Asus xonar u3 has toslink output. Reviews for Asus Xonar U3

Sometimes it happens that a laptop or netbook needs to be used in a new role. For example, as a media center for playing audio and video files with good acoustics or listening to your favorite songs using Hi-Fi headphones. In the presence of a sound card with very mediocre capabilities, which is not so rare for budget equipment, there are quite natural doubts about the quality of the sound received. It is in such situations that an external sound card can come to the rescue.

It is positioned by the manufacturer as a Hi-Fi-class solution specifically for a laptop. Indeed, on stationary PCs, the issue of high-quality sound is not so acute. There is a wide range of devices on the market that are suitable for any task. With portable computers, everything is much more complicated, because they have an extremely limited list of ports for connecting third-party devices. ASUS Xonar U3 connects via USB, which gives you flexibility in use, while its compact size allows you to take it with you on any trip.

Specification

Model name
Audio Specifications	Output Signal to Noise Ratio (Front Out)
	THD+N input/output at 1 kHz (Front output)
	Sampling Rate (-3dB, 16bit/48kHz input)	20 Hz to 20 kHz
Connection interface
Audio processor		ASUS UA100 USB Audio Chip
Sampling frequency and audio bit depth of analog playback/recording		48 kHz @ 16 bit
Inputs/outputs		2 x 3.5mm audio jacks
Peculiarities		Dolby Technologies (Dolby Digital Live/Dolby Headphone/Dolby Virtual Speaker/Dolby Pro-Logic II) Smart Volume Normalizer Xear 3D Virtual Speaker Shifter Karaoke Functions 10-band Equalizer 27 Environment Effects GX 2.5 Game Audio Engine
Equipment		Driver CD S/PDIF adapter USB extension cable documentation
Compatible OS		Windows XP / Vista / 7 (32 / 64-bit)
		79.5 x 30.6 mm

The characteristics of the sound card cannot be called impressive. If you look at the "older brothers" in the line, it is easy to see that her capabilities are somewhat more modest than theirs. It uses an in-house audio processor that only supports resolutions up to 16 bits and sample rates up to 48 kHz (standard audio definition). However, the USB connection allows the ASUS Xonar U3 to be used as an alternative for systems where there is no other audio upgrade option. The abundance of supported technologies will allow most owners to enjoy the resulting sound, while proprietary software will provide easy and quick setup of the audio card to perform the tasks.

Packaging and equipment

The sound card is delivered in a cardboard box. The design is not much different from the previously reviewed ASUS Xonar D-KARAX audio card, which indicates its continuity for ASUS Xonar products. This is also reported by the stylized "molecular" letter "X".

The front side of the package shows the name of the model and its key features that can distinguish ASUS Xonar U3 from other devices of this class:

headphone amplifier realizes improved bass quality and sound detail;
Dolby Home Theater delivers quality surround sound;
the presence of GX2.5 gives realistic sound effects;
Hi-Fi class sound (thanks to the exclusive Hyper Grounding technology, the audio signal is separated from noise sources).

And, of course, the key one is pocket size, which will allow you to take a sound card with you, including on a trip.

On the back side there is a brief specification of the device, equipment, as well as the main contact details of the manufacturer. The system requirements for the PC on which you plan to use the ASUS Xonar U3 can be described as low. The main condition is actually the presence of at least one USB port. Therefore, by and large, we can easily assume that any PC (laptop or netbook) is able to “pull” this device without any problems for the overall system performance. As for the OS, the developers note compatibility only with the Microsoft Windows family.

On the sides, the manufacturer duplicates the main advantages of the device in various languages.

The packaging itself is made in the style of expensive premium devices.

The front panel folds up and under it you can see in some detail the appearance of the audio card, as well as evaluate its dimensions. On the spread, the manufacturer duplicates the advantages of ASUS Xonar U3. The key thesis is the proposal to turn your laptop into a Hi-Fi center for listening to music, watching videos, playing games and voice communication.

There is a white sticker on the bottom side face, which contains a traditional barcode, serial number and sound card model name.

ASUS Xonar U3 comes with a CD with proprietary software, a user manual, a small USB cable and an S/PDIF adapter.

The first thing that catches your eye when examining the ASUS Xonar U3 is its dimensions. The sound card really takes up little space and is commensurate with a regular flash drive or USB modem. The glossy black plastic provides a stylish look, especially when paired with a silver speaker-shaped grille. The only nuance is the soiled surface. It collects fingerprints extremely quickly, so you should take this fact into account during operation.

To protect the USB plug, the audio card has a cap that is securely attached to it with a strong nylon cord. Perhaps someone will consider such a solution old-fashioned or not aesthetic, but thanks to him, the owner will never lose the cover, as often happens with flash drives of this design.

To connect headphones and a microphone, 3.5 mm mini-jack connectors are used, which are located at the end. Connecting any traditional device to ASUS Xonar U3, designed to work with a PC, will not cause any problems.

On the front and back surfaces are indicated: the manufacturer, series and model of the audio card. Upon acquaintance, the impression periodically crept in that the inscriptions were placed to a greater extent for decorative purposes, because in their absence, an impression of some emptiness and incompleteness would be created.

The strict design is slightly diluted with a blue LED-indication, which is hidden behind a decorative grille on the front side. In the daytime, most likely, you can not even pay attention to it, but at dusk and in a dark room, the light is already noticeable, while it should not cause any discomfort to the eyes.

When using this sound card with various portable equipment, it is quite possible that situations arise when adjacent USB connectors overlap due to the impressive width. It is for such cases that a complete USB extension cable will come in handy.

