ASUS Xonar AE Game Testing - A disappointment.

[EnergyEclipse]

 

Welcome to this comprehensive review of the ASUS Xonar AE sound card.

 

Disclaimer: This is my own personal experience for which I am sharing. What I say may differ from your own experience. If you feel as though what I say may be alterable/changeable (For example if you are aware on how to resolve my complaints) please notify me in the replies. Some of the games may be at fault as well, so I am not completely blaming the sound card as it mightn't even be responsible.

 

Any questions/issues please say

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Audio Specifications:

 

ASUS Xonar AE Sound Card

(Drivers & Sonic Studio version used download link: https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Audio_Card/Xonar_AE/XonarAE_Setup_1.1.17.zip?_ga=2.233466270.1287439323.1538491308-137124020.1517412048)

 

Sonic Studio playback configuration:

192 kHz 24 bits Stereo

 

 'Movie' Profile 

 

Any tuning, for such as the Virtual Surround Sound will be mentioned in each game test.

 

Reverb is appalling with this sound card, creating overly emphasized twangs for absolutely any sound - thus it has been disabled.

 

Sennheiser HD 579 Headphones

 

 

Games tested:

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

 

Battlefield 4

 

(Downloaded off of Steam, each with latest updates)

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Witcher 3 Wild Hunt:

(Played up into reaching the town after aiding the merchant.)

Virtual surround enabled, the voices in game are severely quiet, and do not sound accurate to were the speaker is located. With virtual surround disabled, the voices become significantly better sounding with the ability for me to accurately hear hisses in the letter 'S', and slight accents and forth in a voice - overall crystal clear, but the accuracy of were the voice is coming from compared to what I hear is yet again dulled for the worse but are somewhat pinpoint-able if I strain to listen and all voices were warm, both from female and male voices.

 

Regardless of virtual surround or not, I had difficulty in knowing were the grunts of a charter practicing wielding a sword were coming from. It turned out that the source was very far below physically and overlooked by the balcony you as the character stand upon at the start of the game (As seen in the screenshot below, those wooden poles), but I wouldn't have been able to tell the sound was far off judging by how it remained at a consistent noise level even when in game I was far away, it would just simply cut off. To add to my disappointment, you could not hear any sorts of echoes from the grunting source despite the source being in a valley were you'd expect echoes.

With wind in game, virtual surround places it very quiet, almost as though it isn't meant to be there. With virtual surround disabled, the winder sounds like a dim voice lisp, it doesn't variate depending on when I move the character it is just a sound always there until you go indoors in this scene were it simple fades away completely swiftly, and just reappears as soon as you go onto balcony, no loudness changes if you approach the door to it, it just appears past a certain point.

 

Ambient sounds such as the clopping of a horse's hooves whilst on horseback, with virtual surround they sound as though to be coming from far off in the distance, and I cannot hear variations in the clop noise depending on surfaces until virtual surround is disabled, but even then the sounds aren't crystal clear and have a flat sound, with dimly distinguishable but improved surface sounds. This was somewhat present with walking, regardless of virtual surround sound or not, walking on marble results in no sounds at all, and walking in grass presents slight rustling (However does sound like it is coming from down below, either mode).

Overall on the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt:

-Strange accuracy or lack of any accuracy from sound sources and loudness leveling issues with virtual surround enabled.

-Lack of echo in scenes were it would be realistically expected.

-Lack of distinguishable surfaces - Character walking on marble has no sound, walking on grass presents very quiet rustles only.

-Horseback hoof clops barely different in sound regardless of the surface they're going over.

-Female and male voices are both warm sounding 

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Battlefield 4:

(Online multiplayer)

Battlefield 4 is significantly improved by the use of virtual surround sound. It was clearly pinpoint-able were footsteps of other players were located, and they felt accurately loud or quiet depending on masking sounds like gunfire & explosions going on. Gunfire levels over distances are accurately portrayed to become quieter or louder depending on how far you are away from the source, and what is covering the source (Such as if a helicopter is behind a building and then goes above it you can tell that difference even without looking, same with people behind walls and corners).

