[forciano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jalyst /img/forum/go_quote.gif optical was wanting to know differences between ST & STX

My bad I dont know why i quoted you

 

[GWorlDofSPACE]

Very interesting the hiface!!!

 

[Bmac]

Gworld, what DAC are you using?

 

[GWorlDofSPACE]

I have gamma 2 and TDA1541A NOS DAS for experimeting.
Why?

 

[applegd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif What you would be upgrading on the STX is the XO. It has 3 connections IIRC...

The 10 pins footprint for CS2000 chip on STX circuit board is there(check U36 position) but ASUS leave it blank. I just feel strange why ASUS did this. Maybe ASUS has technical reason not doing this?? Or they just want to save couple(<10) US$ on part cost? This kind of practice seems to be not too good for a product positioned for audiophile.

If ASUS solder CS2000 chips and its related several Caps/Resistors on STX circuit board which have the footprints already, then the only audio performance related Hardware difference between STX and ST is the PCI-E to PCI Bridge Chip PEX 8112 on STX board.

As the ST hit the market after STX, just feel STX design might be little bit premature unless ASUS has technical reason which blocks using CS2000 on STX.

 

[jalyst]

I think -as you suggest- the reason they left it out was because it came out long before the ST.
Future revisions will prolly have it or something similar.

Also I totally forgot until you reminded me....

STX isn't native PCIe, it relies on a PCIe bridge...
ST doesn't need a bridge because it's straight PCI-out.
Hopefully the core circuitry will be modified so that PCIe native is used in the future.

 

[leeperry]

they're dependent on C-Media for the DSP and windows drivers...some say that Asus bought C-Media, but it'd only appear to be hearsay. If they ever release a PCI-E CMI8788, maybe you'll see native soundcards w/o a bridge.

The PEX8112 brige is also said to increase the latency over ASIO...and why not jitter too?

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by applegd /img/forum/go_quote.gif The 10 pins footprint for CS2000 chip on STX circuit board is there(check U36 position) but ASUS leave it blank. I just feel strange why ASUS did this. Maybe ASUS has technical reason not doing this?? Or they just want to save couple(<10) US$ on part cost? This kind of practice seems to be not too good for a product positioned for audiophile. If ASUS solder CS2000 chips and its related several Caps/Resistors on STX circuit board which have the footprints already, then the only audio performance related Hardware difference between STX and ST is the PCI-E to PCI Bridge Chip PEX 8112 on STX board. As the ST hit the market after STX, just feel STX design might be little bit premature unless ASUS has technical reason which blocks using CS2000 on STX.

We are refering to two different components. I said the XO, which is the main clock generator. The CS2000 chip is a clock clean up chip and not the same thing at all. According to the postings around here, they are both great cards.

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jalyst /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think -as you suggest- the reason they left it out was because it came out long before the ST. Future revisions will prolly have it or something similar. Also I totally forgot until you reminded me.... STX isn't native PCIe, it relies on a PCIe bridge... ST doesn't need a bridge because it's straight PCI-out. Hopefully the core circuitry will be modified so that PCIe native is used in the future.

The 8788 chips are native PCI, they were fitted on many cards a few years ago such as the X-Meridian 7.1, Claro, Sondigo Inferno, Razor AC-1...etc
The mad 8788 rush, which seen most of these cards using generic stock drivers. There were a few that used drivers which were "skinned" such as the Razor card but the base drivers were still C-Media.
The drivers were bascially interchangable from card to card.
The recently released Claro Halo is still running one of these 8788 chips (from existing old stock)
Many of the orginally 8788 cards were quite good though...

 

[giedrys]

Does ST offer upsampling to 192/24?

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by giedrys /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does ST offer upsampling to 192/24?

Yes. You can set the output sampling rate for 24/192 Khz.

 

[applegd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif We are refering to two different components. I said the XO, which is the main clock generator. The CS2000 chip is a clock clean up chip and not the same thing at all. According to the postings around here, they are both great cards.

Nothing personal.

no matter "XO which is the main clock generator" or "The CS2000 chip which is a clock clean up chip", generally I call it "timing/clocking circuit".

To be precise, (1) if someone like to use the newer PCI-e interface/slot, he/she have to order STX and take the subpar clocking circuit as compromise. (2) if he/she is focusing on audio performance, he/she will order ST and take the older PCI interface/slot as compromise. (3) No matter which option you go, you have to take compromise. This looks pain in ass position.

We will have hope once the chip at current AV100 position is PCI-e native.

 

[ROBSCIX]

I wouldn't say the STX has a "subpar" timing circuit. Just the ST has extra circuitry to make the master clock more precise.
Maybe the next chip revision will be natice PCI-E as you said.

 

[Surfaced]

Well it looks like I can find the STX for $160 shipped.

But this ST, which apparently has some improvements, is no less than $210 anywhere.

Anyone know if the extra $50 is worth it? I have no reason to get the H6, by the way.

 

[macrog]

Yes definately worth the extra for the ST. I have the st and stx both upgraded with 3 x lme49720nz opamps. The ST is in a totally different league to the stx. The stx is soundly trounced by the musiland 02us usb dac where the ST is probably actually a bit better.

macrog