ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 PCI-E Sound Card Review

Modding Options

This card has digital converters and opamps on both sides of the card to keep the size of the Xonar to a minimum for use in smaller HTPC cases. The opamps on the could be changed out for some higher quality units such as LM4562’s or some Burr-Browns but this would make a budget sound card into a MUCH more expensive proposition. Adding some better quality filtering capacitors could also help clean up the sound further. In an earlier section, I quickly mentioned connecting the AUX connector to a external output to get around the shared I/O jack of the DX. These output brackets are very easy to build and information will be added to our audio section on the procedure. If your are interested in modding PC audio devices, we will be adding some in-depth info to the website very soon on this topic.

Note: Although we offer these suggestions for our readers you need to understand if you perform these modifications unsuccessfully you can easily damage your card and definitely void your warranty. Perform at your own risk.


Conclusion

At this price point the Xonar 7.1 DX offers the user exceptional sound quality and a rich feature set which is both needed and expected from modern soundcards. The full line of Dolby home theater technologies further enhances the DX's sound processing capabilities and present a solid option for HTPC designers and users. Even Dolby headphone processing is an exceptional technology to use for normal stereo headphones and offers the user 5.1 surround sound imaging for use in your movies, music and gaming. Unfortunately, the DTS-Connect digital output options seen on the flagship Xonar D2 and Xonar D2X are not available on the Xonar 7.1 DX.

The addition of the new GX 2.0 drivers elevate this card's gaming audio possibilities in Microsoft Vista which will definately bring a sigh of relief to many a user. Prior to GX, games would sound quite plain without directional cues, environmental reverbs or other subtle effects under the Vista OS. With the GX 2.0 software the user can use the GX gaming mode and have full effects in almost every game with full surround sound in either analog or Dolby Digital output modes. While I feel they can’t quite compete with the higher end versions of EAX for sound refinement and realism, they immensely improve the gaming audio abilities of the Xonar series of soundcards. I was pulled into the games and felt immersed in the action just the same although some of the more subtle effects didn't seem quite right.

The PC audio market has become very large recently and has become quite fast-paced due to all the new blood competing for customers. Fortunately, this translates into great products for the end users. The Xonar DX fills a gap in the Xonar line of cards as ASUS aimed this card at the entry level market and they hit their mark squarely. This is a solid, great sounding offering to the PC audio community and deserves a good hard look by anybody searching for a modern soundcard. We have previously reviewed the Xonar 7.1 D2, Xonar U1 and now the Xonar 7.1 DX and have been impressed with the entire lineup and we are interested to see what will be next from this formidable soundcard manufacturer. After considering the large feature set, output sound quality and gaming features available for the price we feel this card deserves our coveted Dam Good Value Award.

Pros

Price point
Overall impressive sound
GX 2.0


Cons

Generic Opamps
Small bundle
No DTS features
Some minor sound issues