Asus Xonar D2X Sound Card review -
Page 8 -- Music and DVD Continued
DVD and Video
I mark this occasion with the introduction of Windows Vista Ultimate with Media Center, instead of our usual VLC player. While I actually prefer the output from VLC it still has stability problems. Star Wars Episode III, Chapter I, Battle for Coruscant, was used to guage the movie playback ability of the Xonar D2X.

Generally, very, very good. Of the various modes the D2X can enable, the movie and game mode worked very well. These modes enable Dolby Digital decoding as well as Dolby Virtual Speaker, a technology similar to Creatives CMSS3D, that enables surround sound using headphones or stereo speakers. While the technology does work very well, it still changes the timber of the sound, giving a slighty bathroomy sound.
I will say, the D2X is very, very clear in any mode you throw at it. The best is in plain analog output. Some readers may recall the Auzentech X-Meridian, which I thought had exceptionally detailed sound with movies when letting the card do the AC3 decoding instead of my Logitech Z-680's. The D2X is even better. It offers the same exceptionally detailed sound (if not slightly better), and in some parts of a movie you may not believe what youre hearing.
In the case of Star Wars, the D2X may just cause you to shake your head in disbelief even more than normal.
In some movies, like The Matrix, where the audio portion was done exceptionally well and helps you get into the movie's world, in other movies, such as Star Wars, I marked a few occassions where the D2X made easy prey where sloppy sound editing was audible, level changes, overdubs, splicing, that sort of thing. I actually enjoyed catching these things because it exposed a little bit of the movie making process, instead of detracting from it.
When I was a young lad and playing with fractals, there was a way to generate 3-dimensional Mandelbrot sets using the continuous potential method. Basically, a pixel would be generated with a slope value associated with the color (or iteration, specifically). All the points in the set would be the highest value and for points outside the set youd get a pretty 3D fractal. The Xonar D2X can sound a lot like a 3D fractal, sounds are so 3-dimensional that instruments swell up from a dark, black background with color and detail. Its a weird description, but thats what comes to my mind.
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.