Which sound card is right for me? The Asus Xonar DX or the Sound Blaster Z

[ProtoflareX]

I recently decided upon purchasing a mid-tier 2.0 audio system and a sound card in order to solve a slight issue with my onboard sound. However, I need help determining which of the sound cards mentioned in the title is the better choice for me. I have provided some information below that will hopefully prove useful. If there is any other information that is necessary, just ask.


*I do an equal amount of gaming and listening to music, though I would place a slight priority on the quality of music over the sounds of games.

*I don't play games competitively, so I would be willing to sacrifice the ability to hear sounds that give advantages in competitive games in order to increase the quality of music.

*I will be using the speakers almost exclusively, I very, very rarely use headphones.

*I will be adding in a dedicated subwoofer eventually in order to create a 2.1 system.

 

[Joshua_32]

Cards are pretty much equal, only up side to the Asus is it has 7.1 channels compared to 5.1. They are both highly regarded cards with the same reviews. Go for whichever you want, will be minimal, if any difference.

 

[ProtoflareX]

Cards are pretty much equal, only up side to the Asus is it has 7.1 channels compared to 5.1. They are both highly regarded cards with the same reviews. Go for whichever you want, will be minimal, if any difference.

Since you're more knowledgeable than me on the matter, I'd still rather go by your recommendation. If you were in my situation and had to pick one, which would you choose?

 

[Joshua_32]

The Asus, its more popular so I assume it's better. Has more channels too and looks nicer imo.

 

[ProtoflareX]

The Asus, its more popular so I assume it's better. Has more channels too and looks nicer imo.

Alright, I'll look into the ASUS. Thank you for your help.

 

[ssddx]

xonar dx has the best price/performance ratio for speakers as it has the same DAC as in the $200+ stx but is only about $80. its amplifier is not strong but with speakers thats a non issue and in fact you dont want a strong amp for use with speakers.

given your tight budget of $150 though, it might be worth spending less on a soundcard and spending more on the speakers unless you upped your budget a bit to compensate.

the z is not a bad choice either, but the dac is better in the dx and you really did not need the headphone amp of the z.

 

[ProtoflareX]

xonar dx has the best price/performance ratio for speakers as it has the same DAC as in the $200+ stx but is only about $80. its amplifier is not strong but with speakers thats a non issue and in fact you dont want a strong amp for use with speakers.

given your tight budget of $150 though, it might be worth spending less on a soundcard and spending more on the speakers unless you upped your budget a bit to compensate.

the z is not a bad choice either, but the dac is better in the dx and you really did not need the headphone amp of the z.

You're right; after calculating the cost of the xonar as well as the speakers I've chosen, it seems like I'll have to increase the budget by about $30, which I'm willing to do. Once again, thank you for your assistance.