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Xonar Essence STX: Sneak Peek!
Feb 18, 2009 at 3:44 AM Post #796 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by audionewbieyao /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Your argument is only on whether it can drive HD600/HD650 properly or not.


Not so much that, as that the statement "it can drive everything, even hard-to-drive phones, as well as a high-end discrete amp" is false. Which I don't think should be very controversial.

As to the Sennies, there's plenty of stuff around here about people using lower-power amps and other people calling those people crazy for underamping them. People like what they like. It's the hyper-generalization I took issue with.

But really, I'm too tired to get into this all over again - it's been a long day and I was up half the night yesterday finishing a research paper, so...
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 3:50 AM Post #797 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by Shahrose /img/forum/go_quote.gif
He has a point though. The STX does not have an amp section that bests $700 amps. Realistically, it would be comparable to DIY amps around $150-250. The DAC IS the primary reason I bought the STX. Nevertheless, it does not make the STX any less of a value, considering that it has a DAC and amp in it that would likely cost $200 each if they were standalone offerings.


We have a winrar of a post here.
Exactly my thoughts. For value, the Essence STX is fantastic but it's headphone amp is of a low-end one.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 3:51 AM Post #798 of 2,066
Shahrose, ashmedai and chinesekiwi, perhaps you should share with us your STX experience. What "good desktop amp" at the $700 price range have you heard that is clearly superior to the STX, and in what way are they superior?
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 3:53 AM Post #799 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by genclaymore /img/forum/go_quote.gif
If there mono channel op-amps like the OPA627Au you just gonna need a thing which let you use Two of them in the one main op-amp socket since the other two is for something esle voltages unless I wrong and another set of op-amps can be socketed into it. But if there stereo op-amps then your fine like shahrose says.


It is dual-voltage so it should be okay.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 3:57 AM Post #800 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Shahrose, ashmedai and chinesekiwi, perhaps you should share with us your STX experience. What "good desktop amp" at the $700 price range have you heard that is clearly superior to the STX, and in what way are they superior?


Not in the $700 price range, but I've tried the Little Dot MKV and the Headfive on the Essence STX.

The internal headphone amp is comparable to the Headfive, but both have different properties, the Headfive boosting the mids a bit more while the internal headphone amp = quite transparent.

Versus the MKV, the MKV has far more detail, bigger and more depth in the soundstage, better impact across the spectrum but it is most noticeable in the bass, deeper bass....

I can tell to a certain extent how close to the mic the person is speaking with the MKV whilst I couldn't as much with the internal headphone amp nor the Headfive.

I'm using '03 DT880's.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 3:58 AM Post #801 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Shahrose, ashmedai and chinesekiwi, perhaps you should share with us your STX experience. What "good desktop amp" at the $700 price range have you heard that is clearly superior to the STX, and in what way are they superior?


Never claimed it was, never heard it, my only involvement is to the effect of claiming that there's no way it can even get the power necessary to outclass a decent $700+ dedicated headphone amp when handling high-demand phones.

If any electrical engineers with better knowledge of ATX power supplies and the PCI-E standard want to correct me, I'd be very interested to hear it. But I'm pretty sure those hot, bulky dedicated amps are hot and bulky for a reason. I think it's because they need to be. And I'd be surprised if the STX can come down from the heavens and do something which hitherto this moment I've always understood to be an unreasonable goal. I figure it's a bit bigger than your average portable amp, connected to a computer's DC rails, so the results should be consistent with that. If not, everybody would be doing it, or it would be priced a lot higher.

My MkIV from my cold, dead hands. Or maybe after I get an upgrade.
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Feb 18, 2009 at 10:29 AM Post #802 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Versus the MKV, the MKV has far more detail, bigger and more depth in the soundstage, better impact across the spectrum but it is most noticeable in the bass, deeper bass....


In this case the Essence was used as source only (through RCAs), or your amp was connected to something else?
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 10:34 AM Post #803 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by ashmedai /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Never claimed it was, never heard it, my only involvement is to the effect of claiming that there's no way it can even get the power necessary to outclass a decent $700+ dedicated headphone amp when handling high-demand phones.


Chaos, boys. Comparing class A/B with Class D, or comparing a stand along amp to a sound card will lead us nowhere near being constructive at all.

Have we been missing the point? Headphone amp is just a a apart of Essence STX (anybody still remember it's a sound card?). If you're crazy about stand along you can use Essence STX as an excellent line level source.

I'll bet at least 50% of Xonar Essence STX owners seldomly use the amp but still think it's an excellent card.

What's more, I believe in Rob's review on Guru3D has shown the card's drawing power from PSU for analig signals, not mobo. Even seen this design on other sound cards?
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 11:24 AM Post #804 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by BigTrouble /img/forum/go_quote.gif
What's more, I believe in Rob's review on Guru3D has shown the card's drawing power from PSU for analig signals, not mobo. Even seen this design on other sound cards?


That would seem to be the intelligent way to do it when you've got a secondary power connector, yes. AFAIK the digital stuff wouldn't even have anything to use it for, possibly barring some really intense DSP work.

I vaguely remember a couple other models with a secondary power connector, but it's been a while so I'm fuzzy on which those would be. Might also bear looking into some of the Audigy models with breakout boxes - those have a separate power connection IIRC and may well house a slightly beefier amplification stage.

I think one of the nicer, if more subtle, features to the card is the ability to keep the L & R channels separate and maintain a higher resultant S/N. At least, if I was going to bother with a sound card for 2.0 work, that would be a point of interest.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 12:10 PM Post #805 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by riderforever /img/forum/go_quote.gif
In this case the Essence was used as source only (through RCAs), or your amp was connected to something else?


Source only via RCAs with cheap interconnects.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 4:14 PM Post #806 of 2,066
Again, for the record the Essence STX takes ONLY logic signals from the PCI-E bus. All power requirments for the analog amplification section are taken from the Molex connector.

The arguments, if this is better then that; which is not as good as this, is a waste of time and totally subjective....
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 7:06 PM Post #807 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The arguments, if this is better then that; which is not as good as this, is a waste of time and totally subjective....


I agree with you, but it is also the only way that normal people has to decide which product to buy -> reading reviews and owners comments
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Feb 18, 2009 at 8:16 PM Post #808 of 2,066
Point taken. I am refering to the arguments that get started because somebody says this new device sounds as good or better then something another owns and they or others disagree without even hearing the devices in question. Some may agree or totally disagree hearing the same devices as this is subjective.
 
Feb 18, 2009 at 9:53 PM Post #809 of 2,066
Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Point taken. I am refering to the arguments that get started because somebody says this new device sounds as good or better then something another owns and they or others disagree without even hearing the devices in question. Some may agree or totally disagree hearing the same devices as this is subjective.




Agreed.... I just finish making a post regarding whether or not the STX can drive a pair of HD650 people say the STX can’t drive the HD650.
What?!
Seriously as an owner of this setup I know for a fact that the STX can drive the Senn HD650 it is quite annoying to read.
 
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