Description:
The ASUS Xonar D2X is a 7.1 channel PCI-e audio card that provides unprecedented sound quality on the PC platform with a 118 dB SNR rating and integrates multiple sound-enhancing technologies from Dolby and DTS to transform your PC into a high-quality digital home media center.
Besides delivering impressive audio quality, the Xonar D2X is packed with multiple sound technologies from Dolby and DTS to deliver outstanding entertainment experiences. These include Dolby Digital Live(Real-time conversion of PC or game audio content into Dolby Digital), Dolby Pro-Logic IIx (Converts stereo or 5.1 sounds to a seamless 7.1 surround sound field), Dolby Virtual Speaker (Simulates a highly realistic 5.1 speaker surround sound listening environment from as few as 2 speakers), Dolby Headphone (Creates a surround sound listening experience from any set of headphones), DTS Connect (Includes DTS Interactive and DTS NeoC technologies), DTS Interactive(Real-time AC-3 encoding) and DTS NeoC (stereo to multi-channel expander).
ASUS designed GX2.5 to simulate EAX game effects and makes them available on Windows Vista/7 PCs. GX2.5 will automatically emulate the latest EAX technologies without additional software.
I've had this card for several years and it has served me well on 3 different PCs. Whether you want to turn your PC sound experience into a 7.1 home theater setup or just maximize the quality of your headset & microphone, this card performs! It has lots of options for input & output: 4 x 3.5 mm (1/8") (Front out/Side out/Center-Subwoofer out/Rear out) and 1 x S/PDIF outputs; 2 x 3.5 mm jack (1/8") (Line-in/Mic-in) and 1 x S/PDIF in (1 x Coaxial) input. Using relatively cheap PC speakers and this card, I've been able to create quality sound setups that put TV home theater speaker setups to shame.
It's a shame that Asus doesn't have official drivers/support for this wonderful sound card especially since it was Reader's Choice in PC Games Hardware for 3 consecutive years. Worry not though, a dedicated group has been providing 3rd party drivers for the D2X and various other sound cards which can be found here: http://maxedtech.com/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/ (latest Windows driver for the D2X, just updated to support windows 10 as well, is the UNi Xonar 1816/1823 v1.80a r3)
I've used it extensively for Ventrilo, Teamspeak, Skype, and other VoIP programs, both with cheap microphones and studio quality recording ones. The "Acoustics Echo Cancellation" (AEC) technology allows it to record without loss of quality or feedback while simultaneously using speakers. It makes a cheap PC microphone sound better than it is and it provides the necessary EMI shielding to use studio quality recording ones. This is a particularly important point because I do audio recording & production and normally when you use converter cables to plug your mixer into a 3.5mm microphone port on your PC, it causes EMI and the clip lights on your mixer will go haywire. Not all mixers have USB adapters and even the ones that do often have driver issues that cause drops in recording quality when plugged into the PC by USB. However, when I plug in my mixer to either 3.5mm input port (mic or line-in) or the S/PDIF-in port of this card, it works perfectly.
Speaking of ports, they light up and color code when your PC is on, making it much easier to identify which audio port is which, as well as just adding more flashy LEDs to your PC case. The card came with a sweet software bundle when I originally bought it, notably including Cakewalk and Ableton Live for audio production which definitely gave it more value since the price I acquired it for was on sale. It also comes with a MIDI in/out port that takes up a second slot on the back of your PC (but does not need to be plugged into the motherboard, it comes with a MPC2 cable for connecting it to the D2X. With the other included cable/adapter accessories, this card was definitely meant for professional quality production/recording purposes, but it has also given me an unsurpassed audio experience in gaming & movies!
Pros
Cons
Quality components, EMI shielded, lots of options for excellent audio input & output
Somewhat bulky, may be difficult to fit if case size is small or PCIe slots are limited. No official drivers/support
As a owner of D2X. I agree it's excellent product but card is really big considering what's on it. Biggest problem for me were: orange LED in the middle - which can be disabled by unplugging cable under the shroud and that clunky floppy 4 pin power connector. It was loose since beginning - that's Asus QC there.
Weight of the card can be reduced significantly if metal shroud is removed completely, but that's up to the owner if he/she likes naked PCB.
Still nice review
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