Asus Xonar U3 USB Soundcard Review (compared with FiiO E10 & M17 stock)

Work In Progress Pictures forthcoming

First off I should be honest and tell you that I am not an Audiophile in the truest sense of the word. I played the saxaphone in high school, but I was a mediocore player at best, only toward my senior year could I really tell if my instrument was flat or sharp. I would say my ear is better than most, but not as good as some, especially considering the large number of trained reviewers on the internet.

Testing equipment:
Laptop: Alienware M17xR3
Headphones: Audio Technica ATH-AD700
Soundcards: Asus Xonar U3 USB & FiiO E10 USB DAC
Player: Media Monkey 4.0
Source: Varriable BitRate Mp3 encoded w/EAC(Lame) @ 192-224 bitrate (which most sources conclude to be transparent and near loseless in quality).
For gaming I played Battlefield 3.

Box Photos

Spoiler

The Asus Xonar U3 is a new USB soundcard from Asus that retails for roughly $40. It is comparable to the Creative X-Fi USB 1095, Creative X-Fi Go, and many other USB soundcards. It has an output for stereo headphones/speakers, a microphone input, and the output can be setup for SPDIF/Optical with an included adapter. This enables full support of Dolby Digital Live (which makes the U3 the cheapest way to enable in game surround sound optical audio on a laptop). The U3 can be set as a 7.1 channel audio device within Windows 7.

U3 and E10 side by Side

Spoiler

The software/driver package on the U3 is very easy to install. The software supports all the standard mixer options, and has multiple preset DSP profiles (Digital Signal Processing) including Dolby Headphone (which is probably why you are buying this headset), Music, Gaming, Movie, and HiFi (which disables all processing and plays the music as close as possible to the original format, this is the mode that was used for all music playing tests).

In short, the Xonar U3 sounds noticeably better than the stock Alienware integrated audio. Instruments or easier to tell apart, and things that could not be heard before become audible. But if you are reading this you are probably more concerned with how it compares to the FiiO E10 USB DAC. The FiiO E10 is a new DAC which was released in November 2011. It has been well received by reviewers, many of whom have stated it is equal to or better than the NuForce Udac-2. I cannot comment on the Udac-2, but I can say the FiiO E10 is a nice piece of equipment. It is very small, about the size of late 90s pocket pager (sorry for those of you who cannot remember those), roughly 1/2-2/3 the size of a pack of cigarettes. The E10 sounds great and if you are into stereo audio I would highly recommend it.

The Xonar U3 is smaller than the E10, but not significantly so. It roughly 2-3x the size of most USB thumb drives, in fact I would call it a super sized or fat thumb drive. It has no external switches, and I consider this to be a plus since I prefer the hot keys on my Alienware. The USB plug has a nice cover on it for traveling which is especially convenient for me since I keep my laptop in a bag most of the time.

The software for the U3 is easy to use and for the most part very intuitive. You select your output source, which is probably headphones, and the software does the rest. The quick DSP buttons in the software enable you to easily switch from Gaming or Movie mode (both of which activate Dolby Headphone) and HiFi mode (no processing). The only thing I don’t like about the software is that doesn’t offer quick DSP switching like the Creative Software suite did. Creative X-Fi motherboard and 1095 software enables you to right click on the icon in the system tray, and quickly enable CMSS-3D, Crystalizer, or other effects. To change effects on the U3, you must open the icon, and then select the new DSP, and then re-minimize the software, which adds 2 mouse clicks.

Software Suite Photo

Spoiler

Sound wise the U3 is a strong performer for $40. I found it to be very similar to the FiiO E10, with the E10 having a very small almost unperceivable advantage. I listened to many albums over and over through the two. The highlights were the Tron Legacy Soundtrack (my only FLAC recording), Information Society: Synthesizer, Metallica: Black Album, Last of the Mohicans Soundtack, and 1492 Conquest of Paradise soundtrack. On all of them the U3 held it’s own against the E10, especially considering it costs ½ as much. The E10 did appear to be a tiny bit clearer, but in all honesty, I don’t think I could tell the two apart in a blind test.

