ASUS and Sennheiser Announce Xonar Xense One Premium Sound Card and PC 350 Xense

[runnin17]

Seriously? I own a D2X hooked to Z-5500. Of course i understand why people pay the premium.

Kudos on the D2X, but why oh why would you pair it with the Z-5500???? shadedshu

Logitech speakers are not as bad as Bose crap, but they are darn close. I would recommend selling the Z-5500's and getting a nice 2.1 setup (Audioengine's, Swan MKII's, and a Dayton 10" sub would be about in that price range). You would notice a huge upgrade in sound quality. While it wouldn't be 5.1 you would still have much more accurate sound from the 2.1 setup with quality speakers and a quality sub.

 

[mdsx1950]

Kudos on the D2X, but why oh why would you pair it with the Z-5500???? shadedshu

Logitech speakers are not as bad as Bose crap, but they are darn close. I would recommend selling the Z-5500's and getting a nice 2.1 setup (Audioengine's, Swan MKII's, and a Dayton 10" sub would be about in that price range). You would notice a huge upgrade in sound quality. While it wouldn't be 5.1 you would still have much more accurate sound from the 2.1 setup with quality speakers and a quality sub.

I see you too have a D2X. Cheers bro!

The Z5500s are pretty awesome. Its got awesome base and sound. At about 30% i can vibrate the whole apartment lol And i've never used Bose but i thought it was like the best. ... or was it there headphones. Plus i had a X-530 sometime ago. That was one awesome speaker set. Logitech so far hasn't dissapointed me. I think i'll hang to it for a while. But if i ever decide to change, i'll hit you up for some advice.

 

[Dent1]

Your practically repeating what i said.

Seriously? I own a D2X hooked to Z-5500. Of course i understand why people pay the premium.

I did not mean you personally it was directed at arnoo1 or anyone else that doesn’t agree with non-onboard soundcards.

Actually its nothing like that. Theres a big difference in playing a game at maxed out graphics with moderate sound quality (Yes, the Realtek onboard ain't half bad, i know this because my 2nd rig uses a Realtek) and playing a game at low graphics or not being able to play a game at all (Intel Graphics :shadedshu ) with excellent sound quality.

All I’m saying is that its not such a big deal in comparison to have a high end graphic card to cheap intel graphics that can't even get a game to the main menu.

Whilst I agree that for the average gamer onboard sound is acceptable but integrated graphics isnt, that wasn’t the point at hand. My point that I was trying to make was that only a person that requires a certain piece of hardware whether its a high end soundcard, high end speakers or a high end video card would see the benefits or could justify the excessive prices over a low end product.

If people like arnoo1 can not see the benefit of a high end soundcard over onboard it shows that the product isn’t targeted towards them. However the users the Xonar might target might frequent the AVS forum and are looking for something to complement their $1,000 bookshelf speakers and $600 amp they would be able to justify the price of a highend soundcard. Iam not trying to disrespecting onboard sound but if you use onboard your intentions are probably different than somebody that insists on the best add-on card.

---

Kudos on the D2X, but why oh why would you pair it with the Z-5500???? shadedshu

Logitech speakers are not as bad as Bose crap, but they are darn close. I would recommend selling the Z-5500's and getting a nice 2.1 setup (Audioengine's, Swan MKII's, and a Dayton 10" sub would be about in that price range). You would notice a huge upgrade in sound quality. While it wouldn't be 5.1 you would still have much more accurate sound from the 2.1 setup with quality speakers and a quality sub.

Agreed, the Z-5500s are good PC speakers, despite their age.

But they are not a patch on proper bookshelf speakers. Whilst I do not want to get into the 2.1 vs 5.1 debate as that is subjective, bookshelf speakers in a 5.1 configuration with a receiver capable of DD/DTS 5.1 playback will sound better than what Logitech offers.

 

[mdsx1950]

I did not mean you personally it was directed at arnoo1 or anyone else that doesn’t agree with non-onboard soundcards.




Whilst I agree that for the average gamer onboard sound is acceptable but integrated graphics isnt, that wasn’t the point at hand. My point that I was trying to make was that only a person that requires a certain piece of hardware whether its a high end soundcard, high end speakers or a high end video card would see the benefits or could justify the excessive prices over a low end product.

If people like arnoo1 can not see the benefit of a high end soundcard over onboard it shows that the product isn’t targeted towards them. However the users the Xonar might target might frequent the AVS forum and are looking for something to complement their $1,000 bookshelf speakers and $600 amp they would be able to justify the price of a highend soundcard. Iam not trying to disrespecting onboard sound but if you use onboard your intentions are probably different than somebody that insists on the best add-on card.

PM'd

 

[arnoo1]

OMG thats why. I mean everyone knows that OB audio is total rubbish.

onboard rubbish? dude it sounds perfect, but I don't have cheap amplifier and speakers, but it isn't a to expensive one that you need a sound card of 200buck and more

 

[Tartaros]

onboard rubbish? dude it sounds perfect, but I don't have cheap amplifier and speakers, but it isn't a to expensive one that you need a sound card of 200buck and more

Obviously someone who downloads 128 kbps mp3s and plays it with 20€ speakers can't find interesting this card. But other people can't stand the sound quality an onboard card can offer, then you need something better. And this card is much better than any onboard card.

 

[Taskforce]

onboard rubbish? dude it sounds perfect, but I don't have cheap amplifier and speakers, but it isn't a to expensive one that you need a sound card of 200buck and more

:shadedshu Its a night and day difference, you need to upgrade your shit and stop playing lossy audio.

