Hardware News

Asus Xonar D2 Sound Card Review

Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan

2007-08-02 23:27:37.0


At Computex 2007, Asus revealed a brand new product line: the ASUS Xonar D2 7.1-channel sound card. Based on Asus’ very own AV200 audio chip, the card supports several Dolby and DTS sound technologies, and comes in both PCI and PCI-E x1 versions. TrustedReviews has just posted one of the first reviews of the Xonar D2. How does it compare to Creative’s X-Fi? Keep on reading!

Here’s what they had to say:

“If you're after a basic home theatre card, there are cheaper options that give decent results, such as the Aureon 7.1 PCI previously reviewed. Similarly, I wouldn't recommend the card for gaming since with only EAX 2, it offers nothing that any other generic card can supply (apart from the quality of audio output of course). With a comprehensive PDF manual (marred by the usual translation mistakes), Vista drivers and a thoughtful design, this is an impressive and capable card. If you're after a solution that offers a high quality home theatre experience or want something for entry-level music production, the Xonar offers a strong package.”


Hardcore gamers may find this product unappealing due to its lack of EAX 4.0 and 5.0 support. However, those who are mainly concerned with superior audio quality, may find this to be a pleasant alternative to the aforementioned X-Fi. Having said that, pure audiophiles may be better off with the AuzenTech HDA X-MERIDIAN 7.1, which has upgradable OPAMPS, and is widely regarded as the finest non-gaming sound card on the market.

Click here to read the full review.

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