In gaming the U3 is a real standout. I know many people think virtual 3D audio is a hoax, but I am not one of those people (see Wikipedia Head Related Transfer Function). Science has shown that some people cannot benefit from virtual 3D audio, their ears are either two sensitive or to insensitive to perceive the spatial changes. Perhaps all of the critics are those kinds of people. Anyhow I think virtual surround sound, when done well, is excellent. I have used the Logitech G35 headphones (which use Dolby Headphone) and the Creative X-Fi motherboard software CMSS-3D both extensively. In my opinion they both offer convincing surround sound effects, with the Dolby Headphone being the better of the two. I have also tried Steel Series Siberia USB sound card which offers virtual surround, and it was total junk in my opinion since it didn’t help me localize sounds at all.

When gaming, the U3 and Dolby Headphone software really brought my ATH-AD700 headphones to life. Although positional effects through the stereo E10 were good, the U3 was better. When playing Battlefield 3 with the E10, I could easily hear a helicopter fly around me and tell it’s location, but with the U3&Dolby Headphone enabled, the sound was much easier to pinpoint and the transitional (left to right) effects where much better. The best way to describe it would be to say that when using the E10, a sound was clearly coming from the left or right channel. But with the U3 left and right seem to disappear, instead sound comes from all directions, and the direction of the source is more readily apparent. I find this effect way cool and it helps me a lot in locating enemies. The only downside of this is that frontal sounds seem to come from slightly above you, but it is still easily discernable form what is “behind” you. Describing these things is difficult and results may vary depending on your ears and preferences. However, if you are looking for Virtual Surround Sound, and considering the E10 and other USB DACs don’t offer it at all, the U3 is a clear winner, since it enables you to turn any stereo headphone into a Dolby Headphone surround headset.

The U3 does have a few draw backs. I noticed it sometimes looses the right headphone channel if I bump my headphones incorrectly. Removing and reinserting the USB card fixed it every time. Additionally the U3 is prone to static sounds more frequently than the FiiO E10 was. If I drag my headphone wires across my desk using the E10, I would rarely if ever get a static sound, but with U3, it does happen occasionally. It is hardly a problem, but it is nuisance never the less. I should also note that the U3 comes with a USB extension cord that I have not used (because I wasn't sure if I would keep it the card and didn't want to remove the cord from the package). It is possible that the extension cord could help reduce by static by preventing movement at the USB port.

Conclusion: The U3 offers good to very good music performance, and excellent gaming audio performance. For $40, it is a real steal in my opinion. It should satisfy all but the most dedicated audio enthusiast. When compared to the Creative X-Fi USB 1095, the U3 offers nearly identical features for less money, and Dolby Headphone is superior IMHO to CMSS-3D. The only benefit to the 1095 is the 5.1 analog outputs, which are a total headache anyway. I will be returning my FiiO E10 and saving $40 thanks to the U3.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Small
• Excellent Sound when compared with a USB DAC, especially considering the price.
• Easy to use.
• Dolby Headphone is awesome at 3D virtual surround sound, if you are into that sort of thing.

Cons:

• Occasional static sounds and loss of right speaker channel with headphone cord movement.
• Not as good sounding as the E10 but close enough for me.

 

Very nice review Valkerie! + Rep, Just wish it would have had more connectivity like the Creative 1095.(Namely 5.1 3.5mm/optical output)

I think you meant this the other way around as well.

 

Thanks Mkelliny

I reworded the part you quoted to try and get my thoughts across better.

The U3 does support optical 5.1 audio like the 1095, but it requires an adapter. Really the only difference I see is the 5.1 analog (4 wire) outputs. Of

If you want to hook a laptop up to a receiver, or an Astro Mixamp, then the 1095 and U3 are definitely your best choices.

 

I would definitely agree. I just wish they made more full fledged sound card's rather than just DACS. I mean like an ASUS Xonar Dx in a case like the SB1095. Even if the case was big I would be in love. lol, Speaking of love. I really love my uDAC2 + AD700 combo for music, and my SB 1095 + TB HPA2 w/ the new TB Z6a amp for games and movies. I wonder how the U3 and the E10 compare to the uDAC2?

 

I have a related question for anyone - has anyone compared the Dolby Headphone implementation in the U3 against the ST/STX?

Because the latter sucks.

 

What is the ST/STX? Soundblaster TacticX?

 

ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Multimedia- ASUS Xonar Essence STX

I'd hoped the fact that it's made by Asus might be a clue.

 

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