Sound Type | Surround |
---|---|
Interface Type | PCI |
Number of channels | 7.1 |
Width | 4.2 in |
---|---|
Height | 6.62 in |
3D sound support | yes |
---|---|
DirectSound support | yes |
EAX support | yes |
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) | 0.0 % |
Support for ASIO | yes |
Analog 3.5mm output | 1 |
---|---|
Analogue RCA outputs | 1 |
Headphone output | yes |
Headphone output (3.5 mm) | 0 |
Headphone output (6.3 mm / 1/4) | 1 |
Headphone outputs | 1 |
Jack Plug input | 0 |
Jack Plug output (6,3 mm / 1/4) | 1 |
Microphone input | yes |
Microphone Jack Plug (3.5mm) | 0 |
Line-in | yes |
Line-out | yes |
S/PDIF in port | yes |
S/PDIF out port | yes |
Other connectors |
|
USB | yes |
Placement Type | Internal |
---|
Noise level (SNR) | 118.0 dB |
---|---|
Line-out Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) | 124.0 dB |
D/A audio | 24 bit / 192 kHz |
Audio quality | 24.0 bit |
ASUS marked their entry into the high-end sound card market with the Xonar Essence ST some years ago. Today, we will take a good look at the new STX II. The STX II brings new op-amps and a more precise clock generator to the table; the latter should lower jitter. The STX II also bolsters 7.1 outputs through a small break-out card.
With all the current fuss about getting audio data from a computer to a standalone D/A processor via S/PDIF, USB, FireWire, WiFi, or Ethernet (footnote 1), it has been overlooked that the oldest way to get audio from a PC is to use a high-performance soundcard plugged into the host machine's motherboard. I remember how excited I was when I installed a Sound Blaster Pro 16 board in the 486-based Dell running Windows 3.1 that I was using in the early Clinton era, plugged its analog output into my high-end rig, and played back 16-bit/44.1kHz files.
We test and review the Xonar Essence ST Deluxe 7.1 soundcard. Yes, you read it right, the full deluxe model! ASUS has been relentless with its R&D and soundcard releases, putting out one high end card after another. The Essence models are considered the current undisputed kings of the Xonar series of soundcards. We are quite excited to see what the Essence ST offers over the STX and in general. So, lets pull out the Xonar Essence ST Deluxe 7.1 and have a look and a listen. Introduction
The PC audio market has been churning out some great new high fidelity soundcards lately. A good example here is the recent release of the new Essence STX headphone card, which stirred up the audio community and caught the attention of people who usually look for external headphone amplifiers. Some of you may know there were rumors of ASUS expanding the Essence Line-up with possibly a PCI model. Guru3D has the prototype the engineering sample of the Essence ST in our audio lab today, and will bring you a sneak preview on it. Introduction
We test and review the Xonar Essence ST Deluxe 7.1 soundcard. Yes, you read it right, the full deluxe model! ASUS has been relentless with its R&D and soundcard releases, putting out one high end card after another. The Essence models are considered the current undisputed kings of the Xonar series of soundcards. We are quite excited to see what the Essence ST offers over the STX and in general. So, lets pull out the Xonar Essence ST Deluxe 7.1 and have a look and a listen. Introduction
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