[audionewbieyao]

My quick answer to your questions:
1. Laziness: the sole dominant player is Creative, and we all know they are merely rebranding old stuff to cash on te EAX thing, there is no true audio quality fine changes found on their old and new cards, they don't even bother to use marketing gimmics on audio quality side...
2. Cost: quality component cost, and audo market is small, so they either have to make it very expansive or resort to chip components

I think Asus picked a good price for some reasons:
1. Econ is bad now, fewer PC builder has cash to spend now
2. Size: Asus is big, they got advantage on acquiring quality component with lower cost
3. Market: they want expand in this market faster...

They are my guess above. haha..
Feel free to discuss...

 

[ROBSCIX]

Has anybody tested with a Discrete opamp yet?
Such as the Sun, moon, Earth?

 

[Wartank]

I have a question, im unable to change the volume via the taskbar icon on the bottom right. however i can change the volume thru the essence audio center knob. is this a bug or is it normal?

 

[Alydon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anybody tested with a Discrete opamp yet? Such as the Sun, moon, Earth?

Not yet, but Majkel's discrete opamp review thread has gotten me interested in trying at least one of them.

It also gave me a few other opamps to try...

Speaking of which, I found another opamp that is quite good in the STX's buffer slot: the LT1364.

It's quite similar in tonality to the LT1361 (not surprising since their specs are so similar), but it has more control, detail and presence in the base region at the expense of a bit of air and treble energy on the high end.

I'm having trouble deciding which one I like better in the buffer spot. One the one hand the LM6172's in the I/V spots do need to beautiful airiness that the LT1361 provides. But that extra bass body and definition the LT1364's bring is very seductive. The 1364's also have better control over the music as a whole, and the sound overall seems more refined than the lt1361 which can sound a bit loose at times. If I could find an opamp that the best features of both I'd be a happy man!

I also took things a step further and pulled the 2 opa637's out of my Corda Blue and put them in the output stage of my Opera to see if that'd help sway my decision. It didn't.

The 637's open up the soundstage a bit more than the LM6171's that are in there as stock, and they have a nice, clear treble that is less "hissy" and more refined than the LT1361's, but bass presence - and more importantly, extension - was hurt badly, even with the LT1364 in the STX's buffer.

So these 2 setups:

1. STX (LT1361 & 2x LM6172) -> Opera (2x Lm6171)
2. STX (LT1364 & 2x LM6172) -> Opera (2x Lm6171)

Are better than these 2 setups:

1. STX (LT1361 & 2x LM6172) -> Opera (2x OPA637)
2. STX (LT1364 & 2x LM6172) -> Opera (2x OPA637)

Make sense?


@WarTank, I have WinXP SP2 and am using the drivers that came on the CD (haven't tried the new ones on the website yet), and I can adjust the volume by using either the Windows volume control or the STX control panel. And when both panels are open, if I move one the other moves in sync with it.

 

[ashmedai]

It sounds like a good idea, but you'd need to be careful to mount it so as to relieve strain and to prevent it from shorting against anything.

 

[ROBSCIX]

Yes, I have both the LT1361 and 1364 on order. I have also been reading some spec sheets on a few others.

The discrete units may be something I might also look at for the final buffer stage.

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashmedai /img/forum/go_quote.gif It sounds like a good idea, but you'd need to be careful to mount it so as to relieve strain and to prevent it from shorting against anything.

You can get them with extension wires. This would allow you to put the circuit on the bottom of the case. You don't need to worry about strain or shorting out against another card.

 

[ashmedai]

Against another card, no. Against the case, possibly. If you go that route it might be good to put something nonconductive under it.

 

[ROBSCIX]

Yes, thx. I am sure I will figure it out. If I decide to use one at all.

 

[scytheavatar]

Has anyone tried any of the Analog Device op-amps on the STX yet? I am interested to see if it's possible to put in the AD797.

 

[Alydon]

AD797's are single channel opamps, so they will probably work since 24V is w/in their input range (10-30V) but you'd need an adapter. I was thinking about getting a set but they're $8+ apiece, so 4 of them plus 2 adapters and shipping is pushing 50 bucks...

I might get 2 to try in my Opera, though. If I do get them I'll try 'em in the STX's buffer spot too.

 

[scytheavatar]

Have you tried 2 X LT1364 at the I/V? How does the headphone out sound with them?

 

[Alydon]

I Said:
Quote:

Nope, I only own 1. I suspect the LM6172's are better in that spot, though. The differences between the 1364 and 1361 are relatively minor, and the 1361 wasn't real good in the I/V sockets (way too bright, not much low end impact).

EDIT: I'm retracting the above statement. Now that I've had a chance to compare the two with more music, I'm noticing more differences between the two. I think I prefer the 1364 over the 1361 in the buffer.

The 1361 may have more treble energy, but the 1364 still manages to pull out more details in the music. 3d imaging (which if you hadn't noticed is a big deal for me

) is improved, and sound sources are more coherent in space than the 1361.

What really sold me though was the soundstage. The 1364 made it much deeper than I've heard it before, and instruments that used to play "in my head" or above me are now occupying space in front of me at varying angles and at easily distinguishable differing distances from me and each other. My headphones have been starting to disappear on several tracks, something which really hasn't happened much before. I love it!

So to re-answer your question scythe, no, I haven't tried 2x 1364's in the I/V spots yet. However, I'm ordering a second 1364 tonight so I can try it out...

 

[Shahrose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alydon /img/forum/go_quote.gif I Said: EDIT: I'm retracting the above statement. Now that I've had a chance to compare the two with more music, I'm noticing more differences between the two. I think I prefer the 1364 over the 1361 in the buffer. The 1361 may have more treble energy, but the 1364 still manages to pull out more details in the music. 3d imaging (which if you hadn't noticed is a big deal for me ) is improved, and sound sources are more coherent in space than the 1361. What really sold me though was the soundstage. The 1364 made it much deeper than I've heard it before, and instruments that used to play "in my head" or above me are now occupying space in front of me at varying angles and at easily distinguishable differing distances from me and each other. My headphones have been starting to disappear on several tracks, something which really hasn't happened much before. I love it! So to re-answer your question scythe, no, I haven't tried 2x 1364's in the I/V spots yet. However, I'm ordering a second 1364 tonight so I can try it out...

Hey Alydon, just wanted to offer a suggestion if I may. I've found that the further one tweaks the sounds, the more one loses touch with the default sound and whether the tweaked sound is even better than the original. Right now it'd be interesting to see if you hear any decrease in SQ once you switch back to the default opamps, and therein lies my request.

Enjoyed reading your impressions btw. Hopefully I'll get some time to roll opamps as well.

 

[Bojamijams]

Does anyone have a Denon D2000 or D5000 they can test with this card and its HP out?

The harshness with my (basically) LA2000 HP's is driving me nuts. The rest of the sound is fantastic but the highs can cause me serious head pain after only 5 minutes with some types of music. I need to know if its just the synergy thats off between these two (STX and D2000/D5000) or something else