Asus Announces Xonar Essence STU External Sound Card

[RedundantInk]

The external DAC and headphone amplifier is advertised as offering "audiophile-grade performance" and delivering USB connectivity and accessible external controls.

Asus Announces Xonar Essence STU External Sound Card : Read more

 

[thefiend1]

Fascinating. I would like one for free so I can test it out...

 

[Guest]

When using a USB sound card, does this alleviate the CPU just like an internal card, or does this only help with sound quality?

 

[beppomarx]

Now if only there was a 4 or 5.1 version that would work with android I could build a car stereo setup usng a touchscreen tablet...

 

[Phil Williamson]

"Now if only there was a 4 or 5.1 version that would work with android I could build a car stereo setup usng a touchscreen tablet... "
But then it wouldn't be a car stereo. Been doing 5.1 in my car for 5+ years using an mITX (ASUS) motherboard. Power is via an HP laptop 12 volt power adapter. There are a few advantages of using W7 in a CarPC...but only a few.

 

[PrvtChurch]

what I really wanna know is how much. if its not too expensive I would replace my FiiO E7&E9

 

[edogawa]

Interesting. I wonder how this will compare to internal sound cards.

 

[hannibal]

External sound cards have the advantage of not getting so easily electronic static distortion to the sound, so there is less "cracks and pops" in the external sound card. The computer is very noisy plase electronically so it it allways better to put soud device outside of it.
I have had SOudBlaster X-fi pro many years and it has very good soud quality. But ofcouser you need 200-500$ headphones to hear the difference so it cost something, but electronic distortion is easy to hear and all those extra sounds that it produce so I supose that you can hear the difference even without having extremely expensive sound device. The bets part of thisXonar is the headphone amplifier. Many normal (even external) sound cards does not have enough power to drive highend headphones well. They are ok when using headphones that can be used with portable devices, but those 400 ochms and higher headphones needs some more to really sound good! And this card at least promises that extra.
It would be nice to try these out if this would be any good! The sound Blaster X-fi pro is nice external cards but it is not best for very high impedance headphones.

The real question is how well these would do 3D sound... Now a days you can get really good strereo sound and guite crap 5.1 sound from the sound card... Why not both?

 

[chicofehr]

This card is more for people who like to listen to loss-less audio or music in general and recording studios to go with their $500+ headphones. I have the ST version and upgraded the headphone amps on the card to the highest end version you can get and It kills anything out there. This would be great for my laptop. Always been stuck with a desktop for good sound quality.

 

[powerincarnate]

I have a xense and an asus STX and I can't remember the last time I heard a snap or pop, or noise for that matter coming out of my headphones.
They produce such clear sound, that the whole noisy computer issue is really overblown.
A lot of that problem is with cheap soundcards, even cheaper on board sound, or terrible headphones.

 

[shahrooz]

nice move ASUS, nice move...