Testing

ASUS Xonar U3 capabilities were evaluated using the RightMark Audio Analyzer application package and the following equipment:

CPU	Intel Core i7-4770K (LGA1150, 3.5GHz, L3 8MB) Turbo Boost: enable C1E: enable
	Scythe Kama Angle Rev.B
Motherboard
RAM	2 x 4 GB DDR3-2400 TwinMOS TwiSTER 9DHCGN4B-HAWP
video card	Intel HD Graphics 4600
HDD	Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS, 500 GB, SATA-300, NCQ
optical drive	ASUS DRW-1814BLT SATA
power unit	Seasonic X-560 Gold (SS-560KM Active PFC)
	CODEGEN M603 MidiTower (2x 120mm fans for intake / exhaust)

Testing in operation mode 16-bit, 44 kHz.

frequency response

It is generally accepted that a quality audio component should reproduce all the necessary input signals without attenuation and attenuation in the frequency band. We see that distortions are still present, but they are relatively small and will be noticeable only by the most demanding customers. The most noticeable deviations will be to a lesser extent in the low-frequency range and high-frequency peaks.

Noise level

Dynamic Range

Harmonic distortion + noise (-3 dB)

This indicator characterizes the reliability and purity of the output audio signal, which is closely related to the quality of the sound adapter's functional blocks.

Intermodulation distortion

Intermodulation distortion (variable frequency)

Intermodulation distortion is unwanted amplitude modulation of signals containing two or more different frequencies in a non-linear system. In this case, certain distortions may occur in the high-frequency peaks.

Interpenetration of stereo channels

Overall result

Frequency response unevenness (in the range of 40 Hz - 15 kHz), dB
Noise level, dB (A)
Dynamic range, dB (A)
Harmonic distortion, %		Very good
Harmonic distortion + noise, dB(A)
Intermodulation distortion + noise, %
Interpenetration of channels, dB
Intermodulation at 10 kHz, %
Overall score		Fine

Well, the sound card in an unbiased benchmark has earned an overall rating of "Good". That is, it is comparable in terms of the quality of the reproduced sound with the integrated audio codecs in the motherboards of stationary PCs of the middle price range. According to the results obtained, it seems to be preferable to most of the integrated audio codecs in inexpensive laptops / netbooks. Thus, buyers who want to find a replacement for them can consider the ASUS Xonar U3 as an alternative to the existing solution.

The ASUS UA100 chip only supports 16-bit 48 kHz operation, that is, standard audio mode. Unfortunately, in this regard, this audio card can be considered as an alternative only for obsolete or low-power options that are not able to reveal the capabilities of the connected audio device. Thanks to the ASUS Xonar U3 amplifier, it will “make” audio devices with an impedance of 64 ohms sound. As for the chosen chip, the developers can only be justified by the low cost of the device. At the time of this writing, the price was at $45, which is not that much.

proprietary software

As in the case with the previously reviewed ASUS Xonar D-KARAX, the set comes with proprietary software, with which you can fine-tune the sound card and fully appreciate its potential.

If you have already come across a utility for ASUS Xonar sound cards, then there will be absolutely no problems, because the functionality and basic controls, if not identical, are very close.

If necessary, you can select the number of sound channels, and you can also choose to automatically turn on / off Dolby Headphone when you connect the appropriate equipment.

As in any other utility of this purpose, there is an equalizer with the ability to adjust all kinds of effects and sound reverb. Additionally, it is worth noting that with the help of the complete utility, you can perform voltage adjustment, due to which the owner will not feel a lack of power. Indeed, for devices with an impedance of 32 ohms and 64 ohms, the requirements for the sound source will be different. Therefore, a detailed setting of the operating mode will allow you to get the most complete return and enjoyment from using the ASUS Xonar U3 audio card. The entire range of settings is described in great detail in the supplied instructions.

conclusions

As a result of acquaintance with the sound card, it can be noted that the developers of the Taiwanese company managed to create a rather interesting device. The owner gets a compact solution that allows you to improve the integrated audio on a low-cost laptop or netbook, as well as get the ability to reproduce sound in those few systems that do not originally have this capability. In addition, it has a stylish design and is equipped with a universal USB port for connecting to the system, but there are still some nuances. Fingerprints are quite noticeable on black gloss, which can cause some discomfort to lovers of absolute purity. Although the performance of the ASUS UA100 audio processor is sufficient to play audio in standard mode, HD Audio is no longer supported. It is pleasant to note that the presence of an amplifier will allow you to use Hi-Fi-class headphones. The wide possibilities of the complete proprietary utility will allow you to unlock the potential of the audio card to the full, but, unfortunately, no settings can be made at the hardware level.

Thus, we can conclude that ASUS Xonar U3 can quite successfully occupy the niche of devices for mobile technology or mini-computers.

Advantages:

compact dimensions;
stylish design;
the presence of a USB connection;
headphone amplifier;
wide functionality of the complete software;
good sound.

Peculiarities:

branded surface of the case.

Flaws:

lack of hardware control;
support only 16-bit audio with a sampling rate of 48 kHz.

We express our gratitude to the Ukrainian representative office of the companyASUS for the sound card provided for testing.

We are grateful to companiesAMD , asus, Intel , SeaSonic AndTwinMOS Technologies for the equipment provided for the test bench.

All prices for Asus+Xonar+U3

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Sound plays a very important role in everyday life. With their help, we navigate in space, communicate, relax and learn. So is music, because it allows us to escape from reality, relax our souls and calm down. Agree, if you watch a movie with poor sound quality or listen to music through weak speakers, then often there is dissatisfaction from wasted time. Therefore, to achieve the maximum effect, the sound must be not only high-quality, but also voluminous, so that we can completely dissolve in the melody and feel it.

Often, in laptops and netbooks of a budget class, manufacturers save on speakers, less often on sound adapters, and users have to additionally purchase not the cheapest sound equipment in order to listen to music without grinding their teeth. But this is just one of the solutions to the problem. In addition to buying external speakers, you can also simply replace the sound card with a more suitable one in terms of parameters. But this applies mainly to system units, because it will be problematic to replace it in a laptop. And in this case, the situation can be quite elegantly "resolved" by purchasing an external sound card. ASUS developed and released Xonar U3 audio adapter, which will not only provide high quality sound, but will also be a pleasant surprise for you.

