ASUS Xonar DGX and Xonar DSX Audio Cards Reviews

Test setup and some words on hardware requirements

The Xonar DGX and DSX sound cards were tested under both controlled and normal situations in a gaming desktop that can be considered typical. Sound cards are not system resource intensive and thus there were no performance issues seen on the humble Z68 test platform. The more important hardware was the listening devices used. The primary headphone used for testing was the Grado SR80i, though some listening was done with an Audio Technica ATH-A900X. Compared to speakers and a home theater, these audiophile headphones make it easier to detect musical detail and flaws. The preferred music player was foobar2000.

Grado SR80i and Audio-Technica ATH-A900X

• Grado SR80i impedence: 32 ohms
• Audio Technica ATH-A900X impedence: 42 ohms

Intel Z68 Platform

We were informed by ASUS that power consumption for each sound card is fairly small at less than 10 watts.

Preliminary testing also showed that there was no effect on raw computer performance. Using FRAPs, there were no obvious impacts to gaming performance.