[BallisticGT3]

In that setup you just bypass the entire card and the Essence basically becomes a very expensive optical out add-on card. The same optical out you already get for free on most reasonable recent motherboards.

Yes, I fully appreciate that and tried it to see if the DAC on the STXII was holding things back, which as it turned out it was.

 

[18000rpm]

In that setup you just bypass the entire card and the Essence basically becomes a very expensive optical out add-on card. The same optical out you already get for free on most reasonable recent motherboards.

Which is why he ended up not using the STX II and connecting the DAC via USB.

Also what I'm doing, although I still use the STX II for 5.1, and SMSL M400 via USB for stereo.

 

[18000rpm]

5) I now have usb from the Pc into HugoTT2, into Bryston 2.5b3 and Dali Opticon 6 (soon to be replaced with Opticon 8 mk2) and the difference in sound quality from where I first started (STXII analogue o/p into Roksan Caspian mk2 and Opticon 6) is night and day.

I hope this information is of help to anyone looking to improve the sound quality from their Pc.

We have quite a similar setup, mine is SMSL M400 DAC via USB to Bryston 4B SST amp with MartinLogan Prodigy electrostatic speakers. And the same experience - night and day difference compared to using the STX II. With the DAC I also get the benefit of being able to use balanced connection to my amp, plus being able to play MQA on TIDAL, and DSD music files (playing DSD with the STX requires the PC to convert it to PCM).

I've been a big fan of Xonar cards for a long time (first with a Xonar D2X in 2010, replaced with the STX II 7.1 a few years ago) but the new generation of DACs at reasonable prices have changed the game to be honest. For anyone using stereo only it really makes much more sense to get an external DAC these days. I still use the STX II for 5.1.

 

[Telin]

I am not using the Unified drivers, just the stock version, which always works. Looking at the list of issues that the modded driver has, I just don't bother using it.
But I am interested in the XonarSwitch. Does it work at all with the standard drivers? Will it cause BSODs?

Unified drivers are modded original drivers.
In other words; all issues that are listed are also present in the original drivers minus the issues that are solvable by modding the drivers. Difference is that Asus gives hardly any information about their driver releases while Unified project is very open and transparent about the issues which makes it look like the Unified drivers have (more) issues.

I don't have any experience with XonarSwitch in combination with the original driver, I only used the Unified driver releases. I helped Carved to solve some Essence STXII specific bugs in his release.

Only issue that I ever encountered with XonarSwitch is that you might get a memory exception error when shutting down or restarting Windows. I always just clicked that message away and never noticed anything wrong or missing when Windows was restarted. I never had any BSODs due Unified drivers or XonarSwitch on Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016.

 

[Smeklinis]

Hello to all,

I bought for testing used STX II with original configuration 1xMUSES8820 + 2xMUSES8920. Compared to the new expensive and many older sound cards from Creative - ASUS playback is truly HIGH-END. After a lot of sound cards tested, for the first time I can say - WOW.

Some questions for STX II owners:
1. Will MUSES01 sound better than MUSES8920 through headphones (Burson V6 will not fit in my PC case)?
2. If you are using Uni Xonar drivers, which version is best and most stable for WIN 10?
3. If i turn off all inputs, i still can hear a quiet hiss - is there a solution?

Thanks.

 

[18000rpm]

Hello to all,

I bought for testing used STX II with original configuration 1xMUSES8820 + 2xMUSES8920. Compared to the new expensive and many older sound cards from Creative - ASUS playback is truly HIGH-END. After a lot of sound cards tested, for the first time I can say - WOW.

Some questions for STX II owners:
1. Will MUSES01 sound better than MUSES8920 through headphones (Burson V6 will not fit in my PC case)?
2. If you are using Uni Xonar drivers, which version is best and most stable for WIN 10?
3. If i turn off all inputs, i still can hear a quiet hiss - is there a solution?

Thanks.

1. Don't know.
2. Use the latest.
3. Mine has no hiss at all (I'm using speakers, not headphones).

 

[nadtom]

Hello to all,

I bought for testing used STX II with original configuration 1xMUSES8820 + 2xMUSES8920. Compared to the new expensive and many older sound cards from Creative - ASUS playback is truly HIGH-END. After a lot of sound cards tested, for the first time I can say - WOW.

