The inclusion of integrated audio solutions on every motherboard pushed discrete audio solutions into the luxury purchase market. So why do people still purchase them? Today, we are going to look at the Asus Xonar DG 5.1 PCI Audio Card which is a very affordable entry level discrete audio solution. The Xonar DG is priced well below many competitive solutions that we are used to seeing from the likes of Creative Labs and even their own Xonar line. In this review we’ll see if this audio card is better than the built in audio solutions on motherboards today, and most importantly, whether spending the extra few dollars is worth it.
Features and Specifications
Unique to the Xonar DG among Asus audio cards is the C-Media CMI8786 HD Sound Processor (Max. 96KHz/24-bit) instead of the Asus AV series of audio processors. C-Media’s audio chips are found in many HT branded sound devices as well as ASUS’ entire line up of Xonar products. Other devices that also use C-Media solutions are various 5.1 headsets that have built in USB audio. Clearly this is a name that isn’t new to PC audio.
Also unique to the Xonar DG is a built-in headphone amplifier which supports up to 150 Ohms of impedance. This is important if you are using high end gaming headsets like the Sennheiser PC350 which require 150 Ohms of impedance to drive them and who falter on motherboard solutions that are unable to supply enough juice to drive them. You can manually control the headphone output with three different gain modes built into the software (16-32 ohms, 32-64 ohms and 64-150 ohms), allowing you to select the right impedance for the headphones or headset that you are using. There is also Dolby headphone support which gives you a simulated 3D audio experience. This is similar to the functionality offered in their high end ASUS Essence STX but at a much more affordable price. More specifications can be found at the manufactures website here.
The Asus Xonar DG 5.1 PCI card can be found for $22.99 to $34.99 (with a $10 Mail-in Rebate) depending on where you buy. I easily found the Xonar DG available at several sites including the usual suspects. If you shop around and include the $10 rebate, you could get this audio card for only $12 making it almost an impulse buy.
What’s in the Box?
The Xonar DG arrived in a very well constructed box, much more durable than I expected. The first thing you find when you open the box is the audio card itself in an anti-static bag. The Quick Start Guide, low-profile bracket, and Driver CD are underneath the audio card’s tray. The low-profile bracket is in a small ziplock back with the very small screws needed to attach it to the card’s main board. I consider these a bonus as the screws on the standard bracket can be reused.
While the CD is useful for a quick setup, it is a good idea to check the manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers. In fact, one of the updates to the boxed CD corrects an issue with Skype crashing the instant the audio device is accessed plus other improvements. If you do not have access to the Internet, the drivers on the CD worked great for everything I tested but Skype.
The Low-profile bracket is a welcome addition with any audio card. It allows the end user to replace the standard brace with this one so the audio device can be used with SFF (Small Form Factor) cases or low profile HTPC cases. This is great for systems that power a 5.1 home theater system or portable systems used at LAN parties with quality headsets.
Test System Setup
Audio cards all have very low system requirements. The Xonar DG requires at minimum a Pentium 4 1.4 Ghz processor or better, 60 MB of free space, 256 MB of RAM, and a free PCI 2.2 slot or better. Our test system consisted of the following components…
- CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 AM3 CPU
- Motherboard: MSI 780GX-G65
- Memory:2x2GB DDR3 @ 1600 Mhz Kingston Dual Channel Memory Kit
- Hard Drive: 1 TB Samsung SpinPoint F3 7200 RPM 32MB cache
- Power Supply: 600 Watt Rosewill Stallion Series
- Audio Card A:Onboard Realtek ALC 889a audio chip
- Audio Card B: Asus Xonar DG 5.1 PCI Audio Card
The test system we put together clearly provides more than enough resources. We run Windows 7 Pro 64-bit for the OS and our output device today will be a Logitech X-540 5.1 Surround Sound speaker set. When gaming and talking with TeamSpeak I used my Plantronics GameCom 377 Open-ear 3.5mm Circumaural Gaming Headset.
Installation and Test Notes
Installation of the ASUS Xonar DG was very simple. You simply line up the card with the PCI slot and it slides right in. Since this card does not have any basic Windows drivers, so you will need to use either the ones on the included driver CD or you should download the latest ones here.
Included with the drivers is the Xonar DG Audio Center and acts as you default audio controls. While both the card and audio center will function immediately, I recommend a quick restart as the automatic front panel detection did not work until I did.
As you may or may not know, all audio in the real world is analog and all computer systems are digital. Thus all audio must be converted from one to the other in real time by your sound processor. I used RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.2.3 to test for distortion, noise, and response times for these conversions. RightMark generates several audio sounds to output to the speakers while simultaneously monitoring the mic. The software then compares the signal sent out and the one received for discrepancies in the signal.
