[KLJTech]

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeperry /img/forum/go_quote.gif I sense troll feedind if you don't like something, ditch it...and buy something else. whining about it w/ vague arguments on an internet forum is not going to improve the SQ, now is it?

I'm sorry, who are you talking about?
I'm just looking for opinions on the Asus Xonar Essence STX and hopefully some feedback on how much improvement the PS Audio DAC would be over the Asus card. Is it enough to justify the price difference?

I understand that I could just buy the Asus card listen for myself but I don't own the PS Audio Digital Link III and I'd like to know as much as possible before buying. Money is a little too hard to come by to throw around without knowing as much as possible before spending it.
Thanks for any info.

 

[leeperry]

lol, no worries I wasn't talking about you \o

tomorrow I'll be picking up the ST at the post office, that's all I can tell you right now. and yes the STX is mind blowing w/ some lossless audio and some proper op-amps

 

[Bmac]

I have the STX, listening through Dynaudio BM5A's with an HSU VTF-1 sub as well as AKG 701's, 270 Playback's and Grado SR60's. I highly recommend the STX. I've only ever used the stock op-amps and I find them very satisfactory. I doubt that the STX is as nice sounding as the PS Audio DL III, but I also doubt that (in my mind at least) the difference is worth an extra $400-600. I think if budget is a concern you will be better off with the STX for a few years and then upgrade again as better cards come out with newer DAC's down the road.

Since I first got into audio, I think the STX is probably the best value purchase I've made. The difference from the Creative card I had to this was that big.

Listening to headphones, I listen to the 701's more than anything else, and I find the amp to be more than sufficient. With the 701's, I listen on the lowest of the 3 gain settings, and on that gain setting I listen usually at 3% volume. The output of the headphone amp is not as high as many stand-alone amps, but the STX is driving the 701's with way more than enough clean power for me not to want to upgrade.

Hope this helps.

 

[dex85]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bmac /img/forum/go_quote.gif With the 701's, I listen on the lowest of the 3 gain settings, and on that gain setting I listen usually at 3% volume.

Didn't you mean 30%?

 

[Bmac]

No, I only need to listen at 3% with the 701's to achieve comfortable listening levels. If what I'm listening to is loud, I will even go down to 1 or 2%. The volume on the keyboard is actually quite useless in this regard because it changes the volume in 3% increments.

 

[dex85]

that's interesting. i listen with high gain (middle one) at 8-10%. i was listening at 26% with normal gain.

 

[fzman]

actually, I found the stock stx to be more than a little syrupy, but very compelling to listen to. after the opamp swaps, and the dedicated lkinear supply, it is sounding very very good.

stock, it reminded me very much of vintage tube gear, cj premier 3 preamp comes to mind-- this is not an insult, just an observation. i think the critic was noticing the warmth and commenting in explicit terms!!!!

 

[Bmac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex85 /img/forum/go_quote.gif that's interesting. i listen with high gain (middle one) at 8-10%. i was listening at 26% with normal gain.

That's crazy. I have sensitive ears and I've lost 10-20% of my hearing. At 26% my ears physically hurt in a short amount of time. Too bad because I like my music loud, but I just can't do it any more.

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex85 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i listen with high gain (middle one) at 8-10%.

same here! the lowest setting sounds dull, and the highest saturated. the middle one at 10% sounds perfect to me

oh yes, the stock JRC2114D are really junk.

 

[e6600]

unless you do massive gaming, there should be no need to pick the prelude over the stx..
forte is very similar to the prelude if you want to save money

 

[KLJTech]

I already have the Prelude, I've had it since it first came out and have been happy with it but IF the Asus Xonar Essence STX is a much better sounding card then I may consider buying it instead of the PS Audio Digital link III that I leaning towards buying. I almost never get a chance to game anymore so that part really isn't important to me at all.

When some audiophile's hear "sound card" they discard them right away as junk. I know because I've built audio cables for a company for over 10 years who's owner (a great guy) thinks that I'm crazy to use my PC as a source to my main rig....unless I bought a good stand alone DAC like the PS Audio or Benchmark DAC1.

Several years ago I used very nice Monarchy DAC (had it for about 3yrs) but in the same exact system I installed a very nice sound card (a high-end one for that time) in my PC and used it in place of the Monarchy and the sound card just sounded better. The Monarchy was a great DAC when it came out but over the course of a few years sound cards had caught up to its sound quality and passed it.

As I stated before, a company making sound cards don't have to spend money on a nice case and power supply and can keep the price lower while using very good parts.

I would love to know at what level/price point you need to spend on a DAC before you get better sound than say with the Asus STX.

Does something as inexpensive as say the Cambridge Dac Magic at $429 sound better than the Asus STX? I don't know but I would love to know where that line is that the sound card and stand alone DAC are equal and money spent beyond that point buys you better sound in a stand alone DAC than with a sound card.

 

[leeperry]

as you just said, we'll prolly never find out. ppl who are willing to put $429 in a DAC are too snobby to try a "soundblaster"....and ppl who buy the STX don't see any point to waste $1K for a marginal -yet more than likely real- improvement

 

[KLJTech]

Probably not but I really would love to know at what price does the DAC surpass the great sound card. I'm surprised that I never seem to have any noise problems (hiss) with a sound card yet I always hear how terrible of an environment a PC is for getting good sound out of.

 

[Bojamijams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KLJTech /img/forum/go_quote.gif Probably not but I really would love to know at what price does the DAC surpass the great sound card. I'm surprised that I never seem to have any noise problems (hiss) with a sound card yet I always hear how terrible of an environment a PC is for getting good sound out of.

Don't spend too much time thinking about it.. people around here say a LOT of stuff.. portable amps are a waste, grados are hard to drive (yet apparently a cmoy is a perfect match for them

, its bad to amplify an already amplified signal but Shahrose will argue that one with you and I believe him, etc.

Audio is not an exact science. Its a flavor. Find the flavor you enjoy the most.

 

[KLJTech]

I build audio, speaker and power cables (for two different cable company's) for a living so I understand that in our hobby you have to find the equipment that "you" enjoy and then forget about the gear. I've fallen into that trap myself of thinking too much about the equipment and what should be upgraded verses enjoying the music. For me the tell tale sign was that I enjoyed music more while in my car with a stock stereo than I did in a dedicated listening room at my house.

I've scaled back a lot now and I enjoy having my PC integrated in my main audio system but I feel it is time to either buy a better sound card or go the route of a stand alone D/A converter. I see that there is a big buzz about this Asus Xonar Essence STX just as I was just about to pull the trigger on buying a D/A converter. Now I'm not sure which to do.