In Use:
The software included with the
ASUS Xonar D1 PCI audio card is about identical to what was included with the Xonar D2X, which is a good thing (most of the time). The software has a very unique interface with plenty of features, but it takes a while to get used to something so different. In addition, the controls are so small that you have to do some precise mouse work to set everything to your liking. While this may not be a big deal on a typical desktop computer, on an HTPC it can be tricky.
The screenshot above shows what you get when the Xonar D1 Audio Center is launched from the system tray icon. The slick interface provides an equalizer, information on a variety of audio certifications, a volume dial, and some audio effect preset buttons. The screenshot below shows that the bulk of the controls are revealed when you click the button labeled with a triangle found just below the volume level bar.
The controls slide out from under the Xonar D1 Audio Center's main screen, and there are seven tabs that let you fine tune just about everything possible related to sound. The screenshot above shows the "Main" tab where you configure things such as the number of speakers, sample rate, and output mode. The below left screenshot shows the "Mixer" tab where you can adjust the levels of each output and input connection. The below right screenshot shows the "Effect" tab where you can set the audio environment and the 10-band graphic equalizer by selecting from presets or by adjusting things manually.
The "Karaoke" tab is shown in the below left image, and here you can adjust the music output to strip vocals in order to add your own. The "FlexBass" tab is shown in the below right image, and this allows you to adjust the low-pass crossover frequency. You can keep your small satellite speakers from trying to handle more bass than they are capable of, and let your subwoofer handle all of the deep driving bass.
