Auzentech X-Fi Forte and Asus Xonar DS Sound Cards

Testing Xonar DS

Setup/Software
Setting up the Xonar is very simple, install the card in the system and then install the Asus driver. After a reboot we can open the Xonar DS Audio Centre and configure the card to our requirements. The software is well laid out and easy to understand with all of the major settings available on the main screen.

MP3
Our MP3 test uses a 128kbps rip of Bat Out of Hell from the remastered edition CD. When listening to this low bitrate file we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of audio produced by the Xonar DS. There was plenty of bass where required and the vocals were a highlight, always remaining very clear in the mix.

CD
Our second test uses the BattleStar Galactica Season One CD and a track called The Shape of Things to Come. With a lossless source the enjoyable listening experience we had on the first test continues. The Xonar provides us with plenty of detail and while it does not quite have the sparkle of a higher priced card the quality is noticeable better than low end soundcards such as the X-Fi Xtreme Audio.

Gaming - Call of Duty World at War and Left 4 Dead
The two titles used in our gaming test offer two different approaches to surround gaming audio. Call of Duty has a much more action packed soundscape with large explosions, plenty of voice action and bullets which zip around the game environment. Left 4 Dead is a much quieter title where listening for the footfalls of approaching zombies is paramount to ensuring hordes of undead can be dispatched before attacking.

When playing both games it was clear that the Xonar DS is was providing a level of quality which was above that expected of a budget card. Positional audio was good and we were able to locate sounds within the game environment with ease. Where the card did struggle a little was in more intense battle scenes during our Call of Duty session. When numerous explosions took place from various angles the sound became a little muddy resulting in a sound which slightly detracted from the realism of the game.

Movie
To test the performance of this product in a home theatre environment we used the Children of Men Blu-Ray. This movie has several action sequences which give our home cinema equipment a real work-out as well as several sections which are very much dialogue driven. Using the digital output on the Xonar DS we were once again impressed by the quality which can be achieved by a card in such a low price bracket. Dialogue was clear during the majority of our tests and positional audio/ambient sound always felt quite natural. Like the gaming test there was slight loss of clarity in sequences which were packed with a number of loud explosions but overall the card performed well.