Design and General Specifications

Many users now carry a flash drive instead of a key fob, some originals add a non-working memory card or video card to this, and with the advent of the new Xonar U3, you can conveniently attach an audio adapter as well. In appearance, this device looks like a plump flash drive with speakers. Although these are not speakers at all, but just a snag, because they do not reproduce sound and serve only as indicators of the card's operation. But such an original design immediately makes it clear that this device is designed to work with sound and nothing else.

Small size, only 8 by 3 centimeters, and lightness (25 grams) XonarU3 will allow you to carry it with you everywhere and always. This portable sound card is not only easy to use, but also convenient to carry. The case is made of black glossy plastic, and the company logo is applied in gray. The only drawback is fingerprints, which inevitably appear on glossy surfaces. Although, if you are a criminalist, you can determine from these prints who used the card in your absence.

The presence of a cover significantly increases the chances of this card to live without breakdowns for a long time. And so that the lid is not lost, the developers came up with the idea of fastening it to the case with a string. This is a very good and sound idea, because if the cover is lost, then the chances of the Xonar U3 surviving with active use are slim. There are two recesses on the front panel, covered with a silver mesh. At first glance, they resemble speakers, but in fact there are LED indicators.

Technical data

Sound card Xonar U3 based on the chipset UA100 from Asus and 24-bit processor C-Media CMI8786. At the same time, its sampling frequency is 48 kHz, and the maximum bit depth is 16 bits. Given that 100 dB is the signal-to-noise ratio, we can conclude that the sound quality produced by this baby is high.

In addition, an amplifier is integrated into this audio adapter, designed to connect headphones, the impedance of which does not exceed 150 ohms. This is a definite plus, because thanks to this addition, the transmission of both low and high frequencies is significantly improved. Innovative technology " hyper grounding” is responsible for muffling noise effects and, as a result, a cleaner sound.

Ports

Actually, we can say a little about the ports, because there are only three of them on the Xonar U3: a USB port for connecting a sound card to a computer or other similar device and two mini-jacks, respectively, for headphones and a microphone. Such asceticism clearly reflects the ultimate functionality of the device. A nice bonus is the presence of a special adapter in the package. S/PDIF TOSLINK. When using the Xonar U3, it immediately becomes clear that there is nothing superfluous in it. All components are chosen very competently and complement each other, so this card will not cause any complaints from the user.

Features and competitive advantages

First advantage Xonar U3- loudness, because not every amplifier is capable of delivering such a clear and detailed sound as this one. The second is an advanced processor that provides support for 128 different sound effects and is capable of realizing spatial sound using conventional stereo speakers. Another distinctive feature of this particular sound card is support for Dolby family technologies, and in particular DigitalLive, headphone, VirtualSpeaker And Pro Logic II. All of them in one way or another are responsible for improving the sound quality.

For gamers, it will be a pleasant surprise that the Asus Xonar U3 implements a system GX 2.5 Gaming+ AudioEngine, which allows you to reproduce the effects of the EAX 2.0 type to the maximum and create a very realistic and, most importantly, surround sound in games.

If you like to sing with a microphone, the Xonar U3 software will delight you with software features such as MagicVoice, karaoke, sound normalizer, as well as a 10-band equalizer and technology Xear 3D Virtual Speaker Shifter, which allows you to configure the sound card settings when communicating on the Internet. Among other things, you will be pleasantly surprised by the ease with which drivers for this device are installed (for both 7 and XP).

Thus, Asus Xonar U3- This is an external sound card that can easily compete with sound adapters integrated into laptops. It delivers high quality, loud and clear sound.

28.09.2018

Trepachko Nikita

Grade

Pros: *Easy to install.

*Headphone Amplifier.
* Optical output.

* Rich equipment.
Cons: Not identified yet

I also use it with Sony MDR-XB950AP headphones, they are 40 Ohm and there is a suitable setting for them in the audio utility. In general, this is a great option for little money.

17.09.2018

Trepachko Nikita

Grade

Pros: *Easy to install.
*Great sound for such a device.
*Headphone Amplifier.
* Optical output.
* Convenient utility for configuration.
* Rich equipment.
Cons: Not identified yet
Review: First of all, I note that the card was purchased for 1750r to replace the sb0570 that went to the pradiodam. I started to look at similar cards for creative / Asus on pci-e, 24/96, but decided to stop at the USB interface. The key point was the headphone preamp.
I usually used the Aimp player, now I set up foobar2000, according to instructions from the Internet. I was completely satisfied, although at first it seemed that this card loses in terms of sound volume and stage, I decided to fine-tune the equalizer. Complete with Microlab Solo 2 mk3 the sound is very good.
I also use Sony MDR950AP headphones, they are 100 Ohm and there is a suitable setting for them in the audio utility. In general, this is a great option for little money.

05/15/2018 Rating

Pros: Beautiful sturdy case, extension cable included so as not to accidentally break off the connector. There were no problems installing drivers on Win7, 8, 10. The built-in amplifier DRV601 can output 2Vrms up to 600 ohms, as stated in the datasheet. The Axelvox HD272 and JVC HA-RX900 headphones are loud.
Cons: ASUS UA100 chip is CMedia CM108AH. In the headphones, when there is no signal, there is a slightly audible hiss. The noise level of u3 is higher than that of the built-in ALC269. The sound of u3 on active acoustics or an amplifier is also worse than that of the built-in one.
Feedback: Plus u3 before the built-in sound is only in volume, inferior in quality. If you have a really bad laptop and you hear noise from power, crackling, buzzing and clicking in your headphones, then I recommend buying it.
For my laptop, I bought a headphone amplifier, the sound is much better than with xonar u3.

22.12.2017

Malenko Andrey

Grade

Cons: I used Windows 7. There was a constant conflict between the audio card driver and Windows, which caused blue screen crashes.
Manual driver installation didn't help either. After automatically updating the drivers through the "Windows Update" the problem was solved.
Review: Overall, the device is quite good. The impression was spoiled only by this unpleasant moment.

