[FangJoker]

This sound card sounds great with klipsch 2.1 speakers.  I can't wait to try it out when my hd 650 arrives.  

 

[JohanJ]

Initially I was very happy with the sound but after having taken a break from listening to music over the summer I'm a little disappointed with the bass.
I've got my STX with standard opamps and a pair of ultrasone pro900. They are quite bass heavy to begin with which I was aware of when I bought them but it's more of a "home cinema" rumbling bass, I'm looking for a tighter "music" bass.
 
Could replacing the opamps be the solution and if so which ones would you suggest?
I've read the opamps review in this thread and thought about getting LME49720. Someone said you get less tight bass if you put it in the I/V Section which is not good, but someone else said if you put them in the buffer you'll get tighter bass.
So i guess i should replace the buffer amp with a LME49720 (aka LM4562 ?), should I replace the I/V amps as well or keep the stock ones for buffer?
Found it in a shop nearby for about $5.
 
Also, saw someone mention the LME49720ha which seems to be an even bigger improvement.
Don't seem like they are available here in Sweden though but it's available on ebay for about $15.

 

[sssboa]

  Initially I was very happy with the sound but after having taken a break from listening to music over the summer I'm a little disappointed with the bass.
I've got my STX with standard opamps and a pair of ultrasone pro900. They are quite bass heavy to begin with which I was aware of when I bought them but it's more of a "home cinema" rumbling bass, I'm looking for a tighter "music" bass.
 
Could replacing the opamps be the solution and if so which ones would you suggest?
I've read the opamps review in this thread and thought about getting LME49720. Someone said you get less tight bass if you put it in the I/V Section which is not good, but someone else said if you put them in the buffer you'll get tighter bass.
So i guess i should replace the buffer amp with a LME49720 (aka LM4562 ?), should I replace the I/V amps as well or keep the stock ones for buffer?
Found it in a shop nearby for about $5.
 
Also, saw someone mention the LME49720ha which seems to be an even bigger improvement.
Don't seem like they are available here in Sweden though but it's available on ebay for about $15.

 
Isn't LM4562 already in the buffer of the new card?

 

[bcschmerker4]

   
Isn't LM4562 already in the buffer of the new card?

In fact the National Semiconductor®/Texas Instruments® LM4562N is stock for the line-level buffer and also usable for the I-V, although in my judgment better I-V dual op amps are out there.  Known successors to the LM4562N include two other NSC®/TI® products, the LME49720NA and LME49860NA (JEDEC 8-pin DIP).
 
I'm looking at adapting the NSC®/TI® LME49990MA, a surface-mount single op amp descended from the LM318A, for the line-level buffer role, as it packs full provisions for Input Balance/Compensation (pins 1, 5) and Output Compensation (pin 8) to further tune the feed to the twin-RCA analog jacks ("2 Speakers"); but be advised that the LME49990MA requires a dual-op-amp adapter PCB to work with the STX'™ JEDEC 8-pin DIP socket for the line-level buffer position, plus a modification to run tantalum power-supply decoupling capacitors directly to +Vcc and -Vss on the STX'™ printed-circuit board.

 

[Gorric]

Has anyone tried, Burr Brown OPA 627 BP on Browndog adapter. In the buffer ??
 
 
http://tamaudio.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=39_46&product_id=91
 
http://www.amazon.com/Burr-Brown-OPA627BP-Dual-Adapter/dp/B00B07M7B2
 
I'm just curious, because it's suppose to be amazing op amp
 
Cheers

 

[foreign]

This sound card sounds great with klipsch 2.1 speakers.  I can't wait to try it out when my hd 650 arrives.  

They sound ok with the hd650's however with an external amp the hd650's really do become magnificent. The hd650's seem to sound a little different per source they seem to be a little picky.

 

[FangJoker]

They sound ok with the hd650's however with an external amp the hd650's really do become magnificent. The hd650's seem to sound a little different per source they seem to be a little picky.

