OPEN BOX - Asus Xonar AE Internal 7.1 PCIe Gaming Sound Card

I put this on a Gigabyte X670 AORUS ELITE AX WiFi board because the onboard sound card didn't have an optical out plug. I tried an exterior USB sound card I had that worked, except there was a constant cycling noise that sounded like a metronome whenever sound played. Made music suck :D This was recognized by the OS with no problem, I did have to select the "Digital Output (S/PDIF) - XONAR SOUND CARD" option manually in the Settings > Sound > Output selection. The other option showing "Speakers - XONAR SOUND CARD" does not work. This has great sound output that is very clear, I am using a decent sound bar with a dedicated subwoofer. The sound bar has an option for a simulated 3d surround that works very well in games. Some are Linux Native, some are using Steam/Proton, and this has better sound than the same hardware on a prior mother board using the same onboard sound chipset did (it had the optical out plug). I don't have any high end headphones to tell you how well it works with; based on the range and volume available through the external speakers, I think it would be good, maybe very good. Pros: - Worked great out of the box; I did have sufficient room in the case for it. - Great sound for music and gaming. - Multiple output options, I needed the S/PDIF one. - Packaged well in the box, so it would take a heck of a whack or impact to damage in shipping, I think. Cons: - No dedicated Linux software for the sound suite. Not even a little bit. Linux users are used to this, but if I had found a comparably priced card with Linux drivers, I would not have bought this. There are good Linux sound controllers & equalizers, but if you need something quickly for a professional setup, this may not be it. So the 5 star review is relative to my experience and what I use it for. In a different environment and need, this may vary.

S/PDIF から、アンプのソースダイレクトで、ハイレゾ音源を聴くが、２万円以下のヘッドホンでは通用しない印象。

Ordered on 27thNov. Received on 30thNov. Wow! Box was intact and product looks fine. Fixed into my board, d/l driver from Asus site and wala! My system Win10 21H2, Asus m/b Asus Prime H270+. Asus Snoic Studio works for my intended use. My hphone Astro A40 definetely sound louder and bassier. Tried my cheap logitech cheap 40Watt 2.1 speaker and works great too. Overall I am satisfied. Just hope it will last > 2 years of daily use.

This product was used because I did not want to downgrade my sound system when getting a new motherboard. Installation was the hardest part. It took many hours to get any sound and more time to get the card to not make a clipping noise. After that the sound was great.

I have a Phantom Gaming 4 motherboard with onboard ALC 1200 soundcard which in paper, is supposed to be better than even Xonar AE. But the reality is quite different. The Xonar AE is far better than the ALC 1200, better balance across the spectrum. I don't regret it.