Asus Xonar Essence STX
So let's start with the basics.Here is the link of the Sound Card's Page in Asus.com:
http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=zCDHPnfR1jymHK2f&templete=2
I suggest you to visit it because if i post the important properties here,this post will end up bigger than i'm expecting.
Let's now proceed with (i hope) Detailed Photos.
Sorry for the quality,i used a Nikon dSRL but unfortunately i didn't had time to play the Photographer and take proper Pictures (the Camera itself does nothing) as i couldn't wait to put Xonar on my Computer.
That's the pack you're going to see once you get Xonar.
That's what's printed bellow the cover.
And that's the Xonar... Into the box!
Unboxed,kind of...
Just what the box contains,you can notice the Drivers' CD on the right.
The Book of secret aka Measurements Book.
For more detailed view of this card you can visit the following link which has Xonar Photos to see the rest of the unposted photos.
http://s817.photobucket.com/albums/zz95/truebassb/Asus%20Xonar%20Essence%20STX/What the Box Contains is:
The Sound Card,
Quick Start Guide and Drivers' CD,
Some Xonar Posters (two actually),
The Luxury Looking Measurements Book,
Cheap Stereo (Dual) RCA to Stereo 3.5mm Jack,
A Gold-Plated 3.5mm Stereo Jack to 6.35mm for Headphone connection,
Toslink to Mini Toslink adaptor.
Software Interface and Abilities:
The main expanded window.
Its main abilities:
Monitoring and selecting output volume,
Monitoring DSP Mode,EQ Mode,Active Output Devices and pretty much everything you can see on the photo.
It also has a Spectrum Analyzer with 10 Octaves and a sort of VU Meter which measures the average value of the frequencies' db level from -20db to +20db.
Its accuracy? Unknown...
Abilities of this tab:
Audio Channel selection,
The Sample Rate,
SPDIF enabling/disabling,
Virtual Surround Options,
Tab number two: Mixer.
This tab has Controls to configure channel's volume for both playback outputs and recording inputs.
Tab three: Effect.
This is a self explanatory tab,but if it's not,it enables the user control the Environment's effect,for example to add Echo on the sound by setting "Stone Room",or make the sound sound like on a hallway,big room,small room,and etc,but in my opinion such effects are ruin the sound.
The Equalizer of the whole thing is also located on this tab with many presets and the ability to configure it with custom settings.
Fourth tab: Karaoke!
This offers the following options: Key Shifting,Vocal Cancellation and Microphone Echo.
Tab five: Flexbass.
It has a Subwoofer Crossover and ability to set the speakers as Small (to start where the Sub Stops) or Large (Full Range).
Tab sixth: Vocal Fix.
It offers options for Voice Improvement for Video Games Intercommunication and VOiP.
Notice: I guess a tab is missing,the Headphone Amplifier tab,but i can't enable it as i don't have Headphones.
I guess it will appear just by plugging the Jack Adaptor on Headphones' Output,but nevermind.
Time For Listening Conclusions: ...And how does the beast sound?
Listening Equipment:
Speakers: Quad 11L (BiWired),
Speaker Wires: Ixos XHS-213 2x2m,
Interconnects: Belkin Pure AV RCA 1.2m,
PC Power Supply: Corsair VX550W 5v rail @ 5.1v Idle.
Measured with regular Multimeter,it might be 5v and not 5.1v,but whatever,we definitely have stable 5v going in the Card.
General:
Till now i have heard a lot of Sources,Sound Cards (Internal DACs),and External DACs,but i was using the Integrated DAC of the Amplifier(s) i was and currently using,getting fed by Onboard Soundcard's SPDIF at 96khz.
Since those DACs and the Onboard Sound Card (ALC888,which sounds close to how a cheap X-Fi does) are what i have heard for long time with this Setup,i'll compare the Xonar with the DAC of the Denon AVR-3802 but i'll be more trying to explain how it actually sounds than make silly comparisons.
The speakers i have are rich in the Mid-Range Frequencies' Area with natural and flat sound,but however having my first touch with Xonar,i end up with the conclusion which says:
What i was listening to was lacking of Mid-Range Frequencies cause of the DAC.
Xonar's giving a big improvement in Detail and improves Frequency Response aswell.
