Asus Xonar D2X Sound Card review - Page 1 -- Introduction

by Brann Mitchell on: 06/30/2008 02:00 PM [ ] 0 comment(s)

Product:	Xonar D2X soundcard
Manufacturer:	ASUS
SKU code:	PVT98FYDBU
Information:	ASUS
Street price:	$172

Introduction

Asus Xonar D2X This, my friends, is a little thing called the Xonar D2X. ASUS released the PCI-based Xonar D2 quite some time ago, and not so long ago, they released the D2X, the PCI-express version. After a long conversation with Asus, we finally get to review this one, the D2X. Two things nice about coming late to the party is that you know what everybodys wearing, and everybody notices your arrival.

And my God is this thing a showboat.

The gold and PCIe is nice. The Burr-Brown 24 bit/192 KHz DAC's are super high-end and just about the best you can get. The Dolby and DTS encoding is hot. But LED lights? EMI shield? Requires a power connection? Well, I think the D2X would compete well in a beauty pageant, but honestly, it's just so over the top. Creative have pretty much ruled the roost with their Soundblaster series, and with very little surprise with an exceptional performance lead with their DirectSound acceleration, and a healthy game support in Windows XP for their proprietary EAX extensions.

One thing that has opened up with Microsofts latest OS, Vista, is the sound card market. Vista ended the direct hardware access era, effectively destroying Creatives performance lead. Users of XP still have some advantage, but as soon as XP is dead, well have a level playing field and renewed competition in the market. Thats the theory anyway, and it does seem to be starting right about now.

Let's get this boat rocking.

9 pages 1 2 3 4 next »

Asus Xonar U7 Review
ASUS Xonar U7 review test and benchmarks. The U7 offers 24-bit/192KHz recording and playback with 114dB SNR, S/PDIF output, 7.1 channel analog output, dedicated stereo headphone output, a volume knob, and it's all powered of a USB 2.0 port. The headphone output comes with its own DAC and adjustable gain settings, making the U7 capable of driving just about any pair of headphones to ear-splitting levels.

ASUS Xonar Phoebus soundcard review
We review the ASUS Xonar Phoebus 7.1 soundcard. Gamers are not quite as strict as the audiophile market place, we would still suggest they like to have great sound, after all a great game is just that much better with high quality surround sound or headphone based audio immersing you into the action. We have been following the development of this product since the beginning and today we have a brand spanking new Phoebus 7.1 bundle in the Guru3D Audio Lab. Without any further delay, lets pull this new audio card out and check it out.

Asus Xonar Xense 7.1 Soundcard review
Asus recently announced that they have teamed up with Sennheiser, a proverbial powerhouse in the audiophile headphone market to bring audio lovers the Xonar Xense 7.1 soundcard bundle.

ASUS Xonar Essence ST DeLuxe review
We test and review the Xonar Essence ST Deluxe 7.1 soundcard. Yes, you read it right, the full deluxe model! ASUS has been relentless with its R&D and soundcard releases, putting out one high end card after another. The Essence models are considered the current undisputed kings of the Xonar series of soundcards. We are quite excited to see what the Essence ST offers over the STX and in general. So, lets pull out the Xonar Essence ST Deluxe 7.1 and have a look and a listen.