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: Portable device, high-quality performance, the sound has become better on a laptop
Cons: for some reason, the drivers from the site were not installed on win10, they got up from the disk, but there is not the latest version
Feedback: I use high-quality laptop speakers and this device still improves the sound in them compared to the standard laptop output. I think the purchase is worth the money.

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: Great sound! (Better than regular on the motherboard). Nothing needed to be configured - stuck it in and it works right away!
Cons: None.
Review: Sound is everywhere. I don't know why some people do it differently.

22.12.2017

Kabaev Kirill

Grade

Pros: Excellent solution for improving the sound in a laptop. The beautiful cabinet hides a DRV601 stereo line driver and a CMedia CM108AH audio processor. Xonar U3 is able to shake even the tightest headphones.
There are no problems installing drivers.
USB extension cable so as not to accidentally break off the connector when the sound card is plugged into a laptop or PC.
Cons: No ASIO

22.12.2017

Kukolev Ilya

Grade

For the money, a great thing, after a little tuning through the firewood, the sound becomes better, clearer, brighter.

22.12.2017

Pavlov Ilya

Grade

Cons: Maybe the price?

I took this thing yesterday, for 1480 rubles. Comes with CD with drivers. Installed... xonar u3 audio center utility. And, lo and behold, "down" the dynamic range has expanded! Equalizer and stuff - works. I have a Microlab Pro 2. Now the walls are shaking! Met my expectations...
P.S. Haven't experienced blue screens.

22.12.2017

Maklai Kostya

Grade

Pros: the sound is awesome!
Cons: I still can't play the piano
Review: I got a sound box for free. I didn’t connect, I lay for God knows how long. And then suddenly on my vaio z21 the sound system died .... I connected it together with creative aurvana live and just went nuts from how amazing this couple is !!! I don’t know what sounds like that from this pair... but my aurvana never played so awesome on anything!!

22.12.2017

data is hidden

Grade

Pros: 1) The sound is really richer, more detailed, wider compared to the one built into the laptop motherboard.
2) Compact, convenient USB connection.
3) The presence of a headphone amplifier.
Cons: 1) Price (my full-fledged Asus Xonar DG audio card cost 2000 rubles, and Asus Xonar U3, showing more modest results, - 2700 rubles).
2) The only possible sampling frequency is 48 KHz.
Feedback: Recently I bought Sennheiser HD 518 headphones at a good discount, I decided to try this device with the saved money, especially since at the moment I can only use a laptop, and testing headphones of this class with a standard Realtek codec is masochism. Naturally, the card will not be able to fully reveal the capabilities of high-end headphones, but listening to music through it is at least very pleasant.
I'm not an audiophile or a sound pro, but I hear a big difference when playing a complex track with an abundance of instruments in turn with and without an audio card. Without a card, the sound is flatter, it chokes, an unpleasant noise appears. With her, everything is smooth, plus the amplifier adds richness and volume.
If it weren’t for the overpriced (in my opinion) price, it would have been a solid five, since the device is worthy and interesting.
As for the blue screen of death due to the driver - so far this has not happened (I use Windows 8).

22.12.2017

Bolashov Alexey

Grade

Pros: The sound quality is better than that of the codec integrated into the thingpad t410..
Cons: 1) The most significant.
Very small control panel.
It is impossible to read anything at all on a 14" screen. You have to rely only on intuition and pictures.
2) Some kind of incomprehensible numbering for the drivers.
The driver from 11 years old (7.12.8.2157) has a number greater than the fresh driver from 14 years old (7.0.8.2163)
3) The software equalizer has a small adjustment range.
Review: 1) For the first time I heard how all sorts of Dolby can sound. This is especially true for headphones.
2) At the same time, he studied a more advanced model U7. I read a lot of reviews there and there.
Because of this, there has been some confusion. :)
I was expecting U3 to see such effects as soft vinyl or dynamic equalizer, but it turned out that this belongs to the older model.
In general, I am 100% satisfied with the purchase ...

p.s. So far, I have not encountered any glitches in the drivers.

22.12.2017

KUTIAEV NIKOLAY

Grade

Pros: price, compactness, extension cable included, and most importantly ..... SOUND QUALITY
Cons: NONE
Review: To whom the sound of a regular sound is already unbearable - take it, and do not think. Issue price: 1360 rubles, a nice little blue backlight, I use it for a week - I did not regret the purchase for a second. During the first inclusion, I was taken aback: from somewhere a deep, dense bass appeared, like from a subwoofer. The sound (not loudness!!!) was causing ringing in my ears. Dirty speakers began to play in such a way that it is already interesting how some kind of HI-FI thread will sound. I listen to FLAC - I'm not overjoyed.

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: Compact, "pocket", mini USB extension cable included. Good sound compared to built-in. Very handy for laptops.
Cons: Price: applies to all external sound cards, what is there such that the same level of PCI-cards cost 300-500 rubles, and these 1500-3000. Not a very convenient setup program, as if written by the Chinese, few settings. The sound does not shine with special depth. And another important, although not related to the device itself, are problems with drivers (more on that below).
Feedback: I bought this card for the desktop, because. for technical reasons, an internal sound card cannot be installed, and the internal sound does not work (and does not suit). The device worked fine, the sound was fine. Although I realized that this exterior is better for laptops, it was worth buying a more expensive-better one for a desktop, with a remote control (from Creative). And then Asus planted a big pig, did not expect this from Asus, even for a gray company this is unacceptable. I decided to update the driver with the setup program. Windows XP SP3. I downloaded a new one from the site and installed it. And all of a sudden the blue screen started crashing on my computer! Moreover, in strange places - in a browser on a popular site, and every time it is hard when you go there. I guessed it, checked it - it's in the sound system and the driver, how you take it out - it's normal, you insert it - clearly on this site (maybe somewhere else, but for me it served as a test point) BSOD with different codes. Demolished the driver, installed the old one - BSOD! (I did not use a restore point). I reinstalled a clean system, installed an even newer "corrected" beta driver from Asus -BSOD at the same point! (website). I reinstalled again, putting the old driver from the disk - everything works fine. What if the disk is lost? These are the "corrected" and even "more corrected" (as it is written on the manufacturer's website) slipped you by Asus. I understand even when the drivers are first, raw and only slightly obliquely work. but 2 times "newly corrected" and knock out the system like this - I see it for the 1st time.

