Asus is bringing a new card Essence ST that will feature best featuers of the STX and D2X xonar cards.
Is it worth waiting for ?
Asus Essence ST : a preview
Is it worth waiting for ?
Asus Essence ST : a preview
Currently available essence card will probably meeting 90% of the user community requirments. You will not find anything lacking in that monster of a card.
Can anyone provide current price for various ASUS card available in market, My primary use is for audio. I am open for other brand as well if it delivers same SQ as asus. Anything above 5000 is not in my budget.
I think, we can say its 90% of the stereo listeners only. STX lacks the multichannel support using its dac. Considering the whole sound card market the scope for this card is very less, even though its the best in its class. ST is for both stereo and multichannel listeners. Also a small PCB architecture difference is there for ST to accommodate the daughter card which cannot be done in STX.
STX, cmsajith, is targeted at the stereo listening crowd exclusively. So, there is no confusion there. For the people who want good music as well as multichannel mayhem, there is the more than competent Xonar D2X.
If the ST can do the best of both worlds, then it will be a good choice indeed. Although we need to see at how much of a price differential.
I think, we can say its 90% of the stereo listeners only. STX lacks the multichannel support using its dac. Considering the whole sound card market the scope for this card is very less, even though its the best in its class. ST is for both stereo and multichannel listeners. Also a small PCB architecture difference is there for ST to accommodate the daughter card which cannot be done in STX.
Another stupid question - is there a way to avoid mother board, cpu, OS etc and couple a hdd, or maybe just a CD drive with a sound card and use it like a CDP? Or the sound card as a DAC?
If not, what would be a fast loading lean OS that has good music playback? For making a music only comp?
what's there to wait for ?
the card is already available in india, and some folks have already gotten some.
A guy i know picked one up at about 8k.
Is it ST, i think its STX (got quotation from Ankit, SP road, Blore for 8.4K two weeks back).
Hi guys,
I tried my best but couldn't locate anybody who is selling Asus Xonar Essence ST. Does anybody know a seller for this card. How it compares to logitech squeezebox ?
Thanks.
Hi friends,thinking of getting the much talked of & well reviewed(JA in Jan'10 Stereophile) Asus Xonar Essence STX soundcard.
Got a quote today from SMC International, the only vendor in Nehru Place, N.Delhi that I found who deals in this card.
Any audiophile in Delhi who can suggest a vendor offering a better deal?
Thanks.