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Add to SafariWhen comparing ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 vs Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX, the Slant community recommends Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX for most people. In the question“What are the best PC sound cards around $100?” Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX is ranked 2nd while ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX is:
This is a low-profile PCI-E card and comes with both a standard PCI bracket as well as a low-profile one. This makes the sound card really easy to fit in many PC builds, including HTPCs which sometimes can only accommodate low profile cards.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Supports 7.1 or 5.1 surround sound
This sound card has connectors that can accomodate 5.1 surround sound speaker setups. Asus offers software which allows for virtual 7.1 surround sound for enhanced audio immersion over 5.1 surround.
Pro Produces clear audio with minimal distrotion
The audio from this sound card is clean and with very little distortion. Sound is also much fuller compared to many low-end on-board audio solutions.
Pro Audio connectors should last a long time
The analog audio connectors in this soundcard are gold plated. Not only does this promote efficient signal transfer, but these connectors do not rust over time, improving their longevity.
Pro Can easily fit in most PC builds
The sound card comes in a half-height PCI-E form factor. Also, a low-profile I/O bracket is included, making this sound card much easier to fit in compact HTPC computers.
Pro Compatible with Linux
This is a good sound card option if you are on Linux. Asus has proper Linux drivers for this sound card.
Pro Can easily fit in compact HTPC setups
This is a low-profile PCI-E card and comes with both a standard PCI bracket as well as a low-profile one. This makes the sound card really easy to fit in many PC builds, including HTPCs which sometimes can only accommodate low profile cards.
Pro May improve sound over older on-board audio chips
This is a great budget solution if you are having distortion or other audio problems with your on-board audio. The Audigy FX produces rich sound with very minimal distortion.
Pro Can power high impedance headphones
Most headphones will be able to output adequate volume levels and good audio quality with this soundcard. The headphone out can provide enough power even for 600 ohm headphones, and can be a significant upgrade over your motherboard's headphone output.
Pro Supports 5.1 speaker setups
This soundcard has the necessary analog out connectors for a 5.1 surround sound speaker system.
Cons
Con Cannot power high impedance headphones
This sound card does not have a headphone amp so high impedance headphones may have less-than-optimal sound quality and low volume output.
Con Requires additional power
You will need to connect a floppy-drive cable from your power supply to this sound card for adequate power. This can be an annoyance and can add cable clutter inside your computer.
Con No separate connector for S/PDIF
The S/PDIF is connected to the shared line/mic-in with a separate adapter, which could be a problem for people wanting to use both digital and analog devices simultaneously.
Con May not be an upgrade over some motherboard audio solutions
The Audigy FX's feature set is quite basic, and some on-board solutions from higher end motherboards may already have similar, if not better features/audio quality.
