Xonar D2X
Audio Card
User’s manual
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
•
•
This device may not cause harmful interference, and
This device must accept any interference received including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
•
•
•
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
•
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Australia statement notice
From 1 January 2012 updated warranties apply to allASUS products, consistent with
the Australian Consumer Law. For the latest product warranty details please visit
under theAustralian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a
major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage.
You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of
acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
If you require assistance please call ASUS Customer Service 1300 2787 88 or visit
v
Safety information
•
Before installing the device on a motherboard, carefully read all the manuals
that came with the package.
•
To prevent electrical shock hazard or short circuits, switch off the power supply
before installing the device on a motherboard or connecting any singal cables
to the device.
•
•
•
•
If the device is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service
technician or your retailer.
Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected. If you
detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.
To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, sockets and circuitry.
Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in
any area where it may become wet.
•
•
Place the product on a stable surface.
If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified
service technician or your retailer.
This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical
and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local
regulations for disposal of electronic products.
Trademarks
Xonar and ASUS logo are trademarks of ASUSTek Computer Inc. “Dolby”
and “Dolby Digital Live”, “Dolby Pro Logic IIx”, “Dolby Virtual Speaker”, “Dolby
Headphone” are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. “DTS” and “DTS CONNECT”,
“DTS Interactive”, “DTS Neo: PC” are trademarks of Digital Theater Systems,
Inc. EAX and A3D are trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. Microsoft,
DirectSound3D, Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other company
and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which
they are associated. ASIO is a trademark and software of Steinberg Media
Technologies GmbH.
License
Dolby Master Studio driver is manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories;
DTS Connect driver is manufactured under license from Digital Theater Systems,
Inc.
vi
1.
Introduction
1.1
Package Contents
•
•
•
•
ASUS Xonar D2X audio card
ASUS Xonar D2X support CD (including Portable Music Processor™ utility)
Ableton™ Live software CD
Cakewalk™ Production Plus Pack CD
(Sonar LE, Dimension LE, and Project5 LE)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
PowerDVD 7.0 software DVD player CD
Additional MIDI bracket and adaptor cable x1
S/PDIF TOSLINK optical adaptors x2
S/PDIF TOSLINK optical cable x1
3.5mm-to-RCA cables for 8-channel output x4
Dolby Demo CD
Quick Installation Guide
1.2
System Requirements
•
•
•
•
•
•
One PCI Express 1.0 (or higher) compatible slot for the audio card
One available 4-pin power cable from PC’s power supply unit
Microsoft® Windows® Vista/XP(32/64bit)/MCE2005
Intel® Pentium® 4 1.4GHz or AMD Athlon 1400 CPU or faster CPU
> 256 MB DRAM system memory
> 60 MB available HDD space for driver installation package; > 200MB space
available for Ableton Live and > 320MB for Cakewalk package
•
•
CD-ROM drive (or DVD-ROM drive) for software installation
High-quality headphones, powered analog speakers, or digital speakers with
Dolby Digital or DTS decoders to enjoy the Ultra-High Fidelity sounds of the
card
1
ASUS Xonar D2X
1.3
Specifications summary
Category
Item
Description
Audio Performance
Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-
Weighted):
Up to 118 dB
Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-
Weighted):
Up to 118 dB
Output Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise
at 1kHz (A-Weighted) :
Up to 0.0004% (-108dB)
Up to 0.0004% (-108dB)
<10Hz to 46KHz
Input Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise
at 1kHz (A-Weighted) :
Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-
bit/96kHz input ):
Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-
<10Hz to 90KHz
bit/192kHz input):
Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage
Sample Rate Conversion Quality
2 Vrms (5.65 Vp-p)
Almost lossless, high-fidelity floating-point filters,
with:
-140dB THD+N (typical value for 44.1K-> 48KHz,
24bit)
145dB Dynamic Range (typical value for 44.1K->
48KHz, 24bit)
Bus Compatibility
PCI Express
-PCI Express Rev.1.0a specification compatible
-Max. full 2.5Gbps bandwidth per direction
and optimized latency for high-definition audio
processing
-Compatible with X1, X4, X8, X16 PCI Express
slots
Main Chipset
Audio Processor
ASUS AV200 High-Definition Sound Processor
(Max. 192KHz/24bit)
24-bit D-A Converter of Digital Sources:
24-bit A-D Converter for Analog Inputs:
TI Burr-Brown PCM1796 *4 (123dB SNR, Max.
192kHz/24bit)
Cirrus-Logic CS5381* 1 (120dB SNR, Max.
192kHz/24bit)
Sample Rate and
Resolution
Analog Playback Sample Rate and
Resolution
44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
Analog Recording Sample Rate and
Resolution
S/PDIF Digital Output
44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit, Dolby Digital,
DTS, WMA-Pro
S/PDIF Digital Input
44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
ASIO 2.0 Driver Support:
(continued on the next page)
2
ASUS Xonar D2X
I/O Ports
Analog Output Jack:
Analog Input Jack:
3.50mm mini jack *4 (Front/Side/Center-
Subwoofer/Back)
3.50mm mini jack *2 (Line-In/Mic-In)
Other line-level analog input
(for CD-IN/TV Tuner):
CD-In, Aux-In (4-pin header on the card)
Digital S/PDIF Output
Digital S/PDIF Input
MIDI Ports
Coaxial and High-bandwidth Optical Combo
Connector Supports 192KHz/24bit
Coaxial and High-bandwidth Optical Combo
Connector Supports 192KHz/24bit
Additional MPU-401 MIDI I/O bracket and
converter cable
Driver Features
Operation System
Windows® Vista/XP(32/64bit)/MCE2005
Dolby® Technologies
Dolby® Headphone, Dolby® Virtual Speaker, Dolby
® Pro-Logic IIx, Dolby® Digital Live
DTS® Technologies
DTS® Connect (DTS Interactive Encoder and
DTS Neo:PC)
Smart Volume Normalizer™
Normalizes the volume of all audio sources into a
constant level and also enhances your 3D sound
listening range and advantages in gaming
DirectSound3D Game EXtensions 1.0
(DS3D GX 1.0)/DirectX
DS3D GX 1.0 supports EAX gaming sound
effects and DirectSound 3D hardware enhanced
functions on Windows Vista. (DirectX/DirectSound
3D compatible)
Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC)
Provides advanced Acoustic Echo Cancellation
(AEC) and noise suppression for best voice
communication quality in VOIP applications or
online gaming
Xear 3D™ Virtual Speaker Shifter
Magic Voice™
Virtual 7.1 speaker positioning
Modifies the sound of your voice, for VOIP and
online chat applications
Karaoke Functions
FlexBass™
Music Key-Shifting and Microphone Echo effects
Professional Bass Management/Enhancement
system
Other Effects
10-band Equalier/27 Environment Effects
3D Gaming Sound Engines/APIs
Vista: DirectSound3D® GX 1.0, EAX® 2.0&1.0,
DirectSound® HW, DirectSound SW, A3D®
1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds
processing capability
XP: EAX® 2.0&1.0, DirectSound® HW,
DirectSound SW, A3D® 1.0, OpenAL generic
modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability
(continued on the next page)
3
ASUS Xonar D2X
Software Utility
Portable Music Processor utility
Converts digital music content or CD audio into
regular MP3/WMA files with Dolby Headphone,
Dolby Virtual Speaker (w/ Pro-Logic II), and Smart
Volume Normalization processing (Windows
Media Player 10 or above is required)
Professional Audio Editing Utility
PowerDVD 7.0
Ableton Live; Cakewalk Production Plus Pack
(SONAR LE, Dimension LE, and Project5 LE)
Software DVD player with Dolby Digital 5.1
decoder
Accessories
-3.5mm-to-RCA adaptor cable *4 (8ch)
-S/PDIF optical adaptors *2
-S/PDIF optical cable *1
-Additional MIDI card, cable, and external standard MIDI adaptor Y cable *1
-Dolby Demo CD
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.
4
ASUS Xonar D2X
2.
About Hardware
2.1
Xonar D2X Audio Processing Card
9
10
11
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
12
13
14
LED color definition
Red
Blue
MIC In
Line In
1
2
Front Out
Green
Orange
White
Amber
3
4
5
6
Side Surround
Center & Subwoofer
Back Surround
No LED
No LED
SPDIF In
7
SPDIF Out
8
5
ASUS Xonar D2X
No Item
Description
1
Microphone Jack
Connect your external PC microphone to this 3.5mm jack for
voice input. Built-in high-quality Microphone pre-amplifier.
2
Line Input Jack
Connect analog devices like MP3 players, CD players,
music synthesizers and other line-level sound sources to
this 3.5mm jack for audio recording or processing. (Through
Ultra-high fidelity 118dB SNR A-D converter)
3
Headphone/Front
Output Jack
Connect your headphones or 2/2.1 channel speakers to this
jack. For multi-channel speaker systems, connects to the
front left/right input on the powered speakers.
4
5
6
7
Side Surround Output
Jack
Connects to the surround channel input on 4/4.1/5.1/6.1/7.1
powered analog speakers.
Center/Subwoofer
Output Jack
Connects to the front center/subwoofer input on 5.1/6.1/7.1
powered analog speakers.
