Asus Xonar DX 7.1 PCIe

Overview

TechnicalSides Metascore

Based on 10 expert reviews

Excellent:

3
Good:

7
Average:

0
Bad:

0

8.2

User Score

Based on 825 reviews
as rated by users

Pros:

This card has a nice variety of popular I/O ports.
Low height design.
Full support with WDM and ASIO drivers.

Cons:

There is no front audio support.
Requires external 4pin power to operate.

TechnicalSides is supported by its audience. We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Learn more.

Last revision on February 11, 2022

Reviewers Liked

This card has a nice variety of popular I/O ports
Low height design
Full support with WDM and ASIO drivers
Included Asus PMP encodes blazing fast WMA/MP3 files
Dolby certified sound card
Supports EAX extensions for games
Windows control panel looks stable and complete
Excellent Sound Quality
Dolby Digital Live Support For Home Theater Setups
DS3D GX 2.0 Does Good Job Simulating EAX in Vista
Front Panel Audio Connector
Superb clarity and fidelity
Great performance for music and movies
Low-profile design provides flexibility
Affordable

Reviewers Didn't Like

There is no front audio support
Requires external 4pin power to operate
Retail package doesn't include any cable
Doesn't Support DTS Surround Formats
Hit-or-miss gaming performance
Requires external power supply

Direct Competitors and Related Products

Our editors hand-pick these products using a variety of criteria: they can be direct competitors targeting the same market segment or can be similar devices in terms of size, performance, or features.

87
Asus Xonar Essence STX 2 7.1 PCIe

Expert reviews and ratings

By TopTenREVIEWS on June 01, 2010 75

As long as you have an extra power source you won’t be...

By Bit-tech.net on April 08, 2010 90

Although the Xonar DX has been around for a while, it's held its place as one of the best sound cards for £50 or so. With excellent continued driver support and a decent price, this little PCI-E card sets the standard that the rest of the budget...

By Modders-Inc on April 08, 2010 90

Let's jump right to the point of the big question that we all want to know. .. is it worth the cash you will spend on it? Well let's look at it this way; do you value high quality audio without static, buzzing, or hissing with clear sound at a...

By Expert Reviews on August 01, 2008 80

Asus has only recently started making sound cards, but the low cost of this card will probably have Creative Labs worried. Asuss Xonar cards are aimed at gamers. The Xonar DX slots comfortably into any PCI-E slot and is powered by a four-pin...

By Atomic MPC on July 14, 2008 80

Back when your father was into computers, ISA was all the rage. Slots in your motherboard as long as a country mile. They were the days. But now it’s 2008. We’ve grown up. ASUS decided to take the leap of faith and put its enthusiast...

By Custom PC on June 17, 2008 82

The slanging match between Asus and Creative over how close DS3D GX 2.0 really is to true EAX 5.0 is likely to continue, but we found it to be pretty effective during the Battlefield 2 test. One of our criticisms of the Xonar D2 was its less...

By About.com on June 03, 2008 80

ASUS has put out a surprising strong audio card with the Xonar DX. The audio quality surpasses offerings from long standing companies such as Creative and even newcomers such as Auzentech. The DS3D GX is a real benefit for those who play PC video...

By Techgage on May 30, 2008 80

From my testing, its clear to see that ASUS Xonar DX pushes the performance envelope for a value-oriented card, offering most but not all of the performance of the audiophile-quality Xonar D2 and D2X cards - call it Xonar Lite, if you will. ASUS...

By Overclock3D on May 06, 2008 90

Impressive, a single word that sums up the Asus Xonar DX very nicely. I was very happy with the look and presentation of the card and despite its small demeanour it has certainly proven that it can punch well above its weight. Asus in their wisdom...

By TweakNews on June 28, 2010

For improved sound on a tight budget, the Xonar DS is an excellent choice. With 7.1 channel sound and DTS support, it's a big step up from most onboard audio solutions. It also features a swappable OP-amp socket which is usually only found on...

By CDRinfo on June 23, 2008

Asus new soundcard will easily cover the needs of gamers for 7.1 high quality audio. Comparing the Asus Xonar DX with the previous D2, the most noticeable difference is its lower retail price. DXs retail package is also less complete than its...

By PlanetX64 on June 23, 2008

Asus has made it clear that they are in the sound business to stay. The Xonar DX was and is an impressive card. The move to PCI-e will help as more and more boards are moving away from the older PCI bus (not to mention putting PCI slots in unusable...

By HardwareZone.com on June 04, 2008

While sound buffs were still left tottering from ASUSTeks previous entry into the audio realm via their PCI-based Xonar D2X, ASUS has instead, with nary a pause for breath, gone ahead with the release of another 7.1 soundcard: the PCI-Express...

By Bit-tech.net on May 26, 2008 80

The Asus Xonar DX isnt the perfect product a spec sheet would lead you to think – its software interface might be appalling and weve had to wait for a proper EAX driver to fix popular games like and , but at least it installed without issue on...

Load More Reviews…