[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by applegd /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nothing personal This is my last post about this DC offset topic. It really depends on the hardware configuration in the audio path to judge how much DC offset is OK to take. Generally speaking the excessive DC offset at the output jack of source is not preferred.

& the D.C. offset output of the Xonar card is in no way excessive by any measure.

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OICWUTUDIDTHAR /img/forum/go_quote.gif just got my st today and I gotta say..... ITS HUGE!!

Did you get the H6 with it? Whats your impression of the sound?

 

[jalyst]

Garmanium/Applegd,
Judging by this exchange I'm guessing you're the right people to ask

Do you know of any good threads that focus purely on mods to the ST/STX?
Preferably with work-plans, schematics, photos etc.

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by germanium /img/forum/go_quote.gif you wanted technical information, I give it & you turn it around into something different from what I'm actually saying. Anybody that reads what I was saying with an open mind would actually see what I'm saying the 500mv was a worst case scenerio for the card to have to absorb which I said it would likely never see. Not talking of D.C. offset to the headphones in that situation but a very very unlikely situation involving just an unreal D.C. offset coming from the input of the following amp. In anouther situation I have actually seen 1 volt of input D.C. offset nullified by the output of the previous amp. This D.C. offset was self contained inside A powered speaker & never exposed to the outside world so again not a situation that the card will actually see. This can also be an advantage & is actually used by none other than bob carver to bias the output of his opamps to pure class A operation.

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisno /img/forum/go_quote.gif You will not hear any difference with D2X and Essence ST when pairing with X-can V8.. you wont actually hear any difference with any tube amp, as the tubes itself is the weak link. You can use quite cheap source and get the 'same' out via a tube amp. If you use solidstate you will probably hear the difference...

There are many things that determine the sound of an amp that specs don't really tell. The fact is that even though solid state has better specs high end tubes do in fact sound better than transistors though the 2 sounds have been converging for years. Otherwise they wouldn't fetch the prices they do even for low power high quality tubes. We are talking upwards of 40,000 dollars for 50 watts or even less.

Properly designed tubes can be even more revealing than trasistors yet sound more natural at the same time. A lot depends on the circuit layout, quality of the passive parts & most importantly the quality of the output transformer on power amps.

 

[OICWUTUDIDTHAR]

Did you get the H6 with it? Whats your impression of the sound?

Nope just got the card itself. No need for the h6 myself. Sound wise, pretty amazing difference compared to my forte. I can really hear the details in my music now. Also some of the Dolby effects are amazingly better then the creative cms3-d garbage.

for example I tried out the new hit song "all the way turnt up"

before I could never here this little guitar string in the back and now I can.

thats just an example though.

Now that said, obviously the ST isn't goingto give you the best sound on the market like a tube amp + dac would or some other combination, but for the price of $200 its a steal as if you wanted to do a DIY the component on this sound card would cost you a HELL of alot more then 200. I have to say i am pretty pleased

 

[krisno]

The secret regarding price is production of scale. If Mark Levinson made and sold as many as Asus Xonar ST their amps would cost 1/3.

There probably is not much difference on ST and other run of the mill dacs. Also I presume the amplifier chip on the ST will sound as good as any solid state headphone amps. Difference with tubes, but that is because of tubes themself...

 

[OICWUTUDIDTHAR]

krisno your probably right, as I said for the price of this card (200) its unbeatable really. With a few amp modes you can really make it yours!! (if your into that kinda thing

)

 

[applegd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jalyst /img/forum/go_quote.gif Garmanium/Applegd, Do you know of any good threads that focus purely on mods to the ST/STX? Preferably with work-plans, schematics, photos etc. Thanks!

I did a search in the past but I did not see any thread have decent details like schematics.

Because of intellectual property concern, I think it is not allowed/ethical to post the complete schematics of ST/STX here. Sorry

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisno /img/forum/go_quote.gif The secret regarding price is production of scale. If Mark Levinson made and sold as many as Asus Xonar ST their amps would cost 1/3.

x2

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisno /img/forum/go_quote.gif Also I presume the amplifier chip on the ST will sound as good as any solid state headphone amps.

Just FYI. Base on my testing result for 330 ohm and 33 ohm load at ST/STX HP out jack, TPA6120A2 amplifier chip has better performance for high impedance phone.

