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Author Topic: Cheap sound card for ASIO Line-in playback  (Read 6172 times)

syndromeofadown

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Cheap sound card for ASIO Line-in playback
« on: February 10, 2013, 09:28:08 pm »

I'm looking for a cheap sound card with line in and ASIO to dedicate to Line-in playback.
Needs to be PCI Express or external USB.

This one looks promising:
ASUS Xonar DSX for around $65
http://www.asus.com/Sound_Cards_and_DigitaltoAnalog_Converters/Xonar_DSX/

Does anyone have experience with the Xonar DSX?
Please recommend similar alternatives if you know any?

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mwillems

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Re: Cheap sound card for ASIO Line-in playback
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2013, 12:10:52 pm »

I haven't used the DSX, but I previously used an Asus DX (which is a similarly priced PCI-E), and currently use an Asus ST (which is PCI).  Both were ASIO cards with nice sound quality.  I can't speak to the DSX specifically, but they've been extensively measured and reviewed over at techreport.com: http://techreport.com/review/23358/asus-budget-xonar-dgx-and-dsx-sound-cards-reviewed

I think their consensus was that the DSX was surprisingly good for the price. 

To roll up my impressions with the two Asus cards I used:

The Good: 
1. Low Noise Input and Output (probably the lowest noise of the sub-$500 ADCs/DACs I've used)
2. Very Stable
3. Well-behaved ASIO support* (but see my first issue under "the bad")

The Bad:
1. Asus's drivers are terrible, but there are solid 3rd party drivers out there (google Unified Asus Drivers).  With the unified drivers, I have no driver complaints.
2. Both of the cards I used required separate power connectors (in addition to the MoBo slot) and they were sensitive to other devices on the same molex chain.  I had to hunt around for the "lowest noise" molex.  I'm not sure if the DSX has a separate power connector or not, but that was my experience with the two Asus cards I used.

I used them for line input occasionally and had no complaints (the line in sounded clean and neutral). 

I've also used M-audio input devices in the past as well, and had good luck with their USB interfaces. What I would emphatically not recommend are any of the internal M-audio sound cards which (several years later) still have unresolved driver issues and stability problems.
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syndromeofadown

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Re: Cheap sound card for ASIO Line-in playback
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2013, 05:50:51 pm »

Thanks for the reply

Quote
they were sensitive to other devices on the same molex chain
Very interesting. That makes sense.
I have had problems with electrical noise in audio equipment in the past.
The reason was always cheap equipment.

The Xonar DSX is cheap in the price department but hopefully not so much in the quality.
I read the manual and it looks like it powered solely from the PCI Express slot. This is good.

Im pretty sure ill buy a couple of them.
I'll give an update when i have them up and running.
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