Asus Xonar Essence STX vs Auzentech X-Fi Forte vs Auzentech Home Theater HD?

I'm looking at replacing my dead Auzentech Home Theater HD audio card!
I've been having it for a while now and it has offered me great audio quality in many games when running my Sennheiser HD 650.

The one major downer I've had with it is huge problems with HDMI bypass to my Yahama RX-V3900 receiver, it has yet to work correctly! I'm not only talking about the Dolby Digital True HD and DTS: HD Master Audio goodies, but I was never able to get anything other than standard 2.0 channel PCM output from it when I connected it to my GTX480 graphics card..

I tried to contact Auzentech directly without any answer, people claimed it to be a firmware update available if I contacted their tech support but no answer resolved in no firmware update for me.. This complete lack of support from Auzentech was a huge blow for me, I've always loved them for putting out some really great hardware and really making the Creative X-Fi audio processors able to shine without you having to face the awful Creative drivers and support. Unfortunately Auzentech doesn't seem to be much better themselves as far as the customer support goes.


I did try every possible driver, even got some modified ones from PAX and tried several different nVIDIA drivers, re-install of my computer and everything but still I was locked to ****ty 2.0 PCM audio over HDMI to my RX-V3900 making my receiver having to use Dolby Pro Logic II in order to get my 5.1 system to output audio on all channels.. After months of dealing with this I ended up with just using PS3MediaServer and transcode everything and let my PlayStation3 do the job that my computer and Auzentech Home Theater HD obviously didn't manage to do.



Now the card has dropped dead and I'm in the market for a new one, I also have a Asus GeForce GTX 580 coming featuring full 8-channel PCM, now even capable of providing me with True HD and Master Audio over HDMI to my receiver rendering the whole purpose of the Auzentech Home Theater card useless.


So mainly I want a great audio card, with stable and working Windows7 64-bit drivers capable of fulfilling the potential of my Sennheiser HD 650!

I mostly do video and gaming on my computer, there is also some music but that's more rare.. I've been looking at both Asus and Auzentech as they've seem to provide the best audio cards to date, I'm a bit sceptical about another Auzentech card after this customer experience but if they've got what should be the best card for my usage so be it!


So what would you guys recommend for Sennheiser HD 650 headphone use only? Running a few games like World of Warcraft Cataclysm, Battlefield Bad Company, Call of Duty, StarCraft II etc.. And watching a few movies every now and then?

I guess either Asus Xonar Essence STX or the Auzentech X-Fi Forte would be the best suited for headphone only use? Or perhaps try out a new Auzentech Home Theater HD? Even though it's features isn't more into HDMI bypass to HDMI receiver than in headphones?

 

I would suggest Xonar ST/X HT omega claro halo they will handle your HD 650.

 

I'm in the same dilemma, but I found that Forte has some limitations with frequencies beyond 20 KHz (or at least in reviews besides Guru3D) plus some distortions starting in 2 KHz. Considering that HD 650 has a top frequency of 39.5 KHz, maybe Xonar Essense STX or Xonar Xense is a better solution.

 

Tell us about these limitations?
Also, considering as you said that you are "I'm totally new with audio benchmarks" perhaps you should take some time to figure out what is shown in these measurments before you start posting bad info based on little to no understanding of what you are seeing.
The top frequencies you listed are of no use anyway, no matter what card you get.

 

Sorry if I misunderstood the RMAA graphs. As I saw a graph like this...



...I thought that the oscillation in the line of the Forte measurement was an indicative of distortion (now I know that testing Forte only through output gives a flat line), and that the perfect line of the Essense STX going to the end of the graph was an indicative of a higher frequency reach of the Asus card. Can you explain how these RMAA graphs are generated (or link to an article that explains)?

Thanks once more!

 

Yes, but is it a variance in the output or the input of the device doing the measuring? You also have to consider the degree of variance.
RMAA Usually measures from 20Hz to 20Khz.... that is really the only area audio guys are concerned with. Some devices or headphones will extend beyond this point but that doesn't mean they are better or worse. The STX has higher quality components and measures better then the Forte if that is what you are asking.

 

If money is not the matter then I would either get the

Auzentech X-Fi Home Theater HD
If you want a powerful card for gaming yet a hint of musical quality while sitting on your to class
Home theater seating.

Or the

ASUS Xonar Essence STX
For the cutting edge of Musical quality with a extra pinch of game.

By the way, nice avatar,

Touhou FTW.

 

Agree with this as well But I think it will be better if you get a dedicated headphone amp in the future, because you need to set the signal gain to max (Extra High Gain, 300-600 Ohms) on Xonar Essence STX/ST, otherwise your HD 650 will sound a little bit underpowered. At least that's what happened with me.

 

The Fiio E9 is another option for a dedicated amp which you can use the STX or HT omega halo as a DAC. As Soon I get ahold of money I grabing my self one. I just been keeping a close eye on it and people with it for their results.

 

I just checked the box of my Essence ST. It says the integrated amp is a TI TPA6120A2. On the Fiio E9 specs it says it's using a TI TPA6120 amp.

I wonder if this mean that the Fiio E9 amp and the Essence integrated amp perform similar? (or maybe there are other specs that are more important?)

 

There more to it then just the chip it uses its the other components and how much voltage it can supply the headphones and so forth.

the Fiio E9 amp is actualy more powerful then the Xonar ST/X hp amp, but at a less costy price. It doesnt cost a arm and a leg like other Amps. It is a audiophile grade amp. It has 3 machine 8-dip op-amp sockets.

It does have the function of working as a USB Amp/DAC when the E7 DAC is sloted on top.

It make a good choice if your not rich like bill gates for the more costing amps. It can be used with the ST, by plugging the ST into its Line IN with RCA to 3.5 cables.Making the ST a DAC which what I planning to do with my STX.

 

That is just the amp chip but you have to consider what is on the other side of the amp....the source DAC..opamps...filters..etc.

 

Thanks for the info Rob and GenClaymore.

 

ram guy just get a forta or prelude (if you can get one) use Spdif for films, and analog for gaming also get a blu-ray player ect for high def sound formats, there allot cheaper now.

Corsair?

 

You can find these cards if you look.