[Audi4ever]

Many thanks for your time with me in here

I looking forward to your test forciano

 

[jalyst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Many people have been asking me for the Beta's. I don't htink you will be waiting too much longer for the released versions. Maybe I will ask and see what I can do for the peopel that have been asking. I will keep you posted.

Did you ever hear anything about binaries for Linux from them?
I know there's the open ones that are coming along nicely...
But it'd be cool if Asus themselves are actively developing a binary (closed) dvr for Linux too.

 

[Audi4ever]

This is probarly i stupid question, but i am nooob with big N.

As i have a retired DVD player(Pioneer DV-989 AVI), i wounder if i could connect this to the cards analog section only for CD listening through HP out?. Maybe the DVD player has a better dac than the card, i dont know

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jalyst /img/forum/go_quote.gif Did you ever hear anything about binaries for Linux from them? I know there's the open ones that are coming along nicely... But it'd be cool if Asus themselves are actively developing a binary (closed) dvr for Linux too.

I will ring the grapevine and see what I can find out.
I know there are a few guys developing drivers using Linux. Didn't you post some information about it here? They allowed you to adjust the oversampling of the DAC etc?

 

[Ra97oR]

What is the difference between the Windows setting to the Xonar control panel settings on the sample rate + bit rate.

I want to play 44.1 resampled by the card to 96 but not by Windows, what settings should I use?

Note: Not on ASIO or WASPI.

 

[ROBSCIX]

Wait, so you want windows to leave the audio at 44.1 but have the card upsample it?
What player are you using? You can get resamplers for many players also

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wait, so you want windows to leave the audio at 44.1 but have the card upsample it? What player are you using? You can get resamplers for many players also

Best jitter reduction occures when upsampling in hardware so leaving the windows sample rate at 44.1 then upsampling via the hardware resampler in the card should reduce the jitter from computer by the highestpossible degree as opposed to resampling in software.

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audi4ever /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is probarly i stupid question, but i am nooob with big N. As i have a retired DVD player(Pioneer DV-989 AVI), i wounder if i could connect this to the cards analog section only for CD listening through HP out?. Maybe the DVD player has a better dac than the card, i dont know

The sound would end up very near identical coming out this card.The dacs in this card are very good. Burr Browns best stereo DAC actually. There is no chance of passing the analog input sound through this card without going through at least 2 conversions. Analog to digital & then digital to analog. There is no pure analog pass through with this card or just about any other computer sound card either.

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by germanium /img/forum/go_quote.gif Best jitter reduction occures when upsampling in hardware so leaving the windows sample rate at 44.1 then upsampling via the hardware resampler in the card should reduce the jitter from computer by the highestpossible degree as opposed to resampling in software.

Yes, I was asking him what he was trying to achieve before I recommended anything to him or offered any advice.

 

[Audi4ever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by germanium /img/forum/go_quote.gif The sound would end up very near identical coming out this card.The dacs in this card are very good. Burr Browns best stereo DAC actually. There is no chance of passing the analog input sound through this card without going through at least 2 conversions. Analog to digital & then digital to analog. There is no pure analog pass through with this card or just about any other computer sound card either.

Many thanks for the clarification

My DVD player has Burr Brown 1738, and my receiver Burr Brown 1796. Have all sound related product these Burr and Brown?

 

[jalyst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will ring the grapevine and see what I can find out. I know there are a few guys developing drivers using Linux. Didn't you post some information about it here? They allowed you to adjust the oversampling of the DAC etc?

No someone else posted that but I knew about it (not those specific developments).

You seem to have their ear in-relation to Windows dvrs, so I'm curios whether they're developing a binary for Linux.
Prolly not as there's already good progress in the ALSA project...
But nVidia's binary dev. in Linux hasn't slowed despite there being nouveau, so you never know!

Thanks d00d!

 

[kumaiti]

Little question about DVD playing:

If you are watching a source that is 5.1, how should you configure the "Audio Channels" on "Xonar Audio Center", so that Dolby Headphone makes a proper virtualization of that source?

 

[ROBSCIX]

Set audio channel Input for 6 channel and set the card for headphone and enable Dolby Headphone.

 

[forciano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audi4ever /img/forum/go_quote.gif Many thanks for your time with me in here I looking forward to your test forciano

I did like 30 mins of testing and I can say it sounds good to me, but I guess I'm not the most indicated person to run such a test since I'm not using the same Opamps as you and I have spent some money improving the sound in general from my system.

Yet i liked what i heard with my ST, it just doesn't compare to my setup though, so Im afraid im still a little biased.

I will listen to different music Once i have more time.

 

[garbulky]

Hey guys just wanted to let y'all, ROBSCIX (and the other two posters that helped me, you guys know who you are) how I was doing with my soundcard adventures... I also realized that there should be a bunch of people like me in position: Trying to run a power amplifier that does not have a preamplifier or volume gain control with a soundcard and wondering if that was possible. Also, those that are thinking that it may be better to output using their portable headphone amp to a power amplifier. Other than head-fi, I haven't come across many sources that give information on this.
Having said that, this will be somewhat rambling so bear with me (or skip over).

I recieved my Xonar essence ST and it was very well packaged and it really seemed like Asus was proud of their soundcard. It came with two glossy posters to hang up on my wall (haha!) The essence is probably the most gorgeous gold and black card I have ever seen. Gawww!

