Comparison Asus Xonar Essence STX II 7.1 vs Asus ROG Xonar Phoebus

— Ordinary. This category includes all sound cards that do not have a pronounced specialization and do not belong to any of the types described below. Usually, they have a set of characteristics of an entry-level or intermediate level and are designed for simple everyday tasks: listening to music and game sound through ordinary speakers or headphones, communicating on the Web through a microphone, etc. Conventional sound cards are equipped with both digital-to-analogue and analogue-to-digital converters, they can be either internal or external.

— Audiophile (Hi-Fi). Sound cards designed for lovers of high-quality sound; they can also be useful for professionals who are engaged in professional audio processing and need the most accurate reproduction of the received signal. Accordingly, models of this type are distinguished by high build quality, advanced components, as well as the presence of additional equipment, an abundance of interfaces and advanced customization options (both software and hardware, including even the ability to replace individual circuit components). However, these cards cost accordingly.

— Gamer's. Sound cards originally designed as components for advanced gaming systems. Accordingly, the main purpose of such models is high-quality transmission of game sound, including three-dimensional and multichannel. Typically, gaming audio ca...rds are equipped with advanced DACs and support various special standards (see below); in addition, they may have additional equipment such as remote control modules (see below). The vast majority of models of this type are made internal, but they often have a rather original design (which is useful for modding enthusiasts who use transparent cases).

— CAP. Abbreviation for "Digital to Analogue Converter". Usually, this term refers to the constituent element of a sound card, but in this case it refers to a separate type of audio cards, the distinguishing feature of which is the absence of an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC). Accordingly, DACs are only capable of transmitting sound from a computer to headphones, speakers, etc., and cannot be used to digitize sound from a microphone or other external signal source. Note that this category includes a variety of models — from the simplest USB-headphone adapters, the size of a flash drive, to advanced audiophile-class solutions.

— Audio interface. A kind of opposite to the DAC described above: audio interfaces are designed primarily to digitize the sound coming to the input (for example, from a microphone or an electric guitar). Accordingly, they are not only necessarily equipped with analogue-to-digital converters — usually, these ADCs have very advanced characteristics and extensive sound tuning capabilities (and in some models even hardware switches are provided for this). At the same time, audio interfaces can also work in the digital-to-analogue audio conversion mode (in other words, to output sound to headphones/speakers). The cost of such devices is usually quite high, so it makes sense to purchase them only for those who plan to work a lot with sound recording.

Brand of the audio chip installed in the sound card.

The audio chip is one of the most important parts of a sound card, a kind of "heart" of the whole circuit, and it is on its characteristics that the sound quality and other capabilities of a particular model largely depend. Knowing the brand of the chip, you can easily find various information on it — official specifications, test results, reviews, etc. — and based on this, draw a conclusion to what extent this sound card is able to meet your requirements. Of course, for ordinary video cards (see "View") there is no need to delve into such details, but when choosing a gaming or audiophile model, they can be very useful.

Various standards and special digital audio technologies that the sound card is officially compatible with. For example, the Dolby and DTS standards in various variations are used primarily for multi-channel audio tracks in films, while DirectSound and EAX provide high-quality “surround” sound in games. In fact, the ability to work with one or another standard is largely determined by the software part of the system, and not by the characteristics of the sound card; however, official compatibility means at least the full compliance of the card with the requirements of the standard and the minimum risk of conflicts at the hardware level.

This parameter determines the ratio of the "clean" sound produced by the DAC at the output to all extraneous noise. As such, it is a pretty strong indicator of sound purity. According to the signal-to-noise ratio, DACs in modern sound cards can be divided as follows:

up to 90 dB — initial level;
90-100 dB — average level, advanced "home" models;
more than 100 dB — professional level.

— Headphone Amplifier. The presence of a separate headphone amplifier in the design of the sound card. Such equipment allows at least to improve the overall sound of the “ears”, as well as to implement various additional settings for such sound (for example, a separate volume control). And some headphones — primarily high-impedance Hi-Fi models — in principle cannot be used without special amplifiers.