Rear/Back Surround
Output Jack
Connects to the Back Surround input on 6.1/7.1 powered
analog speakers.
S/PDIF Input
Coaxial and optical TOSLINK combo digital input jack.
Connects to external digital audio sources such as MD
players, CD players, or DVD players, for audio recording or
loopback.
8
9
S/PDIF Output
Coaxial and optical TOSLINK combo digital output jack.
Connects to external digital decoder or digital speaker
systems, Home Theater systems, AV receivers for outputting
digital audio including PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, WMA-Pro,
etc.
CD Input Header
4-pin header. Connects to the Analog Audio output on the
back panel of CD/DVD-ROM drive using an Analog CD
audio cable, which is usually available with your CD/DVD-
ROM drive. You can still play CD audio through the Xonar
driver without connecting this. We recommend playing audio
through the driver to take advantage of the Xonar’s high
quality D-A converter, but this header is provided in case you
need it.
10
Aux Input Header
4-pin header. Usually connects to the Analog Audio output of
TV tuner card or other sound source inside your PC system.
(To monitor your TV tuner card’s audio from this Aux-In, you
must enable the “monitor” function for Aux-In in the Xonar
Audio Center software’s recording mixer.)
11
12
MIDI I/O Header
Connects to the additional MIDI board/bracket (available in
the package)
Main Audio Processor
ASUS Xonar AV200 Audio Processing Unit (DuplexHD
192K/24bit)
13
14
PCI Bus Golden
Fingers
Connects to the PCI slot on your motherboard
Power Connector
Connects to the power cable of your power supply
6
ASUS Xonar D2X
2.2
MIDI Board/Cable
4
2
1
3
No Item
Description
1
MIDI I/O Header
Connects to the MIDI I/O header on the main Xonar D2X
audio card
2
Mini-DIN MIDI port
Connects to the 6-pin mini-DIN connector of the MIDI Y cable
(adaptor to 5-pin DIN standard MIDI I/O connectors)
3
4
6-pin Mini-DIN MIDI
connector
Connects to the #2 6-pin mini-DIN port on the MIDI board
5-pin DIN MIDI input/
output connectors
(Female)
Connects to the input and output DIN male connector of the
standard MIDI instrument cable
7
ASUS Xonar D2X
3.
Installing the Xonar Hardware
3.1
Preparing Your Computer
Before you proceed with the following installation steps, it’s recommended that you
disable your onboard audio device in your BIOS settings, or uninstall any other
sound cards on your PC. (For BIOS setting or uninstallation of other sound cards,
refer to the user manuals of your motherboard and sound card)
1.
2.
3.
Power off your computer and disconnect the power cord.
Open the computer’s case.
Remove the metal brackets from one unused PCI Express x1 slot for the
audio card and its adjacent slot for the MIDI board (You can just remove one
if you don’t need to use the MIDI board in the package).
3.2
Installing the Audio Processing Card
1.
Face the bracket of the Xonar D2X audio card toward the back panel of your
computer and insert the audio card gently into an available PCI Express
slot. Make sure it’s completely inserted into the PCI Express slot. (Warning!
Do not force the audio card into the slot. Make sure that the gold pins of
the card's PCI Express connector are aligned with the motherboard’s PCI
Express connector before you insert the card into the PCI Express slot. If it
does not fit properly, gently remove it and try again.)
8
ASUS Xonar D2X
2.
3.
Secure the audio card bracket to the back of your computer with the screw
that you removed. Refer to section 3.1.
Connect the power cable of your power supply to the power connector on the
Xonar D2X audio card.
The PCI Express high-quality audio card requires additional power from your
computer. If the power cable is not connected properly, the audio card will not
work at all.
When removing the power cable from the Xonar D2X audio card, make sure to
pull outward the 4-pin header first, then unplug it from the power connector as
the following pictures show. Do not forcefully remove the header from the power
connector; doing so may pull up the power connector from the audio card and
cause damage!
9
ASUS Xonar D2X
3.3
Installing the MIDI board
1.
2.
Secure the MIDI bracket to another slot on the back of your computer case.
Connect the 4-pin MIDI header on the audio card to the MIDI bracket with the
MIDI cable as the figure below.
3.4
Connecting CD/DVD-ROM Drive (with the analog
header)
1. If you would like to use the physical playback buttons on your CD-ROM drive
to control audio CD playback on your PC, you need to connect the analog
cable between the CD-ROM drive and the audio card. Otherwise, you can
just skip this section and use ordinary digital CD playback on Windows.
2.
Connect the CD-IN 4-pin header to the analog output on the back of your
CD/DVD-ROM drive with the audio CD cable which is usually included with
CD/DVD-ROM drive.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
3.5
Connecting TV Tuner Card
1. If you have a traditional PCI or PCI Express TV tuner card on your PC, you
may need to connect it to the audio card to send the tuner card’s sound to
your PC speakers.
2.
3.
Secure the PCI/PCI Express TV tuner card and screw it into the back-panel.
Connect the audio output header from the TV tuner card to the Aux-In header
of the audio card, as shown in the figure below.
For optimum TV audio quality, Xonar uses ADC recording to digitize the signal
and loops it back to DAC playback. Please select Aux-In as the recording
source in the Xonar Audio Center’s recording mixer and enable the monitoring
button to pass this signal to the audio output. Using this setup, you can even
turn on sound effects such as Pro-Logic IIx to expand the stereo TV audio to 5.1
or 7.1 channel surround sound. TV audio on your PC will become even better
than on your TV set!
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ASUS Xonar D2X
4.
Installing Software
4.1
Installing the Audio Card Driver
1.
After you have installed your audio card, turn on your computer. Windows
automatically detects your audio card and searches for device drivers. When
prompted for the audio drivers, click the “Cancel” button.
2.
3.
Insert the driver installation CD into your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. If
Windows AutoPlay mode is enabled for your CD-ROM drive, the CD starts
running automatically. If it doesn’t start the installation, double-click the setup.
exe icon located on the CD-ROM.
The installation program will remind you to make sure you have connected
the additional power cable from your power supply unit to the card. If the
power cable is not connected properly, the audio card will not work at all. If
it has not been done, please turn off the computer to install the power cable
before you go on the installation process.
4.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. Please read
the “END USER LICENCE AGREEMENT” in the process and make sure
you understand and accept it before you continue the installation. When the
installation finishes, you may be prompted to restart your computer. You can
choose to restart the computer later if desired.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
4.2
Installing the PMP software (Portable Music
Processor)
1.
2.
From the installation CD menu, select the option to install the PMP software.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. After the
installation is complete, click Finish.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
4.3
Installing the Ableton Live
1.
2.
Insert the Ableton Live installation CD into the CD/DVD-ROM drive.
The installation program will start automatically. If it does not, double click the
setup program.
3.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. Please read
the “END USER LICENCE AGREEMENT” and make sure you understand
and accept it before you continue the installation. After the installation is
complete, click Finish.
14
ASUS Xonar D2X
4.4
Installing the Cakewalk Production Plus Pack
Installing SONAR LE
4.4.1
1. Insert the Cakewalk Production Plus Pack installation CD into your CD/DVD-
ROM drive.
2.
3.
The installation program will start automatically. If it does not, double click the
setup program.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. Please read
the “SOFTWARE LICENCE AGREEMENT” and make sure you understand
and accept it before you continue the installation.
4.
You may be prompted to select the language, installed components, and
associated file types, and to run the VST Adapter Configuration Wizard. After
the installation is complete, click “Finish”.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
4.4.2
Installing Dimension LE
1.
Insert the Cakewalk Production Plus Pack installation CD into your CD/DVD-
ROM drive.
2.
3.
Choose to install the Dimension LE program.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. Please read
the “SOFTWARE LICENCE AGREEMENT” and make sure you understand
and accept it before you continue the installation.
4.
You may be prompted to select the language and installed components. After
the installation is complete, click “Finish”.
16
ASUS Xonar D2X
4.4.3
Installing Project5 LE
1.
Insert the Cakewalk Production Plus Pack installation CD into your CD/DVD-
ROM drive.
2.
3.
Choose to install the Project5 LE program.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. Please read
the “SOFTWARE LICENCE AGREEMENT” and make sure you understand
and accept it before you continue the installation.
4.
You may be prompted to select the language, installed components, and
associated file types, and to run the VST Adapter Configuration Wizard. After
the installation is complete, click “Finish”.
4.5
Uninstalling or Reinstalling Software
Uninstalling Software
4.5.1
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel.
Double-click the “Add/Remove Programs” icon.
Click the “Change or Remove Programs” button.
Select each program you would like to remove, and then click the “Add/
Remove (or Change/Remove)” button.
17
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.
In the InstallShield Wizard dialog box, select the “Remove” option.
6.
Restart your computer when prompted.
4.5.2
Reinstalling Software
1.
Before you reinstall any software, it’s recommended to uninstall the existing
software first.
2.
After you finish the uninstallation of the software, please follow the installation
process again to reinstall the same or updated software.
18
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.
