ASUS Xonar Essence ST DeLuxe review

Soundcards and Speakers 106 Page 12 of 15 Published by

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Subjective listening tests Music

Subjective listening tests Music

Listening Tests System used:

  • Amps: Class D power amps
  • Speakers: AV123 Elt 525m Fronts
  • Edifier S series Rears, Center, Sub

Cables:

  • Interconnects: JPS Ultraconductor 2
  • Speakers: JPS Ultraconductor 2
  • Headphones: Sennheiser HD595
  • Music
  • Software: Foobar 2000 and Winamp 5
  • Media type: FLAC

Foobar 2000 with ASIO output plugin

Note: We used Beta drivers offering bit perfect and auto sample rate adjustment.  We also tested WASAPI, KS and Direct sound plugins looking for issues. We noticed no issue that couldn't be fixed with simple buffer adjustments.

Album: Ozzy Osbourne: Scream

  • Tracks: Let me hear you scream, Life Won't wait

Track: Let me Hear you Scream

The kick drum and guitar are very prevalent in this song used as the driving force.  The soundstage was very large in this song offering excellent imaging over both test headphones and speakers.  The Bass presented was balanced and articulate.

Track: Life Won't wait

The acoustic guitar in this track sounds excellent on this card, offering woodiness and character.  The card offers very large soundstage and accurate presentation of instruments and vocals.  We could hear absolutely no distortion or noise.  Vocals were offered without being overpowered by the backing music.

Artist: 50 Cent

  • Album: Get Rich or Die Tryin'
  • Tracks: P.I.M.P and In Da Club

Track: P.I.M.P.

This track as it has a great bass tracks but also has many subtle aspects that some sources can gloss over.  The ST presented the vocal tracks without edginess or smearing.  The bass came through in great style, nice and articulate without overpowering the rest of the response.

Track: In Da Club

This track has a killer bass track and is a great test for new cards. The ST provided excellent bass reproduction with no washout or tubbiness. Instrument separation was very good offering a sense of space between the backing tracks and 50's flow.

Artist: J.S. Bach

  • Album: Best Of
  • Tracks: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Violin Concerto in A minor

Track: Toccata

Yes, we are classical fans also and these tracks can show  flaws in a cards signature.  This track is one of my personal favorites as there are so many musical aspects.  The ST Deluxe reproduced the tracks with excellent clarity and abundant detail.  The musicality of the track was not lost and the playback was most enjoyable.

Track: Violin Concerto in A minor

The ST performed exceptionally during this tracks, offering all the subtle nuances of each violin while still producing the backing instruments with high degree of detail and clarity. The sense of spaciousness presented from the recording was also very easy to hear becoming a part of the music instead of a negative aspect form recording.

Artist: Guns and Roses

  • Album: Use Your Illusion II
  • Tracks, knockin' on heaven's door

Track: Knockin' on Heaven's Door: Again we are greeted by the wide soundstage and excellent imaging.  The layer presented in the song is reproduced with no distortion or smearing.  The card also presents excellent toe tap factor, getting your head bobbing and foot tapping.  Definitely a very musical signature offered with no tuning.

Track: November Rain

The piano in this song is excellent with the proper source and the ST does a great job of presenting the finer aspects.  This card is quite impressive with excellent imaging and presentation.  Sonic aspects are very open and spacious in the forward soundstage.  We felt the need to adjust the bass volume a bit to provide a bit more of a lower end but we are bass freaks.  The guitar work is presented with no harshness or glassiness.

Final notes on Music testing

We found the ST Deluxe provided and exceptional sonic signature full of musicality, detail and clarity.  This card does not hide any aspect of your music and if you are using low quality source files this card will make your music sound worse.  However, if you are using high quality 1:1 bit exact copies or CD's this card does an excellent job of reproducing them. The signature if very balanced, the bass is not bloated or washed out, the midrange is balanced and warm and up front.  The high range has great extension and character without being piercing or grating.  Indeed for a stock signature this card produces and excellent response. 

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