Supreme sound for timeless classics with the ASUS Xonar Essence STX

Delivering crystal clear, crisp tones for the ultimate audio experience

Sydney, Australia, December 2, 2008 - The new ASUS Xonar Essence STX range of audio cards are the pinnacle of pursuit for the soul of sound. Delivering perfectly pure sound quality, the Xonar Essence STX offers users the ultimate audio experience ever from a sound card.

Equipped with carefully selected components, the Xonar Essence STX is capable of achieving an industry-leading 124dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in signal clarity - 64 times clearer than most on-board audio solutions (85-88 SNR). Also including the EMI Shield design and the ASUS exclusive Hyper-grounding circuitry design that utilises PCB, the Xonar Essence STX can separate signal and noise ensuring that only the cleanest signals are passed on to ultra-sensitive components for decoding. Additionally, full-driving for any available headphone is provided through the built-in headphone amplifier - presenting unprecedented audio quality and under 0.001% of distortion to satisfy even the most demanding audiophile.

Most quality headphones usually require additional driving power; or else suffer from sounds that are dull and bland. The Xonar Essence STX is equipped with a built-in headphone amplifier capable of driving every available headphone with up to 600 ohms of impedance to their full extent and less than 0.001% of distortion-all without additional amplification. This ensures that only the highest density sounds can be heard from these headphones without the need to purchase an extra amplifier.

Interestingly, the design for the Xonar Essence STX is based on a forty century old paradigm. Ancestors in China 4000 years ago were also searching for instruments that were able to play 'heavenly' music - not just to pay homage to the gods, but also to signify the harmony between human and nature. This process of seeking melodious music between man and milieu resulted in the Tiger Chime, which not only represented the soul of sound, but also served as the highest level of audio pleasure. Like these ancestors, ASUS also searched for fitting components and used only the finest designs to reproduce the purest of sounds. As a symbol of respect for these ancient pioneers, the Xonar Essence STX adopts a gold-plated Tiger Chime totem on the EMI shield - infusing a mix of antiquated and advanced technologies.

With a top-of-the-line Burr-Brown PCM 1792A Digital-to-Analog Convertor (DAC) to convert audio signals at 127dB signal-to-noise ratios, users will be able to enjoy minimum loss from the process of converting digital signals to analog sound. Nichicon "Fine Gold" capacitors deliver rich bass and crystal-clear high frequencies (like the sounds from a piano or violin) allowing the Xonar Essence STX to achieve an amazing