Nokia Headset 3.5mm
For More Nokia Headset 3.5mm Info Click On The Blue Links Below
The market for independent sound cards has seen a decline over the years. This can be blamed on chipset manufacturers equipping motherboards with HD sound cards that provide acceptable performance.
The Vista driver debacle that plagued Creative’s X-Fi range did little to strengthen the public’s opinion of costly sound cards. In the old days it was deemed a worthwhile upgrade to a system, because it offered a game port and took some load off the CPU. These days the CPU can easily handle the sound requirements for a game and with USB there is no need for game ports any more. So why does a system need a dedicated sound card? Truthfully it doesn’t. You however do.
The Asus Xonar Essence STX is not aimed at gamers but rather at an all-round audio experience. In other words it should perform equally well with games, movies and music. The first thing that will surprise most people is the lack of 3.5mm jacks (these are the small headphone jacks). Instead, Asus have opted to use the larger 6.3mm jacks as well as 2 RCA outputs (left and right). The card comes bundled with a 6.3mm-to-3.5mm adaptor and a RCA-to-3.5mm Y cable so you can use your headphones on either. These ports make complete sense for audiophiles, especially those who work with sound equipment, like DJs. Fewer converters means less loss of sound quality. The line-in/mic-in is also a 6.3mm jack, so recording from sound equipment will be a breeze.
Two features about the Essence STX most impressed. Firstly, the built-in headphone amp gives more than enough volume to any pair of cans that you have. Secondly, and by far the most exciting of all the features of the card, you can upgrade the opamp. An opamp (operational amplifier) handles different and varying inputs into a single output. Different opamps can have varying effects on sound quality. Some provide a richer bass experience while others enhance the high end of the EQ. This is a curious thing for Asus to do, but a welcome one none the less.
The asking price is a bit steep for an object of desire rather than need, but the quality makes it worth the price. Music simply explodes with life. A good set of headphones makes music sound spectacular but a sound card of this quality upgrades it to the classification of phenomenal. Music has more depth than ever before – and this is across the board, from old classics like Eric Clapton with his guitar to Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire. Watching Saving Private Ryan on Blu-Ray almost became a religious experience with the landing at Omaha beach gaining a new level of realism.
This we can confidently attribute to the Essence STX. While the Essence STX is not aimed at gaming it doesn’t disappoint when put through its paces. The sounds of bullets ricocheting off walls and rockets whizzing by is enough to make even the bravest of men cower under their desk.
It might be pricey but if you want your music, movies and games to reach a whole new level of awesomeness, your standard onboard is not going to deliver. The Asus Xonar Essence STX makes a significant difference to the overall experience of using your computer.
For all your Discount Computer Parts, Notebook and Games requirements visit us at http://sacomputers.rr.nu and http://usacomputers.rr.nu.
Many thanks for reading our Nokia Headset 3.5mm article