22.12.2017

data is hidden

Grade

Pros: compact size, good sound, optical output
Cons: price
Review: for 1000 rubles a great thing, the sound in headphones is better than the built-in one. I use it as a conductor from the aimp to the speakers via optics. I think the price is 1.5-2 tons. overpriced. Better add and buy u7. Works with all devices. I had to update the firewood on piggy, 8ka works with firewood from the disk.

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: Works stably, no complaints
Cons: not seen
Feedback: I bought it in order to have a separate audio channel on the desktop computer for headphones with a microphone for using telephony via IP telephony and Skype (it did not mix with 7.1 sound output to speakers for movies and games)
Got what I wanted. Immediately installed new drivers (March 2014) They are available starting from Windows 8.1 (I use this OS) and Windows 7, take here - http://support.asus.com/Download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=Xonar+U3&p=21&s =2

12/22/2017 Rating

Cons: Maybe the price?
Feedback: I have an Asus X55A laptop and built-in VIA High Definition Audio 6.0.1.10400. As I did not try to adjust the sound with the equalizer of this utility ... Complete disgusting! Bass cannot be adjusted. It turns out a continuous mumbling-buzzing.
I took this thing yesterday, for 1480 rubles. Comes with CD with drivers. Installed... xonar u3 audio center utility. And, lo and behold, down the dynamic range has expanded! Equalizer and stuff - works. I have a Microlab Pro 2. Now the walls are shaking! Met my expectations...

22.12.2017

Pavlov Ilya

Grade

Cons: Maybe the price?
Feedback: I have an Asus X55A laptop and built-in VIA High Definition Audio 6.0.1.10400. As I did not try to adjust the sound with the equalizer of this utility ... Complete disgusting! Bass cannot be adjusted. It turns out a continuous mumbling-buzzing.
I took this thing yesterday, for 1480 rubles. Comes with CD with drivers. Installed... xonar u3 audio center utility. And, lo and behold, "down" the dynamic range has expanded! Equalizer and stuff - works. I have a Microlab Pro 2. Now the walls are shaking! Met my expectations...

22.12.2017

data is hidden

Grade

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: Its dimensions play better than a standard sound card. The price is not bad, the quality of the plastic and the assembly are not bad, they have seen worse!
Cons: Personally, my opinion is that the drivers do not update and do not want to.
Feedback: Who needs a sound card that is not expensive, but still better than a standard one, then this is the best choice for price and quality. Here is my personal opinion!

12/22/2017 Rating

22.12.2017

Baklashov Sergey

Grade

Pros: High-quality sound, excellent drivers (downloaded from the manufacturer's website for Win 7 x64 - 7.12.8.2157). Assembly, design. Doesn't heat up. Long cord for usb.
Cons: The case is too wide, which overlaps the second usb, if it is nearby, of course.
Review: Completely satisfied with this device. I bought it to replace Creative X-Fi Go!, which got noises, squeaks, rustling, especially during "quiet" moments in the tracks. The drivers immediately got up, nothing loads, in terms of the processor, as it was again with Creative X-Fi Go !. Applications, so to speak, "improvers" of sound are simple. I chose the Hi-Fi mode and plays "native" sound, and not with effects, which is a big plus, I didn't have to remove the enhancers :) kit. I thought at first to buy a prof. zvukovuhu, external, but changed his mind, because. I do not plan to write music and then I came across this piece of iron. Yes, after installing the firewood, there was a choice of bit depth / sampling rate - 24 \ 44100, etc. I advise.

22.12.2017

Malenko Andrey

Grade

Pros: High-quality sound, subtlety of settings "for yourself".

True, having updated the firewood for the last, this vision was eliminated. Just as it turned out later, it was not the installation of "native" firewood that helped, but the auto-search for firewood by Windows.

22.12.2017

data is hidden

Grade

Pros: High-quality sound, subtlety of settings for yourself.
Cons: Constant conflict between the audio card driver and Windows, which causes blue screen crashes.
True, having updated the firewood for the last, this vision was eliminated. Just as it turned out later, it was not the installation of native firewood that helped, but the auto-search of firewood by Windows.
Feedback: If there were no crashes in the blue screen, I would put 5 out of 5.

12/22/2017 Rating

Cons: Maybe the price?
Feedback: I have an Asus X55A laptop and built-in VIA High Definition Audio 6.0.1.10400. As I did not try to adjust the sound with the equalizer of this utility ... Complete disgusting! Bass cannot be adjusted. It turns out a continuous mumbling-buzzing.
I took this thing yesterday, for 1480 rubles. Comes with CD with drivers. Installed... xonar u3 audio center utility. And, lo and behold, down the dynamic range has expanded! True, I had to disable the native VIA utility, but these are trifles. Equalizer and stuff - works. I have a Microlab Pro 2. Now the walls are shaking! Met my expectations...

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: price
Cons: None

costs more than 2000 hryvnia.

