Best soundcard - Page 4

You know the STX isn't PCI right? It's PCI-E.

You can always get either one from Amazon, but they've bumped up the price right now for some reason.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopanthersgo1 

Essence st (http://www.Newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=29-132-014)
Essence (http://www.Newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=29-132-019)

Look like the same card (Essence ST) in two separate listings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy4 

You know the STX isn't PCI right? It's PCI-E.

 

You can always get either one from Amazon, but they've bumped up the price right now for some reason.

If they are little bit high, hold off and check back on Amazon and Newegg a few times a week for a few weeks. They tend to fluctuate in price, and it seems like Asus likes to run rebates on Xonar series models about every month. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopanthersgo1 

OK, sorry, newegg confused me, where should I get the STX then (Newegg doesn't sell it anymore)?

The following is my mind making wilded guesses on the future.

Looks like the Essence STX is in short supply (back ordered) or they might have stopped making the Essence STX and will just sell the Asus Phoebus (PCI-E).

Also they might be coming out with a new revision of the Essence STX that uses the newer CMI8888 audio processor.

There are used Essence STX for sale at Amazon and used ones on eBay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopanthersgo1 

What about the h6? Does it work with the stx, or only the st

The H6 ($65) only works with the Essence ST, not the STX.

If you need analog speaker 5.1 or 7.1, then just get the Asus Phoebus (PCI-E).

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopanthersgo1 

What about the h6? Does it work with the stx, or only the st

What is the H6?

The only compatibility issues you need to worry about are with your motherboard(really old ones might not have PCI-E, and some newer ones might not have PCI), and if you get the STX make sure your PSU has a four pin molex free(if not you can buy SATA converters I think). 

EDIT: Ah I found the H6 now, yeah that will only work with ST.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopanthersgo1 

Is there a sonic difference between the st and stx (besides timing)?

I believe the "clock" feature on the ST helps with digital output (optical & coaxial and maybe? USB), but I'm really guessing on that.

The headphone and RCA outputs should be the same audio quality wise on both cards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopanthersgo1 

OK, so I'd get the st, but what about the new stx someone mentioned

What was me making a wild guess, it would make sense for Asus to switch the STX over to the newer CMI8888 audio processor, from the STX's current CMI8788 chip.

But I have no real facts or info on Asus's plans for any new sound card(s).

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopanthersgo1 

How big of a difference would it make?

I doubt it would change the audio quality.

The CMI8788 audio processor was designed for the PCI bus, not the PCI-Express, to the Essence STX uses a bridge chip to allow it's CMI8788 to work with the PCI-E bus.

The Phoebus does not need the bridge chip because the it uses the newer CMI8888.

So the advantage for switching the STX to the CMI8888 is it would lower manufacturing costs of the STX for Asus, not necessarily improve the audio quality.

Now that I think of it, they could do some minor changes the the Phoebus card and call it the new STX.

All they really need to do is switch over three soldered op-amps to three removable op-amp, change 3 back panel jacks from 3.5mm to RCA and some minor cosmedic changes.

and you would have a "new" STX card.