I also received an emotiva UPA-2 power amplifier and a pair of axiom audio's m80ti tower speakers. I also have an Xenos 3HA headphone amp and Senn. HD600 phoones with HD650 cable upgrade running Foobar in WASAPI.

Once they arrived and were all setup, I began my listening. I have to say that through my listening tests, I found the Xenos 3HA to have between to slightly to significantly better soundstage and details through the RCA outs than the Xonars HA could manage (which was quite a lot!) Also, the dynamic range on the Xenos I found to be quite better than the essence HA (which wasn't terrible set@300-600 ohms impedance).

When I bought my speakers and amp, I was hoping for similiar mid and high-range detail and the HD600 with more impact in the low-end.

Well, let me tell you (as others have adviced me too) that the card DOES work flawlessly connected directly to the power amplifier while you control the audio through the windows volume control. It doesn't run out of steam at full volume or distort, or hiss which is what the guy at emotiva told me may happen with an average PC sound card.

In fact at 100% volume which is equal to 120WX2 both channels driven there was NO hiss at listening position (with the ear right next to the tweeter there was a very faint high frequency, barely noticeable hiss, you may actually not even hear it. About 5-10cm away, no hiss).

Another huge surprise was that the speaker setup on first impressions completely outclassed the HD600's in pretty much all departments. I was not ready for that considering the M80ti's (no sub) were 1300 USD shipping included (weighing 120 pounds for the pair)!
This was very surprising for me, but I was thrilled that this showed the potential of my soundcard.
With the power of the UPA-2 behind it, I listened to a variety of music and movies.
I've had these songs for a few years now and I was intimately familiar with most of them and enjoyed them to death.
First thing I noticed was that on the sennheisser I noticed my first experience of SOUNDSTAGE. And it was very nice. I felt like I was actually in the middle or the front seat of a performance. On the tower's the soundstage was not smackdab in the middle. But the soundstage was amazing and significantly better than what the HD600's delivered using either amp. I heard audio 3 feet away from me as if there was somebody next to me playing a guitar. At the same time, I hear audio just about half a foot to the outside of the speaker. Only a few times did I hear audio actually coming from the speakers itself. The audio was really that good.
Also I found myself playing more songs with less complicated tracks (i.e. just a voice and maybe two acoustic instruments) as the level of realism really felt like there was a performance in my living room.
The bass was as defined as the sennheisser's, however, audibly they extended far lower than the HD600's did and did so with much greater power and impact. This is not saying the HD600's are a slouch, just that these sounded better. My towers are rated at 34hz +/-3db with about +/-1.5 db from 50-15000 hz. Well, they delivered it and I was quite surprised that I feel NO need for a subwoofer. The bass is very deep, very low, by maybe an octave or slightly less.

The dynamic range was also quite a bit greater than the HD600's and also felt more realistic. For instance, if I was listening to a movie at listening levels, the sound volume was as loud as a person would normally speak. Then if something loud happens, the sound level is very close to what you would expect it to be.
I watched the hurt locker on Blu-ray and on the scene where there is the first explosion in slow-mo, it was really very nice.
Everything started shaking around me, and it got very loud very cleanly and I could hear the pebbles as they rose and fell from the shockwave very clearly while the shock and blast exploded around you.

Back to the music, the vocals in the music are an absolute joy. I fired up Jewel, or Holly cole, or even willie nelson. Their voices sounded as if they were floating about a half a foot in front of my tv and also, it sounded like they were standing above me and taller than the other instruments which were at my level ( I am sitting on a low couch).
Old recordings came to life and I have never heard live music the way that I heard it now. Diana Ross's voice was just sweet and intimate.
My wife sat with me and immediately was hooked (she didn't care quite as much for the HD600's though she did like them as well). She said what my other friends told me.
This was "it is like you are there," and when asked about the details they said "it's just RIGHT." They also remarked about the voices floating about the soundstage as if there were no speakers.
I watched The blind side which was a movie with a sparse soundtrack and was thoroughly impressed. Normal things like doors closing, a group conversation all came startlingly to life as if it was happening in our living room.
There were a few parts with slow notes being tapped lightly on a piano , well I couldn't understand why something so simple was so absorbing. Then I figured it out, every note being hit was at a different height, depth and a point left to right from the previous note. My jaw just dropped at the subtlety possible by the soundcard (and towers).

So, if anybody is looking to get this soundcard, it is completely worth every penny.

Somethings that I had problems/lack of features I had with it:
Figuring out the control panel. Finding an adapter for my mic. I heard that the recording had a big lag in it. I haven't tried this out but I will be needing to so that may be a downside. If you want surround, you have to buy the daughter board (not so much a problem for me as I am a stereo guy).

Lack of onboard DTS and dolby digital true HD decoding (also lack of protected path HDCP just like every other soundcard on market for 96khz blu-ray audio). Lack of SPDIF, HDMI input/passthrough (the HDAV has that). Also, the inability to play sound through the stereo annd the headphones at the same time.
Having said that, in practical use, these problems are either negligible/shared with every soundcard on the market.
All in all, I am very satisfied with the card. It was on this website that I finally figured out which soundcard I needed and decided to go for the Xonar over a mid-range DAC (DAC didn't have as easy a volume control).