22.12.2017

Nikolaevich Nikolai

Grade

Pros: price
Cons: None
Feedback: I bought for the sake of interest ASUS Xonar U3 - the price is ridiculous. For example, a similar device Audioquest DragonFly
costs more than 2000 hryvnia.
With Windows -7, no problems on ACER E1-531. No blue screens, no slowdowns, no freezes on IE or Chrome. The processor really does not load. The difference in sound, with and without it, is easy to notice on FLAC files, now I only download FLAC, no MP3s (sucks). Install the AIMP3 player and you will see clearly. I connected the optical output with an optical cable to the Pioneer VSX-515 receiver. In principle, not bad, it is clear that miracles do not happen, but you can listen. And In the JVC HA-RX700 Headphones, now I listen only through the ASUS Xonar U3. Otherwise, it's not fun. The sound is really clear, airy with deep articulated bass without buzzing, soapy or smearing.

22.12.2017

Nikolai Nikolaevich

Grade

12/22/2017 Rating

Cons: Maybe the price?
Feedback: I have an Asus X55A laptop and built-in VIA High Definition Audio 6.0.1.10400. As I did not try to adjust the sound with the equalizer of this utility ... Complete disgusting! Bass cannot be adjusted. It turns out a continuous mumbling-buzzing.
I took this thing yesterday, for 1480 rubles. Comes with CD with drivers. Installed... xonar u3 audio center utility. And, lo and behold, down the dynamic range has expanded! True, I had to disable the native VIA utility, but these are trifles. Equalizer and stuff - works. I have a Microlab Pro 2. Now the walls are shaking! Met my expectations...

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: - portability

- built-in good software
Cons: glossy body

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: - portability
- sound quality at such a low price
- built-in good software
Cons: glossy body
Review: An excellent choice for both a computer and a laptop. I personally bought it for a stationary one, it lies on the table - I don’t think it takes up space at all, you can always take it with you. Normal competent firmware, everything works fine on Win 7 X64. I connected Edifier M3350 acoustics to it - the sound quality, both in films, games, and in music, is at its best =) I immediately heard the difference between MP3 and Flak, I had to throw out half of the music, because it simply became impossible to listen to the recording with garbage. I advise you to acquisition!

22.12.2017

Trainer Amiro

Grade

12/22/2017 Rating

22.12.2017

data is hidden

Grade

Cons: Cheap plastic.

22.12.2017

data is hidden

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Pros: The sound is decent - at the level of a good desktop card, I think. Sounds great in 8 channels in Dolby Headphone for movies and 2-channel Hi-Fi mode for music. Simple and clear interface. Worth your money.
Cons: Cheap plastic.
Review: There were no problems in Windows 8 x64, the drivers were in order (they were set up automatically, everything worked, but I reinstalled the latest ones from the asus website), the software is good, the processor does not load, the memory is 6 megabytes. I plugged Sony MDR ZX700 headphones into it, the wire seemed to become 30 cm longer and the minijack changed to USB, an excellent symbiosis :)) I like the sound.

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: Cheap, great choice for those with a laptop, quick setup, optical output
Cons: The sound is slightly better than on the built-in VIA Vynil, the standard software is inconvenient for some reason
Review: Who has Realtek ALC899 or ViA VT1708 does not make sense to install this.

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: High-quality sound, excellent drivers (downloaded from the manufacturer's website for Win 7 x64 - 7.12.8.2157). Assembly, design. Doesn't heat up. Long cord for usb.
Cons: For myself, I did not find any shortcomings in this device.
Review: Completely satisfied with this device. I bought it to replace Creative X-Fi Go!, which got noises, squeaks, rustling, especially during quiet moments in the tracks. The drivers immediately got up, nothing loads, in terms of the processor, as it was again with Creative X-Fi Go !. Applications, so to speak, sound enhancers are simple. I chose the Hi-Fi mode and plays native sound, and not with effects, which is a big plus, I didn’t have to remove the enhancers :) It doesn’t heat up, there is a long wire, long compared to Creative X-Fi Go !, which comes with the kit. I thought at first to buy a prof. zvukovuhu, external, but changed his mind, because. I do not plan to write music and then I came across this piece of iron. Yes, after installing the firewood, there was a choice of bit depth of the sampling frequency - 24 44100, etc. I advise.

22.12.2017

Anton Miroshnichenko

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22.12.2017

data is hidden

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Pros: The sound is much better than the integrated one.
Cons: There were problems with the driver.
Review: I started checking with my brother, took a laptop, he doesn’t have any problems. I have specific interference. I started to analyze the reason for his realtek sound card, I don’t remember the name that the sound max applications and the manufacturer are intel. I solved the problem by removing the driver from the integrated steel card Microsoft and connected the asus, the problem is solved. If it didn’t help, then I would disable the integrated card in the control panel.

22.12.2017

Miroshnichenko Anton

Grade

22.12.2017

Anton Miroshnichenko

Grade

12/22/2017 Rating

2. Great sound.

Review: Highly recommend.

22.12.2017

Ivanov Andrey

Grade

Pros: 1. Included extension cable for USB - laptop owners can not be afraid that the device will interfere with other ports, even considering the fact that laptop manufacturers shove them at a minimum distance from each other.
2. Great sound.
3. A lot of settings (which, in principle, need only be configured once to satisfy what is expected from the card).
Good combination of price / quality. Of course, you always want to buy nanotechnologies for a couple of tens of rubles, but this card justifies the price, so the quality is a plus.
4. Pleasant illumination of the "speakers" and connectors for speakers / headphones.
Cons: 1. An amazing sticker with a serial number on the back of the device - when I wanted to remove the commercial film, the serial number went away with the film. Looking closely at it - the film is probably still not marketable, because the serial on it is either glued, or something else - in general, there is nothing left but questions.
2. I join - gloss. The card is connected to the laptop, it is almost never touched by hands, but nevertheless there are a lot of prints.
3. Jesuit audio center - the settings go up. Maybe this is not a drawback for someone, but I'm used to the fact that in 95% of cases the interface elements open sideways or down. I've been using the card for three months now, but I'm still not used to the window that goes up.
Review: Highly recommend.
Compact device; high-quality sound (the most important plus), laptop owners will notice the difference immediately; you can customize the sound, a lot of settings. Justifies the price, does not heat up, because of the color it is invisible on the table (through an extension cord). I don’t think the serial on the film is a special minus, it happens.

