[Cruxiaer]

 
On the "Uni. Xonar" no tested, only for the original asus driver (ver. 8.1.11.5 , Audio Center version: 0.3.1.11). I use the original driver.
Sorry for my bad English.

That's alright! Thanks for replying
 
 
BTW I just want to know if this is possible or the way it should be done. Say I wanna do a frequency response chart for the STXII when using different opamps to demonstrate actual difference, can I just connect the headphones jack out to mic line in on the sound card?

 

[konstantinosch]

Hello people, I am looking everywhere on the net to buy the 7.1 extension of this card (mine was damaged - don't ask how)
 
any ideas?

 

[bcschmerker4]

The card ye need is the ASUS® XONAR® H6, first offered as an extension to the Essence™ ST and compatible with the STX II.  Packs triple Burr-Brown®/Texas Instruments® PCM1796 DACs; comes stock with six JRC2114D I-V dual op amps and three National Semiconductor®/Texas Instruments® LM4562N line-level buffers.  (The STX II comes stock with two NSC/TI LME49720NA I-V dual op amps and one MUSES 8820 line-level buffer; the STX II 7.1 packed eight LME49720NA's and four MUSES 8820's.)

 

[germanium]

  I believe PC audio card reached the end point in term of sound quality/cost. With this sort of price, you may just well go buy dedicated components, like Schiit DAC and Amp, or even those ASUS external DAC Amp.
 
People say external power circuitry is much better for sound quality, so going away from sound card seems to be the better choice. IDK?
 
I'm still trying to tell my STX II apart from my Schiit Stack, but It's hard. Training my ear now lol.
 
Hopefully the STX I/II can redeem the price tag some how. And I'm a pure objectivist, so yeah.

A good computer sound system can in fact be equivalent in sound quality as discrete audio component. I know this is sacrilege but it is in fact true. Less money is needed to make it look beautiful so more money can go into the actual sound producing components. Concerning the "noisy computer" environment, it is not a problem if you eliminate ground loops from forming outside the computer. Virtually all computer based noise was tracked down to ground loops & eliminated in my system. My computer based sound system is extremely quiet.
 
Note it is much easier to filter out switch mode power supply noise than it is to properly filter out 60 cycle power line & rectification noise which occur within the audio band as opposed to noise that is way above the audio band already. Filters can be simpler & cheaper & have lower power loss. Switch mode ripple is an order of magnitude less than the ripple present on a conventional power supply before regulation or other filtering (.2-.3 mV) compared to up to & even more than (15-20 volts) for a conventional power supply for a stereo power amp. Switch mode power supplies can have very tight regulation even before any added filtering or regulation even under heavy load. Conventional power supplies on the other hand mostly have quite poor regulation requiring massive regulation after the fact or circuits that have excellent power supply rejection in order to remain truly quiet. This regulation wastes quite a bit of power, sometimes as much as the circuits that it is supplying due to the continuous current times the voltage drop across the regulator. One most have in many cases several volts in excess to what's needed so it can be regulated down cleanly. Not so with the computer power supply as the ripple is already quite low & easily removed.

 

[bcschmerker4]

Equivalent to discrete components?  That is true, in spades, of the ASUS® XONAR® Essence™ series, given a satisfactory PSU in the host rig; only the Front Audio fails, as it is without the card's shielding.

The entire analog section is within a radio-grade EMI/RFI shield, which, combined with the ground grids within the card's multilayer printed-circuit construction, holds digital hash noise to a minimum.  With the STX, I can use the card's internal Texas Instruments® TPA6120A2 for monitoring, via medium-impedance (viz., ≥ 120 Ω) headphones, a real-time stereo send; the internal S/P-DIF encoder and coax/optical RCA jack will transmit in any analog-send mode, and TOSlink makes ground loops a non-issue for the external receiver.

 

[saddleup]

 
Hi CVLover,
Sorry to hear about the V5 issue, have seen pictures of them melting in certain setups. I might suggest trying the Sparkos. They are without a doubt my fav opamps. I am running 3 of their 3602's in my STXII and they are  pristine ( at least to my ears and some friends I stream music to). They are simply the best sounding opamps I have ever ran. They are not for people that want all recordings to sound good, but being an ex musician they are the closest thing I have heard to the studio.
Wish you luck with the soundcards.
Ren

Are you able to reinstall the shield with the Sparkos on the card?

 

[Renfield1217]

Hi Saddleup,
 
I have never tried putting the cover back on ( I have never had issues with PC noise with any of the internal sound cards I have ran).
But if you would like, I will try it later this week for you.
 
Ren

 

[saddleup]

That would be awesome thanks.

 

[perryleros]

I was not able to install the shield back on when I was using the Sparkos Opamps. Barely though.
Although I nevr had issues. Works perfectly fine without it.

 

[perryleros]

  Hi Renfield1217 and others,
 
As a STX II and Sparkos SS3602 owner, could you comment on the combo’s bass performance and soundstage?
 
I ask because I’ve read comparisons of Burson V5 versus Sparkos SS3602 wherein the latter was described as 1.) relatively light in the bass, and 2.) upfront in-your-face with relatively shallow soundstage - or words to that effect(s).
 
Thanks.

Because the Sparkos is great, it doesn't mean it's the best option to use it in all 3 sockets.
I loved the Sparkos opamps but felt the lack of bass compared to Burson or Muses.
A piece of advice for Sparkos and Bass lovers: use 2xSparkos in the I/V sockets but use the Muses02 in the buffer!! Bass really comes to life without really affecting the rest.
Not the muses01, the 02! If you can't afford it or not sure if it's worth the money for a buffer, try the 8820 that came with the card, they have similar sound signature. 8820 also increase the bass level and tightness. This was my favorite combo before moving on to the Bursons.

 

[saddleup]

  I was not able to install the shield back on when I was using the Sparkos Opamps. Barely though.
Although I nevr had issues. Works perfectly fine without it.

Thanks.

 

[alota]

the op-amps in I/V stage are single or dual?thank you

 

[CVLover]

Dual

 

[Renfield1217]

  Dual

Hi CVLover,
 
And yes all opamp sockets on the STXII are duals.
 
Oh and for everyone UniDrivers just posted driver updates for the STXII and other cmedia 8788 cards.
 
 
Ren

 

[bcschmerker4]

Maxed Tech® did a rapid update for UNi™ XONAR® Audio Software™ 1.81a.  Initial release 25 January; revision 2 release 27 January.  Both use C-Media® CMI8788 Driver 10.0.8.1825.  Update now supports the Essence™ STX II, both sans and with XONAR® H6 R2.0 daughtercard.