Asus Xonar Xense User manual

Xonar Xense
Premium Gaming Audio Set
User Manual

ii
E5855
Revised Edition V1
May 2010
Copyright © 2010 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.......................................................................................................... v
Safety information ..................................................................................... vii
Trademarks................................................................................................. vii
License ....................................................................................................... vii
About this guide ....................................................................................... viii
Chapter 1: Product introduction
Package contents ........................................................................................ 1
System requirements .................................................................................. 1
Specications summary ............................................................................. 2
Xonar Xense card layout............................................................................. 5
Gaming headset........................................................................................... 6
Chapter 2: Getting started
Before you proceed..................................................................................... 7
Installing the audio card ............................................................................. 7
Connecting to a TV tuner card ................................................................... 9
Installing the audio card driver ................................................................ 10
Chapter 3: Connecting speakers and peripherals
Connecting analog speaker systems .......................................................11
Connecting the gaming headset ...............................................................11
Connecting Line-in audio sources........................................................... 12
Chapter 4: Xonar Xense Audio Center
Xonar Xense Audio Center ....................................................................... 13
Main Setting .................................................................................... 15
Mixer/Volume .................................................................................. 23
Effects ......................................................................................... 26
FlexBass ......................................................................................... 28
Smart Volume Normalization........................................................... 29
GX and DSP Modes........................................................................ 31

iv
Appendices: Troubleshooting and FAQs
Troubleshooting......................................................................................... 33
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ....................................................... 35
ASUS Contact information........................................................................ 37

v
Notices
REACH
Complying with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and
Restriction of Chemicals) regulatory framework, we published the chemical
substances in our products at ASUS REACH website at http://green.asus.com/
english/REACH.htm.
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.
• 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.
Caution: Any changes or modications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
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.

vi
Prohibition of Co-location
This device and its antenna(s) must not be co-located or operating in conjunction
with any other antenna or transmitter
Important:
Radiation Exposure Statement
This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for
an uncontrolled environment.End users must follow the specic operating
instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance. To maintain compliance with
FCC RF exposure compliance requirements, please follow operation instuction
as documented in this manual.
Safety Information
To maintain compliance with FCC’s RF exposure guidelines, this equipment should
be installed and operated with minimum distance 20cm between the radiator and
your body. Use on the supplied antenna.
Declaration of Conformity for R&TTE directive 1999/5/EC
Essential requirements – Article 3
Protection requirements for health and safety – Article 3.1a
Testing for electric safety according to EN 60950-1 has been conducted. These are
considered relevant and sufcient.
Protection requirements for electromagnetic compatibility – Article 3.1b
Testing for electromagnetic compatibility according to EN 301 489-1 and EN 301
489-17 has been conducted. These are considered relevant and sufcient.
Effective use of the radio spectrum – Article 3.2
Testing for radio test suites according to EN 300 328- 2 has been conducted.
These are considered relevant and sufcient.
CE Mark Warning
This is a Class B product, in a domestic environment, this product may cause radio
interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

vii
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.

viii
About this guide
This user guide contains the information you need when installing and conguring
the motherboard.
How this guide is organized
This guide contains the following parts:
• Chapter 1: Product introduction
This chapter describes the features of the Xonar Essense ST.
• Chapter 2: Getting started
This chapter tells how to install the audio card and its driver.
• Chapter 3: Connecting speakers and peripherals
This chapter tells how to connect the speakers and peripherals to the audio
card.
• Chapter 4: Xonar Xense Audio Center
This chapter provides information on the Xonar Audio Center, which is the
graphics user interface (GUI) of the audio card driver.
Where to nd more information
Refer to the following sources for additional information and for product and
software updates.
1. ASUS websites
The ASUS website provides updated information on ASUS hardware and
software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.
2. Optional documentation
Your product package may include optional documentation, such as warranty
yers, that may have been added by your dealer. These documents are not
part of the standard package.
Conventions used in this guide
To ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following
symbols used throughout this manual.
DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when
trying to complete a task.
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when
trying to complete a task.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a task.
IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task.

1ASUS Xonar Xense
Package contents
• Xonar™ Xense Premium Gaming Audio Card x 1
• Sennheiser PC350-Xense Gaming Headset x 1
• 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter x 1
• Audio splitter cable x 1
• Driver CD x 1
• S/PDIF TOSLINK optical adapter x 1
• Quick Start Guide x 1
System requirements
• One PCI Express 1.0 (or higher) compatible slot for the audio card
• One available 4-pin peripheral power cable connector from your computer’s
power supply unit
• Microsoft®Windows®Vista/Win 7(32/64bit)/XP(32/64bit)/MCE2005
• Intel®Pentium® 4 1.4GHz or AMD Athlon 1400 CPU or faster CPU
• 256 MB (or higher) DRAM system memory
• 60 MB (or higher) available HDD space for driver installation package
• CD-ROM drive (or DVD-ROM drive) for software installation
• High-quality headphones, powered analog speakers, or a Dolby Digital
decoder, to enjoy the ultra-high delity sound
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
Chapter 1
Product introduction

2 ASUS Xonar Xense
Specications summary
(continued on the next page)
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Audio Performance
Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-
Weighted)
118dB for Front channel of Line-out
112dB for other channels of Line-out
110dB for Headphone-out with 600ohm load
Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-
Weighted)
118dB
Output Total Harmonic Distortion +
Noise at 1kHz (-3dB)
0.00039% (-108dB) for Front channel of Line-out
0.00063% (-102dB) for other channels of Line-out
0.0019% (-94dB) for Headphone-out with 600ohm
load
Input Total Harmonic Distortion +
Noise at 1kHz (-3dB)
0.0003% (-110dB) for Line-in
Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-
bit/96kHz format)
<10Hz to 46KHz
Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage 2 Vrms (5.65 Vp-p)
Headphone Output Full-Scale
Voltage
Up to 6.8Vrms (supports headphones with up to
600ohms impedance)
Bus Compatibility
PCI Express
PCI Express Rev.1.0a specication compatible
Maximum full 2.5Gbps bandwidth per direction
and optimized latency for high-denition audio
processing
Compatible with X1, X4, X8, X16 PCI Express slots
Sample Rate and Resolution
Analog Playback Sample Rate and
Resolution
44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
Analog Recording Sample Rate
and Resolution
44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
S/PDIF Digital Output 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit, Dolby Digital
Main Chipset
Audio Processor ASUS AV100 High-Denition Sound Processor (Max.
192KHz/24bit)