Xonar DX instead. It had a nice $20 rebate on it and I couldn't resist the price for $60 off Newegg. I figured Essence cards were a bit too ridiculous for my current setup. I'll definitely consider them next time I build a computer. But so far I love the DX! The sound improvement is very noticeable over on-board. Hope you like the ST :)
jamnoopers 1 year ago
@jamnoopers
Is the sound improvement really that big? the people at Head-fi are telling me to dont expect night and day differences or i'll end up dissapointed.
Also, do you use the DX i gaming? if it does only bring dolby headphone, how does it perform when talking about positioning? Does it work well when telling the altitude of objects around you (above and under etc).
shakespearespqr 1 year ago
fear factory!! YAY!
awolfenschwein 1 year ago
It's been so long since I've used headphones I forget, which one is it for putting headphones in?
ChancellorTrample 1 year ago
Its mine!!veni vedi vici^^
Katalist1 1 year ago
Hey, If I were to get this card, would I have to uninstall my current onboard sound drivers? (I has realtek onboard sound driver)
super999999 1 year ago
@super999999
No, as far as i'm concerned Windows can manage several soundcards. You will just have to indicate wich sound output do you want to use. (For instance, i think you can plug your headphones on the soudcard and still use the microphone plug in the motherboard)
shakespearespqr 1 year ago
looks like a good quality card, i'm not sure whether to go with this or if i'd be better with an external usb product like the fubar iv as i have a small antec nsk 1380 so not much room for more internal cards.
aboliston 1 year ago
is it worth upgrading from a creative xtreme gamer? cant really tell much of a difference from this end :/
nawaz2kx 1 year ago
@nawaz2kx
The essence is not specifically designed for gaming, but many people use it for that purpose and they are quite happy with it.
It does not have CMSS3d or EAX (althought it can emulate this last one) but it DOES bring Dolby Headphone, wich you can use in the same way as CMSS3d in games and its also a lot better in music and movies.
shakespearespqr 1 year ago
Nice video:) I heard this was a really great card but was asking miself: my motherboard only have large( full sized) PCI /PCI-EXPRESSS slots so can I still instal the card eaven if it doesn t fill the whole slot or do I need to get some kind of adapter?
thanks
oloftaittinger 1 year ago
@oloftaittinger, YES, it's compatible, you can install all pci-express types into a fullsize X16 pciexpress slot. It doesn't need to cover the whole slot, as long as it's a pciexpress card.
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
@LordXerpentoR ok great thanks man i think i m gonna order it
oloftaittinger 1 year ago
yeah waiting form mine so i can really feel the power of the sennheiser pc 350 or use my B&W speakers on my maranz amp to watch movies without sound issues
enexti 1 year ago
PM ME BACK IS THIS GOOD FOR RAZER MAKO 2.1 THX PC Speaker?
imvu10 1 year ago
i wish these videos werent always so geeky :/
maxoys45 1 year ago
LOL AT THE BEGINNING AHAHHAA
unknownOpium 1 year ago
So yeah, What I want to know is, it has two 6.3mm audio jacks.
One is for the Headphones and one foe the Microphone I guess.
If I take a normal (non-PC) mic and hook that up (maybe using an XLR to 6.3mm audiojack cable) do you know how well that will sound, can this card power that ok?
ZDSGroup 1 year ago
This sounds much better than my crappy Xonar D1 'complete with wobbly volume effect you can't fix!'
Toasty667 1 year ago
BIG KNIFE!! STABITY STAB!! :D
Toasty667 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Hi there, I couldn't post a comment on your "xonar essence stx" page, so I'll just post it here.
In the Asus forum, I keep reading about latency issues people seem to experience with this soundcard when they plug in a keyboard or also when plugging a guitar into the line-in. Can you verify these? I mean, you said one would need a pre-amp and I agree, but still there shouldn't be such a high latency, should there? Would be nice to hear your thoughts/comments on this.
SoberHusky 1 year ago
Hi there, I couldn't post a comment on your "xonar essence stx" page, so I'll just post it here.
