[jdip]

Quote:

7.1

So what do you set "Audio Channel" to in the Xonar Audio Center?  The one with 2, 4, 6 and 8 as options.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

So what do you set "Audio Channel" to in the Xonar Audio Center?  The one with 2, 4, 6 and 8 as options.

7.1 is 2-front channels, 2-side channels, 2-rear channels, 1-center channel, 1-sub-woofer, total of "8-channels"
the .1 refers to the sub-woofer
5.1 is 6-channels

 

[geoxile]

Quote:

its definitely worth it!!! Definitely put it on.
 
output 8ch if the  game supports it, otherwise 6ch, turn on dolby headphone. Set windows audio to 24bit(for everything not just games) and set the windows out to 48kHz (doesn't matter in games really) and for music set your audio player (MusicBee and foobar are the best) to resample to 48khz with a proper plugin (musicbee's built in is quite good.)
 
also in BF3 TURN OFF ENHANCED STEREO!!!! and the same for any other game, and set it to home cinema or 7.1/5.1.
 
i hate Origin, but BF3 is amazing with dolby headphone

 
What is the point of setting the audio to 24bit? Very few sources support it and I've run into a number of compatibility issues with games (mainly ports).

 

[WiR3D]

Quote:

 
What is the point of setting the audio to 24bit? Very few sources support it and I've run into a number of compatibility issues with games (mainly ports).

Digitial volume control, at 16bit you lose information, at 24bit it just pads 16bit data with 0's. This is using the STX as the source. if your using a seperate dac then it doesn't matter too much depending on how the dac works.

 

[germanium]

I decided that rather than get new opamps for my STX that I would take my current mods to thier logical conclusion & add more metalized film cap bypasses to the power supply. I decided to go very large due to having the room to do so. What a difference!!!! I now have 66.8 uf worth of metalized film power supply bypasses. 4 x 12 uf bypassing the 4 220 uf caps on the opamp & headphone amp power supply & 4x4.7 uf bypassing the 2 100uf caps closest to the  DAC's.
 
More sense of power through the audio band, even in the bass yet has improved the open sound signature through the mids while improving the sense of dynamics there as well. Same with the high frequencies. Instruments still sound correct but ambience extraction is hugely improved. Soft instruments are more clearly deliniated even in the presence of louder instruments. More of the harmonic structure is revealed than before. Soundstage has improved as well as positioning instruments in that soundstage. A pretty incredible upgrade to the sound. 
 
All caps are noninductive wound polyester metalized film caps.

 

[giedrys]

thanks for no help at all

 

[stv014]

.

 

[germanium]

Did some testing of the soundcard after the modifications. There was no change in the distortion spectrum. There was increased noise but I had also changed cases between my last tests & these tests which put my power supply right next the soundcard. the case itself is quieter than my old case but with the power supply right next to the soundcard the noise spec doesn't look as good however noise is still inaudibly low & does not hide any of the distortion spectrum which is at the exact same level as before. Frequency response is identical as well but sound is very very different not in perceived frequency response but in dynamics & detail retrieval.

 

[WiR3D]

Quote:

Did some testing of the soundcard after the modifications. There was no change in the distortion spectrum. There was increased noise but I had also changed cases between my last tests & these tests which put my power supply right next the soundcard. the case itself is quieter than my old case but with the power supply right next to the soundcard the noise spec doesn't look as good however noise is still inaudibly low & does not hide any of the distortion spectrum which is at the exact same level as before. Frequency response is identical as well but sound is very very different not in perceived frequency response but in dynamics & detail retrieval.

Really? it that much different? 

 

[Novorei]

Hello.
 
Questions:
 
Is it still woth to buy a Xonar? They will refresh the line soon?
 
Out of the box whats better: STX or ST?
 
With XO upgrade whats better: STX or ST?
 
Which opamps(for speakers and headphone outputs) would provide good overall performance? Which would excel?
 
Whats the recommended upgrade for the power supply line?
 
These 3 upgrades are the most important ones?
 
I do not intend to make upgrades that provide minimal gain, add dongles or requires too much effort and time because increasing cost+time=money.
 
It will be used with a pair of monitors. Today it's a Edifier C200 (they are not know in US). Tomorrow perhaps Samson A8/A6.
 
Thanks.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Is it still woth to buy a Xonar? They will refresh the line soon?
Out of the box whats better: STX or ST?
With XO upgrade whats better: STX or ST?
Which op-amps(for speakers and headphone outputs) would provide good overall performance? Which would excel?
Whats the recommended upgrade for the power supply line?
These 3 upgrades are the most important ones?
I do not intend to make upgrades that provide minimal gain, add dongles or requires too much effort and time because increasing cost+time=money.
It will be used with a pair of monitors. Today it's a Edifier C200 (they are not know in US). Tomorrow perhaps Samson A8/A6.

Asus just come out with the Phoebus, DGX & DSX sound cards.
Asus has not announced other other cards.
The ST is slightly better then the STX (some clock thing).
XO upgrade?
LME49860NA op-amps are a low cost upgrade. ($15?).
AD797BR op-amps is a $45 upgrade.

 

[theShaz]

Quote:

AD797BR op-amps is a $45 upgrade.

 
Would these be suitable?
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Analog-Devices-AD797BR-Ultralow-noise-op-amp-/260820184884?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cba182f34
 
Found these for even cheaper:
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-AD797BR-AD797-Ultralow-Distortion-Ultralow-Noise-Op-Amp-/221029923924?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337668fc54

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Really? it that much different? 

Yes, that much different

 

[PurpleAngel]

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Would these be suitable?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Analog-Devices-AD797BR-Ultralow-noise-op-amp-/260820184884?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cba182f34
Found these for even cheaper:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-AD797BR-AD797-Ultralow-Distortion-Ultralow-Noise-Op-Amp-/221029923924?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337668fc54

Those are the op-amps I'm talking about and are currently used in my Essence STX.
Just so you know, the STX use 3 dual channel (DIP-8) op-amps, the AD797BR are single channel (SOIC) op-amps.
So you need 6 AD797BR op-amps and 3 Dual SOIC to Dip-8 adapters.
The AD797BRs need to be soldered in pairs to the adapters.
 
The LME49860NAs are dual channel DIP-8 op-amps.

 

[theShaz]

Quote:

Those are the op-amps I'm talking about and are currently used in my Essence STX.
Just so you know, the STX use 3 dual channel (DIP-8) op-amps, the AD797BR are single channel (SOIC) op-amps.
So you need 6 AD797BR op-amps and 3 Dual SOIC to Dip-8 adapters.
The AD797BRs need to be soldered in pairs to the adapters.

Would these work? They seem to come soldered already:
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-Pieces-AD797BR-SOIC-to-DIP-Op-amp-replace-OPA627AU-/120757514941?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1db572bd
 
Judging by "SOIC to DIP" in the title.
 
I went ahead and bought 3 of these LME49860NA, I hope I got the right thing:
 
http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=LME49860NA/NOPBvirtualkey99990000virtualkey926-LME49860NA/NOPB