ASUS may be best known for their motherboards, video cards, and laptops; but more and more though they are making a name for themselves with computer accessories. We have covered a handful of their sound cards and other computer audio devices over the years, and we have generally been very impressed. In this review we will take a look at one of their newer audio products - the Xonar U3 USB sound card, which is shown in the promotional image below.



While the device shown in the picture above may be quite small, it is touted as being a very effective replacement for the sound card in many laptops and netbooks. Before we get into just how effective it is, lets look at some of its published features and specifications as taken from the official product page on the ASUS website.

Specifications:

» Audio Performance:
   » Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted) (Front-out) : 100 dB
   » Output THD+N at 1kHz (Front-out) : <0.005 %( dB)
   » Frequency Response (-3dB, 16bit/48KHz input) : 20 Hz to 20 KHz
   » Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage : 2 Vrms ( Vp-p)
» Bus Compatibility: USB 1, 2, or 3
» Audio Processor : ASUS UA100 USB Audio Chip
» Analog Playback Sample Rate and Resolution : 48KHz @ 16bit
» Dimensions : 79.5 x 30.6 mm ( L x W )
» I/O Ports:
   » Analog Output Jack : 1 x 3.5mm RCA jack
   » Analog Input Jack : 1 x 3.5mm RCA jack
   » Digital S/PDIF Output : 1 x 3.5mm RCA jack with adapter
» Special Features:
   » Dolby® Technologies : Dolby® Digital Live/Dolby® Headphone /Dolby® Virtual Speaker /
      Dolby® Pro-Logic II
   » Smart Volume Normalizer™
   » Xear 3D™ Virtual Speaker Shifter
   » Magic Voice™
   » Karaoke Functions
   » 10 -band Equalizer
   » 27 Environment Effects
   » GX2.5 Gaming Audio Engine
   » VocalFX™
» Accessories:
   » S/PDIF optical adaptors x 1
   » Driver CD x 1
   » Quick Start Guide x 1
   » USB Extension Cable x 1
» Dimensions: 79.5 x 30.6 mm ( L x W )