In the Asus forum, I keep reading about latency issues people seem to experience with this soundcard when they plug in a keyboard or also when plugging a guitar into the line-in. Can you verify these? I mean, you said one would need a pre-amp and I agree, but still there shouldn't be such a high latency, should there? Would be nice to hear your thoughts/comments on this.
SoberHusky 1 year ago
Fear Factory - Zero Signal (Mortal Kombat Theme) Good Song!yes really f** cool
Clebertj 1 year ago
I liked the sound at 6:28
Cool video, gona have to get one of these!
eaglewitharifle 1 year ago
thinkin about getting this for my z-5500
Necry3d 1 year ago
@Necry3d
I think you would be better off with a 5.1 or 7.1 card such as the Xonar DX/HDAV 1.3 as these are intended for headphones more than speakers. So unless you're planning on getting (or already have) some medium/high end headphones it'll be a waste on speakers especially z-5500 which aren't really audiophile quality speakers.
So I guess what i'm trying to say is, either get the DX and a good loudspeaker or get the STX and awesome headphones.
Just my 2c =D.
BbyTeeDee 1 year ago
@Necry3d Why would you get the Asus Essence for z5500 speakers? That doesn't make any sense. Do you know anything about the stuff you buy?
lowenbotten 1 year ago
I've got some problems connecting my speakers, so ill have to connect it to the headphone plug.
The speakers are connected to a what u call that? well lets just say my bass, cus its basically connected to the bass, and theres a switcher also connected to it, then there a cable ure supposed to connect the bass and the computer, and then the speakers are supposed to be heard, works on my motherboard, but it aint working on this card i bought, why? any ideas? i appreciate the help
Layziezor 1 year ago
Simply awesome bro. I am a huge fan of anything and everything metal and it's like you made this video just for me lol. I plan on picking this up when I get some cash to replace my creative titanium. I want to hear how this monster makes my audioengine a2's sound :D
metalhead85210 1 year ago
lol was the giant knife really necessary>?
gtalover139 1 year ago 18
@gtalover139, YES !!! :D
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago 16
Comment removed
Layziezor 1 year ago
beautiful card. my only question: can I connect my headset microhpone to it? (green plug)
ShakeITyEA 2 years ago 2
@ShakeITyEA of course you can! Just remember if your headset is small don't add any extra amplification or you'll damage your headset permanently, or you can set the card to high gain but be mindfull of the maximum volume you use.
LordXerpentoR 1 year ago
@ShakeITyEA
In fact the Essence is designed with a strong focus on Headphone usage.
shakespearespqr 1 year ago
Gd vid, is this a 2.1 sound card or is it a 5.1/7.1 card?
Zaim123 2 years ago
@Zaim123 You can get an external board which enables 7.1
2ndSSBggydbluds 2 years ago
7.1
iDarkShoGun 2 years ago
how does it work for gaming?
NothingWorks4me 2 years ago 2
More than awesome !! It workd flawlessly with every game I have tried so far. No flaws, none at all !!
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
Does it allow you a better input audio also?
Layziezor 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I have the Xonar D2 Ultra Fidelity 7.1, if i upgraded to this would i notice an improvement?
Aftershock731 2 years ago
You don't need an audio card for music like that...
Sorry I didn't mean that, just had to express what I think of music like that.
Don't get mad. :P Great video btw. I'm thinking of getting it. :D And what kind of headphones/speakers are you using with it? I will use a pair of Sennheiser HD 595.
KapteinFruit 2 years ago
I respect your opinion, but you're wrong. I use this card with music like this, but I listen to this in flac,ape,wv lossless audio format, and I can tell you there's a huge difference from mp3 audio, especially with this card. The fact that you dislike this type of music, can't comprehend it, is too noisy for you, doesn't mean that it isn't detailed, especially in flac, ape, wv lossless formats. Also, I don't use winamp when listening to music. I use foobar 2000 with wasapi asio driver.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
Let me tell you something else, This card was made somewhat specifficaly for rock and metal, brings out the guitars, drums in the song better than most soundcards out there. It even has presets for them.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
I don't quite belive that. Sure it sounds good with it, but I don't think they had that in mind when making it. And do you know where you can get albums with only FLAC files?
