[4ND3R5]

Quote:

But sadly i've encountered a small problem with it. Sometimes when i try to connect it to my computer, it says that it is connected, but it doesn't play? That is really really annoying, and sometimes it takes me up half an hour to make it play because of that reason? Maybe it's because i'm on a mac or something?

 

Have the same "issue" with the E1.
Happens to me when I launch foobar before powering on the E1, so I just turn on the E1 before and haven't had the problem since.

 

[Rasmus]

Quote:

 

Have the same "issue" with the E1.
Happens to me when I launch foobar before powering on the E1, so I just turn on the E1 before and haven't had the problem since.

Hey thanks for the advice! I just found out that when i use my left usb-port it works everytime I still find it a little weird that it won't work with my right usb-port?? o.O 

 

[HeadAmp]

When will this be available?

 

[project86]

When will this be available?

 
Good question - they made it sound like it was almost ready for release, pending some minor details like packaging. But the delay has been longer than I anticipated, so I don't know what happened. 

 

[dahuojigg]

great.I really like having independent volume knobs for line out and headphone out..

 

[leeperry]

BTW, I'm kinda late to the party but I finally found some time to play around with my friend's STU:

 ​

​

 
Much has been written about it and it would rather avoid repeating the same things all over again but to my ears the best option is to set it for fixed volume line-out(this will bypass its volume pot) and then use this opamps combination fed to a discrete headamp:

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​

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two OPA2107AP for I/V and two OPA132U soldered onto an adapter as buffer(single opamps are a wiser choice for stereo signals, providing far superior channel seperation due to the fact that nothing is shared as clearly explained in the OPA1612 datasheet).

 ​

I'm listening to it as I'm typing this and SQ is really really great, Asus took the market by storm a few years back with the STX and they're back at it with the STU IMHO

 
It did take me quite a lot of rolling in order to find a combination I'd really like but it now provides a very deep and wide SS, a not too detailed or too distant sound.......just a great sounding easy-going DAC that doesn't try hard to impress you with an overly percussive or agressive sound, great deep bass, immersive SS, very musical mids, <1ppm CS2000 reclocker, ASIO drivers & UAC2 compliant = what's not to like really

 

 

[HeadAmp]

That's fine and dandy and all, but when will it be available?!

 

[dynamics]

Where can one buy the STU?
 
It doesn't seem to be available anywhere.

 

[dynamics]

  BTW, I'm kinda late to the party but I finally found some time to play around with my friend's STU:

 ​

​

 
Much has been written about it and it would rather avoid repeating the same things all over again but to my ears the best option is to set it for fixed volume line-out(this will bypass its volume pot) and then use this opamps combination fed to a discrete headamp:

 ​

​

 ​

two OPA2107AP for I/V and two OPA132U soldered onto an adapter as buffer(single opamps are a wiser better choice for stereo signals, providing far superior channel seperation due to the fact that nothing is shared as clearly explained in the OPA1612 datasheet).

 ​

I'm listening to it as I'm typing this and SQ is really really great, Asus took the market by storm a few years back with the STX and they're back at it with the STU IMHO

 
It did take me quite a lot of rolling in order to find a combination I'd really like but it now provides a very deep and wide SS, a not too detailed or too distant sound.......just a great sounding easy-going DAC that doesn't try hard to impress you with an overly percussive or agressive sound, great deep bass, immersive SS, very musical mids, <1ppm CS2000 reclocker, ASIO drivers & UAC2 compliant = what's not to like really

 

How does this compare to the Essence One Muses?

 

[leeperry]

It's been available in Europe for a while now: http://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/MainSearchProductCategory.html?q=asus+essence+stu
 

 
How does this compare to the Essence One Muses?

 
Ah, tricky question

 
The STU costs less than half of the Muses One and the latter is using some of the highest grade opamps with a dual-mono design and a low noise PSU.....we're all somebody else's audiophool and it would all depend on your headphones and expectations I guess.
 
These two DAC's aren't meant to please the same target IMHO, both provide excellent value but the nasty thing about audio gear is that there's always something better sounding out there and downgrading hurts (a lot).
 
Also, it's not written anywhere but its line-in doesn't clip with 3Vrms equipment

 

 

[dynamics]

It's been available in Europe for a while now: http://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/MainSearchProductCategory.html?q=asus+essence+stu


Ah, tricky question

The STU costs less than half of the Muses One and the latter is using some of the highest grade opamps with a dual-mono design and a low noise PSU.....we're all somebody else's audiophool and it would all depend on your headphones and expectations I guess.

These two DAC's aren't meant to please the same target IMHO, both provide excellent value but the nasty thing about audio gear is that there's always something better sounding out there and downgrading hurts (a lot).

Also, it's not written anywhere but its line-in doesn't clip with 3Vrms equipment :happy_face1:  

Understandable.

Did you notice any sonic differences? Or both of them have a similar sound signature?

 

[leeperry]

The STU is mostly a USB version of the ST with a few improvements here and there, so I wouldn't say that it sounds anything like the Muses One. It really wasn't meant to cannibalize the rest of the Xonar product line, you do get what you paid for

 

[dynamics]

The STU is mostly a USB version of the ST with a few improvements here and there, so I wouldn't say that it sounds anything like the Muses One. It really wasn't meant to cannibalize the rest of the Xonar product line, you do get what you paid for :wink_face:

Cool. Thanks for the info.

 

[j0ewhite]

 
I just received my Stu a couple of days ago, and i love the sound. There's a very noticeable different from what i was used to (udac from nuforce). Also, it makes my speakers sound better too  
 
But sadly i've encountered a small problem with it. Sometimes when i try to connect it to my computer, it says that it is connected, but it doesn't play? That is really really annoying, and sometimes it takes me up half an hour to make it play because of that reason? Maybe it's because i'm on a mac or something?

Double up as a headphone stand!

 

[tomscy2000]

Looks like ASUS announced a new unit called the Essence III, based on the STU form factor, but is now the new flagship of the Xonar Essence line --- DSD 64/128 playback, dual mono AD1955, different I/V buffers and amps (AD827, MUSES02, I'm assuming they're still rollable) into balanced/RCA outputs, revised power supply, and even a stepped attenuator for a volume control for (both!) headphone and DAC output.
 
Looks like a winner to me in terms of features/value for money --- as usual for ASUS, it uses premium parts all around, and it gets rid of the Essence One's boy-gamer looks for the more mature case of the STU.
 
I just hope it's not still using the C-Media CM6631 (actually, it needs to use the CM6632A for DSD support), as I'm not a fan of the fact that it doesn't play well with WASAPI (well, doesn't matter, because ASIO is necessary for DSD playback for Windows).
 
Press Release (only English one I could find): http://www.techpowerup.com/192647/asus-launches-essence-iii-preamplifier-usb-dac-and-headphone-amplifier.html