Connecting Speakers and Peripherals
5.1
Connecting Digital Speaker Systems (Home Theater)
The Xonar D2X supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS Interactive technologies,
which transcode any audio, including games and music, into industry-standard
Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 surround bit-streams. This makes playback through your
home theater system possible, creating an immersive and impressive cinema
surround sound experience. A single digital cable connection can carry high-
quality Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 digital audio from any of your PC audio sources
to any digital speakers or AV Receivers with Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 decoding
capabilities.
1
2
No Item
Description
1
Optical adaptor
Plug the optical TOSLINK adaptor into the S/PDIF-Out
combo connector
2
Optical cable
Connect your decoder’s S/PDIF-In port to the optical adaptor
with the TOSLINK optical cable
You can also use a coaxial cable for a S/PDIF connection. Just plug the coaxial
RCA male connector to the S/PDIF-Out combo jack and connect the other end
into the coaxial S/PDIF input on your decoder.
19
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.2
Connecting Headphones
5.2.1
Connecting Stereo Headphones
1
No Item
Description
1
Front Out/Headphone
Jack
The Front Out jack has a built-in high-quality amplifier to
drive headphones. Please connect your stereo headphones
directly to this jack.
20
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.2.2
Connecting 5.1 channel Headphones
1
2
3
No Item
Description
1
2
3
Front Out
Connect the front-channel 3.5mm plug of your 5.1
headphones into this jack.
Side Surround Out
Connect the surround-channel 3.5mm plug of your 5.1
headphone into this jack.
Center/Subwoofer Out
Connect the Center/Bass-channel 3.5mm plug of your 5.1
headphone into this jack.
21
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.3
Connecting Analog Speaker Systems
5.3.1
Connecting Analog Power Amplifier
1
2
3
4
No Item
Description
1
2
3
4
Front Out
Connects to the “left front” and “right front” input ports of the
analog amplifier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.
Side Surround Out
Center/Subwoofer
Back Surround Out
Connects to the “left surround” and “right surround” input
ports of the analog amplifier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.
Connects to the “Center” and “subwoofer” input ports of the
analog amplifier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.
Connects to the “left back” and “right back” input ports of the
analog amplifier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.
22
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.3.2
Connecting 2/2.1 Channel Speakers
2 Speakers
1
2.1 Speakers
1
No Item
Description
1
Front Out/Headphone
Jack
Connect the 2/2.1 speaker set’s 3.5mm plug into this Front
Out jack.
23
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.3.3
Connecting 4/4.1 Channel Speakers
4 Speakers
1
2
4.1 Speakers
1
2
No Item
Description
1
Front Out
Connects to the Front input port of the 4/4.1 speakers with
the mini-jack cable.
2
Side Surround Out
Connects to the Surround input port of the 4/4.1 speakers
with the mini-jack cable.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
5.3.4
Connecting 5.1 Channel Speakers
5.1 Speakers
1
2
3
No Item
Description
1
2
3
Front Out
Connects to the Front input port of the 5.1 speakers with the
mini-jack cable.
Side Surround Out
Center/Subwoofer
Connects to the Surround input port of the 5.1 speakers with
the mini-jack cable.
Connects to the Center/Subwoofer input port of the 5.1
speakers with the mini-jack cable..
5.3.5
Connecting 6.1/7.1 Channel Speakers
6.1 Speakers
1
2
3
4
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ASUS Xonar D2X
7.1 Speakers
1
2
3
4
No Item
Description
1
2
3
4
Front Out
Connects to the Front input port of the 6.1/7.1 speakers with
the mini-jack cable.
Side Surround Out
Center/Subwoofer
Back Surround Out
Connects to the Surround input port of the 6.1/7.1 speakers
with the mini-jack cable.
Connects to the Center/Subwoofer input port of the 6.1/7.1
speakers with the mini-jack cable.
Connects to the Back Surround input port of the 6.1/7.1
speakers with the mini-jack cable.
26
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.4
Connecting Microphone
1
No Item
Description
1
Microphone Input
Jack
Connect the microphone’s 3.5mm plug into this Mic-In jack
for voice communication, recording, or karaoke.
5.5
Connecting Line-In Audio Sources
1
No Item
Description
1
Line Input Jack
Connect the 3.5mm plug of the CD/MP3 Player or any other
Line level analog audio sources into this Line-In jack for
sound recording or real-time Dolby/DTS sound processing
through the Monitoring path (See the “Mixer” section of the
driver guide).
27
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.6
Connecting Digital Audio Sources
1
2
No Item
Description
1
Optical adaptor
Plug the optical TOSLINK adaptor into the S/PDIF-In combo
connector
2
Optical cable
Connect your MD/CD/DVD player’s S/PDIF out port to the
optical adaptor with the TOSLINK optical cable
You can also use a coaxial cable for a S/PDIF digital connection. Just plug the
coaxial RCA male connector to the S/PDIF-In combo jack and connect the other
end into the coaxial S/PDIF output on the player.
28
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.
Xonar D2X Driver Guide
6.1
Introduction to the Xonar D2X Audio Center GUI
1.
After the driver installation is complete and your computer has been
rebooted, you will find the Xonar D2X Audio Center’s icon in the system tray
on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Double click this icon to open
the Xonar Audio Center utility.
If the icon could not be found in the system tray, go to the Windows Control
Panel and double click the “Xonar D2X Audio Center” icon.
2.
The Xonar D2X Audio Center is the Graphic User Interface (GUI) for the
Xonar D2X driver. You can control the functions and features of the Xonar
D2X driver on the Audio Center. The following picture shows a basic overview
of the Xonar D2X Audio Center. The following sections of this manual will
describe its functions in more detail.
1
3
2
9
5
7
6
4
8
29
ASUS Xonar D2X
No Item
Description
1
Display Area
This display area shows the 10-band signal meter, volume
level, and the status of the Dolby/DTS technologies, EQ, and
DSP modes. Note: this area just displays information, but is
not used to alter settings.
2
Menu Open/Close
Clicking this button will move the display area and reveal
the configuration area below. Clicking it again will move the
display area back down.
3
4
Master Volume
SVN Button
This rotary knob controls the master playback volume. Drag
the small circle inside it to change the volume level.
Click this button to enable the “Smart Volume Normalization”
feature for constant volume from all playback sources. It will
display a blue light when enabled.
5
6
Mute Button
DSP Mode
Click this button to mute audio playback; it will display a red
light when playback is muted.
These 4 buttons give access to quick sound effects
combinations for Music, Games, DVD Video, and effect-free
(Hi-Fi) modes.
7
8
Application Links
These 4 buttons give quick access to ASUS PMP,
PowerDVD, Sonar 6 LE, and Ableton Live.
Setting Menu Panel
This panel gives access to setting tabs, including Main
Settings, Mixer/volume, Effects, Karaoke/MagicVoice, and
FlexBass. (see the following details)
9
Information icon
Clicking this icon will pop up driver’s Information window.
30
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2
Main Setting
Sample Rate
6.2.1
The Sample rate determines the number of audio samples per second that the
Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC) and S/PDIF digital interface will output. The
Xonar D2X audio card can support sample rates up to 192KHz (44.1K, 48K, 96K,
192KHz). Usually audio CDs and MP3 files are 44.1KHz; DVD-Video uses 48KHz;
DVD-Audio or other HD media may contain 96KHz or 192KHz high-definition
audio content. Please select the corresponding sample rate for your playback
sources to get the best audio fidelity. Even if your setting differs from the audio
source’s sample rate, the Xonar D2X engine will do super high fidelity sample-
rate-conversion with a double floating-point filter, which can reduce total harmonic
distortion (THD+N) by -140dB.
1
No Item
Sample Rate
Description
1
Please select the sample rate that corresponds to (or
exceeds that of) your playback sources, for optimal audio
fidelity. The Xonar D2X audio card supports sample rates up
to 192KHz (44.1K, 48K, 96K, 192KHz). Typical values:
-Audio CD, MP3, WMA, Wave files are 44.1KHz;
-The audio of DVD-Video is 48KHz;
-DVD-Audio or other HD media may contain 96KHz or
192KHz high-definition audio content.
31
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2.2
Analog Out/Speaker Test
1
2
3
No Item
Description
1
Analog Out
The Analog Out setting is used to match your actual speaker
setting, such as headphones, 2 speakers (or 2.1), 4 speakers
(or 4.1), 5.1 speakers, and 7.1 speakers. Xonar D2X will
play the channels and do the proper 3D/Dolby/DTS sound
processing accordingly. Please select the correct speaker
type for your connected speakers.
2
3
Speaker Test
Click this button to show the speaker test window in the right
pane. Click the “play” button to test each speaker one by one
or click each speaker manually to test.
(note: the Speaker Test function is not available on Windows
Vista due to a limitation in its audio stack.)
Speaker Swap
Clicking this button will pop up an advanced setting window
to allow you to:
–Swap center/bass outputs for 5.1/7.1-speaker set ups
-Swap Side/Surroud outputs for 7.1-speaker set ups
Check the box if your speakers are outputting the incorrect
channel. Otherwise, leave them blank.
32
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2.3
SPDIF Out/DDL/DTS Interactive
Xonar D2X is capable of outputting Dolby Digital Live and DTS Interactive, which
are real-time encoders that transcode any audio, including games and music, into
industry-standard Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 bit-streams on-the-fly. This is ideal for
playback through a home theater system, creating an immersive and impressive
cinema surround sound experience. It enables a single digital connection to
carry high quality Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 surround audio from your PC to digital
speakers and AV Receivers.
