Contents
Introduction
Features & Specifications
Design, Build and Software
Performance
Conclusion
Introduction
Lets face it, we’re playing more games, listening to more music and watching more movies on the go. Portability is a desirable feature in almost anything we buy these days. Yet, it is evident that the quality of experience offered to us on fixed setups is leaps ahead to what is being offered for mobile usage. Keeping that in mind, ASUS has introduced the Xonar U7 External USB sound card and headphone amplifier, with the key purpose being to offer high-quality sound processing on the go. In other words, an external, portable DAC (digital to analog convertor), with a headphone amp.
ASUS’s Xonar line has taken computer audio to audiophile grades, there is no denying that. I have the Xonar DX soundcard installed in my setup and it is one of the most worthy purchases I consider myself to have made. As of now, there is no alternative to the Xonar line, ASUS clearly has a winner with this series. Does the U7 manage to carry the weight of the Xonar series?
What is an external DAC/soundcard?
Most tablets, phones and laptops come with an integrated audio-chipset capable of providing decent quality output. While these integrated chipsets can get the job done in most cases, they still offer a very generic and average level of performance. The need for an external DAC/soundcard comes when there is a requirement of high-quality distortion-free sound with surround features, available out of the box. Also, if you want to the get most out of your audiophile grade headphone/IEM (in-ear monitors), you surely cannot bank on your integrated solution, you need a dedicated DAC to drive your audio-grade products. This is where the Xonar U7 comes into play.
Thanks for the detailed review. Can the Xonar U7 work standalone without being plugged into a computer running Windows? Obviously, one would still need to supply it power through the USB port. Ideally, one would configure the Xonar U7 in Windows using the ASUS software, reboot into OSX or Linux, and listen to the audio from there, assuming the Xonar U7 retains the setup parameters. Would that work?
Have tried that on my Macbook, didnt work. Surprisingly the device’s volume control knob works, but the sound output is still from the internal sound card of the laptop.
The specs look amazing, sadly it’s not available in the US
It is available on Amazon US. http://www.amazon.com/Asus-XONAR-U7-Xonar-USB-Soundkarte/dp/B00CP53ML2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385525419&sr=8-1&keywords=xonar+u7
I actually contacted ASUS support and they said Xonar U7 is not on the list of products offered in North America. As for the amazon US – the three merchants who are currently offering the cards are simply buying them abroad (they say they ship from Korea, Italy, and France) and resell for a higher price. The ASUS rep said the warranty won’t work in the US.
[…] A little EQing can do wonders though. I used the Dolby Digital Control Panel which comes with the ASUS Xonar U7 to EQ the frequencies and it produced surprisingly good results. The WS55s respond well to […]
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