— External control module. The presence of an external control module in the design of the sound card. Such a module is actually a control panel with a wired connection; it doesn't give you the freedom of movement that a wireless remote control does (see below), but it's cheaper and often more convenient. So, the control module does not have to be in direct line of sight with respect to the audio card, and the length of the wire is often enough to place the device at the user's hand. However the set of adjustments placed on the external unit is usually limited to the most basic settings; however, even this, usually, is quite enough for comfortable use. In addition, the control unit often provides additional connectors for connecting headphones and a microphone. Among other things, this feature is especially convenient in games — it allows you to adjust the sound without distracting from the game itself. However, other types of sound cards can also be equipped with external modules (see "View").
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— Remote control. A remote control is included with the sound card. Do not confuse this function with the external control module described above: in this case, we mean a classic wireless IR remote control, like those used in TVs. Such a device does not necessarily cover all the capabilities of the audio adapter, however, the range of functions of the remote control can be quite extensive. On the other hand, the need to control a sound card from a distance is extremely rare, and in most cases, the mentioned external module is enough for this. So models with a remote control are not widely used.

— Exit to the front panel. Ability to connect an internal sound card (see "Type") to the connectors on the front panel of the PC. To do this, a special connector (or several connectors) is provided on the board, which is connected to the corresponding connector (s) using a wire. The convenience of this feature is obvious: in desktop computers, the front panel is located closest to the user, and it is to it that it is easiest to connect peripherals that involve frequent plugging and unplugging, such as headphones and microphones. Actually, connectors for such devices are most often displayed on the front panel.

The number of inputs in the design of the sound card using 3.5 mm mini-Jack connectors. This connector, usually used to transmit an analogue signal, is one of the most popular in modern audio technology. Speaking of inputs, it's worth noting that most computer microphones are designed to plug into the 3.5mm jack; this also applies to separate microphone plugs on headsets. At the same time, the specific purpose of the mini-jack sockets in different sound cards may be different; Moreover, in some models, the same socket can be reconfigured and even change its purpose (from input to output and vice versa). These points, usually, are specified in the characteristics.

Using a simple adapter, you can also connect a 6.35 mm plug (Jack) to the 3.5 mm jack.

The number of inputs in the design of the sound card using 6.35 mm Jack connectors. This connector is in many ways similar to the 3.5 mm mini-Jack described above (and is compatible with it through a simple adapter), however, due to its larger size, it is poorly suited for portable electronics. On the other hand, in the 6.35 mm standard it is easier to implement a three-channel connection scheme and ensure the transmission of a balanced signal (for more details, see "XLR"), which is often required in professional audio work. Therefore, connectors of this type are quite popular in advanced stationary technology, where connection reliability and signal quality are more important than compactness. The Jack input can be used for various purposes, which is usually indicated in the specifications; however, its very presence, usually, speaks of a rather high class sound card.

Note that on balanced XLR models (see below), a 6.35mm input can be built right into the XLR jack; in such cases, these interfaces cannot be used simultaneously.

The number of outputs with 3.5 mm mini-Jack connectors in the design of the sound card. It is this connector that is used by the vast majority of modern computer headphones and speakers of all price categories (although it is relatively rare in top-end technology), and it is very popular in other consumer-class audio devices. Therefore, almost all entry-level and mid-level sound cards have at least one 3.5 mm jack; the absence of such outputs is typical for specialized models (for example, DAC, see "View"). Also note that a single mini-jack output can work with a maximum of two channels, however, this interface is also used in multi-channel sound systems — in this case, the audio card is equipped with several connectors, each of which is responsible for its own part of the system. For example, for 5.1 systems, one connector is allocated to the centre, one to a pair of front channels, one to a pair of rear channels, and one to a subwoofer.

As with 3.5mm inputs (see above), this type of output can be used in a variety of ways and can even be configurable.

The number of outputs with 6.35 mm Jack connectors provided in the design of the sound card.

This connector is in many ways similar to the 3.5 mm mini-Jack described above (and is compatible with it through a simple adapter), but due to its larger size it is poorly suited for portable electronics. On the other hand, the 6.35 mm standard gives a more reliable connection with less chance of interference on the connectors; besides, it is possible to implement a balanced connection without any special difficulties (for more details about it, see "Balanced XLR"). Both are important in professional audio work. So the presence of such a connector, usually, indicates a rather high class sound card. But the specific specifics of using the Jack type output in different models can be different, these nuances should be clarified separately.