Some questions for STX II owners:
1. Will MUSES01 sound better than MUSES8920 through headphones (Burson V6 will not fit in my PC case)?
2. If you are using Uni Xonar drivers, which version is best and most stable for WIN 10?
3. If i turn off all inputs, i still can hear a quiet hiss - is there a solution?

Thanks.

The best opamp is the original one. I tried Burson vivid, classic but the original is the best for me.

 

[bcschmerker4]

@Smeklinis Unfortunately, I cannot answer any of the above at this time - the Hot Rod gPC went down in mid-January, does not complete power-on self-test. No longer recognizes i8042 keyboards. I'm assessing what planars from Gigabyte Technology Ltd. can replace the GA-MA78GM-S2HP v2.00 with minimal hardware changeout, as I've no fewer than four SATA HDD's in addition to the E-IDE optical drive. When the Hot Rod was last up, I actually ran, not the MaxedTech software and packaged C-Media® CMI8788 driver, but the Advanced LinUX Sound Architecture Project driver snd-virtuoso - ALSA under LinUX 5.x doesn't have anywhere near the driver issues all audio manufacturers encounter in Microsoft® Windows® 6-up (including 10.0.19042.nnn). The one big question: Whether my replacement planar needs the original XONAR ST (PCI 2.2) or can handle the STX and II (PCI-Express 2.0 x1).

 

[jBEVIA]

Hello, ASUS Xonar Essence STX II I connect it via rca to KEF LSX powered loudspeakers these have their own dac. It is worth changing the OPs. Or having the speakers your own dac is worthless, Thank you.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Hello, ASUS Xonar Essence STX II I connect it via rca to KEF LSX powered loudspeakers these have their own dac. It is worth changing the OPs. Or having the speakers your own DAC is worthless, Thank you.

I would run a 3.5mm(1/8) TRS plug to dual RCA plugs cable, to connect the STX II's front speaker jacks, to the 3.5mm line-input on the KEF.
I spent $60 for 3 op-amps for my STX (original model) card.

 

[jBEVIA]

I would run a 3.5mm(1/8) TRS plug to dual RCA plugs cable, to connect the STX II's front speaker jacks, to the 3.5mm line-input on the KEF.
I spent $60 for 3 op-amps for my STX (original model) card.

Ok I understand, I have that cable, what op did you buy and how was the sound, thank you very much.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Ok I understand, I have that cable, what op did you buy and how was the sound, thank you very much.

AD797BR op-amps, for all three slots.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/220781396592?hash=item336798c270:g:~~4AAMXQupJRFk~I
Sound quality was about 95% as good as my $375 Audio-GD NFB-15.32 DAC/amp.

 

[jBEVIA]

Amplificadores operacionales AD797BR, para las tres ranuras.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/220781396592?hash=item336798c270:g:~~4AAMXQupJRFk~I
La calidad del sonido era aproximadamente un 95% tan buena como mi DAC / amplificador Audio-GD NFB-15.32 de $ 375

Hello, sorry for insisting, the link takes me to an AD797AR and you tell me that they are BR, is there any difference? Are they the ones that come with a dip-8 adapter? Thanks again.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Hello, sorry for insisting, the link takes me to an AD797AR and you tell me that they are BR, is there any difference? Are they the ones that come with a dip-8 adapter? Thanks again.

For the STX II op-amp slots, the AD797 chip needs to be mounted in pairs, on to the Dip-8 adapter.
I think my chips were AD797BR, but I did not notice I had linked the AD797AR stuff.
But best you double check, my Jedi mind likes to play tricks on itself.

 

[Ufasas]

Hello, i am looking for last piece for my upgraded PC, i have AKG k702 62ohms headphones, and Sony Ma900, they are probably 12-16ohms, looking to game competitive games, singleplayers, and listen to rock/jazz/metal/electronic music. Using Asus Strix Soar 7.1 PCIe 1x soundcard with 6pin power connector, happy, but was always itchy to try that STX II for years. I am looking to get STX II as used. Will it be an upgrade over Strix Soar, at least for akg k702 ?