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: 1. Included extension cable for USB - laptop owners can not be afraid that the device will interfere with other ports, even considering the fact that laptop manufacturers shove them at a minimum distance from each other.
2. Great sound.
3. A lot of settings (which, in principle, need only be configured once to satisfy what is expected from the card).
Good combination of price / quality. Of course, you always want to buy nanotechnologies for a couple of tens of rubles, but this card justifies the price, so the quality is a plus.
4. Pleasant illumination of the speakers and connector for speakers / headphones.
Cons: 1. An amazing sticker with a serial number on the back of the device - when I wanted to remove the commercial film, the serial number went away with the film. Looking closely at it - the film is probably still not marketable, because the serial on it is either glued, or something else - in general, there is nothing left but questions.
2. I join - gloss. The card is connected to the laptop, it is almost never touched by hands, but nevertheless there are a lot of prints.
3. Jesuit audio center - the settings go up. Maybe this is not a drawback for someone, but I'm used to the fact that in 95% of cases the interface elements open sideways or down. I've been using the card for three months now, but I'm still not used to the window that goes up.
Review: Highly recommend.
The compact device has high-quality sound (the most important plus), laptop owners will immediately notice the difference, you can customize the sound for yourself, there are many settings. Justifies the price, does not heat up, because of the color it is invisible on the table (through an extension cord). I don’t think the serial on the film is a special minus, it happens.

12/22/2017 Rating

- good case

- good by

12/22/2017 Rating

I solved the problem for a long time ... as a result, I installed some left firewood and everything seems to plow for now
Feedback: The first impression of the card was the most positive: Despite the 16-bit sound, the sound is quite deep, clear, and even in frequency, unlike the regular sound of my Samsung laptop. The sound is not bad even when listening through a professional amplifier or good headphones like AKG. I was very pleased with the case, the lights, the illumination of the OUTPUT jack. Good software included for sound control with an equalizer and a bunch of effects. I would put the map "5" if it were not for a terrible glitch: it was worth running the Opera and Chrome browsers together as the "Blue Screen of Death" appeared. Appeared each time with new specified reasons. I installed fresh firewood from the site - it became easier but did not go away ... once the BSOD appeared even when the card was turned off. As a result, I decided to install the universal Asus drivers

12/22/2017 Rating

Pros: -great sound for this little guy
- good case
- the output socket is highlighted
- good by
Cons: -ATTENTION the map caused a blue screen of death on windows 7 when opera and chrome browsers were running
I solved the problem for a long time ... as a result, I installed some left firewood and everything seems to plow for now
Feedback: The first impression of the card was the most positive: Despite the 16-bit sound, the sound is quite deep, clear, and even in frequency, unlike the regular sound of my Samsung laptop. The sound is not bad even when listening through a professional amplifier or good headphones like AKG. I was very pleased with the case, the lights, the illumination of the OUTPUT jack. Good software included for sound control with an equalizer and a bunch of effects. I would put the map 5 if it were not for a terrible glitch: it was worth running the Opera and Chrome browsers together as the Blue Screen of Death appeared. Appeared each time with new specified reasons. I installed fresh firewood from the site - it became easier but did not go away ... once the BSOD appeared even when the card was turned off. As a result, I decided to install the universal Asus drivers

Review: Bought for Lenovo ThinkPad (Conexant) for daily listening to music during the day. Before that, I used built-in Dolby support on a stationary device (MB GA-P55-UD4, Realtek HD) and a Lenovo IdeaPad Y430 (Conexant) laptop. At the first listening (I literally took it out of the box, without much tuning) I could not understand the difference from the standard sound at all, despite the fact that in the Sony MDR-XD200/Philips SHP2500 headphones, the difference between the ThinkPad and the IdeaPad/stationary on a standard sound card "was visible". As it turned out, the settings are just initially crooked (for some reason, the sound is set up normally by default on the IdeaPad and the stationary). As a result, in the SPDIF output settings, in 7.1 Virtual Speaker, plus press almost to the end (move the speakers closer), Dolby Pro Logic - the sliders are closer to the upper right edge (although the main thing is to adjust the right slider), Dolby HeadPhone - DH1 or DH2. I listened to various favorite tracks with this sound card for about a week - of course, even on standard settings with not the coolest headphones, the sound sounds better, but still something is missing so that the sound fully reaches the IdeaPad / stationary, but considering the price, I think it’s quite worthy sound Review: Bought for Lenovo ThinkPad (Conexant) for daily listening to music during the day. Before that, I used built-in Dolby support on a stationary device (MB GA-P55-UD4, Realtek HD) and a Lenovo IdeaPad Y430 (Conexant) laptop. At the first listening (I literally took it out of the box, without much tuning) I could not understand the difference from the standard sound at all, despite the fact that in the Sony MDR-XD200/Philips SHP2500 headphones, the difference between the ThinkPad and the IdeaPad/stationary on a standard sound card "was visible". As it turned out, the settings are just initially crooked (for some reason, the sound is set up normally by default on the IdeaPad and the stationary). As a result, in the SPDIF output settings, in 7.1 Virtual Speaker, plus press almost to the end (move the speakers closer), Dolby Pro Logic - the sliders are closer to the upper right edge (although the main thing is to adjust the right slider), Dolby HeadPhone - DH1 or DH2. I listened to various favorite tracks with this sound card for about a week - of course, even on standard settings with not the coolest headphones, the sound sounds better, but still something is missing so that the sound fully reaches the IdeaPad / stationary, but considering the price, I think it’s quite worthy sound Review: Bought for Lenovo ThinkPad (Conexant) for daily listening to music during the day. Before that, I used built-in Dolby support on a stationary device (MB GA-P55-UD4, Realtek HD) and a Lenovo IdeaPad Y430 (Conexant) laptop. At the first listening (I literally took it out of the box, without much tuning) I could not understand the difference from the standard sound at all, despite the fact that in the Sony MDR-XD200/Philips SHP2500 headphones, the difference between the ThinkPad and the IdeaPad/stationary on a standard audio card was visible. As it turned out, the settings are just initially crooked (for some reason, the sound is set up normally by default on the IdeaPad and the stationary). As a result, in the SPDIF output settings, in 7.1 Virtual Speaker, plus press almost to the end (move the speakers closer), Dolby Pro Logic - the sliders are closer to the upper right edge (although the main thing is to adjust the right slider), Dolby HeadPhone - DH1 or DH2. I listened to various favorite tracks with this sound card for about a week - of course, even on standard settings with not the coolest headphones, the sound sounds better, but still something is missing so that the sound fully reaches the IdeaPad / stationary, but considering the price, I think it’s quite worthy sound

