ASUS Xonar Essence STX thread.

[ROBSCIX]

These cadr have been showing up in various places for sale on the net. Good idea to start a thread about comments and questions related to them.
Any current owners, or owners in waiting?

[flopper]

Waiting.

about the opamp, since you can replace them, is needed/wanted/desired to do so for an average listener?

[ROBSCIX]

The card has great sound quality right out of the box. I have been testing it for over a month now and it is a spectacular soundcard. If you want to change the opamps that is up to you but you do not need to change them.

[flopper]

ok thx.

Card will be shipped 17 of jan here.
:D

[koc]

Looks like this card the best solution for gaming headphones

[ROBSCIX]

The initial impression of this card @ Head-Fi have been all top notch. I have been gaming with it for almost 2 months now and have been enjoying it very much.

[dexman]

hi robscix. i'm been eyeing this soundcard since first info was released and i'm having a little dilema, especially after reading your impressions at Head-Fi. do you think i should go for 'Essence' or some stereo amplifier like HK 3490 (http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?Region=EUROPE&Country=SK&Language=ENG&cat=REC&prod=HK%203490/230&sType=C). i could just use optical out from my motherboard, in that case i wouldn't need a discrete sound card, would i? i don't care about game effects. i use both speakers and headphones (HD 555), so im kinda leaning towards stereo amplifier, which would come handy in future speakers upgrade.but i'm afraid that headphone output wouldn't be as good as on the essence and the price is twice as much. what do you think?

[Bradan]

i think if your just using hd 555, the stereo amp would be fine.

this is kind of geared towards high end, high impedance headphones. hd 555 = 50ohm and the essence is capable of 600ohm headphones.

I thin you'd be happy with the receiver.

edit:
id advise against onboard + sound card for the sake of no conflicts

[Skakruk]

The STX has a front panel connector. Can someone tell me whether the front panel headphone connector is from the headphone amp part of the STX, or is it just an normal line out?

[Bradan]

The STX has a front panel connector. Can someone tell me whether the front panel headphone connector is from the headphone amp part of the STX, or is it just an normal line out?

x2

I'd like to know as well
(I'd assume it would be amped)

[Bojamijams]

Its amped.

[Bradan]

Its amped.

I actually have a set of ah-d2000 ordered.

How much of a difference is there to be had between my audigy 4 SE (Close to Xonar DX)?

[Budwise]

Would it be a noticeable difference moving from an X-Fi Xtreme Music to this? The PCI interface of the Xtreme Music is starting to become a problem because the only PCI slot in my system is right above my GTX 295 and I seem to be getting some feedback through my HD 595's. I do alot of gaming, mostly RTS, but would it be a gaming downgrade and a music upgrade or what?

[dexman]

it would be a gaming downgrade if you were a hardcore FPS gamer. i doub't you're gonna notice any difference while playing RTS. i don't have this card yet, but from what i have read music performance is above any X-Fi based sound card. will it be noticeable depends on your speakers/headphones too.

[flopper]

Got the card.
first impressions, why is my music sounding so different?

[ROBSCIX]

..different in what why?

[flopper]

sound is different, clarity, space,.
using sennheiser 570 currently.
some songs sounds awful actually, as the recording bitrate isnt up to it.
guess I start to look at flac.

drivers cant be loaded from asus as the server seems to be out of order.
No issues with current ones except in BF2, where the eax did make fps stutter.

[ROBSCIX]

Yes, the STX has a very open sound stage and teh clarity and detail is great if you have good media. When you have a good soundcard, the detail and clarity can show the limits of poorly encoded or low bitrate files.

[flopper]

As far, the sound is really good, I also had fun adjusting using the EQ, never did such before as there wasnt much of a point to do that.
I get my sennheiser 600 soonish, I got a deal for ones at a good price.
I had my eyes on those for 5 years ever since I listen to them.

The sound is really clear.

[ROBSCIX]

The Essence STX has become a hot topic for Headphone guys. People have been comparing this card to DAC's and other external gear worth many times more then it's price. There is also alot of upgrade options through opamps..the card already has some great capacitors onboard. As for you cans, I like Sennheisers they are great sounding headphones..

[Skakruk]

Could someone please tell me the exact length of this card?

[ROBSCIX]

Could someone please tell me the exact length of this card?

Exact dimensions off the box: App. 168 *107mm (W*L)

So that would be 107mm

Hope this Helps.

