Asus Xonar DG SI User manual

Xonar DG SI
PCI 7.1 & Headphone Amp Audio Card
User manual

ii
E11103
First Edition (V2)
November 2015
Copyright © 2015 ASUSTeK Computer Inc. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any
means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written
permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY
DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE,
AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO
RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS
MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the
owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.

iii
Contents
Notices......................................................................................................... iv
Safety information ....................................................................................... v
Trademarks .................................................................................................. v
License ......................................................................................................... v
1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 1
1.1 Package contents .............................................................. 1
1.2 System requirements ......................................................... 1
1.3 Specications summary ..................................................... 1
2. Xonar DG SI card layout................................................................. 3
3. Installing the hardware................................................................... 5
3.1 Installing the audio card ..................................................... 5
3.2 Connecting to a TV tuner card ........................................... 6
4. Driver Installation............................................................................ 7
5. Connecting speakers and peripherals.......................................... 9
5.1 Connecting digital speaker systems (Home Theater) ........ 9
5.2 Connecting stereo headphones ....................................... 10
5.3 Connecting Analog Speaker Systems ............................. 12
5.4 Connecting microphone ................................................... 17
5.5 Connecting Line-In audio sources ................................... 18
6. Xonar Audio Center ...................................................................... 19
6.1 Xonar Audio Center GUI .................................................. 19
6.2 Main Setting ..................................................................... 21
6.3 Mixer/Volume ................................................................... 28
6.4 Effects .............................................................................. 31
6.5 Karaoke............................................................................ 33
6.6 FlexBass .......................................................................... 35
6.7 Smart Volume Normalization ........................................... 36
6.8 DS3D GX and DSP Modes .............................................. 38
6.9 VocalFX ........................................................................... 40
7. Troubleshooting and FAQs.......................................................... 43

iv
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 all ASUS products, consistent
with the Australian Consumer Law. For the latest product warranty details please
visit http://support.asus.com. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be
excluded under the Australian 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
us at http://support.asus.com

v
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.
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 x it by yourself. Contact a qualied 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 qualied
service technician or your retailer.
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. 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.

vi

1ASUS Xonar DG SI
1. Introduction
1.1 Package contents
• ASUS Xonar DG SI PCI audio card
1.2 System requirements
• One PCI 2.2 (or higher) compatible slot for the audio card
• Microsoft®Windows®10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / XP(32/64bit) / MCE2005
• Intel®Pentium® 4 1.4 GHz, AMD® Athlon 1400 CPU, or faster CPU
• 256 MB (or above) DRAM system memory
• 60 MB available HDD space for driver installation package
• CD-ROM drive (or DVD-ROM drive) for software installation
• High-quality headphones or powered analog speakers to enjoy the ultra-high
delity sound of the card
1.3 Specications summary
Items Description
Audio Performance
Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): Up to105dB
Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): 103dB
Output Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1kHz
(A-Weighted): Up to 0.0025% (-92dB)
Input Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1kHz
(A-Weighted): Up to 0.0022% (-93dB)
Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input ): <10Hz to 48kHz
Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage 1Vrms (3Vp-p)
Headphone Impedance Optimized for 32~150Ω
Bus Compatibility
PCI PCI v2.2 or above bus compatible
Main Chipset
Audio Processor C-Media CMI8786 High-Denition Sound Processor
D-A Converter of Digital Sources: Cirrus Logic CS4245*1 (104dB DNR, Max. 192KHz/24bit) / Cirrus Logic
CS4361*1 (103dB DNR, Max. 192KHz/24bit)
A-D Converter for Analog Inputs: Cirrus Logic CS4245*1 (104dB DNR, Max. 192KHz/24bit)
Sample Rate and Resolution
Analog Playback Sample Rate and Resolution 44.1K/48K/96KHz/192KHz @ 16/24bit for all channels
Analog Recording Sample Rate and Resolution 44.1K/48K/96KHz/192KHz @ 16/24bit
S/PDIF Digital Output 44.1K/48K/96KHz/192KHz @ 16/24bit, Dolby Digital, DTS, WMA-Pro
ASIO 2.2 Driver Support: 44.1K/48K/96KHz/192KHz @ 16/24bit
I/O Ports
Analog Output Jack: 3.50mm mini jack *3 (Front/Side/Center-Subwoofer)
(continued on the next page)

