[Alydon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowfreight /img/forum/go_quote.gif $200 @ Newegg.com Check it out.

Sah-weet! Ordered. Hopefully it'll be here by Xmas!

 

[Auidodude34]

cool can't wait to hear what think of it report back!

 

[Brando]

@Robscix
Is this a worthwhile upgrade from a D2X? Have you compared the built in amp to any separate amps? If I buy this can I sell my Gilmore lite with confidence? Thanks!

 

[ROBSCIX]

If your worried, wait until some reviews come out.

 

[moonboy403]

It's hard to imagine that it'll be better than a $400 dedicated headphone amp, but hey, if it is, I'm all for it.

 

[Brando]

Oooooook.

 

[scytheavatar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's hard to imagine that it'll be better than a $400 dedicated headphone amp, but hey, if it is, I'm all for it.

And why is it hard to imagine that it'll be better than a $400 dedicated headphone amp when you don't have to pay for a power supply and for a casing?

 

[ROBSCIX]

Better then this or better then that, will come when people compare it to other audio devices.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif And why is it hard to imagine that it'll be better than a $400 dedicated headphone amp when you don't have to pay for a power supply and for a casing?

Is a power supply and case the reason for the $200 premium?

 

[Brando]

I'll probably get it anyway. If nothing else, it'll probably sound a little better and I can get a better connection through the dual rca's to my amp than I do with the 3.5mm mini to dual rca cable I use now. I think I also read somewhere that true line level is cleaner than the stereo out on most sound cards because they put out more power than necessary so they can power headphones or something?

 

[skamp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scytheavatar /img/forum/go_quote.gif And why is it hard to imagine that it'll be better than a $400 dedicated headphone amp when you don't have to pay for a power supply and for a casing?

And the fact that the soundcard is mass-produced by a big company, when your average headamp is manufactured by hand in small quantities.

 

[SDDL-UP]

I was going to get a Xonar D2, but this Essence card is in my price range so I think I'll get it unless the reviews fall well short of what it looks like it should provide.

 

[hohum]

I will comment on one thing I've just discovered about this card - no doubt it'll be pretty damn good, but the specification is misleading. According to the manual (which you can download from the ASUS website), the card does indeed have 124dB SNR... but only for the front output (I'm assuming this means the RCA jacks). The headphone output is 110dB SNR. Copy and pasted from the .pdf:

Quote:

Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): 124dB for Front-out 110dB for Headphone-out

Don't know what the rest of you think, but that's some pretty sneaky marketing in my opinion. Anyway, waiting to hear impressions...

Edit: Further reading gets confusing - the manual is stating that for headphone use you connect the headphones to the included 3.5mm to RCA cable, and then connect that to the left and right front outputs. Doesn't mention connecting to the card's headphone jack at any point... bizarre.

 

[scytheavatar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is a power supply and case the reason for the $200 premium?

Why not? In case you haven't realized it those 2 make up the bulk of the amplifier's cost. Just ask anyone who had made a DIY amp before. The cost of the transistor/resistor/capacitor/diode/IC/PCB board is often negligible in comparison. At the end of the day everything done on a discrete amp can be done on a soundcard, unless of course tubes are invovled. So why can't the Xonar sound better than a $400 amp? Because OMG it's not made by RSA?

 

[SDDL-UP]

For what it's worth I'm going to use this card to replace my CD player, use those front RCA jacks to run right into my receiver. I probably won't ever use it for headphones. I don't have the specs on my Kenwood KR-V9010 receiver, but I'm sure, very sure, this sound card will outperform it. I just can't afford $2000 or more to upgrade that right now.