Asus has updated its Essence STX sound card, which now, after a four-year run, will in all probability be modified by the Essence STX II and the Essence STX II 7.1 sound taking part in playing cards.
The sound taking part in playing cards come very properly full of {{hardware}}. For starters, the street out connection choices an SNR of 124 dB, whereas the headphone connection has an SNR rated at 120 dB. The headphone output could be pushed by a high-quality headphone amplifier which can drive headphones with impedances of as a lot as 600 Ohms.
Connectivity is handled by what many individuals would uncover unusual, nonetheless it is fully common throughout the Howdy-Fi world. As such, you’ll not uncover any 3.5 mm jacks, nonetheless fairly all tulip plugs for the line-out connectors and 5 mm jacks for the headphone outputs. All of these are moreover gold plated.
The Essence STX II and the 7.1 variant of it are every nearly comparable taking part in playing cards, with the one distinction being the added enlargement card for the 7.1 variant. This enlargement card carries the additional six channels needed for 7.1 audio, as the first card itself already carries the doorway left and entrance correct channels.
All through the taking part in playing cards prospects may uncover swappable OP-Amps, with the MUSES 8920 and the MUSES 8820 pre-installed, nonetheless with one additional MUSES 8820 included along with two Texas Gadgets LME49720’s added for swapping to realize fully completely different sound profiles. Each of the channels on the 7.1 card moreover choices its private swappable operational amplifier.
Commenting on the launch, Ives Chiu, Asus Product Supervisor for the Audio Sector throughout the Multimedia Enterprise Division acknowledged, “4 years after the debut of Essence STX, Asus stays devoted to delivering ever greater high-end sound taking part in playing cards to please in all probability probably the most demanding audiophiles. Drawing on years of experience in creating Essence One, Essence STU and Essence III, Essence STX II delivers meticulous design, quintessential effectivity and profound musicality — elements that kind the spirit of your entire Essence Howdy-Fi assortment.”
Asus has not given any phrase on pricing or availability merely however.