 

[arnoo1]

:shadedshu Its a night and day difference, you need to upgrade your shit and stop playing lossy audio.

lol you guys think you know al the shit, 24bits 192khz audio mate 2channel, 5.1 sony amplifier
sounds to sexy, if you want I can hook up my brother harman kardon 1000euro system for ya guys, but than again sounds perfect

 

[Tatty_Two]

Play nice people, it is quite possible to disagree with someones opinion without actually insulting them or getting personal...... sometimes it only takes a little maturity

 

[arnoo1]

play nice people, it is quite possible to disagree with someones opinion without actually insulting them or getting personal...... Sometimes it only takes a little maturity

+1

 

[leonard_222003]

Onboard sound cards are far from being rubbish , there were some days like 5 years ago or more when onboard soundcards had such noise that creative was selling sb live like hot cakes , those days are so gone , the onboard soundcards are so good now that creative (the daddy of soundcards ) can give up that segment or make them onboard too ( like we've seen it on some boards ).
The discrete soundcards are a very very little market because of the very good onboard , mostly is influenced by hype and so called experts advising people with logitech , bose ( the ones bose thinks are value or cheap ) , genius ... average sets to get a good soundcard , little improvement exaggerated by the owners of those cards , z5500 is a noise box compared to klipsch , magnat , kef .......
Comparing onboard soundcards with onboard video is not fair , a good soundcard don't need to be capable to make billion of calculations , it doesn't need at least a 500W psu or 1000W if more , it doesn't need fancy cooling , it's an invention that it reached some limits for now and is progressing slowly , like the network card , you get little improvement if you get a separate one from the onboard for the home user.

 

[Dent1]

onboard rubbish? dude it sounds perfect, but I don't have cheap amplifier and speakers, but it isn't a to expensive one that you need a sound card of 200buck and more

If you do not mind me asking, what model amplifier do you own, which speakers do you own. Not all speakers are "good" speakers. Whilst I agree with you that onboard sound is good and can satisfy most people there are a few features that only specific dedicated sound cards have which set them apart. For me, my X-Fi Forte's (worth £130, I but got for £50) selling point was its Dolby Digital Live encoding and DTS encoding in real time, there are one or two motherboards which support this but they're not easy to find and I have no intention of replacing my motherboard any time soon.

Also, the ability to pass-through DTS Masters and DD True HD through HDMI has only been supported recently by ATI and Nvidia based video card's audio outputs. However we lose the ability for DD and DTS encoding support. Without a dedicated high-end soundcard like the Auzentech Home Theater HD or Asus Xonar AV1.3 this wouldn’t be possible..

 

[erocker]

This is not a news posting about onboard audio. If you wish to have this discussion, make a thread or find a thread that relates to the topic.

As far as this thread/news post goes, make your comment on the topic at hand (if necessary) and move along.

Thanks.

 

[eidairaman1]

looks like a DVI-I connector on that board except 1 pin is closed out

 

[popswala]

I'll be looking into this. I'm in the market for a gaming headset with chat for my MMO (Aion). I've been needing one for a while and haven't found one that suits me...even though I have no idea what i'm looking for. I was thinking either eDimensional or fatal1ty's.

<----open to suggestions

I don't like that I have to get the card to fully use the headphones since I just got an audio card like a month ago. But I do need headphones. If this is a killer combo then I just might and sell the card I got now. Will see though.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Wasn't this released like a century ago?

It was ANNOUNCED that the 'Xense' was in the works a few months ago - now its been released but they have added the 350 combo pack.

I wonder if this new card means they are goin to work out some of the longterm gremlins out of the DS3D GX engine they use for more compatibilty with various games - theres a long list of DS3D incompatible games floatin around on the net somewhere.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Actually its nothing like that. Theres a big difference in playing a game at maxed out graphics with moderate sound quality (Yes, the Realtek onboard ain't half bad, i know this because my 2nd rig uses a Realtek) and playing a game at low graphics or not being able to play a game at all (Intel Graphics :shadedshu ) with excellent sound quality.

All im saying is that its not such a big deal in comparison to have a high end graphic card to cheap intel graphics that can't even get a game to the main menu.

Many people have visual acuity issues just as many people have audio acuity issues. Yes, there are people that can't tell the difference between crysis on low and on max, there are people who find the 6 titted fatty from down the street just as attractive as the refined and shapely celebrity. No, that's not taste. That's a lack of refinement in your ability to process visual imagery. And the relationship between how audio can be muddled by bad speakers is similar to how graphics can be seriously crapped on by a bad lcd. The comparison is justified.

 

[mdsx1950]

Many people have visual acuity issues just as many people have audio acuity issues. Yes, there are people that can't tell the difference between crysis on low and on max, there are people who find the 6 titted fatty from down the street just as attractive as the refined and shapely celebrity. No, that's not taste. That's a lack of refinement in your ability to process visual imagery. And the relationship between how audio can be muddled by bad speakers is similar to how graphics can be seriously crapped on by a bad lcd. The comparison is justified.

Since a mod has requested to stick to the topic, I'm not going to keep explaining myself over and over again and if person can't tell the difference between low and ultra in Crysis, ask that person to go to an eye optician.

 

[Wile E]

Since a mod has requested to stick to the topic, I'm not going to keep explaining myself over and over again and if person can't tell the difference between low and ultra in Crysis, ask that person to go to an eye optician.

If a person can't tell the difference between a dedicated sound card and OB, tell them to see the ear Otologist.

See what I did there? The point is valid for both arguments.

At any rate I want to know if this is really any better than a standard pari of 350's with a Xonar of some sort, or if it's just fancy looks on the standard products.

 

[zithe]

I would find this card very useful since I record and do a great deal of audio work despite it not being marketed in that direction. As far as I'm concerned, this isn't intended for non-enthusiast level gamers. People won't find this interesting if they don't give a crap about how their audio sounds. (If you care about every little detail, I mean)