ASUS Unveils New Xonar Essence ST Audio Card

Taipei, Taiwan, May 15, 2009 – ASUS have broken the
boundaries with the newest soundcard on the market, the Xonar Essence
ST. This PCI card is the world’s first audio card to incorporate
precision clock tuning to minimize audio jitter, bringing the user a
clearer, crisper listening experience. The Xonar Essence ST card can
also be upgraded to 7.1 channel output with the use of the Xonar H6
multi-channel extension board, which will be sold separately in the
near future.
World’s First Precision Tuning Down to the Picosecond for Ultra-accurate Audio Details
Xonar
Essence ST is the first soundcard in the world to focus on precise
audio clock tuning. Using a technique that was once only seen on
top-tier living room
equipment, PC users can now experience 31% less audio jitter
interference and enjoy ultimate sound quality that frees the audio
signal from unsynchronized input streams and results in extensive music
details and lively sound image for the ultimate listening experience.
The improvement is most significant during general audio CD playback
where the sample rate is 44.1kHz.
Industry-leading 124dB SNR for Pure Sound, Pure Music and Pure Listening Pleasure
Utilizing
only the finest components and design, ASUS has delivered a soundcard
that is able to reproduce truly pure sounds at an industry-leading
124dB SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio). This is 64 times clearer the most
onboard audio solutions (85–88 SNR). It also features the ASUS
exclusive Hyper-grounding circuitry design that utilizes a PCB design
to separate signal and noise—ensuring that only the cleanest signals
are passed on to ultra-sensitive components for decoding.
The Finest Component Selection to Deliver Crisp, Clear Audio
With
a top-of-the-line Burr-Brown PCM 1792A Digital-to-Analog Convertor
(DAC) to convert audio signals at 127dB SNR, users will be able to
enjoy minimum loss from the process of converting digital signals to
analog sound. Additionally, Nichicon “Fine Gold” capacitors deliver
rich bass and crystal-clear high frequencies (like the sounds from a
piano or violin), allowing the Xonar Essence ST to achieve an amazing
<10 Hz–90 kHz frequency response and 124dB dynamic range.
High Density Sound Performances with Built-in Headphone Amplifier
Most
quality headphones usually require additional driving power. Without
it, the sound quality becomes bland. The Xonar Essence ST is equipped
with a built-in headphone amplifier capable of driving every available
headphone with up to 600ohms of impedance to their full extent and less
than 0.001% of distortion—all without additional amplification. This
ensures that only the highest density sounds can be heard from these
headphones without the need to purchase an extra amplifier.
Furthermore, the Xonar Essence ST also comes with swappable OPamp
sockets to help tune up unique sounds effortlessly, complete with Dolby
Home Theater technologies and the latest DS3D GX2.5 3D gaming engine
technology.
Beefing Up Performance with Expansion Capabilities
The
Xonar Essence ST is not a stand-alone product that will become obsolete
with time. In fact, it is designed to be scalable so that users can
enjoy fuller sound. With the high fidelity Xonar H6 multi-channel
extension board, users can enjoy full 7.1 surround sound. The Xonar H6
is sold separately from the Xonar Essence ST.