Introduction

Since the very first of the Xonar boards from ASUS, we have been impressed with not only the choice of components used, but also with the overall design of all of the various iterations. This not so elegantly leads us into the very latest of these, known only as the 'DG' which is arguably the tamest Xonar to date.

Rather than being an out-and-out brute of a thing like many others in the Xonar lineage, the DG goes for a far more stealthy approach to handling things. Using the older PCI port rather than one of the newer options is one of the first things that caught our eye; another is the built in headphone amp which complements the support for surround sound in either analog or digital, as well as comprehensive front panel access via an internal link to the supplied bracket.

So, it seems we have another feature laden Xonar on our hands. The question now is; can it live up to the very high standards that the brand has forged, as well as the high expectations that we have forged testing them out? Let's find out.