Why God, Why?

[gobble]

Hi,
This pc sound card concept sounds very interesting. Is Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 Sound Card being referred for two channel audio. I have this pc very near to my stereo set up. If I want to add this sound card how do I know if the current mother board supports it? MY pc is around 4 year old.
Thanks.

If you have PCI-E 1x slot free in mobo go for the Xonar Essence STX. Else the Xonar ST is a PCI version of the same card. Essence is reportedly better than D2X or DX and a pure 2.0 audio card.

Edit: http://vr-zone.com/articles/asus-unveils-new-xonar-essence-st-audio-card/7058.html

Regards

 

[spirovious]

If you have PCI-E 1x slot free in mobo go for the Xonar Essence STX. Regards

ST with expansion board


ASUS Xonar Essence ST Sneak Preview | test

 

[mahiruha]

Hi Spiro,
does this expansion also comes as a part.I am only interested in the 2 channel audio. Also is this PCI slot quite common in computer mother board.Without opening the cabinet how to know which pci slot does the mother board have.One possibility may be to knwo the motherboard name and check the specs in the internet. In that case how to check the motherboard name in the computer.
Thanks.

 

[spirovious]

Well PCI is common white slot.If you want only 2ch then STX is OK & it dont need extra power too.

ST will be available without exp brd too & may not get lator seperately like HDAV & HDAV delux.

PCI slot-


PCI Express - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You can check MB name in Bios(in the begining)OR open the case & check on MB PCB.

 

[gobble]

Well PCI is common white slot.If you want only 2ch then STX is OK & it dont need extra power too.
.

I thin it uses HDD power connector and does not draw from PCI-E slot.

Regards

 

[spirovious]

I thin it uses HDD power connector and does not draw from PCI-E slot.

Regards

That is new ST which need HDD connector(molex) & olderone(STX) is directly from pci slot?

 

[gobble]

That is new ST which need HDD connector(molex) & olderone(STX) is directly from pci slot?

hmmm heres a review extract

"Due to the hi-powered amplifiers utilized on the board, the Essence requires extra power in the form of a 4-pin molex connector from the power supply."

ASUS Xonar Essence STX Review

HTH
Regards

 

[thevortex]

I thin it uses HDD power connector and does not draw from PCI-E slot.

Regards

It needs the Floppy drive power connector. But that is fine.

But the Essence ST needs nothing like that. It is a straight PCI device. If it was available in India that would have been the card to buy.

 

[spirovious]

I wrote wrongly as ST keeping STX in my mind(sorry for that).

STX need molex connector,may be for exbord power.
secondly PLI-E asus cards are actually based on PCI version with extra chip fot PCI to PCI-E interphase.

 

[gobble]

ST need molex connector,may be for exbord power.
secondly PLI-E asus cards are actually based on PCI version with extra chip fot PCI to PCI-E interphase.

See the ST picture above which has molex connector on Lt side.

Yeah both PCI and PCIE need extra power. The original reason for PCI-E was to avoid poor quality power source of PCI-E bus.

Regards

 

[spirovious]

which is this xonar?
box says HDAV.



Asus xonar Essences Tx Main Chipset

 

[mahiruha]

It is funny that Asus India website doesn't list any sound card. This xonar essence ST is not available in India. So only option is ebay or amazon type of site.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

 

[gobble]

which is this xonar?
box says HDAV.



Asus xonar Essences Tx Main Chipset

HDAV is 5.1 card with hdmi in and hdmi out, not 2.0. it is not for AudioPhools

Cheers

 

[gobble]

It is funny that Asus India website doesn't list any sound card. This xonar essence ST is not available in India. So only option is ebay or amazon type of site.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

You are in Queue ... pleeeeze wait ... aap Qatar mein hai ... kripayaa prateeksha karen ... Appun Rangeet aahat ... hyeah:

Its just launched dude!! Give it a few months.
The STX is available locally.

Cheers

 

[spirovious]

... Appun Rangeet aahat ... hyeah:

Cheers

Well said,only a correction-

Aapan Ranget aahaat...

