Xonar Essence ST Sneak Peek - Page 2

Dear Robscix, wich chip is on this board is it the AV100 like STX or the AV200 like HADV1.3 ?

Any idea on the price? Will it be a lot more expensive than the STX?

Please, only you now can tell us where is ST and STX differences...

Hey Robscix! it looks like the st has the power 4-pin header like the stx, is that so? to me, one of the main virtues of the stx is that it can be powered by an external, quiet, good sounding linear supply-- and the card's peformance justifies doing so.

not that the st would make me switch, but theat external psu connector would be a great selling point. (that and 32bit asio support!)

Any more news on a release date for this? You mention that Asus has a quick release cycle but I'm unsure if that implies that we'll be waiting a matter of weeks for this card or Christmas! I'm hoping that since its mainly an adaptation of the STX that it'll be the former but am concerned that I've heard nothing of the ST apart from on this forum!

The article was not very good. It does not even mention what are the ports on the daughtercard. Does it support full 7.1 audio?

As according to a techgage review of the STX, it says that:

"At the heart of the Xonar Essence STX is the ASUS AV100 audio processor, which is based on the C-Media CMI8788 OxygenHD processor ... The AV100 can process up to 8 channels of audio, and it's used in ASUS' Xonar D1 and DX, but in this application with only two channels in use, it produces even more pristine audio clarity. The AV200 audio processor used on the Xonar D2, D2X, and HDAV1.3 cards, which is a higher-binned version of the CMI8788 processor, is able to maintain the same audio quality with all eight channels passing a signal at the same time, but the AV100 is able to achieve the necessary levels of performance in a two-channel application."

Why would they not use the AV200 in the 7.1 edition of the STX, (being the ST)? I just figure that the AV200 would be more advanced than the AV100? But specs don't always tell the story I guess...

Surely they'll just call this 'new' card the Essence ST Deluxe (as it has the H6 DAC expansion card)?

I run Ultrasone HFI-580 cans or my Logitech Z5500Ds, so I too have been waiting for a multichannel version of the STX.

In any case, I'm really interested to see how the Essence ST goes against the Auzen Forte!

ok, well it's not the 7.1 version of the STX, but it's basically still the mighty headphone amp soundcard that we witnessed as the STX, but with the capacity to output to 8 channels via analog output - yes?

also, in relation to the AV100 vs AV200: surely since this card is now a multichannel card, it should utilise the AV200 as in the HDAV and D2X cards, as opposed to the AV100?

is it predominately the fact that the STX has a dedicated headphone amp that makes it that much better than other soundcards we've seen to date?

for all intents and purposes the ST really does look to lend itself as being called an 'Essence ST Deluxe' - but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

the whole point of the new card is such that end-users can hook up their multichannel speakers - to what is an awesome headphone soundcard (the STX) that now caters for multichannel setups as well (in the form of the ST), and to a (much) lesser extent, for those who want a PCI card.

i wonder whether asus will in fact produce an Essence STX Deluxe in addition to the Essence ST Deluxe (forgive my preliminary naming of the cards - but I think you get my drift), that is to say, will Asus produce a PCIe version of this card we have witnessed in the sneak-peak?

i, for one, seem to think it might be worth the wait over getting a D2X for those multichannel setups, or perhaps even an Auzen Forte for the same reason - but as I said - we'll have to wait and see.

PS. whilst understanding that you can't do a 'test' against the Auzen Forte or other such cards, Robscix, perhaps you can tell us in your opinion how it might compare to the likes of said cards? ;-)