Has anyone tried the Asus Essence STX sound card with the Denon AH-D7000's? I'm wondering whether to go that route.
The STX is getting rave reviews...but I haven't seen threads in which a lot of different headphones are tried on it...I'd hate to install it just to find out it's not a good match for the Denons.
Originally Posted by xbtss /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just wondering, why not consider using external DAC and AMP for your D7000? I think they deserve better source.
Do you own the STX? Used it for any length of time? It's a true gem and in all likelihood can do the 7000's justice.
Originally Posted by Telix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you own the STX? Used it for any length of time? It's a true gem and in all likelihood can do the 7000's justice.
I haven't tried STX with D7ks but I had roughly about 1.5 hours audition of STX + D5ks combo and I still prefer my D5ks with my iBasso D1. Well, maybe the D7ks do go better with STX than the D5ks, but If I got some D7ks I'll probably be looking at some source combo at a higher price range say $700+.
Just to clarify, I'm not saying the STX is bad and in fact it's one of the best audiophile soundcards I've heard for the budget. It's all about personal taste with different combo. When talking about something like D7ks, you never know how good they can reach until you try.
Originally Posted by xbtss /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't tried STX with D7ks but I had roughly about 1.5 hours audition of STX + D5ks combo and I still prefer my D5ks with my iBasso D1. Well, maybe the D7ks do go better with STX than the D5ks, but If I got some D7ks I'll probably be looking at some source combo at a higher price range say $700+.
I doubt the iBasso D1 is even in the same league as the STX's line-out.
Also, I think the the STX's amp will likely be fine with the D7000s. With the HD650s, I tested the on-board amp, pitting it against the M^3 and it compared well. The main difference was in soundstage as it wasn't as deep/wide or coherent on the STX (it seemed more separated L/R). The sound was also a bit less detailed, and the midrange slightly less pronounced. However, the bass was just as solid (although a bit less in quantity) and midrange quality seemed to be the same. Treble was harsher on the STX though. Anyways, for the price, the STX really is unbeatable IMO.
Edit: I should also mention that I'm using a very good PSU (Corsair HX520) which does make a difference in SQ. I also used the stock opamps for the comparison.
I don't know about the D1, but I had the D2 Boa and the idea that it's anywhere near comparable to the STX is rather laughable. Its DAC is little more than a bunch of scrape semiconductor in comparison to the STX, so harsh and lacking in soundstage.
I've been using the Essence for around one month & just bought the D7000 today (was using TF10 previously)...sound wise kind of lack of bass but I guess the D7000 requires burn-in. Great high (no brightness to me) & mid...not forgetting wonderful sound stage!
I've auditioned the iPod Classic & Novo combo with the D7000 @ Jaben today, really sounded very sweet & fair bit amount of bass, just nice to my liking (I'm not a basshead).
The STX really is an amazing soundcard. The best I've used period.
I use it daily with my L3000 and weekly with my HP2's and I've never been disappointed. I also owned the D7000's for about two weeks and, while they didn't end up being a permanent fixture in my home due to personal preferences, they sounded great through the STX as well. I don't think you can wrong with it at all.
Surprisingly, I've found an area where the STX's amp bests the M^3. Speed. The sound is a bit faster, most noticeably in the bass. Other than that it falls a bit short of the M^3 in most departments, in which there is no shame considering the price difference ($220USD vs $650USD).There is also one other thing I really like about the STX's amp which I personally prefer over the M^3, and that is it's more neutral sound. The M^3 is a warm/laid-back amp and when combined with an already warm/laid-back source in the STX, makes the HD650s too creamy for me sometimes. With a lot of headphones though, the warm, dark signature sounds better. This last area is highly subjective, however, the speed issue is not.
Overall, I'll re-iterate that I'd be perfectly happy with just the STX's on-board amp if I didn't have an external one.
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