3
2
1
No Item
Description
1
S/PDIF Out enable/
disable
Click this check box to enable S/PDIF output.
2
S/PDIF Output
Formats/Functions
This pull-down menu allows you to select one of the following
four formats:
-PCM (Pulse Code Modulation, which is a typical raw audio
data format.)
-Dolby Digital Live real-time 5.1ch encoding
-DTS Interactive real-time 5.1ch encoding
-S/PDIF In Loopback to output (typically useful for coaxial/
optical connection transformation)
3
Dobly Digital Live
advanced upmixing
option
This advanced setting will automatically upmix stereo (2ch)
content to 5.1 channel surround with Dolby Pro-Logic II when
using Dolby Digital Live output.
33
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2.4
Audio Channels (For Vista only)
This setting only appears in Windows Vista. Vista will deliver the audio channels
to the audio driver according to this setting, no matter what the original audio
content is or how many channels they have. Therefore, you need to set this in
accordance with your audio content before you play it. Please note that this setting
is synchronized with Vista’s system speaker configuration and changing the
setting during playback will cease the audio playback program. You may have to
restart the program after the change. It’s recommended that you close all playing
programs before you change the setting.
1
No Item
Description
1
Audio Channels
Here are some typical suggestions:
-MP3, WMA, AAC, CD, VCD, 2D games => 2 channels
-DVD-Video with Dolby Digtial or DTS 5.1 => 6 channels
-DVD-Video with Dolby Digtial EX or DTS ES => 8 channels
-3D games => 8 channels
34
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2.5
7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter
The 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter has the following major features:
•
•
•
Expanding/upmixing audio to 7.1-channel surround sound
Virtualizing 7.1 surround sound over any set of speakers
Shiftable virtual speaker positioning allows you to adjust the best sound field
easily without moving physical speakers and wires
4
3
5
2
1
6
8
7
No Item
Description
1
Shifter enable/disable
Click this check box to enable the 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter.
Clicking the text bar will switch the right window to the
Speaker Shifter page for manual adjustments.
2
Drag speaker or
listener
You can drag each speaker or listener to a different relative
position “virtually” using only your mouse. The Xonar D2X
audio card will process it and virtualize each speaker position
in real-time. The Subwoofer has no directional sounds, and
hence can be moved only closer or further away.
3
4
Reset
Reset all Speaker Shifter settings to the defaults.
Increase/decrease
volume
Click + to increase volume (move speakers closer); click – to
decrease volume (move speakers further away)
5
Counter-clockwise
Make all speakers (except Subwoofer) rotate counter-
clockwise
6
7
8
Clockwise
Make all speakers (except Subwoofer) rotate clockwise
Manually drag and rotate all speakers (except Subwoofer)
Manual Rotation
Manual Drag Mode
This is the default mode that allows you to manually drag
each speaker or the listener with your mouse.
35
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2.6
Dolby Pro-Logic IIx
Dolby Pro-Logic IIx is a 7.1 surround upmixing technology and is widely used in
home theater systems, TVs, game consoles, and car audio systems. It can expand
stereo audio, such as MP3, CD, and TV programs into immersive 5.1 or
7.1-channel surround.
5
4
3
1
2
6
No Item
Description
1
2
3
Dolby Pro-Logic IIx
enable/disable
Click this check box to enable Dolby Pro-Logic IIx. Clicking
the text bar will switch the right window to the Pro-Logic IIx
page for manual adjustments.
Music Mode
Music mode is the default mode for regular music playback.
In this mode, you can adjust the Center Width and
Dimension parameters.
Center Width
Dimension
This parameter is used to set the spread of the center, mainly
for the vocal signals of songs and music. Drag the scroll bar
to the left to centralize the vocal signal. Drag to the right side
to widen the vocal sound range.
4
The dimension parameter fades sounds to the front or rear
of the listener.
5
6
Reset
Reset all settings to the defaults.
Movie Mode
Movie mode is a preset optimized for movie audio.
36
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2.7
DTS Neo:PC
DTS Neo:PC is another 2-to-7.1 channel upmixing technology, using a
sophisticated algorithm from DTS Labs. It can spread stereo audio such as MP3,
CD, and TV programs into an immersive 5.1 or 7.1-channel surround sound
environment.
5
4
3
1
2
6
No Item
Description
1
2
3
DTS Neo:PC enable/
disable
Click this check box to enable DTS Neo:PC. Clicking the text
bar will switch the right window to a DTS Neo:PC page for
manual adjustments.
Music Mode
Music mode is the default mode for regular music playback.
In this mode, you can adjust the Center Width and
Dimension parameters.
Center Width
Dimension
This parameter is used to set the spread of the center, mainly
for the vocal signals of songs and music. Drag the scroll bar
to the left to centralize the vocal signal. Drag to the right side
to widen the vocal sound range.
4
The dimension parameter fades sounds to the front or rear
of the listener.
5
6
Reset
Reset all settings to the defaults.
Movie Mode
Movie mode is optimized for movie audio.
37
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2.8
Dolby Headphone
Dolby Headphone creates a stunning multi-channel surround experience over
ordinary stereo headphones for playing 3D games, watching 5.1 DVD movies, and
listening to music. Dolby Headphone produces surround sound cues so realistic
that you will believe you are listening over speakers in a well-controlled studio.
Dolby Headphone can also improve listening comfort and reduce "listener fatigue"
from long listening over headphones.
4
3
2
1
No Item
Description
1
Dolby Headphone
enable/disable
Click this check box to enable Dolby Headphone. Clicking
the text bar will switch the right window to Dolby Headphone
page for manual adjusting.
2
DH1
Dolby Headphone (DH) provides three room filters that may
be used with any type of audio. They differ in the sense of
the “spatial dimension” they impart.
DH1—Reference Room: Small, acoustically damped room.
DH2—Livelier Room: More acoustically live than DH1
3
4
DH2
DH3
DH3—Larger Room: Larger room than DH1; more distant
and diffused effect.
38
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.2.8
Dolby Virtual Speaker
Dolby Virtual Speaker technology simulates a 5.1-speaker surround sound
listening environment from as few as two speakers. Dolby Virtual Speaker also
creates a wider two-channel environment during playback of stereo CDs and MP3
content, and when combined with Dolby Pro Logic® II processing, delivers a virtual
5.1-channel surround listening experience from any high-quality stereo source.
2
3
1
No Item
Description
1
Dolby Virtual Speaker
enable/disable
Click this check box to enable Dolby Virtual Speaker. Clicking
the text bar will switch the right window to a Dolby Virtual
Speaker page for manual adjusting.
2
Reference Mode
Dolby Virtual Speaker provides two modes of virtualization:
The first is Reference mode, which virtualizes the missing
speakers as in the following picture.
3
Wide Mode
Wide mode virtualizes the necessary speakers and
enhances the surround experience as in the following
picture.
39
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.3
Mixer/Volume
The mixer page is designed to control the volume for playback and recording on
the Xonar D2X. In addition, the Xonar D2X also provides a high-quality digital
monitoring function for hearing the recorded audio from the speakers. You can also
process the input signals with all playback sound effects such as Dolby and DTS
technologies.
6.3.1
Playback Volume
6
1
5
4
3
2
No Item
Description
1
2
Playback Volume Tab
Click this button tto show the playback volume page.
Source/Path Name
This shows the source name for each volume control slider,
including:
- WAVE: All digital audio sources except MIDI files
- SW: Software Synthesizer; control the playback volume of
the MIDI files
- CD: CD-ROM playback (CD-DA) volume control
- LEFT, RIGHT…: the volume control for each speaker/
channel.
Note: Windows® Vista does not support WAVE, Synthesizer
and CD Player volume controls.
3
4
Mute/Unmute button
Volume Slider
Click this button to mute or unmute the audio channel.
Drag this slider down to decrease the volume; drag it up to
increase the volume. The tool-tip reveals the percentage
number from 1 to 100 in terms of the full scale level.
5
6
Left/Right Balance
Reset
The horizontal slider controls the volume between the left
and right channels.
Reset all volume controls to the default settings
40
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.3.2
Recording/Monitoring Volume
1
7
6
5
4
3
2
9
8
No Item
Description
1
2
Recording Volume Tab
Source/Path Name
Click this button to show the recording volume page.
This shows the source name for each volume control slider,
including:
S/PDIF-In: S/PDIF digital input source
Mix: Stereo Mix which will record all analog inputs and digital
wave audio you are playing on PC
ALT: high-quality analog loop-back recording from front
line-out
CD-In: recording from CD-In for CD-ROM player
Aux: recording from Aux-In for typically TV-tuner card audio
or other sound sources
Line-In: recording from Line-in jack for external audio devices
WAVE: recording from digital wave audio you are playing on
PC (Note: Windows Vista doesn’t support WAVE recording.)
3
Monitoring button
Click this button to monitor and loopback recording audio
to outputs (PC speakers). Therefore, the recording volume
will influence the monitoring signals from speaker outputs.