2ASUS Xonar DG SI
*Specications are subject to change without notice.
Analog Input Jack: 3.50mm mini jack *1 (Line-In/Mic-In)
Other line-level analog input (for CD-IN/TV Tuner):Aux-In (4-pin header on the card)
Digital S/PDIF Output High-bandwidth Optical Connector supports 192KHz/24bit
-additional SPDIF-out header for HDMI audio output
Front-Panel Audio Header Supports headphone jack-detection, automatically switch audio output from
back-panel to front
Driver Features
Operating System Windows®10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / XP(32/64bit) / MCE2005
Dolby®Headphone
Dolby Headphone technology allows you to listen to music, watch movies,
or play games with the dramatic 5.1-channel surround or realistic 3D
spacious effects through any set of stereo headphones.
DirectSound3D Game Extensions 2.5 (DS3D GX
2.5)/DirectX
DS3D GX 2.5.0 supports EAX gaming sound effects and DirectSound 3D
hardware enhanced functions on Windows 7. (DirectX/DirectSound 3D
compatible)
Smart Volume NormalizerTM Normalizes the volume of all audio sources into a constant level and also
enhances your 3D sound listening range and advantages in gaming
VocalFXTM
The latest vocal effect technologies for gaming and VoIP, including:
- VoiceEX: produces vivid environmental reverberation for your voice in
EAX games
- ChatEX: emulates different background environment effects when you
chat online
- Magic Voice: changes your voice pitch to different types (Monster/
Cartoon…) for disguising your real voice or just for fun in online
chatting
Karaoke Functions
Music Pitch-Shifting, Vocal Cancellation, and Microphone Echo effects
with Stereo Mix recording (Wave and Mic-in) for online Karaoke or online
DJ applications
FlexBassTM Professional Bass Management/Enhancement system
Xear 3DTM Virtual Speaker Shifter Adjustable virtual 7.1-speaker positioning
Other Effects 10-band Equalizer/27 Environment Effects
3D Gaming Sound Engines/APIs
Windows®8: DirectSound3D®GX 2.5, EAX®2.0&1.0, DirectSound®HW,
DirectSound SW, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D sounds
processing capability
Windows®7: DirectSound3D®GX 2.5, EAX®2.0&1.0, DirectSound®HW,
DirectSound SW, A3D®1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D
sounds processing capability
Windows®XP: DirectSound3D®GX 2.5, EAX®2.0&1.0, DirectSound®HW,
DirectSound SW, A3D®1.0, OpenAL generic modes, 128 3D
sounds processing capability

3ASUS Xonar DG SI
2. Xonar DG SI card layout
1
2
3
4
5
Audio ports
1
2
3
4
5
67 8
For details on using these audio ports, refer to the section Connecting
speakers and peripherals.

4ASUS Xonar DG SI
No Item Description
1
Microphone In port Connect your external PC microphone to this 3.5mm port for
voice input. Built-in high-quality Microphone pre-amplier.
Line In port
Connect analog devices like MP3 players, CD players,
music synthesizers and other line-level sound sources to this
3.5mm port for audio recording or processing.
2Headphone/Front
Out port
Connect your headphones or 2/2.1 channel speakers to this
3.5mm port. For multi-channel speaker systems, connects to
the front left/right input on the powered speakers.
3Side Surround Out
port
Connects to the surround channel input on 4/4.1/5.1/6.1/7.1
powered analog speakers.
4Center/Subwoofer
Out port
Connects to the center/subwoofer input on 5.1/6.1/7.1
powered analog speakers.
5
Rear/Back Surround
Out port
Connects to the Back surround input on 6.1/7.1 powered
analog speakers.
S/PDIF Out port
Optical TOSLINK digital output port. Connects to external
digital decoder or digital speaker systems, Home Theater
systems, AV receivers for outputting digital audio including
PCM, DTS Digital, DTS, WMA-Pro, etc.
6Front panel audio
header
9-pin Intel AC’97 / HDA front-panel which supports audio
jack-detection and audio FP Headphone selection for Analog
Out on the Audio Center.
7 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’s recording mixer.)
8 S/PDIF Out header Connects to the graphics card with HDMI support.

