ASUS Xonar DGX and Xonar DSX Audio Cards Reviews

Driver Software

Both Xonar cards come included with a driver installation CD. The newest version provides compatibility with Windows 8 and is available at ASUSs product website.

The Xonar Audio Center control software for both the DGX and DSX are very similar. The DSX has one fewer tab and is missing the option to enable AEC (acoustics echo cancellation.) The Main page tab is also different as the DSX has options to enable DTS on the S/DPIF output whereas the DGX has options to enable Dolby Headphone. The rest of the screenshots of the Xonar Audio Center will use the DGXs version.

The Main page has drop-downs to change the number of audio channels, sample rate, and number of speakers. The last dropdown is activated by a checkbox and functions to enable Dolby Headphone for the DGX or DTS for the DSX.

To the right is a knob that controls the Windows master sound volume, a SVN Smart Volume toggle to prevent audio clipping, and a mute toggle. Beneath are two green buttons for toggling Hi-Fi and the GX2.5 engine.

The DGX has the option to toggle Dolby Headphone, which is not available on the DSX. Dolby Headphone is a virtually simulated home theater. Audio is modified to sound farther away at distances set by the DH-1, DH-2, and DH-3 buttons. We’ll a few more words about this feature later.

The mixer has two sub tabs for playback and recording. Playback controls the level of each speaker for a maximum of eight. Record controls the level of the different recording inputs which are MIC for microphone, Line In, Wave, Aux, and Mix.

The Effect tab consists of two parts. The left half has presets that simulate different environments. The right half is an equalizer with presets. Equalizer settings can also be saved.

The KARAOKE tab has settings for as its name would suggest. Settings are available for Key Shifting, Vocal Cancellation, and Mic Echo. Note that these changes affect the karaoke playback from a microphone.

FlexBass permits adjustment to the crossover frequency for those using a subwoofer and multiple speakers.

VocalFX has a set of options to enhance online chatting. A voice masking suite is included which can either simulate an environment such as a concert hall or change the pitch of your voice in-case you need to sound like a monster.