[KLJTech]

I just received my "open box" ASUS Xonar Essence STX yesterday and it's up and running.

I'm looking up a lot of information online since the card came with no manual and the couple times I've tried to download it from Asus but it said that there was too much traffic at that time. I should have downloaded it at the same time I downloaded the drivers but unfortunately I didn't think of it then. I'm sure that I'll be able to get it early in the morning. I don't know if the manual will even cover ASIO.

With my AKG 701's I'm using the 12DB gain from the headphone output since the 0DB gain just didn't quite cut it for me. Are most users pumping up the gain with their headphones? I haven't tried my Grado's yet, they may not need the extra gain.

Even without ASIO drivers I can already tell that the card gives me a huge soundstage with very good separation between musicians and a good sense of depth of stage. I noticed this right away listening with B&W CDM 1NT's so we're off to a good start. Hopefully my first impression is correct.

Mainly I'm interested in how I run the card using ASIO drivers, I'd like to have it set for "bit-perfect" but I'm not sure how to set it up. I've used ASIO4ALL with last couple cards I've had and before I found out about foobar2000. ASIO4ALL works with this card but I'm not sure that's as good as the using just ASIO drivers along with foobar2000. How does one achieve "bit perfect" output with this card while using foobar2000?

If I uninstalled ASIO4ALL would ASIO (and "bit-perfect") be available with foobar2000?

I only listen to either CD's or FLAC files from my PC and I'm not sure what Sample Rate to use, is there a consensus as to what Sample Rate sounds best? Is that even available once you start using the ASIO drivers?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to give me any info that you can.
Have a great weekend.

 

[Essence]

Im new here, and dont have much knowlege but I took delivery of my STX today and searched the web on setup and came across this Asus Xonar Essence STX Review » Page 3 - Closer Look (Drivers & Programs) - Overclockers Club

near the bottom it talks about setting up with ASIO drivers, not sure if this helps.. altho I use the Wasapi plugin for foobar

 

[KLJTech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Essence /img/forum/go_quote.gif Im new here, and dont have much knowlege but I took delivery of my STX today and searched the web on setup and came across this Asus Xonar Essence STX Review » Page 3 - Closer Look (Drivers & Programs) - Overclockers Club near the bottom it talks about setting up with ASIO drivers, not sure if this helps.. altho I use the Wasapi plugin for foobar

Thank you, I'll check it out and hopefully it'll answer a couple of my questions. I'm lucky that the Asus card (with nothing else) wrapped in bubble wrap and then packed into a shipping box arrived here and it actually works, now I just have to make sure that I'm using it to it's full potential.

Thanks for getting back to me, I know there's been so many posts regarding the Asus Xonar Essence STX that I'm sure that many are SICK of seeing it mentioned. I asked a few questions myself before buying it, money is getting tighter and nobody wants to waste it. I when I bought an "open box" and it stated that a cable or some accessories "may" be missing I didn't expect to receive a shipping box with just the card in it. I guess that's the price you pay for not paying full price and now I'm back here trying to make sure that I'm setting it up correctly.

The main things I'd love to know is what is the sample rate that most find to sound best (with Flac, CD's and DVD's), I'm using 12db gain with my 701's and would like to know if most users are increasing the gain and lastly how to set it up using ASIO drivers with foobar2000 and have it set for "bit-perfect" playback.
Thanks again!

 

[ROBSCIX]

The STX/ST have native ASIO drivers. You do not need 3rd party programs such as ASIO4ALL.
INstall the ASIO output pluging for foobar set it how you wish. Set the STX driver sampling rate to the same frequency. You have bit perfect output through ASIO.

 

[leeperry]

it'll be bit-perfect ONLY if you select the matching sample rate in the drivers...and believe me it gets odd very quickly

 

[oqvist]

Why can´t you run 0 gain on the K701. On mine they play to loud if I go over 40 %. Though when it was fresh I was close at 100 I remember so yours are maybe not burned in yet or you are need 100 db or something?

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeperry /img/forum/go_quote.gif it'll be bit-perfect ONLY if you select the matching sample rate in the drivers...and believe me it gets odd very quickly

Which is what was mentioned in post #4.

 

[leeperry]

yep I know, but it's good to emphasize it

and anyway, it would require some deeper test w/ a DTS CD or a HDCD file + S/PDIF amplifier to be 100% sure that it's bitperfect IMO...nothing tells us that whatever the sloppy C-Media drivers or the funky Asus GUI don't do any SRC or DSP...even in hi-fi mode

 

[ROBSCIX]

Feel free to test.

 

[KLJTech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oqvist /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why can´t you run 0 gain on the K701. On mine they play to loud if I go over 40 %. Though when it was fresh I was close at 100 I remember so yours are maybe not burned in yet or you are need 100 db or something?

I can use 0db gain but I end up using the volume control all the way up, actually I wish there was a smaller jump in gain because I don't need 12db but it still works fine. I haven't tried my Grado 325i's with it yet they may work great with 0db gain.

 

[leeperry]

I think everyone uses the mid gain setting, the lowest one is dull and the highest one is too agressive.

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeperry /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think everyone uses the mid gain setting, the lowest one is dull and the highest one is too agressive.

That would depend greatly on the headphones used.

 

[KLJTech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif The STX/ST have native ASIO drivers. You do not need 3rd party programs such as ASIO4ALL. INstall the ASIO output pluging for foobar set it how you wish. Set the STX driver sampling rate to the same frequency. You have bit perfect output through ASIO.

I uninstalled the ASIO4ALL and downloaded the ASIO output support for foobar2000. Under Preferences/output/ASIO Virtual Devices I have:
Asus Xonar Essence STX ASIO.....double click (or click edit) which give me the ASIO Virtual Device Editor and if you click on Configure
I then have ASIO Control Panel with settings for Bit-Depth 16-bit (the only other choice is 24-bit) and Latency 4ms

In the Xonar Audio Center I have the Sample Rate set at 44.1KHz

Does this sound about right or am doing this all wrong?
Thanks

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif That would depend greatly on the headphones used.

I'm not too sure. the mid setting is plenty strong enough for my DT770/600Ω, the lowest one even sounds dull on cd3k/dx1k...and each time I see ppl posting their settings, they use the middle one. it'd take some really "deaf" headphones to use the highest one

 

[KLJTech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeperry /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think everyone uses the mid gain setting, the lowest one is dull and the highest one is too agressive.

I started with the highest gain setting after reading a review in which the reviewer said at that setting his headphones came to life after first being disappointed in the HP amp on the STX. I couldn't get the headphones off my head fast enough as they were WAY too loud, I think that the volume control may have been at 50% or so plus 18db of gain.