[WhiteFireDragon]

i'm thinking about about getting this card because it's the only one i know of that also has a video output. if i don't game at all, would this be a good choice to plug the HDMI into my monitor? i also have a set of logitech z-5500 so how am i going to plug the speakers in this card?

[ROBSCIX]

i'm thinking about about getting this card because it's the only one i know of that also has a video output. if i don't game at all, would this be a good choice to plug the HDMI into my monitor? i also have a set of logitech z-5500 so how am i going to plug the speakers in this card?

The Essence STX card does not have a video output. You might be thinking of the HDAV 1.3 Deluxe -that card has full HDMI support.:up:

[Skakruk]

Exact dimensions off the box: App. 168 *107mm (W*L)

So that would be 107mm

Hope this Helps.

Wow, that's tiny!

EDIT: Wait... That's 168mm width? Are you sure it's not the other way around? Does that length include the mounting bracket (where the screw goes)?

I just wanted to know if I'd be able to put it in this boards PCI-E 1.0 slot without it hitting the RAM:

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/5148/2312lsa1.jpg


You might be thinking of the HDAV 1.3 Deluxe -that card has full HDMI support.:up:

And I still haven't completely made up my mind whether I should get that card or the STX...

I guess the HDAV 1.3 Deluxe would be too long to clear my RAM, though.

[flopper]

fit in my 1x pcie top slot on a ud5 board.

found you could set 24bit in foobar and windows mixer. LOL
sounds even better now.
was a bug when I set that, with reboot the driver worked again.

[dexman]

And I still haven't completely made up my mind whether I should get that card or the STX...

I guess the HDAV 1.3 Deluxe would be too long to clear my RAM, though.
you can use any pci-e slot you want. its compatibile with pci-e x1,x4,x16

[ROBSCIX]

The Essence STX is a small card.
The HDAV 1.3 is larger and also has the daughter board if you want to go with the Deluxe model. The daughter board can go in any slot though.

[WhiteFireDragon]

The Essence STX card does not have a video output. You might be thinking of the HDAV 1.3 Deluxe -that card has full HDMI support.:up:

ah oops! i thought they were the same, except the HDAV has the other additional card. so both the EssenceSTX and the HDAV1.3 can really be plugged into ANY pci-e slot, even the x16 slot meant for video cards??

[Skakruk]

What's the STX like for games? Has anyone experienced any compatibility issues so far?

[ranker]

What's the STX like for games? Has anyone experienced any compatibility issues so far?

I didn't like it compared to my previous card the Prelude in my other machine. I'm sending mine back to Newegg as we speak and will be waiting for the Auzentech Hometheater HD instead.

While it was fantastic for listening to music, the lack of EAX 3.0+ support just kills it in my book.

[flopper]

What's the STX like for games? Has anyone experienced any compatibility issues so far?

eax in bf2 using windows 7 64bit, (ultra high) has crackling noises.
when it dosnt crackle, it sounds good, soft and allows a deeper immersion.
got some issues with mickrophone that dont work from time to time.
listening to music currently is great.

[Skakruk]

Just ordered my STX. I'm using XP x64, so I hope it'll work as well on that...

[Apokalipse]

Would it be a noticeable difference moving from an X-Fi Xtreme Music to this?yes, as long as you're using good headphones/speakers, and good quality source files.

I've got an X-fi XtremeMusic (+ LME49720 OpAmps) and a Xonar D2X
the D2X does sound cleaner, and more natural. I'd expect the STX to sound even better still.

Just ordered my STX. I'm using XP x64, so I hope it'll work as well on that...I'm sure it will. My D2X works fine on XP x64, and it seems Asus actually does have a descent driver coding team.

[flopper]

works for me on windows 7 64bit, no issues.

Sound is amazing, I use sennheiser hd600 now, and I just notice I listen to the music much more and also dont hear when people enter the room.
scare the hell out of me ;)

[Skakruk]

An incredible review, thanks to this thread's OP: Essence STX Review (http://www.guru3d.com/article/asus-xonar-essence-stx-review/1) :)

[Skakruk]

What's up with this card's manual???

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/5605/lllvj7.jpg

Why the hell does it illustrate connecting headphones via the RCA's, and say: "The Left/Right Front Out ports have a built-in high-quality amplifier to drive headphones"? :confused:

Please tell me those L-Front and R-Front RCA's arent amplified!

I looked throught the whole manual and I can't find mention of the proper headphone out jack on the rear of the card. Why supply a 6.5mm phones jack, and then suggest connecting headphones to the RCA outs???