The audio will be mixed into the streams you are playing
out from your PC and all DSP effects will be applied to the
source, too. A typical benefit is to apply Dolby Pro-Logic
IIx 7.1-ch spreading for your TV audio, CD, MP3, or stereo
game console audio from Wii, Xbox, PS2/PS3/PSP, etc.
To apply Dolby Virtual Speaker is suitable for two-speaker
environment.
41
ASUS Xonar D2X
4
Recording Selector
button
Click this button to select the path/source you are going to
record. Please note that the recording function on Windows
is a one-path selector. So, you can select only one default
recording source at a time. You may have to restart the
recorder program if you switch to a different source. (Note:
On Vista, some application programs may allow you to
select the recording device/path in the recording programs
themselves.)
5
6
Recording Volume
Slider
Drag this slider down to decrease the recording volume; drag
up to increase the recording volume. The tool-tip reveals the
percentage number from 1 to 100 in terms of the full scale
level.
Left/Right Balance
Reset
This horizontal slider controls the volume between the left
and right channels.
7
8
Reset all volume controls to the default settings
S/PDIF-In Advanced
Setting
Click this button
S/PDIF-In:
to open the advanced settings for the
Enabling “Validity Check” will check out the PCM audio
validity bit of S/PDIF input stream to prevent recording or
monitoring non-PCM/not recordable audio (such as AC3,
etc.), which will become unrecognizable sounds from your
speakers.
9
Microphone-In
Advanced Setting
Click this button
Microphone-In:
to open the advanced settings for the
Enabling “Microphone Boost” will increase a volume gain
to boost microphone input signals. For typical low-cost PC
microphone, it’s recommended to enable this function.
42
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.4
Effects
6.4.1
Environment Effects
Environment effects can be used to create realistic listening experiences that
mimic different environments. There are a total of 27 environment options, which
can be applied to all 2D sound sources, like music.
1
2
3
No Item
Description
1
Default Environments
These four buttons activate Bathroom, Concert hall,
Underwater, and Music Pub environments, respectively.
2
More Option
Clicking this button will apply the environment effect that you
select from the pull-down menu on the right side. There are
another 23 options in this menu.
3
Environment Size
There are three size settings for each environment: Large,
Medium, and Small.
43
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.4.2
10-Band Equalizer
The equalizer can modify the audio output for different frequencies, and be used
to compensate for deficiencies in your speakers/systems. There are 12 default
patterns and you can also make your own settings.
3
1
5
6
2
4
No Item
Description
1
Default Equalizer
Options
There are 12 available equalizer patterns. Click one to apply
it.
2
User Defined
You can click this button to apply your own defined
parameters saved in the pull-down menu.
3
4
5
Equalier Slider
Save Name
Add/Save
Adjust the gain for each band (30~16KHz)
Key in a name for your own “User Defined” equalizer setting
Click this + button to save the parameters into User Defined
list
6
Delete
Click this - button to delete the parameters from User
Defined list
44
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.5
Karaoke/Magic Voice
The Xonar D2X provides powerful features for VOIP and Karaoke, including Magic
Voice, Microphone Echo, Key-Shifting, and Vocal Cancellation. Magic Voice is a
great feature for disguising your voice (using monster/cartoon/male/female effects)
for VOIP and online gaming applications. Microphone Echo can generate natural
echo effects on your singing voice just like a karaoke machine. Key-Shifting can
change the pitch of Karaoke background music, and Vocal Cancellation can
reduce the original vocal in songs and keep the music and symphony for karaoke.
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
No Item
Description
1
2
On/Off
The switch to turn on or off the functions on this page.
Mic Effect On/Off
Check the box to enable or disable mic effects including
Microphone Echo for voice or Magic Voice for changing your
voice’s sound.
3
4
5
Mic Echo
Select the Mic Echo function and adjust the gain for echo
signals (30~16KHz)
Magic Voice
Key-Shifting
Select Magic Voice and choose a mode from 5 options:
default, Monster, Cartoon, Male, and Female styles.
Check the box to enable or disable the key shifting feature
for music playback from 4 semitones below, to 4 semitones
above.
6
7
Vocal Cancellation
Reset
Checkbox to enable or disable the vocal cancellation function
and adjust the voice cancellation level from 0 to +100. +100
will eliminate most original vocals (default value is 50).
Reset all settings to the default.
45
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.6
FlexBass
FlexBass, an advanced bass management and enhancement mechanism, allows
you to select each satellite speaker’s type for optimal sound performance from the
speakers. (Small: common speaker that cannot produce low frequencies; Large:
wide-band speakers that can produce low frequencies well). It comes with an
adjustable crossover frequency for the boundary of the bass signals. FlexBass will
filter out the bass signals from small speaker channels and redirect them all to the
subwoofer or Large speakers.
4
1
2
3
No Item
Description
1
On/Off
The switch to turn on or off all functions on this FlexBass
page.
2
Small/Large speaker
option
Select the speaker type that you connected. If your speaker
type cannot perform low-frequency signals (bass), please
select “Small” speaker type and Xonar D2X will filter out
the bass signals and send them to the subwoofer channel.
If those speakers are full-range, you can select the “Large”
speaker type.
Note: Common, cheap PC’s 2-channel speakers are
usually small-type speakers. Please refer to the speaker’s
specification. If you have any questions, please consult
your speaker vendor. However, common 2.1 speakers with
a subwoofer should be categorized as Large speakers
because the subwoofer can redirect the bass signals inside
the two channels to the subwoofer speaker automatically.
3
Picture for Small/
Large speaker
Colors for small/large speakers are different.
Orange: large speakers
Green: small speakers
46
ASUS Xonar D2X
4
LFE Crossover
Frequency
Adjusts the cut-off frequency (50~250Hz) for LFE (low-
frequency effects) signals. Xonar D2X will filter out the bass
signals below the crossover frequency from small speaker
channels and forward them to the subwoofer. The higher
the crossover frequency, the more bass signals will be
subtracted.
6.7 AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancellation)
Xonar D2X provides advanced Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) for best voice
communication quality over your speakers. AEC technology can eliminate up-to-
40dB speaker echo return and suppress noises into your microphone for easier
conversation experience. AEC is an innovative feature to make Xonar D2X the
best sound card choice for online chatting in VOIP applications (Skype, MSN,
Google, QQ, etc.) or online gaming. AEC provides the following benefits to you:
•
Reduce the voice acoustic echoes like speakerphone devices when others talk
to you on line
•
Minimize the playback sound echoes into your microphone during gaming or
music playback
•
Effectively suppress background or system noises into your microphone
•
32-bit floating point algorithm providing precisely adaptive echo cancellation
performance up to 40dB
•
Supports all VOIP applications and online games
To achieve the best performance of AEC function, the ideal system requirements
are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Speakers and microphone are low distortion (max. THD < 2%)
Flat frequency response between 300~4KHz
Use omni-direction electret microphone with >=40dB sensitivity
The microphone is more than 30cm far from PC’s speakers (fix the distance)
and do NOT turn your speakers too loud
5.
Put your microphone 20~30cm away from you (fix the distance) and do NOT
speak too close or too loud into the microphone to avoid signal clipping and
distortion. Enable “microphone boost” on Xonar D2X audio center mixer to
get proper input signal level.
6.
It’s suggested to disable original AEC function residing in some of the soft-
phones or voice communication programs to get best performance from
Xonar D2X audio card.
AEC function will be only suitable for bi-direction voice communication
applications. The speaker type will be set as 2 speakers and special voice
processing mode while AEC is applied (all audio effects will be suspended and
those controls on audio center will be frozen.). After you finish the voice-over-
IP applications, please remember to turn it off for normal high-fidelity audio
playback mode.
47
ASUS Xonar D2X
1
2
No Item
Description
1
2
AEC
Click AEC function page
Enable AEC
Click the checkbox to enable AEC function. A alert message
will pop up:
This message implies the speaker configuration will be set to
2 speakers and all sound effect processors will suspended
except AEC function. Click “OK” to accept it; Click “Cancel”
if you want to enable it later. Check “Don’t remind me again”
will not show this message again.
6.8
Smart Volume Normalization
Smart Volume NormalizationTM (SVN) automatically keeps all music or video/TV
audio output at a constant level to reduce manual adjustment hassles inherent
with sound sources of different loudness. It allows you to listen to various content,
like MP3, TV program, DVD video and even games with consistent sound level.
The following graph shows how different signals 1 & 2 will become the same level
(for example, 10dB below full scale) after you turn on SVN. Please note that for
lower volume music 2, it will become louder when you turn on SVN; and for higher
volume music 1, it will become quieter.
48
ASUS Xonar D2X
0dB (Full-scale)
Music 1
T
-10 dB
Music 2
SVN Off
SVN On
- ꢀ
No Item
Description
1
SVN On/Off
Click this button to enable SVN. This button is outlined blue
when active.
2
SVN Display
When SVN is enabled, “Smart Volume” will be lit up at the
bottom of the volume meter and the volume meter will show
the level.
3
SVN Blue Light
When SVN is enabled, the master volume knob will be
illuminated by a blue light. It will be lit red if the volume is
muted.