For low impedance phone, the solid state headphone amp with diamond buffer is much better.

 

[germanium]

Did you get the H6 with it? Whats your impression of the sound? Quote:

Nope just got the card itself. No need for the h6 myself. Sound wise, pretty amazing difference compared to my forte. I can really hear the details in my music now. Also some of the Dolby effects are amazingly better then the creative cms3-d garbage. for example I tried out the new hit song "all the way turnt up" before I could never here this little guitar string in the back and now I can. thats just an example though. Now that said, obviously the ST isn't goingto give you the best sound on the market like a tube amp + dac would or some other combination, but for the price of $200 its a steal as if you wanted to do a DIY the component on this sound card would cost you a HELL of alot more then 200. I have to say i am pretty pleased

Glad to hear you like it.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

hows this compared with xonar DX ?

 

[krisno]

germanium - what mods you done to your stx? do you like it?

No i really disagree. I am armed with AKG K 701... with the X-can v3, except for a bit more details using a high expensive dac, the sound really did not change much - the tubes color the sound alot.

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisno /img/forum/go_quote.gif germanium - what mods you done to your stx? do you like it? No i really disagree. I am armed with AKG K 701... with the X-can v3, except for a bit more details using a high expensive dac, the sound really did not change much - the tubes color the sound alot.

D.C. coupled the output is all.

You haven't really heard pro quality tubes. I have & they are incredably detailed & natural in thier presentation. Bear in mind that most of your recording use pro quality tubes somewhere in the mix. Some of the best ones use nothing but tube gear.

 

[New2TheScene]

I know this is slightly off topic, but I need the following info and can't find what I'm looking for in this thread. I've read multiple references to the Essence ST being fatiguing. Is this because if the high level of detail in the music, is it because the highs are harsh and over extended, or is is something different altogether.

I've put off getting the Claro Halo, waiting for the Essence ST to be widely available here in the US. But now, with all I read about the ST being fatiguing, I'm wondering if the Claro Halo is a better choice.

I would like to appeal to any members who have had the benefit of hearing the Claro Halo and the Essence ST: I realize that they're close, but which has better sound? Personally, I value detail, resolution, and neutrality. Any pointed description of how the sound from these two differs would be very much appreciated.

 

[germanium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by New2TheScene /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know this is slightly off topic, but I need the following info and can't find what I'm looking for in this thread. I've read multiple references to the Essence ST being fatiguing. Is this because if the high level of detail in the music, is it because the highs are harsh and over extended, or is is something different altogether. I've put off getting the Claro Halo, waiting for the Essence ST to be widely available here in the US. But now, with all I read about the ST being fatiguing, I'm wondering if the Claro Halo is a better choice. I would like to appeal to any members who have had the benefit of hearing the Claro Halo and the Essence ST: I realize that they're close, but which has better sound? Personally, I value detail, resolution, and neutrality. Any pointed description of how the sound from these two differs would be very much appreciated.

I have made recordings with the STX & found the result to be indistinguishable from the source in direct comparisons proving the card is neutral. As to the aggresiveness that some report if they did a spectrum analysis of the music they find that sounds aggressive they would find overboosted highs in the music itself. This is no fault of the STX or ST but the recordings themselves. Unfortunately there are many recordings that this has been done. I have properly done recording in my posession that sound absolutely incredible on this card that I have (STX). I also have some that are overdone on the treble that sound somwhat aggressive but not to the unlistenable point.

I've seen some on here that boost the treble all the way (20db) on these vary recordings then ask why it sounds so aggressive.

I find the sound Warm, very tube like & highly detailed without the glare of say the X-Fi Elite pro when compared to the Elite Pro both being modded to D.C. coupling. The bass is full & rich yet tight with solid impact.

 

[jalyst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by applegd /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did a search in the past but I did not see any thread have decent details like schematics. Because of intellectual property concern, I think it is not allowed/ethical to post the complete schematics of ST/STX here. Sorry

Bummer,

I was hoping there'd be at least one other thread that focuses on modding the ST (not necessarily w/schematics).

I guess this is the only one?!
Can anyone recommend some of the trickier mods one can do?
I'd like to research how I'd go about doing it!

I will of course also experiment with swapping in/out opamps.

Thank-you