Having listened to Jazz,Jazz-Blues,Jazz Fusion,good old Pop,and from old Acid Jazz like A Guy Called Gerald performing Voodoo Ray to Shakira,Xonar has its improvements everywhere.
With Jazz Fusion i could easily notice the detail between the organs and specially the drums.
I could notice what else was playing behind the Xylophone while with the Integrated DAC all those was looking-sounding like it was one thing.
Even on Treble-Rich or Bass-Rich Songs it had nice separation of the Vocals from the Music too.
And talking about voice,the way it sounds warm makes the voice sound natural,not dry,not treblish,not boomy.
The Xonar Essence STX with simple words:
A lot of Detail which stays a "Detail" even on the most weird situations and songs,warm and natural clean sound,tights up the Bass and makes it more controllable,and gives a transparent feeling.
As i was lowering category level i noticed that it was helping less,less,less,and more less.
From the 1500$ Multichannel Denon AVR-3802 Amplifier,to the 600$ Denon AVR-2105,the abilities of this Card are getting shrinked.
The AVR-2105 lacks pretty much of everything compared to the AVR-3802.
It has weak Low Frequencies and the Mid Range Frequencies aren't all that great,dirty i can say,and the High Frequencies are pitchy.
Listening with that Amplifier and the Xonar there was still HUGE improvement but Xonar is just a DAC,nothing magical that patches everything and makes it perfect.
Other Systems (Hint: Multimedia):
Logitech z-5500:
listening to Can't Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue i noticed that the how the rythm goes from the mid to the high frequencies had something sweet which doesn't existed listening to the same song by using the Integrated DAC
The same goes for various jazz songs i've listened to with this system.
Edifier s730:
Having a fast listening with various songs and this system too,i noticed that the Xonar Essence STX compared to the integrated Edifier DAC was giving detail aswell,and made the voices sounding more quite making the sound look Flat instead of playing random Frequencies loud,while the Integrated DAC was making the voices non-natural,pitchy and able to cover the midrange frequencies,which (the midrange frequencies) wasn't that noticeable with the integrated dac.
The song which i noticed that enables you to hear that difference more clear than other is: Voodoo Ray by A Guy Called Gerald.
Conclusion on Multimedia Systems:
I'm NOT saying it didn't improved them,but even with the Xonar those systems are still not sounding great,because as i said before: Xonar is just a DAC,not a miracle,nothing magical and it can't make a system sound excellent at the time it's not possible.
Ok it sounds nice,i got it... Does it worth it?
At the price of about 150-200 Euros i can say i like more the sound improvement i got from Xonar Essence STX than what i spend to get it,so i will recommend it to anyone that has a similar budget to check it out,test it-listen to it,compare it with other options and then make a choice.
When you should get it: When you have a proper Stereo System or a proper Multichannel System and want nice sound in Stereo.
When not: If you have a Multimedia System then it's totally overkill.
Get a midrange Professional Sound Card or if you want Multichannel Sound,get an Asus Xonar DX,it's still a great low budget choice.
Things i didn't tried:
Headphone Amplifier,
Sound Recording.
Unfortunately i have no idea about Headphones and Headphone Amplifiers,and i don't have a Studio Microphone to test the Recording Quality and compare it to something else.Sorry.
I guess that's the whole review,i'll check it up tomorrow to see if i wrote anything wrong so i can fix it.
Posts
I currently have the Z-5500 using an old Audigy 2 ZS. I'm tired of the Creative drivers sucking and have repeatedly read that this card will get the most out of my speakers.
ReplyDeleteHow necessary would you say a better amplified/speaker setup is for this card? In other words, do you feel the Z-5500 speakers are obviously holding this card back, or are they decent?
Thank you.
With a Xonar DX you'll get the best without spend a crazy amount of money for a system like that.
ReplyDeleteA Xonar Essence STX will improve z-5500 but it doesn't worth the cost as it stays miles behind of how it can perform with a piece by piece setup.
My suggestion is to try to build an entry level piece by piece system with a Pioneer VSX-420 and speakers of your choice,then that combination will sound better than z-5500 with a good DAC like Xonar Essence STX at about the cost of a z-5500 set with its current price here and the Xonar,let's say 500 euros.
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