49
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.9
DS3D GX and DSP Modes
Xonar D2X is introducing an innovative technology –DirectSound 3D Game
Extensions v1.0 (DS3D GX 1.0)- to restore DirectSound 3D Hardware acceleration
mode and its subsidiary EAX effects on Windows Vista for 3D games. Unlike some
proprietary API like OpenAL, DS3D GX doesn’t require games to support OpenAL
API. All existing games compatible with Microsoft DirectX and DirectSound 2D/3D
will be supported with DS3D GX technology. Before you start EAX and DS3D HW
games, please enable DS3D GX on the Xonar D2X audio center, and disable the
function after the games.
Besides the abundant sound effects described above, the Xonar D2X also
provides quick Digital Sound Processing modes which are configured for typical
applications including Music, Movies, and Games over different output speaker
types. In addition, Xonar D2X also offers a Hi-Fi mode for hi-fidelity playback
without any effect processing to keep the original audio fidelity. Every time you turn
on Hi-Fi mode, Xonar D2X will clear all sound effects. It’s also recommended to
use Hi-Fi mode for audio quality tests (using RMAA software or another machine-
based measurement). Use the DSP mode button as the quick setup if you don’t
wish to know the details of the effect setup. (Note: no sound effects will be applied
to high-definition 96KHz/192KHz content.)
3
2
1
5
4
50
ASUS Xonar D2X
No Item
Description
1
GX Mode
DirectSound 3D Game Extensions mode to support EAX and
DirectSound 3D Hardware extensions for lots of DirectX/
DirectSound3D games on Windows Vista.
2
Hi-Fi Mode
This mode is set for Hi-Fidelity playback, where all effects will
be cleared to keep the original digital data and analog output
quality as high as possible.
3
4
5
Music Mode
Movie Mode
Game Mode
This mode is set for Music playback.
This mode is set for DVD Movie playback.
This mode is set for Games.
6.10
ASIO 2 Driver
ASIO™ (Audio Stream Input Output) is a proprietary audio driver architecture
and a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The Xonar D2X driver
package has included an ASIO2 compatible driver for application programs that
have ASIO or ASIO2 output. ASIO can ensure lower latency during playback and
recording on PCs, which is very important for professional music creation and
editing. The Xonar D2X package also provides Ableton Live and Sonar LE audio
editing software, which all support ASIO output. The setup reference is described
below.
When Using Ableton Live…
2
3
4
5
1
51
ASUS Xonar D2X
No Item
Description
1
2
3
4
Preferences
Step 1 is to open the “Preferences” window from the Options
tab.
Driver Type
Step 2 is to select “ASIO” as the driver type. (WDM and MME
are other Windows driver types)
Audio Device
Hardware Setup
Step 3 is to choose “ASUS Xonar D2X ASIO” as the Audio
Device.
Step 4 is to click the Hardware Setup to configure the Bit-
depth (16/24bit) and latency (1ms~300ms).
5
Sample Rate
Step 5 is to select the sample rate from 44.1, 48, 96,
192KHz.
When Using Sonar LE…
1
52
ASUS Xonar D2X
2
3
4
6
5
7
53
ASUS Xonar D2X
No Item
Description
1
Audio Options
Step 1 is to open the “Audio Options” window from the
Options tab.
2
Driver Mode
Step 2 is to select “ASIO” as the driver mode in Advanced
tab. (WDM and MME are Windows driver types) The
changes will take effect after you restart the program next
time.
3
Playback Timing
Master
After step 2, Sonar LE will display 4 output drivers: “ASUS
Xonar D2X ASIO Out -00~06”. Make sure you are using 00
or another one.
4
5
6
7
Recording Timing
Master
After step 2, Sonar LE will display 1 input driver: “ASUS
Xonar D2X ASIO In -00”. Make sure you are using it.
Sample Rate
Bit-depth
Step 5 is to select the default file sample rate (44.1, 48, 96,
or 192KHz) for your Sonar project.
Step 6 is to select the default file bit-depth (16/24bit) for your
project.
ASIO Panel
If you would like to configure bit-depth (16/24bit) and latency
(1ms~300ms) of the Xonar D2X ASIO driver, click this ASIO
panel to reset them. The changes will take effect the next
time you start the program.
For other applications that support ASIO, such as WaveLab, Cubase, Reason,
Winamp, etc, the setup will be very similar to the above.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
7.
Portable Music Processor™ Software
Guide
7.1
Introduction
Xonar D2X provides the Portable Music ProcessorTM (referred to as PMP hereafter)
software tool that contains the following features:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Converts MP3, WMA, AAC (iTunes required), Audio CD, WAVE into WMA or
MP3 files with the same ID3 information and post processor effects
Adds Dolby Headphone processing to regular music content for a better
listening experience over stereo headphones
Adds Dolby Virtual Speaker (w/ Pro-Logic II) effect to regular music for virtual
5.1 surround over stereo speakers
Normalizes the volume level of your music collection with Smart Volume
Normalization (SVN) effect
Provides Analog Loopback Transformation (ALT) technology for high-quality
(118dB SNR) accelerated analog recording
Supports MP3 and WMA encoding formats for 128~320Kbps data rates
(Windows Media Player 10 or later version and MP3, WMA codecs are
required)
•
Supports transformation speed up to a maximum of 40 times of the normal
playback speed (High Speed mode). (The maximum speed is just for your
reference because it’s related to your PC’s performance and the sound effects
you choose to add. Using ALT recording technology will be limited up to 2X
speed on Windows XP. On Vista, the speed will be currently limited to normal
1X all the time.)
•
As of this writing, iTunes is not available for Windows Vista. As a result,
converting iTunes music on Vista is not supported.
•
If you are going to convert copyright protected music with ALT, you must
have valid and legal right to access and play the content. PMP is just a
software tool to record the playback analog output signal. Please be careful
to abide by the agreement with your content provider.
Before you use PMP software, make sure the following items have been
completed:
1.
2.
Xonar D2X Audio Card has been installed in your PC.
The Xonar D2X driver has been installed (Xonar D2X audio converter driver
is installed for PMP utility)
3.
Windows Media Player Ver. 10 or above has been installed on your PC (If it
hasn’t, Xonar D2X installer will provide a guide to downloading WMP 10)
55
ASUS Xonar D2X
4.
You will also need an MP3 encoder installed to encode music into MP3
format (If you don’t have this already, the Xonar D2X installer will provide a
guide message to download a free MP3 encoder)
After PMP is installed, you will find a PMP shortcut icon on the desktop. Double
click the icon and PMP will show up as below.
3
1
2
No Item
Description
1
2
Main Setting page
Default page to setup and start the music conversion
PMP Music page
This page will display the converted music files saved in the
“PMP Music” folder
3
Software Update
This button is used to check online for upgrades to the
PMP software and download it for upgrade (make sure your
computer is connected to the Internet before you click the
button)
56
ASUS Xonar D2X
7.2
Converting music in “Main Setting” Page
Click the main setting page to start the PMP music conversion process.
5
4
1
3
2
No Item
Select Music Sources
Description
1
Step 1 is to prepare the music sources that you are going to
convert. You can select 3 music source folders which can be
multiply checked:
1) My Music – This path is locked and refers to
C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music.
2) iTunes Music – The path is locked and refers to
C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\iTunes Music.
3) Others – The default path refers to C:\Documents and
Settings\My Documents\My Music but can be designated to
other folder by clicking
.
In the right side of the window, you will see all of the music
files from the selected folders that can be converted by PMP.
You can select all or click each check box to choose which
file to be converted later. The files that have been converted
during the process will show a check mark in the status
column.
57
ASUS Xonar D2X
2
Conversion settings
Step 2 is to set the conversion settings you would like. There
are three tabs for different settings:
1) Format: select MP3 or WMA to be the converted format
you would like to have. You can also choose the bitrate from
128Kbps, 192Kbps, and 320Kbps (the higher bitrate, the
higher quality but bigger file size)
2) Effect: You can choose to add three effects into the
converted files: Smart Volume Normalization (to normalize
all volume of your music files to a constant level), Dolby
Headphone (natural spatial effect for headphones), and
Dolby Virtual Speaker (with Pro-Logic II virtual surround
effect for stereo speakers).
3) Destination: This tab allows you to choose to save
converted music to the default PMP Music folder, or to Other
folder by clicking
.
3
Convert/Stop
The final step is to click the button to start Converting.
Clicking this button again while PMP is converting files
will stop the process. Please note that the audio card will
suspend operation while PMP is converting music to ensure
conversion quality and stability. It’s best to close other audio
applications before you start converting.
4
5
Display for converting
status
This display window will tell you the music being converted,
file type, bitrate, spent time, converted percentage, and
speed.
Information page
Clicking the information button will display the version of
PMP that you have installed.
58
ASUS Xonar D2X
7.3
Find Converted Music in “PMP Music” Page
The default conversion destination folder is C:\Program Files\ASUSPMP\PMP
Music\. You can easily click the PMP Music page to find the converted music
library. The new file name will be copied and suffixed with the data rate and DH (ie.
