Conclusion

Whilst we have only briefly touched upon the driver and software interface of the sound card, it is worth noting the file size of the Asus drivers and Software totals only around ten megabytes. The software being stable as a rock, which surprised this reviewer a great deal. The only draw back being that the Windows 7 drivers are not on the install disk and must be downloaded. Additionally Asus could have bundled some freeware Audio utilities with their product, such as MP3 Tag renaming or MP3/audio clean up software!

Having listened to the sheer sound quality of this card one cannot help but be profoundly amazed. The sound rendering simply wipes the floor (as far as music is concerned) with anything a Creative card can do. With the Farady shield in place against Electro-Magnetic interfearence and the attention to detail as far as the board layout and components are concerned,  this is what one would expect of a semi-professional card. When one compares directly with the Creative and the Asus Xonar Essence ST together, then as previously stated the comparision is not subtle!  Once again, using a previously coined phrase the sound quality difference is about as subtle as slap across the face with a whet kipper!

Granted the Creative cards have better virtual sound in addition to the environmental sounds used for games, however if its the best sound quality and the best quality in music your after then one would be a fool to turn down the Asus card. Back in the days of MS-DOS one needed a Creative card for driver compatibility. However those days are long gone and a Creative card is not essential in the days of  a Windows based system.  Like the Gravis Ultrasound of old, the Asus Xonar Essence simply wipes the floor with the Creative products, in terms of music. If it is games that a user requires a sound card for, then either look at the Creative Line of cards or the Asus Xonar D2 range. Like an old pair of shoes people are comfortable with Creative cards, but those shoes are starting to be worn out now, by the lack of innovation and the Daniel_K fiasco that people still remember to this day. For music there is none better than the Asus Xonar Essence ST! Its stable drivers, its wonderful compatibility with Windows 7 is a boon to all music lovers everywhere!

On a final note, after testing many audio cards through out this reviewers computing life , this writer has come to the conclusion that most sound cards either produce a great bass or an clear treble, but nothing inbetween. The Xonar Essence ST excells at all these frequences that these instruments belong, and for its time there where was only one other sound card that managed this feat and that was the Ultrasound Max. As an ex Gravis Ultrasound fanatic, one feels that this reviewer has found a new home in the Asus Xonar Essence ST, the thinking-mans sound card!

Pros:

• Sound Quality is simply amazing
• Good quality components
• Nice Idea on the Farady shield
• Phono Connectors
• In built Head phone amplifier
• Stable Drivers
• Software Interface is easy to use
• Did we say crisp clean sound? Well yes we did but it is so good we thought we should mention it again
• 
  
• Cons:

• Lack of any bundled Software, even freeware
• Enviromental Sounds in games are not as convincing as the Creative products.

Overclockers Tech is pleased to announce a thoroughly deserved score of 9.5/10, this is based on the sound quality and the unique nature of the Faraday shield. The Asus Xonar essence has therefore achieved our highest award, a gold medal.

Author: Gilgamesh