KapteinFruit 2 years ago
Every review on the internet about the Essence STX, every test they did on this card says it sounds the best when used for rock, metal and jazz. This sound card was made for musical instruments, especially the rock-metal genres. I told you, it even has presets for them. And yes,they didn't had just rock and metal in mind when they built this card, but the fact that it has 4 separate presets just for these two genres, says it all !!
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
Allright I'm back mate. I've been google'ing about what you said about the ASUS Xonar Essence STX is designed for rock music and I can't find one other person than you who says so. Just wanted to share that. I got my Sennheiser HD 595 headphones now so I only need the ASUS Xonar Essence STX then my audio setup will be complete.
KapteinFruit 2 years ago
Will i plug 2.0 stereo speakers with no problems in the card? I'm going to buy microlab solo 7C.
heavypeki 2 years ago
yes
skaskaster 2 years ago
is it just me or do I have to choose between sound and microphone? there is only one jack its gold though^^
Nitroouszak 2 years ago
There is one jack for signal in(either Line in or Microphone in) but the microphone can be connected to the Front Panel pins. That way you can use both Line in and Microphone. That's how I do it !!
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
mener du å bruke onboard lyden?
Nitroouszak 2 years ago
i'm planning to get an edifier s550 which only has analogue connections.. so this card wont be suitable for me?
flyong88 2 years ago
Nice pair of speakers. If the edifier has digital conectivity you can use them with this card. Also you can get the Xonar D2X and use the analog connectors. This way, you can benefit from the Burr Brown DAC on the Xonar which probably will be better sounding than the dac from the edifier. If you get the Essence you can use the digital conectivity from the edifier, if it has one I mean and benefit from the headphone amp. You choose.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
lols where you get wall paper
gemballagt950 2 years ago
well.. got this in a christmas gift. I am a gamer, but I was just wondering if you can use a microphone 3.5mm jack and a headphone 3.5mm jack input? Got a bit dissapointed when I saw there were no 3.5mm jack inputs "on" the card... Think I will change it, but what does this card really support? Its sick, dont think I have that much use for it, if you can se what I mean. Really hope to get a answer on this, think I will send it back and swich with another card, but I dont know. Please answer fast
YouChrister 2 years ago
Yes you can use microphone on this card. Not only you can use a microphone but this card has a AC97 codec chip(ASUS JC100) specifically for microphone amplification. There are two ways to connect your microphone to the Essence: 1. you can use a 6.3mm adaptor and plu it into the line in and the card will automatically detect the impedance of your microphone and auto-adjust. 2. (this one is recommended) use the front panel connector pins if you have mic in jack in the front of your computer case
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
Well, thanks for the answer! Good to know... So, I cant use the 3.5mm microphone jack in the card?:s got sound/mic in one and the same wire... I found a little black thing in the box, can I use this to the microphone, or maybe the gold adapter? Sorry for asking, but i really need help.. And, if you could decide, would you return the card if you were a gamer with a highend headset and a lowend speaker? I do think I have wished the wrong card...
YouChrister 2 years ago
That little black thing is your SPDIF to TOSLINK optical adaptor. It won't solve your microphone problem, first, tell me if you have microphone and headphone connectors on the front of your computer case, the little green and pink connectors.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
The answer to your question, would I return this card? NO. I have a high end headset, I play games on this card too and it's fantastic, it works flawlessly, and the drivers are excelent and are updated much much more frequently, unlike Creative. And the microphone benefits from that amplification codec I specified, unlike any other soundcard I know. So, NO, I would NEVER return this !! But that's just me !
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
oki. Thanks again! I wouldnt return it;)
Have read much about it too. Thank you soo much! Hope the drivers work for windows 7.. :o
YouChrister 2 years ago
If you have microphone and headphone connectors on the front of your computer case, connect the wires from those case connectors to the pins on the Essence STX. I'm reffering to the pins located on the edge of the Essence, right near the Asus Logo, 3:18 in my clip. That way you can use a microphone(with ampification) and leave the Line-in available for other devices you might want to plug in.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
One other thing, you might have difficulties determining how the pins will be connected to to the wires. The Essence manual doesn't specify this little detail, THE BASTARDS !! The one thing that got me very mad when I installed my card. I wanted to use the microphone too and didn't know how to connect the wires because it doesn't specify this anywhere, not in the manual, not on the card, nothing.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
I'm so frustrated. How does this compare with EMU 1212M or with other sub $200 cards?
