[Glasofruix]

Asus is waiting for c-media to release a new windows 10 driver (let's hope they don't take too long). Don't get fooled by an early release for some of the xonar products, it's the win 8.1 driver with a slightly modified dll.

 

[Xtreme512]

I will definitely send a problem report. Thanks for the link.
 
Im using foobar with addons WASAPI and ASIO. WASAPI Exclusive and ASIO are basically serves the same thing which is bit-perfect playback. It allows the sound card to exclusively communicate with the player w/o any windows mixer etc. So that you get pure audio. Of course in sound card settings you need to disable any audio changing options like EQ and so. Another thing is to change sample rate of the card, ASIO does that automatically for my Xtreme Music card. In WASAPI I have to do that by myself.
 
And remember you wont get any sound from Youtube or any other sound source if you use WASAPI exclusive, you'll hear only the music. And in windows sound settings serve as WASAPI shared, that is if you change sample rate in there lets say 192kHz and game you're playing is at 48kHz (generally it is) so windows will upsample your game sounds to 192kHz by its software and its not good.
 
Therefore I dont ever use EQ or any DSP etc. etc.
 
We have to have a bass management, period. And it includes bass re-direction and its cut-off frequency. I have these setting in my XtremeMusic, Im using satellite speakers (Creative G500) therefore I have a subwoofer so in windows settings I select (not large/full range) small speakers and in bass management I enable bass redirection and set cut-off to 120Hz.
 
The idea behind it is, satellite speakers dont have full range, they need a subwoofer. So anyone has these type of system has to do above process. Because in movies, games, musics, they all have lower frequencies in front rear left right channels BUT satellite speakers are not capable of delivering these frequencies so they have to be redirected to subwoofer with a cut off freqeuncy that is mostly 120Hz (subwoofers give frequencies up to 120Hz basically). THX recommends 80Hz though, but it sounds too bassy in my setup G500 which is THX certified lol.
 
So subwoofer channel consists two things LFE + Redirected bass. LFE is the dedicated lower frequencies just for the subwoofer only.

 

[HAWX]

  I will definitely send an problem report. Thanks for the link.
 
Im using foobar with addons WASAPI and ASIO. WASAPI Exclusive and ASIO are basically serves the same thing which is bit-perfect playback. It allows the sound card to exclusively communicate with the player w/o any windows mixer etc. So that you get pure audio. Of course in sound card settings you need to disable any audio changing options like EQ and so. Another thing is to change sample rate of the card, ASIO does that automatically for my Xtreme Music card. In WASAPI I have to do that by myself.
 
And remember you wont get any sound from Youtube or any other sound source if you use WASAPI exclusive, you'll hear only the music. And in windows sound settings serve as WASAPI shared, that is if you change sample rate in there lets say 192kHz and game you're playing is at 48kHz (generally it is) so windows will upsample your game sounds to 192kHz by its software and its not good.
 
Therefore I dont ever use EQ or any DSP etc. etc.
 
We have to have a bass management, period. And it includes bass re-direction and its cut-off frequency. I have these setting in my XtremeMusic, Im using satellite speakers (Creative G500) therefore I have a subwoofer so in windows settings I select (not large/full range) small speakers and in bass management I enable bass redirection and set cut-off to 120Hz.
 
The idea behind it is, satellite speakers dont have full range, they need a subwoofer. So anyone has these type of system has to do above process. Because in movies, games, musics, they all have lower frequencies in front rear left right channels BUT satellite speakers are not capable of delivering these frequencies so they have to be redirected to subwoofer with a cut off freqeuncy that is mostly 120Hz (subwoofers give frequencies up to 120Hz basically). THX recommends 80Hz though, but it sounds too bassy in my setup G500 which is THX certified lol.
 
So subwoofer channel consists two things LFE + Redirected bass. LFE is the dedicated lower frequencies just for the subwoofer only.

Bing! I got the idea. Yeah I was about you to ask so how do you get bass if you cut off, but enabling LFE (which I saw on Xonar U7's driver) does the job you describe, and now I understand. And does skipping the Windows mixer increase the audio quality quite much or is it hard to notice? Because I like to tweak the sound quite much. My ears are a bit opened so that my hearing is diffrent than most people

 

[Xtreme512]

I didnt understand the first sentence. enabling LFE where? does what job? Whats your setup?
 
Its hard to notice but it definitely is there, depends on the source.

 

[raoultrifan]

Just realized U7 headphone plug is not fully compatible with 4-contact-plug headphones, like Beats Solo2. Most likely all headphones with microphone included (4-pins plugs) might not be working properly with U7, unless you manually take out the plug with about 1-1.5mm. So, fully press the headphones plug into U7, then unplug them for about 1mm. Quite annoying I'd say.
 
Until now I was listening mostly on O2 with my Solo2 headphones and I had never had this issue until I plugged them into U7.
 