I also used the Xonar DG for several days before the RightMark tests with basic day to day uses such as watching movies, gaming, and playing music. I did this to minimize any bias due to expecting improvement based on test results; however, I want to start with those numbers.
Test Results – RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.2.3
The Xonar DG is clearly a superior audio device when directly compared with the motherboard’s onboard audio. There is a large difference in noise reduction, lower distortion, and improved frequency range. These are the three areas you want to look for improvement when determining if this would be an upgrade for you.
In the Frequency Response test, there is a small difference in the two cards. While it is measurable, it is not a large enough difference to perceive. This is one area where both audio cards perform above average.
Distortion is the most important area of audio processing to me. If you are not hearing the sound you are suppose to hear, it can ruin any experience. The Xonar DG is both a full magnitude lower in Total Harmonic Distortion and averages 9 dBA less Stereo Channel Crosstalk (channel bleed). In games in particular, it helps to know the direction and type of sound that is being made is being produced accurately.
Noise in an audio signal from any audio source is distortion from shifts in volume. Audio noise is often heard when the volume of the audio track is very low; however, it can affect the entire audio track as it affects clarity of the sound. The difference can be like trying to listen to music indoors compared to listening while standing next to a waterfall. Here the Xonar DG produces 17.9 dBA lower noise (like someone whispering in the room just left). Now lets look at real world results.
Real World Test Results – Music, Movies, and Gaming
Music was the first thing I used to put the card through its paces. I could not hear any difference between my motherboard’s Realtek 889a and the Xonar DG when it came to low bit rate songs. A bit rate of 320 kbps is when the difference became noticeable. The Xonar DG’s produced a more full bodied and clear sound at the higher bit rate. As I moved further away from the PC, the Xonar DG maintained a clear sound, while the Realtek gradually became muddled. This was of course through my X-540 speakers.
The Xonar DG performed well in movies. I watched several with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks. The most noticeable difference came from the clarity of background sound effects such as crowd scenes, distant gunfire, and other atmospheric sounds. While I could hear these sounds using the Realtek, they were usually washed out, or muddy sounding. This difference in quality did not improve the movie experience for a loud action movie; on the other hand, the Xonar DG could enhance the experience where the atmosphere is as important (suspense, horror, drama, etc).
Gaming is where the Xonar DG is leaps and bounds better than the integrated onboard audio. I usually had the music set louder than the game Sound FX for a proper balance. I now realize I was compensating for the Realtek 889a washing out the background audio like in my experience with the movies. In addition to improved atmospheric audio due to a lower noise floor, the Xonar DG also supports EAX for up to 128 simultaneous in game sound effects. It was just an all around improved experience in games.
I also tested these same areas with my Plantronic GameCon 377 connected to the front panel. They do not require additional impedance and power to function, but I found setting the FP (Front Panel) to Pro Gaming or 32 – 64 Ohms did reduce audio noise in the headphones. As the motherboard’s onboard audio does not include a discrete headphone amplifier, we noticed a higher noise floor with the Realtek.
Final Thoughts
One of the first things you should do is read the full Xonar DG 5.1 User’s Manual from driver CD. It provides not only descriptions and pictures, but also provided details about what each feature does in very easy to understand language. This is a plus as some PC parts user manuals use too many technical terms which can be more confusing than helpful. So it is definitely one of few manuals I’d have a look at before starting.
While I can’t recommend this card for those who own high-end motherboards such as a Gigabyte G1.Killer series or any of the newer ASUS Extreme Series boards; both of which have aftermarket discrete audio built in. However, it would be a great fit for many entry level or price point boards on the market.
I think the Asus Xonar DG 5.1 is a great overall buy for anyone with a board with entry level audio. There is little to complain about. It consistently matched or completely out classed my integrated audio solution which is built around a very common Realtek solution. While I believe this sort of purchase is still classified as a luxury purchase since most boards have audio onboard, I think this is a great buy for those with entry level or mid-range motherboards used in a Gaming PC or HTPC. It should give you superior audio quality without breaking the bank at only $23 to $35 (plus a $10 mail-in rebate).
Pros
- Clear, Full Body Audio on All Channels
- Built-in Headphone AMP Supports Headphones with up to 150 Ohms of impedance
- Includes Low Profile Brace for low profile HTPC cases
- Well written User’s Manual
Cons
- Included Quick Start Guide is almost useless
- Audio Quality not Noticeable with Low Bit-rate Audio Sources
Overall Rating: 8.0 / 10.0
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