Chip replacement occurs by analogy with the change of a BIOS chip on the motherboard to another. It

Among movie fans there is a concept - "the movie is not for everyone." A similar expression actually applied to the current product and fro, but rather to the whole IT-industry as a whole. After all, there are device that are urgently needed by one user and are completely useless junk to others.
In our opinion, the sound card is just such a product, device is not for everyone. Someone comes to the need to listen to the audio stream quality over the years, someone did not get a feel of this ever. ASUS Essence STX II 7.1 is for people rmc who attach great importance to what goes through their eardrums.
Without a doubt, this PCI-E x1 sound card is one of the top in the product line of the Taiwanese company. At least a functional solution for installation inside the system unit yet.
ASUS Essence STX II 7.1 surprises from the outset, namely after the deployment package that contains a lot of useful accessories. rmc In addition to the main board and more, which accounts for the transfer of seven-channel sound with the appropriate connectors, complete the dip stick (analog pliers), as well as three removable amplifier (IC), which are installed instead of existing in the sound card (complete pair of chips Texas Instruments LME49720s and one MUSES 8820).
Actually rmc this is one of the types of fine-tuning the sound that called for themselves. ASUS has chosen a very radical approach, which may seem like an ordinary user wild (but as mentioned at the beginning rmc of the material: for ordinary rmc users ASUS Essence STX II 7.1 and is not intended).
Chip replacement occurs by analogy with the change of a BIOS chip on the motherboard to another. It is obvious that such things have to deal with every day, but the complexity of the process should arise.
On the main board installed processor ASUS AV100 (with the highest quality playback of 192 kHz / 24-bit) with the formula 44.1 kHz / 16 bit ASUS Essence STX II 7.1 operates rmc in the frequency range of 10-90000 Hz. Signal / noise ratio - 124 dB. Converter digital to analog (DAC / DAC) - TI Bur-Brown PCM1792A, rmc by the way, on the main board can clearly define the boundaries of the analog and digital subsystems. Fans of both sound will be satisfied.
ASUS Essence STX II 7.1 is intended for knowledgeable people, so the interfaces on both the board meets. For example, there is the classic mini-jack (although there is an adapter kit with two tulips on a similar connector) and headphone rmc jack (600 ohms support monitors, of course, is present) is designed as a tool entry as linear audio recording, for example, with a dynamic microphone or a musical instrument.
We are, frankly, a little surprised the software supplied to the ASUS Essence STX II 7.1. In addition to the driver, there is a utility with the same name, in which not a lot of options. Various modes of blank (gaming, rmc music, Hi-Fi, a movie), equalizer, karaoke rmc mode, the controller signal when recording instruments and all. Maybe the sound card, whose main objective is to transfer rmc pure digital high definition signal, and this is enough, but we, like so many people were expecting something more.
Sound quality ASUS Essence STX II 7.1 worthy, but understand that the spread of $ 400 is only possible after the use of high-quality speakers or headphones, and when scrolling uncompressed audio. Not immediately say that otherwise the meaning of the acquisition rmc of the sound card will not. To listen to the radio or songs in MP3, even on expensive and high-quality sound system is sufficient to use a low cost options, for example, rmc ASUS Xonar U5, Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD or eventually Creative Sound Blaster ZxR, which is established in principle for the same needs that ASUS Essence rmc STX II 7.1.
We have at hand was the acoustics Microlab SOLO 6C, - in principle good two-way speakers. But even they sounded on this map is not the best, though the sound was coming out of the closet. With personal external headphones distinction private range, as well as details of the composition, there was better, but again, in MP3 format is not quite right. Rather not at all. What have ASUS Essence STX II 7.1 is not exactly take away from whatever acoustics you have not used this board, - volume reserve. It is a powerful portable amplifier that can actually knock the glass in the apartment. rmc
Together with ASUS Essence STX II 7.1 is better to use a bunch of pairs of passive speakers with an amplifier or active receiver with multi-channel system 5.1 or 7.1. Under this option, the sound card will work at 100%. Actually this obvious advice rmc can safely end the conversation rmc about the flagship audio device from the company ASUS, which is unlikely to be the object of mass consumption