Dolby Headphone) or DVS (ie. Dolby Virtual Speaker) if the effect is applied. For
example:
Original file name: ABCD.mp3
Converted file name: ABCD_192K_DH.mp3 (meaning the data rate is 192Kbps
with Dolby Headphone post-processing applied)
1
2
No Item
Description
1
PMP Music page
This page shows the converted music library stored in the
PMP Music folder.
2
Music Information
This window will display the song name and its artist, length,
and size in the PMP Music folder.
59
ASUS Xonar D2X
8
Ableton Live Software Guide
Please refer to the separate manual for Ableton Live.
9.
Cakewalk Production Plus Pack
Software Guide
Please refer to the Help manual for these Cakewalk programs.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
10.
RMAA Test Guide
The Xonar D2X driver CD includes RightMark Audio Analyzer (RMAA) v5.6, a
popular software intended for testing the quality of audio equipment, be it a sound
card, portable MP3 player, consumer CD/DVD player, or a speaker system. The
measurements are conducted by playing and recording test signals, and using
frequency analysis algorithms. The following provides a step-by-step loop-back
test guide for your Xonar D2X audio card.
10.1
Setting Up Xonar D2X Audio Card
Open the Xonar D2X Audio Center. Use the settings below:
1.
2.
3.
Select the sample rate you will be using with RMAA (here we set 48KHz for
testing 48KHz/24bit signals).
Set analog output to 2-speaker mode (to get rid of any channel processing
over RMAA stereo signals in the driver)
Turn off all sound effects including Dolby, DTS, 7.1 speaker shifter, EQ,
Environment, etc. A quick way to do so is to enable the “Hi-Fi mode” button in
the Audio Center.
1
2
3
61
ASUS Xonar D2X
4.
Go to the Mixer Recording page and select “ALT” as the recording source.
Click “Reset” to make sure the recording volume is on the default highest
level (0dB). This is actually a high-quality onboard loop-back path from the
Line-out directly to the Line-In. This allows you to get realistic output and
input quality ratings for the Xonar D2X audio card.
4
You may also choose to use an external 3.5mm line cable as follows (as short
as possible) to connect the Front-Out jack to the Line-In jack for loop-back
testing. In that case, please select “Line In” as the recording source on the
mixer page.
3.5mm Line Cable
62
ASUS Xonar D2X
5.
6.
Click “Reset” on the playback volume mixer page to keep the volume setting
on default.
Turn the master volume to the MAX level (0dB)
5
6
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ASUS Xonar D2X
10.2
Configuration and Test with RMAA
Start RMAA and follow the setup procedure below.
1.
Select both of the playback/recording devices as “ASUS Xonar D2X Audio”.
2.
Select 24bit and 48KHz for the test signals. (If you change the format here,
please remember to go back to set the same sample rate output in the Xonar
D2X Audio Center)
1
2
3.
Click “Test options” button in RMAA and check “Analyze noise and distortion
only in 20Hz-20KHz range” (audio in-band for human hearing) in the General
tab.
3
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ASUS Xonar D2X
4.
Go to the Sound Card tab and select “DirectSound” as the Driver Model
(because Windows MME mode doesn’t support high-resolution 24bit audio
playback and the data may be manipulated by Windows so that the real
hardware quality can not be measured properly.)
4
5.
Click loop-back mode test button
5
65
ASUS Xonar D2X
6.
Check if the levels shown in the Adjusting level window are OK (the level
meter will be green).
6
7.
If the recording volume level is not high enough, please check and make
the WAVE and Master Volume have been at the maximum level; Instead, if
the recording volume level is too high, please lower the WAVE and Master
volumes gradually until the level is ok.
7
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ASUS Xonar D2X
8.
Begin the test by clicking the “Done” button. If you cannot get the level to be
“OK” after the previous step, click “Done” anyways and proceed.
8
9.
Enter “Xonar D2X Audio Card” in the New slot name and select one Empty
slot. Then click “OK”.
9
67
ASUS Xonar D2X
10. RMAA will pop up the Test results window. You can click the “Select”
checkbox and click
to “Make html report”.
10
11. Check and key in the report name/options as follows and then click “OK”.
11
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ASUS Xonar D2X
10.3
RMAA Testing Results
Open the html file you created and saved in the test above, and it will display the
report with both data and plots in your browser. The following report is a sample
and you can see how high-fidelity and crystal-clean the Xonar D2X audio card
is for both output and input (one of the world’s finest sound cards, it has higher
quality than most CE devices.) You can also try testing the performance for other
sample rates and bit-depths with the same procedure.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
Xonar D2X Audio Card
RightMark Audio Analyzer test
Testing chain: External loopback (line-out - line-in)
Sampling mode: 24-bit, 48 kHz
Summary
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB:
Noise level, dB (A):
+0.04, -0.02
-116.4
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Dynamic range, dB (A):
THD, %:
116.3
0.0005
0.0011
-115.3
IMD + Noise, %:
Stereo crosstalk, dB:
IMD at 10 kHz, %:
0.0006
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response
Frequency range
Response
From 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dB
From 40 Hz to 15 kHz, dB
-0.10, +0.04
-0.02, +0.04
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ASUS Xonar D2X
Noise level
Parameter
Left
Right
RMS power, dB:
-115.2
-116.5
-92.6
-0.00
-115.1
-116.4
-92.5
-0.00
RMS power (A-weighted), dB:
Peak level, dB FS:
DC offset, %:
Dynamic range
71
ASUS Xonar D2X
Parameter
Left
Right
Dynamic range, dB:
Dynamic range (A-weighted), dB:
DC offset, %
+115.1
+116.2
-0.00
+115.1
+116.3
-0.00
THD + Noise (at -3 dB FS)
Parameter
Left
Right
THD, %:
0.0004
0.0006
0.0007
0.0009
THD + Noise, %:
0.0006
0.0007
THD + Noise (A-weighted), %:
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ASUS Xonar D2X
Intermodulation distortion
Parameter
Left
Right
IMD + Noise, %:
+0.0011
+0.0005
+0.0011
+0.0005
IMD + Noise (A-weighted), %:
Stereo crosstalk
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ASUS Xonar D2X
Parameter
Left
Right
-111
-114
-112
Crosstalk at 100 Hz, dB:
Crosstalk at 1 KHz, dB
Crosstalk at 10 KHz, dB
-111
-115
-112
IMD (swept tones)
Parameter
Left
Right
IMD + Noise at 5 KHz,
IMD + Noise at 10 KHz,
IMD + Noise at 15 KHz,
0.0006
0.0005
0.0005
0.0006
0.0006
0.0006
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ASUS Xonar D2X
11.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
[Troubleshooting]
The audio card driver could not be installed on my PC.
Instructions:
1.
Please make sure that you have properly plugged the audio card in the PCI
Express slot on your motherboard.
2.
Check that the Windows hardware device manager has discovered a
multimedia audio device. If no device is found, please try scanning for new
hardware.
3.
4.
Please try soft reboot (restart) your Windows.
Remove the card, plug it into another PCI Express slot, and try again.
The PMP software could not be installed on my PC.
Instructions:
Check the following points:
1.
2.
3.
The Xonar D2X Audio Card has been installed in your PC
The Xonar D2X audio card driver has been installed successfully
Windows Media Player Ver. 10 or above has been installed in your PC (If
it hasn’t, the Xonar D2X installer will provide a guide to downloading WMP
V.10. Please follow that guide and install WMP V.10 or above before you
install PMP.)
4.
PMP will also need an MP3 encoder installed to encode music into MP3
format (If you don’t have it yet, the Xonar D2X installer will provide a guide
message to download a free MP3 encoder)
I couldn’t find the Xonar D2X Audio Center
Instructions:
1.
2.
Make sure you have installed the driver
Find the Xonar D2X Audio Center icon in the system tray on the bottom
right-hand corner of the screen. Double click the icon to open the Xonar D2X
Audio Center utility..
3. If the icon could not be found in the system tray, go to the Windows Control
Panel and double click the “Xonar D2X Audio Center” icon to make it visible
in the system tray again.
4. After the driver installation is complete, it’s recommended that you reboot your
computer to complete the setup. If the icon still doesn’t appear, please try
installing the driver package again.
75
ASUS Xonar D2X
I can’t hear any sound from my analog speakers
Instructions:
1.
Xonar D2X PCI Express audio card needs the power cable to supply addition
power in addition to the basic PCI Express bus power. Please double
check you have plugged the small 4-pin power plug onto Xonar D2X power
connector. If you did not plug the internal power, Xonar D2X audio center will
remind you a warning message and won’t allow your operation when you
double click Xonar D2X audio center icon in the system tray.
2.
3.
4.
Please ensure that you have connected speakers properly and have powered
on your speakers
Please ensure that the device master volume or the software player has NOT
been muted on the Xonar D2X Audio Center
If you are using Dolby Digital Live or DTS Interactive encoders through the
S/PDIF output, the analog output will be muted to get rid of the interference
between your digital speaker system and analog speakers or headphones.
Please check if this is the case.
5.
6.
Please go to the sound and audio device of Windows Control Panel to check
if the playback default device is set to Xonar D2X Audio Device, instead of
other onboard AC97 or HDA codec device or Xonar D2X Audio Converter.
