Asus Xonar soundcard question(s)...

[8bit]

Hi all,

My Creative Audigy (original one) has upset me for the last time. I'd been thinking about getting an X-Fi before I upgraded to Vista but having read the horror stories I've decided to defect altogether and go for a Xonar.

I see 3 of them on the Asus website - A D2/PM, D2X and DX. Am a bit confused as to the differences between them tho. The DX is the low-profile one which I think is lower-spec than the other two, is that right? The D2/PM is PCI based and the D2X is PCIe, is that the only difference between them? The D2/PM mentions "ALT technology: Legally backup digital music into non-protected MP3/WMA files" but the specifications don't say it has the AV200 DSP whereas the D2X does, is this also right?

Cheers in advance,
8

[Flewis]

Look at the auzentech cards too, they are the mutt's nuts.

[8bit]

Look at the auzentech cards too, they are the mutt's nuts.

Aren't they based on the X-Fi chip anyway? If so, I'd be no better off than if I just bought a Creative X-Fi, which I said in my OP that I don't want to do...

[Flewis]

Its the other way round. You want an XFI because it is the best sound chip but you dont want creative because they are awful with drivers. Auzentech have taken the XFI chip and produced a good card with good drivers.

[GAteKeeper]

I thought the Auzentech drivers still had issues because creative didnt want to be out shone by a subcontractor?

[Flewis]

I think they are better than creatives, the other alternative is one of auzentech's other cards which have rock solid drivers.

[aidanjt]

Creative doesn't manufacture the X-Fi chip, another company made it, Creative got exclusive use of it for awhile, but now they sell to other AIBs as well as providing the base reference driver code. And really, it's not hard to beat Creative in developing software around the base driver.

[Agent]

Creative doesn't manufacture the X-Fi chip, another company made it, Creative got exclusive use of it for awhile, but now they sell to other AIBs as well as providing the base reference driver code. And really, it's not hard to beat Creative in developing software around the base driver.

I know Creative sub contract the fabrication process, but who actually owns the rights to the X-fi architecture if its not Creative?

[aidanjt]

I know Creative sub contract the fabrication process, but who actually owns the rights to the X-fi architecture if its not Creative?

That's a good question, and since I've given up on Creative and their business, it's one I haven't persued to answer.

[8bit]

OK, thanks for the clarification on the Auzentech cards, I will consider them. My original question stands tho - if anyone can explain the differenes between the 3 different Asus Xonar cards I'd be very much obliged!

[dangel]

Read this: Asus' Xonar DX sound card - The Tech Report - Page 1

Basically it's quality but i'd still be tempted to plumb for the 'base' card as 114db is darn good anyway and I don't (ever) need DTS encoding.

I'd go Asus if I did a rebuild - it's the right price/performance.