Can someone else try some 4-pin-headphones into U7, please?
 
Thanks!

 

[Asagrim]

  Just realized U7 headphone plug is not fully compatible with 4-contact-plug headphones, like Beats Solo2. Most likely all headphones with microphone included (4-pins plugs) might not be working properly with U7, unless you manually take out the plug with about 1-1.5mm. So, fully press the headphones plug into U7, then unplug them for about 1mm. Quite annoying I'd say.

 
I used a spare "O ring" from my mechanical keyboard on my 3.5 jack when I had this problem, it's exactly the right thickness, solved my problem with another device perfectly. Although I concur, it's really annoying when you have to tinker your way around design/construction flaws.

 

[raoultrifan]

1.  

Asagrim, I was thinking at an O-ring myself this morning.
 
Thank you, 
Raul.

 

[Xtreme512]

Guys did anyone install U7 WHQL 2014 driver to his/her U7 Echelon in Windows 8.1 x64?

 

[Xtreme512]

OMG YOU GUYS!!! It ********* worked!
 
I just got my U7 Echelon, installed Xonar U7-8.1.11.19(3.13-WHQL) the famous best driver (2014 January), just fine and everything is working.
 
Sound is amazing! Better than my Xtreme Music card. This is a really GOOD hardware.

 

[Xtreme512]

Cut off frequency doesnt seem to have effect on my subwoofer yet I decrease the bass for -5db, THX certified subwoofer has lot of unnecessary bass.
 
To get the settings saved, set your settings and Sleep windows than after waking it up your setting wont be deleted if you restart/shut down your PC.
 
On my audiophile headphones sounds really amazing. same thing goes for speakers as well better than X-Fi

 

[AliveNoMore]

Hi, how they hangin'. ASUS Xonar U7 owner here.
 
Anyhoo, my U7 sort of crapped out on me. It developed a few issues and I was wondering if anyone here has experienced or heard of such problems.
 
If the card has been out of power (cable unplugged) for like 10-20 minutes, it refuses to turn back on when I plug it again. One of the blue LEDs blinks a few times and stops, and that's it. If I warm it up (place it over my speakers' receiver) for a while, then it turns on fine.
 
The knob on the top no longer changes volume, and the card doesn't switch between speakers and headphones properly. For example, if I'm using my 5.1 speakers and decide to switch to headphones, the headphones do start playing the sound but the speakers do not get muted (apart from the front two). If I have been using headphones, and switch to speakers, only the front two work. Basically, I need to plug or unplug my headphones (depending if I'm going to use them or my speakers), and then unplug the power cord to the card, so it can re-detect its outputs correctly.
 
I did not expect such a product from such a respected manufacturer to develop such defects after less than 2 years of use. I must say I'm disappointed.
I have returned the card to the store and expect a replacement, and if they don't honor the warranty, I might actually buy a Creative card this time (I'm looking in Sound Blaster Z's direction).
 
So, again, has anyone experienced such weirdness?

 

[Xtreme512]

Creative cards has software bug issues. They dont deliver the full performance of the hardware unlike ASUS. Ive been using Creative for years now Im gonna stick with ASUS.

 

[AliveNoMore]

I can't comment on that. Perhaps Creative cards will reach their potential via the PAX drivers?
 
And the ASUS driver isn't actually bursting with features. For example, it's missing pretty common features like Acoustic Echo Cancellation and Noise Reduction. The new Sonic Studio control panel has some features that like that but it's lacking other that the older driver has (like Flex Bass). So I cannot say I'm completely satisfied with U7's driver either.

 

[Xtreme512]

  I can't comment on that. Perhaps Creative cards will reach their potential via the PAX drivers?
 
And the ASUS driver isn't actually bursting with features. For example, it's missing pretty common features like Acoustic Echo Cancellation and Noise Reduction. The new Sonic Studio control panel has some features that like that but it's lacking other that the older driver has (like Flex Bass). So I cannot say I'm completely satisfied with U7's driver either.

PAX drivers are tweaked, not natural for sound. And no they dont give the full potential either.
 
Yep you're right on that. ASUS sucked big time on these drivers BUT there is only one driver that actually gives the full potential of the device regarding also the audio quality and that is WHQL 2014 January drivers for U7 regular version.
 
Everyone who owns U7 whether echelon or not should use that.

 

[AliveNoMore]

I'm already using those drivers. Well, was. The card was RMA-ed today. Hopefully they will honor my warranty and replace the thing.
 
And those drivers do lack Acoustic Echo Cancellation and Noise Suppression. I'm not saying it's a critical oversight, but it's still an oversight, and not a small one, since even Realtek drivers have those.
 
The problem is that (at least in my country) there isn't almost anything in the mid-class. Basically only Sound Blaster Z and OMNI, and the Xonar U5/U7.