I just got my mid-end 2-channel system up and running (around $3500 worth of), and my only source is 5-6 yeard old and shitty sound blaster audigy card. Everything sounds dull and "compressed", even flac files.
I borrowed my friend $500 Marantz cd-player and damn...now I want same kinda sound from my PC!
I just can't decide what to get. I'm running Win7 32bit and heard EMU drivers sucks on it.
makexxx 2 years ago
Essence STX works flawlessly with Win7 32 and 64 bit. The EMU might have problems not only with Win7, but also with Vista. The support is only for WinXP. The EMU is PCI, the Essence STX is PCI Express. The EMU has more connectivity than the Essence STX. The EMU doesn't have a headphone amplifier , the Essence does. The EMu has digital inputs(coax and optical), the Essence only has digital outputs. The EMU and STX have overall similar soud quality, but the STX has the edge over the EMU, 124db SNR
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
The Essence has swapable opamps, the EMU doesn't. The Essence has very nice response frequency 10Hz - 90.000Hz, whereas EMU only has 20Hz to 20.000Hz. I don't know about the EMU 1212, but the Essence is very quiet, no hissing, even at max volume, none at all. The EMU is made specifficaly for recording, the Essence is made for music listening, recording, gaming, watching movies. They both have 6,3 mm connectors. Make your choice carefully. I vote for the Essence.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
I know that the Essence has much better caps than EMU and op-amps are changeable without soldering. EMU I guess uses better DAC, but that doesn't guarentee it sounds better.
Mind you, that my speakers are $2500 Jamo Concert 8 monitors. They are pretty bass heavy with unbelievable midrange dynamics.
I don't want a card that makes these speaker sound over bright and has loose bass.
But I guess the STX is a huge leap over my pos audigy anyways, so I can't make too bad decision eh? :P
makexxx 2 years ago
Also I don't need the headphone amp option because I don't use headphones anymore. I had Sennheiser HD600 + MuFi X-CanV2 + X-PSU setup couple years ago.
I don't use inputs also. Analog outputs are what I need only, because I run my speakers with Onkyo A-9755 integrated amp. It takes only analog unbalanced RCA inputs so the card has to do D/A conversion.
Does the Essence have Left/Right RCA analog outputs? Don't wanna play adapters.
Pretty much the Essence is now what I'm looking for.
makexxx 2 years ago
Yes, the Essence has two RCA outputs, 3:25 in my clip, the white and red ones, the Left and Right channels you seek. The signal is coming directly fron the DAC through the OPAMPS, 124 SNR. You can modify the opamps in time to your liking to obtain the "audio nirvana" you seek.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
So I searched and searched and searched about what card I should get...guess what.
I got a Musiland Monitor 02 US and could not be happier. My friend bought a STX and I tested it. It indeed sounded much much better than my old crappy Audigy. But then again I bit the bullet and ordered the Musiland and holy shit. Much more detailed sound than the STX and the basses are more dry and tight.
Even my friend admitted that the Musiland sounds better and it's cheaper. :O
makexxx 2 years ago
Musiland Monitor has the Xilinx Spartan chip. I've heard many great things about it. I bought my STX for the headphone support since I'm a headphone listener myself.
LordXerpentoR 2 years ago
@makexxx Hi just wondeirng does the Musiland have any software bundled with it, i.e software that can change the crossover like that of the xfi/xonar range? Id love to get the musiland but my music depends on a good crossover software wise.
Thanks in advanced.
Joe
2ndSSBggydbluds 2 years ago
Hi,
It comes only with Musiland's own software where you can change the sound level of analog, digital, wmd and asio + also mute em. Also asio buffer from 5ms to 40ms and sample rate changing if you dont want bit perfect output with asio/wasapi/ks.
With crossover changes you mean eq? My system sounds so good with everything flat, so I'm not concerned with eq.
makexxx 2 years ago
@makexxx thanks for replying, well i have an xfi card atm and although its no where near audiophile quality the digital crossover built in enabled me to designate which frequencies go to the subwoofer and w