5ASUS Xonar DG SI
3. Installing the hardware
3.1 Installing the audio card
Before you proceed with the following installation steps, disable your onboard
audio device in your BIOS settings, or uninstall any other audio cards on your
PC. For BIOS setting or uninstallation of other sound cards, refer to the user
manuals of your motherboard and audio card.
Installing the Xonar DG SI card
1. Power OFF the computer, the monitor, and all other peripheral devices
connected to your computer.
2. Unplug the computer power cord from your computer and power outlet.
3. Touch the metal back or side panel of your computer to avoid static electricity.
4. Remove the chassis cover.
5. Remove the metal bracket from an available PCI slot for the Xonar DG SI
audio card.
6. Carefully insert the audio card into the PCI slot. Ensure the audio card sits
properly in place.
7. Secure the audio card with screws and the metal bracket.
8. Put back the chassis cover.
9. Reconnect all cables.
10. Plug the power cord to your computer and to a power outlet.
11. Power ON your computer.
12

6ASUS Xonar DG SI
3.2 Connecting to a TV tuner card
1. If you have a traditional PCI TV tuner card on your PC, you may need to
connect it to the Xonar DG SI card to send the tuner card’s sound to your PC
speakers.
2. Secure the PCI TV tuner card and screw it into the back-panel.
3. Connect the audio output header from the TV tuner card to the Aux-In header
of the Xonar DG SI card.
For optimum TV audio quality, Xonar DG SI uses ADC recording to digitize the
signal and loops it back to DAC playback. Select Aux-In as the recording source
in the Xonar DG SI 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 Dolby Headphone to expand the stereo TV audio to 5.1
channel surround sound in any set of headphones. TV audio on your PC will
become even better than on your TV set.

7ASUS Xonar DG SI
4. Driver Installation
Installing the card driver
Ensure that you have installed the audio card driver before installing the Xonar
DG SI driver. Otherwise, driver installation error may occur.
1. After you have installed the Xonar DG SI card, turn on your computer.
Windows®automatically detects the audio card and searches for device
drivers. When prompted for the drivers, click Cancel.
2. Download the driver from ASUS support website. Open the driver folder and
run setup.exe.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to nish the installation.

8ASUS Xonar DG SI

9ASUS Xonar DG SI
5. Connecting speakers and peripherals
5.1 Connecting digital speaker systems (Home Theater)
The Xonar DG SI 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 digital audio from any of your
PC audio sources to any digital speakers or AV Receivers.
No Item Description
1 Optical adapter Plug an optical TOSLINK adapter into the S/PDIF-Out combo
connector.
2 Optical cable Connect your decoder’s S/PDIF-In port to the optical adapter
using the TOSLINK optical cable.
SPDIF Out
• 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.
• The optical TOSLINK adapter is purchased separately.
1
2

10 ASUS Xonar DG SI
5.2 Connecting stereo headphones
5.2.1 Connecting Stereo Headphones
No Item Description
1 Front Out/Headphone
Jack
The Front Out jack has a built-in high-quality amplier to
drive headphones. Connect your stereo headphones directly
to this jack.
1

11ASUS Xonar DG SI
5.2.2 Connecting 5.1 channel Headphones
1
2
3
No Item Description
1 Front Out Connect the front-channel 3.5mm plug of your 5.1
headphone into this jack.
2 Side Surround Out Connect the surround-channel 3.5mm plug of your 5.1
headphone into this jack.
3 Center/Subwoofer Out Connect the Center/Bass-channel 3.5mm plug of your 5.1
headphone into this jack.

12 ASUS Xonar DG SI
5.3 Connecting Analog Speaker Systems
5.3.1 Connecting Analog Power Amplier
1
2
3
No Item Description
1 Front Out Connects to the “left front” and “right front” input ports of the
analog amplier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.
2 Side Surround Out Connects to the “left surround” and “right surround” input
ports of the analog amplier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.
3 Center/Subwoofer Connects to the “Center” and “subwoofer” input ports of the
analog amplier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.

13ASUS Xonar DG SI
5.3.2 Connecting 2/2.1 channel speakers
No Item Description
1 Front Out/Headphone
Jack
Connect the 2/2.1 speaker set’s 3.5mm plug into this Front
Out jack.
1
2 Speakers
2.1 Speakers
1

14 ASUS Xonar DG SI
5.3.3 Connecting 4/4.1 Channel Speakers
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.
4 Speakers
4.1 Speakers
1
2
1
2