 
I went ahead and bought the schiit bifrost uber/valhalla combo and couldn't be happier.  I just use the stx headphone output for gaming and of course my external 2.1 klipsch speakers.  It has made a difference in sound with the speakers and through the headphones so I don't regret buying it, but yeah the amp/dac really made the hd650 come alive.  
 
I also changed out the opamps before installing it.  I had clicking issues, but it was because the card wasn't seated all the way in.  The card is built a little poorly and when I screw it in all the way, it seems to shift the connectors in the pci-e slot so I had to bend the part where you screw it in so the card wouldn't lift out when screwed in tightly.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Originally Posted by vegasf1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I went ahead and bought the Schiit Bifrost uber/Valhalla combo and couldn't be happier.  I just use the STX headphone output for gaming and of course my external 2.1 Klipsch speakers.  It has made a difference in sound with the speakers and through the headphones so I don't regret buying it, but yeah the amp/dac really made the hd650 come alive.  
 
I also changed out the op-amps before installing it.  I had clicking issues, but it was because the card wasn't seated all the way in.  The card is built a little poorly and when I screw it in all the way, it seems to shift the connectors in the pci-e slot so I had to bend the part where you screw it in so the card wouldn't lift out when screwed in tightly.

The Essence STX can send Headphone Surround Sound thru it's S/PDIF (optical or coaxial).
If you connect the Bifrost to the Essence STX using S/PDIF (optical or coaxial), you can still use the Essence STX's headphone surround sound features, while taking advantage of the Bifrost/Valhalla.
(no need to use the STX's headphone jack anymore).

 

[foreign]

The Essence STX can send Headphone Surround Sound thru it's S/PDIF (optical or coaxial).
If you connect the Bifrost to the Essence STX using S/PDIF (optical or coaxial), you can still use the Essence STX's headphone surround sound features, while taking advantage of the Bifrost/Valhalla.
(no need to use the STX's headphone jack anymore).

Yeah it does work pretty good this way, I get distortion thru the rca's but using spidf toslink to an external dac and amp it silent and I still get to use Dolby.

 

[FangJoker]

I use the rca for my powered desktop speakers and still use the headphone output for when watching tv and movies and gaming late at night.  I use the usb port on the comp for schiit uberfrost/valhalla.

 

[balancebox]

Anyone try muses01 on their stx?

 

[Gustav Mahler]

Anyone try muses01 on their stx?

Yes...works a treat.

 

[balancebox]

ok order two muses01 to replace I/V
 
on aliexpress.... hope they come soon
 
another canadian !

 

[KeyboardMonkey]

Ok so I'm building a new computer and... Really I am just looking to mod the crap out this card. Also, I'm a complete noob looking for money to spend.

The Xonar STX comes with interchangeable OP AMPs and after researching for the best choice of the OP AMPs, I've come across some scary looking mods.

http://www.fotothing.com/fotosofSPACE/photo/1485b7c6a369bd632a957ec914649611/

Is one that I really admire and want to attempt the build if possible.



So now onto the questions...


Is buying the Burson HD 101's cost efficient enough to not buy a normal chip like a LM49720NA for the card?

What is the purpose of the Audio-GD Clock on the mod I listed above? Is it necessary? I've seen some builds with just the 3 Bursons and no Audio-GD Clock.

If I do end up getting the Bursons or the Audio-GD Clock, how would one go about setting up and soldering them onto the STX? If they need to be soldered.

What is the purpose of the EMI sheild that comes stock on the card? I know it shields the chips from EMI (Obviously) but on some mods with 3 Bursons it's completely off. Is this ok?

One last thing, where is a good place to buy the Bursons, Audio-GD Clocks, and other chips?



I realize I'm asking a lot here, but anyone with any information on anything I'm talking about or opinions on the build I'd love to hear.

 

[mink42]

Hey guys, have a question. I'm using my stx as a dedicated DAC>Little dot MKIV>Hd600.
 
Just wondering is the setup for this simply to connect the RCA cables to the input of the little dot, and set the output of in the xonar centre to 2 speakers?
 
Also, what volume should I have the STX at?