The beautiful sound is not up to the Xonar D2X, which is in my system unit, there is something to compare with, as they say.
You need good headphones, you won’t really understand anything in the consumer goods price category up to 2000, well, if only the volume is added.
Compared with Creative SB Play,Creative SB Connect Hi-Fi USB,Creative SB Connect dry wood full. They sound very good in combination with my favorite Audio-Technica W5000 + foobar2000 + lossless, I sat quietly for 1.5 hours with a netbook on my knees))) , although I listen to them from a completely different source, but that's another story. Cons: Glossy little thing, and since it is mobile, you understand.
Feedback: I bought it for a netbook because I can’t digest the built-in sound wherever it is (as for computers).
The beautiful sound is not up to the Xonar D2X, which is in my system unit, there is something to compare with, as they say.
You need good headphones, you won’t really understand anything in the consumer goods price category up to 2000, well, if only the volume is added.
Compared with Creative SB Play,Creative SB Connect Hi-Fi USB,Creative SB Connect dry wood full. They sound very good in combination with my favorite Audio-Technica W5000 + foobar2000 + lossless, I sat quietly for 1.5 hours with a netbook on my knees))) , although I listen to them from a completely different source, but that's another story.
The sound card is very, very worthy, and for such money a gift, just a gift!
I advise everyone who has a laptop or netbook and respects their ears. Although the sound will be 100% better if it is connected to the system unit, Realtek is resting.

22.12.2017

data is hidden

Grade

Pros: Great sound
HD audio support
Cons: Glossy case?
Feedback: I bought it for karaoke, because. the built-in sound lags terribly.
Please note - despite the fact that the reviews indicate that U3 does not support sound higher than 16/48, in Windows 7 I have excellent sound in 24/96 format !!!
In foobare, 24/96 is also displayed via Wasapi.
For 1000 rub. - this is a great buy!

Page 4 of 5

Specifications and software

The operation of the sound card is based on the Asus UA100 audio processor based on the C-Media chip. However, this chip is used in any of the Xonar products. However, the modification still takes place: a little more "pop" for vocals and percussion than in the implementation of the DG model. The UA100 audio processor includes DAC and ADC components, so separate chips are not needed to convert audio between analog and digital formats. Unfortunately, the UA100 only supports resolutions and sampling rates up to 16-bit and 48kHz - standard definition audio. HD is not supported by the processor: the CM6400 chip does not provide this capability, while the C-Media CM6600 runs at 24-bit/192kHz. What made the manufacturer use slightly outdated elements remains unclear, and one would like to think that they were driven only by concern for users' wallets. For surround sound, the new U3 uses circuit virtualization to connect headphones and speakers. This simulation software system is provided by Dolby, which also enables real-time encoding for multi-channel digital audio outputs via Dolby Digital Live. With a native usb interface, the UA100 processor does not need a bridge to communicate with the system. The headphone amplifier is implemented in the same way as in the DG model. For laptop owners, this is a serious plus, because almost always the sound comes through headphones, because the built-in speakers, in most cases, leave much to be desired.

The driver disk contains the same software that comes with other Xonar sound cards. There are many settings to tweak, including gain modes for different headphone impedance ranges. Here you can also enable speaker virtualization and surround sound. Like other Xonars, the U3 is capable of emulating EAX 5.0 effects using GX 2.5. Up to 128 sound effects can be processed simultaneously. However, it will be difficult to apply such impressive capabilities: game developers have abandoned the Creative standard in favor of cross-platform solutions.

The setup program interface is intuitive. Selecting the number of audio channels determines whether Dolby Headphone turns on automatically when headphones are not being used. This makes sense since there is no need to simulate surround sound for a 2D image. It is possible to reduce the sampling rate of the menu.

The italic "I" icon in the menu bar brings up a window with technical information about the Xonar U3. The hammer icon next to the Analog Output menu displays a drop-down menu for selecting resistance. It is possible to change the voltage at the line output: for 32 Ohm headphones, make it lower, and for 64 Ohm, increase it.

The "Effect" tab contains an equalizer and some sound reverb effects. "Karaoke" provides parameters that act as private EQ adjustments to make karaoke easier. Finally, "VocalFX" contains various settings for the line input.

Testing

From theoretical considerations, let's move on to practice and check the Xonar U3 sound card in action. Help us in this RightMark Audio Analyzer. For comparison, let's take the integrated audio of the Acer 1810TZ laptop, last year's Xonar DG, and the integrated audio of the Gigabyte A75 motherboard. To obtain objective results, RightMark Audio Analyzer was run at 16-bit and 48 kHz settings in all cases.

As you can see, the frequency response of the laptop is unstable. The Xonar U3 produces a much more stable frequency response curve, but the DG and Gigabyte scores are still better.

The same goes for dynamic range. The heroine of our review still overtakes Acer's built-in audio, but lags far behind the junior model of its line and Gigabyte's integrated audio.
If we compare the indicators on a five-point scale, we can summarize them in the following table.

As you can see, the impression of the sound reproduction quality of the U3 is not bad, but the novelty is clearly not the leader according to the results of the tests.