Skip to main content

Notice

Please note that most of the software linked on this forum is likely to be safe to use. If you are unsure, feel free to ask in the relevant topics, or send a private message to an administrator or moderator. To help curb the problems of false positives, or in the event that you do find actual malware, you can contribute through the article linked here.
Topic: [ASUS XONAR] Latest version induces noise when using DS output (Read 5212 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

[ASUS XONAR] Latest version induces noise when using DS output

Scenario A (problem):

1. Asus Xonar Essence STX sound card
2. Foobar2000 v1.1.14a
3. Output: DS primary sound driver
4. Put volume to minimum in foobar (-100dB)
5. Put amplifier volume to maximum
6. Press play on a song in foobar
7. HEAR TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF STATIC NOISE (song cannot be heard as volume is at -100dB)
8. Press stop in foobar, NOISE DISSAPEARS
9. If you move up the volume, you can start hearing the song, but with horrible noise
10. Volume of the noise is constant. It does not follow the volume control in foobar

Scenario B:

1. Asus Xonar Essence STX sound card
2. Foobar2000 v1.1.14a
3. Output: ASIO Xonar Essence STX
4. Put volume to minimum in foobar (-100dB)
5. Put amplifier volume to maximum
6. Press play on a song in foobar
7. HEAR ZERO NOISE, COMPLETE SILENCE (song cannot be heard as volume is at -100dB)
8. Press stop in foobar
9. If you move up the volume, you can start hearing the song, still with zero noise.

So, there is something wrong with foobar, it creates noise when using DS output.

I noticed that ASIO output sounded MUCH better than DS output so I tried to find out why.

DS output from foobar is full of horrible static noise.

I tried other music players, none exhibited problems of a similar kind.

My amplifier is dead silent, so hearing so much noise was quite surprising.

In the end, it was foobar creating it, not the amplifier.

Comments? 

[ASUS XONAR] Latest version induces noise when using DS output

Reply #1
OS was Windows 7 64 bit.

I have found the fix!

Go to Start menu -> Control Panel -> Sound -> Properties of Speakers Asus Xonar Essence STX -> Advanced -> 24 bit, 44100 Hz -> OK

Configuring Windows to use 24 bit output made DS output work as it should, with no noise at all.

[ASUS XONAR] Latest version induces noise when using DS output

Reply #2
Another example of blame your hideous Asus sound drivers, I guess.

[ASUS XONAR] Latest version induces noise when using DS output

Reply #3
I have a Xonar DG, on XP-32. I'll see if I can reproduce it.

For now, the fact that the card or the driver automatically limits/compresses audio above 50% of its main volume control is grating and a much bigger influence than any sort of low level noise.

[ASUS XONAR] Latest version induces noise when using DS output

Reply #4
Nope. Can't repro here. Same "hideous Asus sound drivers", obviously.

So that leaves the specifics of the STX card and the OS, which is not mentioned.

[ASUS XONAR] Latest version induces noise when using DS output

Reply #5
Nope. Can't repro here. Same "hideous Asus sound drivers", obviously.

So that leaves the specifics of the STX card and the OS, which is not mentioned.


OS was Windows 7 64 bit.

ASIO driver is really hideous. It crackles and pops whenever I scroll something in Chrome.

8GB of RAM and it crackles and pops...

Well, at least now it's working fine with non asio, if I ignore a wild rush of white noise that pierces speakers from time to time. 

Sound is really good, even compared with benchmark dac1 hdr (a bit lighter bass compared to DAC1).