(Xonar D2X Audio Converter is the driver for PMP music converting, not for
normal playback) If it’s not, please set it to Xonar D2X Audio Device and
restart your applications.
Please try restart your Windows.
I can’t hear any sound from the S/PDIF output
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
Ensure that you have enabled S/PDIF output in the Audio Center GUI (Main
page)
Ensure that you are connecting the correct S/PDIF output jack on the card to
the decoder’s (AV receiver) S/PDIF input jack
You may need to select the correct input and mode of your decoder or AV
receiver. For Dolby Digital or DTS output, you may have to double check that
the AV receiver is in that decoding mode.
4.
If you are using 192KHz PCM output, please make sure your decoder can
support 192KHz decoding. Try changing it to 44.1K or 48KHz first.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
I can’t hear audio input (Mic, Line-in, CD-in, etc.) from my speakers
Instructions:
1.
Go to the mixer recording page in the Audio Center and select the correct
input as the recording source (Xonar D2X uses high-quality 118dB digital
recording and monitoring to route the input signal through to the output.) If
you are using Windows Vista, please also go to system audio control panel to
see the current default recording/input device is right.
2.
Remember to turn on the digital monitoring button for that recording source.
I can’t hear the TV tuner audio from my speakers
Instructions:
1.
2.
3.
If you are using a traditional TV tuner card which has analog audio output,
please connect it to the Aux-In header on the audio card
Select Aux-In as the recording source and remember to turn on the digital
monitoring button on the recording mixer page
If you are using a TV tuner card which has digital audio output instead
of analog, please check that the sound is not muted and whether other
applications can play sound out. If you still have problem, please read the TV
tuner card’s software user guide.
I don’t see MIDI device (MPU-401) on Windows Vista. How could I use it?
Instructions:
Windows Vista doesn’t show MPU-401 MIDI port on system. However,
Xonar D2X did support MIDI I/O and you can directly use it to connect MIDI
instruments on Vista without any setting.
I found no sound effects when playing 96K or 192KHz sound sources.
Instructions:
1.
Currently Xonar D2X effects including Dolby/DTS support common 44.1K,
48KHz sound sources processing and will assure high-definition audio
(96K/192KHz) in hi-fidelity playback. This is also usually the behavior that
professional audiophiles and musicians prefer.
2.
3.
If you still want to have the effects, you can use some editing software
(Ableton Live, Cakewalk, CoolEdit, Soundforge, etc.) to convert the sounds
into 48KHz files.
Please note that the frequency meter on Xonar D2X Audio Center panel will
not take effect either when the playback source is 96KHz or 192KHz sample
rate to prevent any processing distortion.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
Why couldn’t PMP convert some music files successfully?
Instructions:
1.
Make sure you have installed Windows Media Player 10 or above version,
and MP3 encoder in your PC. (following the pop-up downloading information
elecard.com/download/#freeware/ )
2.
3.
4.
PMP supports MP3, WMA, WAVE, CD source formats. AAC formats (.M4A/
M4P/M4B) requires iTunes installed. Please check your source formats.
If you were converting DRM protected content, please make sure you have
the valid digital right ownership.
Currently PMP only support common 16 bit audio sources. If you have 24 bit
sources, please try converting it into 16bit formats first with some software
editing tool (Ableton Live, Cakewalk, CoolEdit, Soundforge, etc.)
[FAQs]
Q1: Does the Xonar D2X support Windows Vista?
Answer:
Yes, the Xonar D2X driver package does support Windows Vista 32/64 bit and
most key features are available. In addition, Xonar D2X supports unique DS3D
GX 1.0 on Windows Vista, which can recover DirectSound 3D hardware and EAX
gaming sound effects on Vista for a lot of existing DirectX games.
Q2: Why does the Xonar D2X support Dolby and DTS technologies?
Answer:
Dolby & DTS are the ONLY brands and technologies recognized by the CE
industry and available on a wide range of audio equipment. Xonar includes these
features to make your PC a powerful media and entertainment center.
Q3: Why is Xonar D2X the best audio card for HTPC and multi-channel
speakers?
Answer:
The Xonar D2X supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect, which allow a
single digital connection to your AV receiver to carry Dolby Digtial and DTS 5.1
audio. In addition, Xonar D2X also provides Dolby Pro-Logic IIx and DTS Neo:PC
to upmix TV and other music to multi-channel surround sound in Home Theater
environments. Xonar D2X also has Ultra High Fidelity SNR118dB on ALL 7.1
channel analog output at 192K/24bit, which is the best quality consumer audio
card in the world. Therefore, it’s also the best card to deliver the high quality audio
through an analog connection to your home theater system or high-end multi-
channel speakers.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
Q4: Does the Xonar D2X support EAX on Vista?
Answer:
Yes, Xonar D2X can support EAX2.0 not only on Windows XP but also on Vista
through innovative DirectSound3D Game EXtensions v1.0 (DS3D GX 1.0)
technology.
Q5: Why do I need Dolby and DTS for PC games?
Answer:
1.
Dolby Digital, Pro-Logic IIx, and DTS are available on the latest game
consoles, like XBOX360, PS3, and Wii. Dolby and DTS can provide the
best gaming sound experience and compatibility with home theater or TV
systems.
2.
Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker are the best 3D sound
positioning, spatial modeling and 5.1-channel virtualization technology for
regular stereo headphones and speakers
Q6: What’s the most important benefit of the Xonar D2X for musicians?
Answer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Ultimate Fidelity: Xonar D2X has the highest quality of audio in/out (118dB
SNR, -108dB THD+N) for the cleanest sound production
Duplex HD: Supports audio sampling rates up to 24bit/192KHz for all inputs
and outputs
ASIO 2.0: Xonar D2X includes an ASIO 2.0 driver for low-latency, low-
distortion music creation application
Bundled Music Creation Software: Professional-grade Ableton Live and
Cakewalk Production Plus Pack (Sonar LE, Dimension LE, Project5 LE)
Xonar D2X comes with an additional MIDI bracket board for music creators to
connect dedicated MIDI devices
Xonar D2X contains the Portable Music Processor, to convert and process
regular music with Dolby Headphone, Dolby Virtual Speaker, and Smart
Volume Normalization effects.
Q7: Does PMP software decrypt and violate the DRM of the copyright
content? What’s ALT technology in PMP software?
Answer:
No, PMP software is not able nor intended to decrypt DRMed content. It’s just a
software tool used to record the analog output signal from the line-out and then
convert it into WMA and MP3 files. If you have Windows Media Player 10 or iTunes
DRMed music, you are required to have the valid digital rights to play it, so that
PMP can record it from analog output just as any other software recorders. Xonar
D2X provides Analog Loopback transformation (ALT) technology to accelerate
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ASUS Xonar D2X
the playback speed (2X, only on Windows XP) and record the accelerated analog
signal. PMP will convert the signal back to the normal speed with very high-quality
(118dB SNR), low distortion (-108dB) time-scaling algorithm. ALT technology can
shorten the total conversion process. Please refer to the graph below:
2X Analog
Output
Signal
Original
Digital
Data
Converted
Digital Data
Playback
Record
Q8: What's the application of "S/PDIF in loopback"?
Answer:
"SPDIF in loopback" is the process of looping back the sound card's S/PDIF digital
input signal directly to the S/PDIF output. It's useful mainly for two purposes:
•
transforming electrical signals from coaxial cable to a fiber optical cable, or vice
versa.
•
using the PC as a SPDIF bridge (typically as a media center): for example,
connect other devices like DVD players to the Xonar D2X’s S/PDIF input and
then connect its SPDIF output to an AV receiver or decoder. When you would
like to send the player device's audio to the AV receiver, you need to have the
Xonar sound card's "S/PDIF in loopback" enabled to redirect the player's input
signal to output to the AV receiver.
Since "SPDIF In Loopback" is the hardware’s high-fidelity pass-through path, not
all sound effects will be applied to the signals.
Q9: Will PCM sound output through S/PDIF be just 2 channels even with
different analog output channels?
Answer:
The S/PDIF protocol specification (IEC-60958) can only carry 2-channel PCM
data or non-PCM AC3/DTS data. So, when a user selects PCM output for S/PDIF,
the Xonar sound card will always deliver 2 channel PCM data through the S/PDIF
output port. For attaining 5.1 channel surround sounds, you can select Dolby
Digital Live or DTS Interactive encoding output from the S/PDIF out menu, which
will allow the Xonar D2X to deliver 5.1 surround sound for games, DVD movies,
and even stereo music.
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ASUS Xonar D2X
Q10: Why is the sample rate of the original music file changed after the file is
converted by PMP into a WMA file?
Answer:
The sample rate of a WMA file must be limited at 44.1KHz.
Q11: Why is the ALT recording volume reduced?
Answer:
If you connect a device, such as a headphone or speakers, the device will reduce
the recording volume. When the situation happens, remove the device and try the
function again.
Q12: Why is it that while playing audio CD, I cannot adjust volume from the
path: Mixer page > Playback > CD?
Answer:
If you are using the Microsoft® Windows Media Player to play audio files, you
have to change the playback setting of your CD optical drive to Analog. Open
the Windows Media Player and do the following to change the setting: Tools >
Options > Device > CD Properties > Playback > Analog.
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