Electronics Overview

DSP

AV200
The AV200 is the heart of the Xonar 7.1 D2 soundcard. The chip performs all the signal routing and is responsible for setting sampling rates, bit depths and anything related to audio signals in or out of the soundcard. ASUS states the AV200 signal processor has been designed with help from C-Media. Some think it is just a rebranded 8788 and has all the features of that chip. The 8788 chipset has been at the heart of a lot of great modern high definition soundcards. This chip features 24 bit operation at up to 192 Khz at full 7.1 channel output.





DACs

PCM1796
The Digital to analog converter is a very important part of a sound card and contributes a lot to the overall sound signature of the audio device. ASUS engineers decided to use the Burr Brown PCM1796 Digital to Analog Converter. This is a high quality converter and has been utilized in everything from high end DVD players to modern high definition HT receivers. This part features a high 123db Dynamic range and high tolerance to digital jitter as well as a very low THD+N of 0.0005% This low level of distortion and noise ensure the opamps are sent a high quality, clear audio signal for amplification.









OPAMPs

The Front left and right channels on the Xonar are equipped with a National semiconductor LM4562NA opamp. I have mentioned this opamp before in my reviews as it has enjoyed a lot of success since its release. It is one of the chips of choice among modders of sound cards and audio equipment and is featured on the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 as well. It features high slew rate and low THD+N (Distortion+Noise) rating of 0.00003% With such a low distortion and noise rating your final signal will be of very high quality and have no noticeable distortion.






S4580i
The 4580 series opamps are generic; they are made by a few different companies. They are classed as low to mid range at best. They have been featured on a few soundcard through out the years. There is really mixed information about these amps. They are decent enough for a low cost opamp which helps to keep the cost of the product down. There is not a lot of information available on this unit.