Is this just another case of ASUS releasing innacurate manuals?

Please can someone confirm that:

1) It's the 6.5mm phones jack (as well as the front panel phones header) that's amplified.

2) The L-Front and R-Front RCA's are normal, line level, stereo outputs.

[Apokalipse]

I'm pretty sure you're right on 1 and 2

Anyway, my AD900's came with a 3.5mm to 6.5mm connector, so I'm set
http://apokalipse.googlepages.com/AD900_3.5-6.5mm.jpg


I've also heard only the line-outs use an LM4562 OpAmp, and the 6.5mm (amped) jacks uses NJM2114D OpAmps.
good thing is they're all swappable.
http://apokalipse.googlepages.com/lm4562.jpg http://apokalipse.googlepages.com/NJM2114D.jpg
I was wondering if the signal goes through the LM4562 before it goes through the built-in amp. Because if it doesn't, then there's nothing stopping you from using the LM4562 with the 6.5mm (amped) jack instead.

[Skakruk]

The first two opamps are the JRC 2114D’s these opamps units are used as a differential input Current to Voltage section (I/V). These opamps take the output from the DAC chip and convert it for use by the final buffer opamp (LM4562NA).

I'm pretty sure you're right on 1 and 2

I sure hope so - what's gonna happen to my pre-amp if those RCA's are amped! :eek:

[ROBSCIX]

The RCA outs are not amplified. THere is some type of typo in the manual.. The Headphones amplifier has it's own dedicated output.

When using the RCA, you have the 2114D -> LM4562, in a Differential input I/V converter to a single ended buffer design.
When you enable the headphone amplifier the LM4562 is pulled out of the circuit and the 2114D's are connected to the Headphone amplifier IC instead of the LM4562.

[Skakruk]

OK, my card has arrived, but I've got a problem with the front panel connector. All the outputs on the card itself are fine, but when I connect my headphones via the front panel, I get a lot of noise. It's a buzz with a steady tap-tap-tap sound as well. There is also a higher pitched sound that can only be heard when I'm moving the mouse. :confused:

What on earth could be causing this?

EDIT:

I tried using the front panel bracket and cable from another PC and the signal was perfectly clean so it must be an issue with the wiring/connector/jack in my case.

The connector looks a little odd to me - like it has an extra wire or something:

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/623/dscf2865wi4.jpg

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4493/dscf2863tn7.jpg

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4717/dscf2859qc4.jpg

Does it look normal to you guys?

Also, I have the front panel wiring running quite close to the power supply end of my graphics card:

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/144/dscf2866pj6.jpg

Do you think that could cause the problem?

[ROBSCIX]

Try muting the recording inputs. This happens with many cards when the inputs are left "floating" Especially a microphone input, you have this input left open and sometimes with a +20Db boost enabled, this input circuit can pick up a great deal of noise and loop it back to the output.

[Skakruk]

Try muting the recording inputs. This happens with many cards when the inputs are left "floating" Especially a microphone input, you have this input left open and sometimes with a +20Db boost enabled, this input circuit can pick up a great deal of noise and loop it back to the output.

No luck. :(

I can hear noise through the front panel phones jack on every setting except 'Headphones' (jack on card).

[nr4]

There might be interference with the atx power cable suplying the motherboard even if the angle is 90'.
I am suggesting to remove all power cables that are near your sound cable.
Also if you have USB near your headphone jack try not to use it while you listen.
With the headphones connected and listening, try to move away the atx power cable and other near cables and see if there are any improvements.

[Skakruk]

There might be interference with the atx power cable suplying the motherboard even if the angle is 90'.
I am suggesting to remove all power cables that are near your sound cable.
Also if you have USB near your headphone jack try not to use it while you listen.
With the headphones connected and listening, try to move away the atx power cable and other near cables and see if there are any improvements.

I've completely rerouted the front panel cable so that it's nowhere near any other cables/components, but to no avail. None of the front USB jacks were in use.

I also replaced the connector at the soundcard end of the cable with one from another case. This didn't make any diffrerence at all - exactly the ame noise.

:(

EDIT:

I think it's my GTX 285 that is causing the problem. I just shortened the cable by about 70%, and that appeared to stop the noise altogether, however, when I loaded a 3D game there the noise came back as a buzz.

