ASUS Xonar Essence STX Virtual 7.1 Channels PCI Express x1 Interface 124 dB SNR / Headphone AMP Card

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ASUS Xonar Essence STX Virtual 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Express x1 Interface 124 dB SNR / Headphone AMP Card

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Virtual 7.1 Channels
24-bit 192KHz
PCI Express x1 Interface

The ASUS Xonar Essence STX is a PCI-e audio card that is designed for the music enthusiast. Equipping the Xonar Essence STX with the best components and the finest design, the STX delivers a top-of-the-line audio experience with a 124 dB SNR rating. With a built-in headphone amp that can power headphones up to 600 ohms and 6.3 mm headphone jacks, the STX makes a perfect pair with high-end headphones.

High Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) A high SNR rating means less unwanted noise. Therefore the audio is cleaner which translates to better sound quality. The Xonar STX is the world’s first sound card to achieve a 124 dB SNR rating for crystal clear audio.
Built-in Headphone Amp A high-quality TI TPA6120A2 headphone amp supports headphones up to 600 ohms of impedance with lower than 0.001% distortion. This allows users to drive their headphones as intended without additional amplification.
EMI Shield EMI shielding seals the RCA/headphone signals from noise and offers distortion-free audio.
Nichicon “Fine Gold” Professional Audio Capacitors Using state-of-the-art etching technology, Nichicon “Fine Gold” capacitors deliver rich bass and crystal clear high frequencies.
6.3 mm Headphone and Mic Jacks The 6.3 mm headphone jacks offers compatibility with high-end headphones. An adapter is included for the usage of headphones with 3.5 mm connectors.
Upgradeable Op-amp The Xonar Essence STX can be upgraded with the Xonar Op-amp Upgrade Kit for a blend of natural sound and enhanced quality.

Learn more about the ASUS Xonar Essence STX

Model

Brand: ASUS

Model: Xonar Essence STX

Audio core

Audio Chipset: ASUS AV100

Channels: Virtual 7.1

Sample Rate: 192KHz

Digital Audio: 24-bit

SNR: 118 dB Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio
124 dB for Front-out
110 dB for Headphone-out

Ports

Line In: Yes

SPDIF Out: High-bandwidth Coaxial/TOS-Link combo port supports 192KHz/24bit

MIC In: 1 x 6.3mm Jack (Shared by Line-In/Mic-In)

CD/Aux In: Aux-In (4-pin header on the card)

Other Ports: Analog Output Jack:
RCA jack *2 (Front R / Front L), 6.30mm jack*1 (Headphone out)

Front-Panel Header:
Shared by Headphone out / 2 channels out / Microphone in

S/PDIF Header:
Connects to compatiable graphic cards for HDMI output

Spec

Interface: PCI Express x1

Operating Systems Supported: Windows Vista/XP(32/64bit)/MCE2005

Features

Features: Dolby Digital Live: Dolby Digital Live encodes any audio signal on PC in real-time to Dolby Digital (AC3) 5.1 surround sounds to your home theater environment through one single S/PDIF connection

Dolby Headphone: Dolby Headphone technology allows users to listen to music, watch movies, or play games with the dramatic 5.1-channel surround or realistic 3D spacious effects through any set of stereo headphones.

Dolby Virtual Speaker: Dolby Virtual Speaker technology simulates a highly realistic 5.1-speaker surround sound listening environment from as few as two speakers.

Dolby Pro-Logic II: Dolby Pro-Logic II is the well-known technology to process any native stereo or 5.1-channel audio into up to 6.1 channel output, creating a seamless, natural surround soundfield.

Smart Volume Normalizer

Normalizes the volume of all audio sources into a constant level and also enhances your 3D sound listening range and advantages in gaming

Xear 3D Virtual Speaker Shifter:
Virtual 7.1 speaker positioning

Magic Voice:
Xonar Essence STX provides VocalFX, the latest vocal effect technologies for gaming and VoIP, including: -VoiceEX: produces vivid environmental reverberation for your voice in EAX games -ChatEX: emulates different background environment effects when you chat online -Magic Voice: changes your voice pitch to different types (Monster/Cartoon…) for disguising your real voice or just for fun in online chatting

Karaoke Functions:
Music Key-Shifting and Microphone Echo effects like professional Karaoke machine

FlexBass:
Professional Bass Management/Enhancement system

3D Sound Engines/APIs:
Vista: DirectSound3D GX 2.5, DirectSound HW, DirectSound SW, A3D1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability
XP: DirectSound2.5 SW, A3D1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability

Manufacturer Warranty

Parts: 3 years limited

Labor: 3 years limited

Quick Info

Warranty

Limited Warranty period (parts): 3 years
Limited Warranty period (labor): 3 years

