ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim Audio Card

**Doctor Feelgood**

Over the course of this review, my opinion of the Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim has gradually improved alongside the software and drivers. Initially I wasn't very impressed, but could see the potential. With each updated version of the drivers and player I've become just a little more comfortable with the card. I'm happy to say that today I'm extremely satisfied with its performance.

Shadowsilence · Posted: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:37:14 Post Subject:

Okay, I'm not very audio savvy. But I have some odd questions. I see this has HDMI in and out. So I run hdmi from a device through the card, then out to my reciever. Okay nifty. Right now I have a Nivida 9800 GX2 that has HDMI out, and it plugs into the onboard sound of my mobo. So it connects to my reciever, and I get audio/visual awesome out of one cable. If I purchased this card, I could disconnect the cable from my video card and my motherboard, route it through the Asus Xonar and get better audio than the setup I have now? Would it even be noticable?

acruxksa · Posted: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:11:27 Post Subject:

Shadowsilence · Posted: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:22:07 Post Subject:

I might have to check it out. I have an Onkyo TX-SR805 so that should be able to decode the audio tracks. I have a blu-ray rom, so I guess the only thing I'd need is the software, and the xonar of course. Thanks for the response and the great review.

NT · Rated PG Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 4

Best card/s + sware for S/PDIF or HDMI-Audio input & decode of DD/DTS (inc. HD) formats?

I'm just curious as to what people believe to be the best card nowadays for digital-in of the various surround formats created by DD & DTS.
[they're responsible for 99% of SS encoded content right?]

Initially it'd only be for taking encoded content from my Xbox360 & Wi...
But soon it'd also be for a PS3 which for BD content I believe uses newer DD & DTS formats, namely: TrueHD, & HD MA.

Ideally it'd be happy to take any DTS/DD content thrown at it, & pass it to the appropriate (licensed) software for decoding.
[or hardware if there's a card that can do this]

Mostly I'd like to decode and run it through a stereo surround simulation scheme like; DH, CMSS, or DTS-SS.
But occasionally I'll decode/convert & do multi-channel analogue-out via my Essence ST + H6 (7.1 daughter-board).

I was investigating X-Fi cards but they seem to have regressed in this area recently, I hope it's not a conscious trend influenced by big content!
I'm yet to check out Auzentech and Xonar cards for this use....

Then I got to thinking, maybe HDMI-audio capable devices are better suited for this sort of thing than S/PDIF?
Perhaps there's sound-cards that can take HDMI-in, or if not graphics cards?

I know that currently "bit-stream in" for graphics cards acts only as a pass-through to AVR's etc.
The big question mark is if there's dvrs/software that can recognise this incoming bit-stream, & instead decompress it.
Then we have raw digital PCM ready for decoding...

I'm guessing this step is something deliberately kept in the realm of AVR's, but if there's a way, perhaps it's a better path than via S/PDIF?

Assuming a way is found...
Then it's a matter of redirecting the PCM stream to software or hardware (assuming there's cards) decoder/s.
And then (in my situation) have this decoded signal pass through the analogue output circuitry of an Essence ST + H6.

Utopia/profit! Grin

NT · Rated PG Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 4

Prolly the best solutions I've come across so far are: HDAV1.3 or Hometheatre HD

Quote: A main feature of the HTHD 7.1 is offering HDMI 1.3a I/O to the end user which allows full resolution, high definition audio with no down sampling. A very interesting feature of the HTHD 7.1 is the use of an external receiver is NOT required to have support for these high definition standards.
While the use of an external receiver is an option, the card allows any speaker system connected to the card to output Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS-HDMA in full resolution.

What's not certain to me yet is whether these cards can decode & do dac to DTS/DD content (HD or non-HD) coming via HDMI, instead of locally.

Even more ideal would be to use my existing Core i3-530 + motherboard w/HDMI-in...
But I'm not sure if Intel HD Graphics is able to receive A/V via HDMI, let alone decode w/approp. s'ware & redirect to 3rd party DAC.
I doubt it's able to, nor do I expect it'd be possible with sw updates & right mobo/adapters, but TBH I'm not 100% certain!

The main reasons I want something like this is to;
1) Send digi-Audio (HD or non-HD) to my PC to create virtual surround in stereo (CMSS, DH etc)...
2) Have a PAP* compliant solution so I can receive & play or locally play HD A/V, for the times I'm too lazy to rip/transcode.

It's a shame that I prolly won't be able to redirect decoded DD & DTS formats to my Essence ST + H6 for superior analogue output.
I suspect that'd break the PAP/xxx....
So for analogue-out of received or locally played HD DD & DTS, I'll be forced to use the same card.
Unless I've gone to the effort of ripping & transcoding beforehand...

*forgotten what the video equivalent is called

NT · Rated PG Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 4

anyone? thank-you.

NT · Rated PG Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 4

guess not....
thanks anyway I guess.

Hellfire · Rated XXX Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Posts: 3473

I haven't been keeping up with sound cards for a while now. I'm still using the same one from a few years back.