So it's really a combination of two things: The GTX 285 being extremely electrically noisy, and the cable running between the sound card and front panel being poorly shielded. This is a segment of the offending cable:

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/9730/dscf2867yd7.jpg

That should be enough to block any noise created by the GTX 285, shouldn't it? Obviously not. :mad:

[dexman]

why not use the 6.3mm jack? surely that is properly shielded and you can keep your headphones plugged in and switch between outputs when you need.

[Skakruk]

why not use the 6.3mm jack? surely that is properly shielded and you can keep your headphones plugged in and switch between outputs when you need.

Yeah, all the jacks on the card are perfectly clean.

I dunno... The front panel connectors are highly convenient, but to be honest, I would probably always use the 6.3mm jack anyway. :D

I just hate to have non-functional jacks on my case, you know? It's gonna be at the back of my mind that for once my sound card actually has a front panel header but I still can't use it. :upset:

My PC was that close to perfection, but one stupid little wire has ruined it! Never mind. :)

[Skakruk]

OK, I've given up on the FP connector, and had a play with the card. Here are my initial thoughts:

The installation of the card itself was nothing unusual. I was initially concerned that the card would not clear my RAM if installed in the PCI-E 1x slot on my P5Q Premium, but it missed the RAM by about 10mm:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1451/dscf2871sssnc3.jpg

I'm not sure about the PCI-E 1x footprint though... The area of PCB that slots into the motherboard is very small, which means less support for the card. It doesn't matter on HTPC cases where the card is vertical, but in a normal tower carse, less weight is distributed on the bracket so the card runs the risk of sagging/being damaged by sudden jolts. I'd probably prefer the longer PCI slot, especially since this card isn't natively PCI-E anyway.

I downloaded the drivers from the Asus site to ensure I had the most current ones. I was surprised at how small the installer package was, and took it as a sign of minimal bloat. Sure enough, the drivers - once installed - proved to be very light. So far I have experienced zero stability issues. The interface is very good. It's simple and easy to navigate, and hasn't been made to look like a space ship or anything stupid (well not much anyway). I still prefer the UI of my Auzentech Xplosion drivers though. I haven't tried many of the options - I've been using the Hi-Fi setting for everything so far.

When the system is booting, and when you are changing the output modes the clicking of relays can be heard from the card itself. This gave me a fright at first, because I mistook it for the sound of electrical shorting/spark. :D Unfortunately, the clicking can also be heard throught your speakers/headphones, and can be quite loud. That's not really a big issue though.

Through the amplified heaphone jack, this card sounds absolutely amazing. Far superior to my Xplosion 7.1. The analogue RCA's sound great too, although the card didn't agree with my pre-amp. Connected to the pre-amp It sounded flat and lifeless, and for some reson the volume seemed very low, even with the card's volume maxed in the drivers. By the way, How would I set the cards volume to simulate a normal line level signal? Would I just leave eveything at 100%?

Anyway, I decided to cut out the pre-amp altogether, and connected the Essence directly to my Rotel RB-06. The result was impressive - everything sounded rich and full bodied, even through the crappy Diamond 9.1's I'm using at the moment. Of course, the gain is now much too high and I'm paranoid that I'll switch from phones to speakers without turning down the volume or something... It's also a pain in the arse having to use software volume controls - my keyboard has volume buttons, but it goess up in huge steps, making it useless.

One thing that really surprised me is how quiet the card is on boot. Back when I tried connecting my Xplosion directly to the RB-06, I had to always ensure that the amp was turned on after windows had finished booting, otherwise there would be terrible gunshot pops from the speakers. The Essence only makes a quiet click.

The only game I've tried with the Essence is UT2003, but I haven't noticed a single problem and the game sounds great. I'll be interested to see how this card handles games with a really pathetic sound engines, like Oblivon or Hitman: Blood money...

So far this card is looking like an excellent purchase. :up:

[smdude]

Does anyone know if I will have an IRQ resource error if I try to run this card in tandem with my Razer Barracuda on a 680i? I've read a couple of places that people have had problems with this card and 680i's.

[SabreWulf69]

The best drivers for this can be found here --> http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3137029/UNi%20Xonar%201794%20v1.41.exe called UniXonar drivers. They are excellent all round.

[Apokalipse]

The best drivers for this can be found here --> http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3137029/UNi%20Xonar%201794%20v1.41.exe called UniXonar drivers. They are excellent all round.
What makes these the best drivers?

[flopper]

What makes these the best drivers?

http://brainbit.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/