 

[unleash_me]

Hello Prem,
I definitely understand what most of us mean by "musical". All I was trying to explain was something that sounds less musical cannot be more accurate....Assuming that sound has been faithfully captured during the recording process there is no gear ever produced which can simulate the sounds of all the instruments invented till date so you have to choose gears which suits the music you listen to.

Thanks for sharing your views Bass and Prem.

Sometimes the most well designed and executed machines fail to give you the perfect result you are looking for. What it gives, however, might be accurate in every way measurable but you know inside that something is missing; like your moms cooking Vs. a five star buffet.

I'm no musician and in a way I like it. May be this helps me less analyze music (to notice inaccuracies) and enjoy what is being played. When I finally took the plunge into world of tubes, I got a whole new perspective about the magic of hifi. All my life I have played with various SS amps but when I introduced tubes into my hifi, it took me to a whole new level. In it's atmost simplicity, it was like comparing a Japanese sports bike to a fire breathing Harley. Both have its merits (also demerits) and possibly an equal fan following as well. Some say tubegears have rolled off highs or they are less faithful to the recordings but with my limited experience so far, the magic I experienced with valves is simply true musicality for me - be it my DAC or amp.

My intention is not to start a tube vs SS debate. As Bass has rightly mentioned earlier, we all have to choose gears which suits the music we listen to and the possibilities 'this' opens for us is what makes this hobby all the more exciting.

 

[Asit]

I'm no musician and in a way I like it. May be this helps me less analyze music (to notice inaccuracies) and enjoy what is being played.

Interesting comment, unleash. While I agree with you in spirit, I have the following observation.

Musicians are musicians because they love music so much so that they cannot do anything else than music. This got to be true for all musicians. So I think they also listen to music for the joy of it, and tend not to analyze too much. Music when listened to by a listener or when being created and/or performed by a musician is not an object for analysis. But because of their training and long term deep association, musicians can also analyze the music. But this is done only when the musician is trying to learn from it some way. The learning process obviously involves some analysis. But believe me, unless the learner has got some gift, it is impossible for him/her to become a musician.

Regarding your decision about the CDP, I'd say: follow your heart, if it does not pinch your pocket too much. I would be rather be happy than feel correct about these things. After all, this is a passion.

Regards.

 

[unleash_me]

Hi Asit, as I mentioned "may be it helps me" So I wasn't trying for a sweeping generalization nor being snobbishly authoritative about it. I'm as layman as one can be when it comes to the intricacies of music creation or performance.

I find the ignorance be of a bliss in this case. And you said it quite right - this is indeed a passion and I find myself to be of that camp that would rather be happy than feel correct.

Cheers.

 

[venkatcr]

I had promised myself not to post in this thread again. But I was just browsing an article in Stereophile, and just could not resist the temptation to post here again.

If you browse through Stereophile's walk through at CES in their article - Stereophile: CES 2010 Show Report - you will come across a few pointers to what I think is the future. Companies such as Electrocompaniet, Ayre and others are moving into the Universal Player market. If they can make a much dreaded universal player deliver good music, the time is not far away when we will start seeing less expensive beasts with good quality.

More interesting is the fact that nearly all of the new products that have been announced in the article are in some way or the other related to DAC, USB, Ethernet - in other words storage and delivery of digital music.

Cheers

 

[unleash_me]

I had promised myself not to post in this thread again. But I was just browsing an article in Stereophile, and just could not resist the temptation to post here again.....
....More interesting is the fact that nearly all of the new products that have been announced in the article are in some way or the other related to DAC, USB, Ethernet - in other words storage and delivery of digital music.

Thanks for the link Venkat and am glad that you posted here again. Although, not really sure why you had decided against it earlier

I totally agree with your idea and have already implemented the PC/DAC route more than a year ago. The experience was so good that I got away with my CDP altogether.

The whole idea of this thread was to get to know if I should really 'reconsider' introducing the CDP back into my chain. While I embraced the new trends and wholeheartedly appreciate its merits, may be its my rather slow unlearning process or the nostalgic affinity to those machines mentioned are driving me to consider getting a CDP again. I miss the physical presence of a CDP (if that makes any sense!) As most of us here mentioned, I might just go for it if everything falls into place.

Cheers.