 

This game audio is genuinely is brilliant, good levels for different sound and accurate levels over distances, crystal clear realistic footsteps that change depending on surfaces, and pinpoint sound source accuracy at all times. 

 

Only negatives:
-Vehicle Engine noise levels don't differentiate when in either 1st or 3rd person camera

-Explosions sound flat & cold, cut off or in abruptly 

 

 

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Thank you for reading. Please add any feedback or questions and I will be sure to answer have a good day!

 

[Crunchy Dragon]

So basically go with onboard over this?

[Shimejii]

I never understood the point of a sound card compared to that of a DAC or something thats honestly better for the use case for certain headphones.

[r2724r16]

Conclusion: Sound cards are not relevant to gamers

[EnergyEclipse]

38 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

So basically go with onboard over this?

That is a little bit difficult to say for myself. 

 

 

Reasons to justify using this specific sound card:
-Hi Res Audio support

-7.1 Surround Sound capability.

-Sonic Studio software makes connecting and tweaking a breeze (If you know how to adjust EQ that is, there is no manual guide or walk through)

 

Reasons against this sound card:
-No option to connect a CD Drive

-No front panel audio connector 

-No standout features (A card with more connector options would've been nice, even a front panel bay with more as well)

-Really should have some sort of demonstration music/program to showcase what it is capable of 

-Doesn't bundle with any games 

-Lack of Dolby Atmos support

-No EAX

-A lot of other missing stuff like those technologies 

-YouTube's compression means that unless you pay more money to get Hi-Res audio, you're not going to get any sort of improvement in audio quality 

-As seen in my 'Tests', some very strange audio issues in specific games

-Creative have a couple of cheaper and more appealing sound cards that offer more connectivity options

 

Other than that, Until ASUS can resolve my issues, use the on board audio, and use the money getting a good pair of headphones.

 

I might be adding other games to this once I have more storage to do so on my desktop. I have also submitted this to ASUS, so that they are aware and may make changes.

 

Thank you for your reply! Have a good day!

-I'mEnergyEclipse

[Vasllo]

I considered a point getting myself a soundcard, a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy RX, but didn't do so, I wonder if I would benefit from it or a DAC + Amp? Never tried any of these things, atm I'm just running my Beyerdynamic DT770-Pro 80Ohms on the onboard audio of my P8P67 Pro. Any idea if this is maybe bottlenecking my headphones? It's pretty freaking great already, to the point I don't even like listening to music on other devices, it really spoiled me lol.

[EnergyEclipse]

4 minutes ago, Vasllo said:

I considered a point getting myself a soundcard, a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy RX, but didn't do so, I wonder if I would benefit from it or a DAC + Amp? Never tried any of these things, atm I'm just running my Beyerdynamic DT770-Pro 80Ohms on the onboard audio of my P8P67 Pro. Any idea if this is maybe bottlenecking my headphones? It's pretty freaking great already, to the point I don't even like listening to music on other devices, it really spoiled me lol.

I do not know as much as others do on this forum and out there about audio, but the on-board audio on that motherboard is extensively mentioned in product overviews and it supports Hi-Res audio, so its safe in saying its probably fine for those headphones since they're not high impedance. Enjoy listening!

 

Thanks for your reply!  Have a good day

-I'mEnergyEclipse

[Vasllo]

14 minutes ago, EnergyEclipse said:

I do not know as much as others do on this forum and out there about audio, but the on-board audio on that motherboard is extensively mentioned in product overviews and it supports Hi-Res audio, so its safe in saying its probably fine for those headphones since they're not high impedance. Enjoy listening!

 

Thanks for your reply!  Have a good day

-I'mEnergyEclipse

Well, didn't know about that, I'm pretty happy about it now, thanks a lot for the info!

 

Have a great day you too, sir.