Manufacturer Contact Info

Customer Reviews of the ASUS Xonar Essence STX

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Filter Results Last 2 Weeks (5) Last 6 Months (29) All Reviews (170) 76% (129) 11% (18) 5% (9) 3% (5) 5% (9) Verified Owners Video Reviews Mfr. Responses keyword Go page SubmitTopPaginationForm of 17 previousTopPaginationForm\| nextTopPaginationForm
N/A 5/20/2013 3:23:44 PM Tech Level: 5/5 Ownership: 4/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 5/5Sounds Great Driving Stereo Pros: Working great. Cons: None Other Thoughts: Not using headphones just RCA out to 20 year old stereo. Using the third party drivers (never tried the official drivers). Did you find this review helpful? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
Cobra 5/16/2013 4:29:28 PM Tech Level: 4/5 Ownership: 1/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 5/5WOW Pros: LADIES AAAAND GENTLEMENNNNNNNNNNN.....ARE YOU READY TO RRRRRRRRUMBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Then buy it, and stop reading this. It's the best. Cons: None. Other Thoughts: Possible 4-pin molex connector that it REQUIRES, but I have extra 4-pin connectors available. Still AMAZING. Did you find this review helpful? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
begna112 5/11/2013 7:38:38 PM Tech Level: 5/5 Ownership: 4/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 5/5absolutely amazing Pros: 1. gets rid of static you hear on built in audio 2. has PLENTY of volume (it can get LOUD) 3. truly incredible quality. paired with my Sennheiser 598's, it can't be beaten. 4. has analog headphone/audio out jack Cons: nothing at all. Other Thoughts: this was literally the best thing to happen to my computer ever until it got destroyed in a car accident this week ;_; gonna have to buy another one. Did you find this review helpful? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
N/A 5/9/2013 6:57:48 PM Tech Level: 5/5 Ownership: 2/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 5/5Best sound card ever owned Pros: The STX is the best bang for the buck, ASUS Xonar Essence STX outweighs the rest of the competition. The high signal-to-noise ratio, low THD and overall quality design of the Xonar STX gives it a huge head start in the world of sound cards. If you want a card that is customizable and includes the necessary I/O ports for surround sound system or hardcore gaming, you will find this one offers just about everything. And as always Newegg gets it to you faster then anyone else... Cons: I don't have any cons... Did you find this review helpful? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
ELDERLY HOBBYIST 5/8/2013 11:47:52 AM Tech Level: 1/5 Ownership: 1/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 5/5VERY PLEASED Pros: High quality stereo output. Cons: Absolutely none. Other Thoughts: Loaded the driver from a folder after downloading it from the website. Disabled onboard audio in the BIOS prior to installing the sound card. Connected the molex power cable before seating the card in the PCIe slot. I turned it on and started playing music thru a receiver with stereo speakers. Glad that I bought it. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
N/A 5/2/2013 5:58:07 AM Tech Level: 5/5 Ownership: 2/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 3/5not what i was looking for Pros: nice features if you are looking for a stereo card. Cons: not what i was looking for 0 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
Frank Doghearty 4/16/2013 2:41:36 PM Tech Level: 5/5 Ownership: 2/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 4/5Simply fantastic Pros: Build quality Sound Cons: requires extra cabling/converter in 15-pin power supplies Other Thoughts: The quality is amazing, but I had to wait days until my converter and my extension cable arrived, because they were not supplied (-1 egg). The power supply MUST be attached in order for the item to work, but the board has an old-fashioned 4-pin socket which does not work with recent power supplies. I even needed an extension cord for the converter cable. As soon as I uninstalled the old driver (SB Z, a good gaming card, but I don't game, and not that great for music and for speech for movies) and installed the stock ASUS one, the card started working. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
Tom 4/13/2013 11:27:23 PM Tech Level: 5/5 Ownership: 2/5	Rating: 5/5Best so far Pros: I have owned both this card and the Claro Halo. I am using Corsair SP 2500 and a pair of Sennhesier HD598s. Everything sounds very good. Best sound I've heard. Noticeably better than Claro Halo. Cons: The installation took about an hour and a half getting the card to work. The Asus drivers really suck and I had to use third-party software to get it to finally run. This was after verifying multiple times that the power connector was connected and supplying power. I also restarted my computer about a dozen times, changed BIOS settings, uninstalled drivers, and swapped the PCIe slot that the card was plugged into. It was getting very frustrating and I was starting to fear I had a bad card and would have to RMA. To get it running I used "unifed xonar drivers" and it worked like a charm. I didn't feel I should knock an egg off for this because it's such a great product and works fine now. Other Thoughts: I'm always in the pursuit of better sound. Everything from home theater systems to car audio, and everything in between. I highly recommend this card if you care about high quality sound. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
N/A 4/6/2013 12:59:00 AM Tech Level: 5/5 Ownership: 2/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 5/5Old Music is New Music Pros: This card sounds absolutely fantastic with anything, everything is so clear and detailed. Before I got it I was prepared to be disappointed without much of a noticeable difference, boy was I wrong I am in love. Cons: No starters guide for audio setting recommendations. Still haven't figured out how to make only the game play in my headset and music via the speakers at the same time. and it took a few to realize I now need to use asus control panel to change to headphones. One other con is they do not provide the cables they should for such a high end card, no RCA cables just a 3.5mm to rca converter and only one 6.3 to 3.5 adapter you would think they would give u two if they want you to plug in both mic and headphones in the back. Other Thoughts: The Cons of this card are very minor I wouldn't even consider them, they are just personal gripes :) 1 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
naveK 3/31/2013 1:01:19 PM Tech Level: 5/5 Ownership: 5/5 Verified Owner	Rating: 5/5Absolutely Incredible Pros: This card drives the Sennheiser HD 595s I use with my PC. Every sound produced by those two devices "in concert" is something to marvel at. This card was the only device in my house capable of a digital-to-analog conversion of the 24-bit 192KHz side of my John Coltrane DVD-Audio. I have had no issues finding, installing, or using the latest drivers. Cons: The user interface for the audio console could use some attention in terms of usability and presentation. Other Thoughts: You must have the prerequisite skills necessary to install and use a sound card. Those skills include: 1) supplying the supplemental power this card requires 2) downloading drivers from the manufacturers website 3) making sense of control panel's "less than perfect" user interface Did you find this review helpful? Thanks for the valuable feedback you provided!
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