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Share your opinion/experience on the Phoebus here.

hingj0n
Level 7
So a half year later since I bought this card, nothing changed really... The drivers suck monkey b*lls, especially on Windows 8.

The following problems are those which I find the most annoying;
Game Crashes
Incompatible Games
Controller volume knob buggs (sound hangs and if you turn the volume up using the knob, the volume goes up and down randomly
Sample rate on 192khz just doesn't work well, pitch changes, sound pops in background applications like youtube
Sometimes the audio is a low volume when changing from headphones to speakers even though it's on max volume
Xear Surround sounds really awfull, and it locks the sample rate to 48khz.
Dolby Home Theater v4 Volume leveling is sometimes really annoying (I think this is on Dolby)

DTS is buggy as hell, it's like that the surround effect is only coming from the left side.

Okay, Raja@ASUS, let me clarify the 192khz part, if you start a game in 192khz, the sound on iTunes or Youtube starts popping, just like the game sound itself. Though you can close the background apps and restart the game (then you won't have popping sounds), you still have a different pitch when your graphics card starts working (like in SimCity) it's so annoying that I just go back to 44.1 khz.

And the worst of all:
Microphone Noise... Damn... even though this card doesn't use anything from the motherboard its power, I still get an anoying noise.


If the drivers were well-made, I would be glad that I've bought this product, but... I'm very dissapointed at the moment and would be glad if ASUS would make a trade offer or gave me my money back.

So guys, what do you think?
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33 REPLIES 33

Raja
Level 13
Expand on every issue with details thast someone could actually replicate. Some of your list is counter-intuitive - 192KHz doesn't work at all and then you say it changes pitch. For me on my Win 8 system I can use 192Khz fine, so need further info on stuff like that.

KILLER_K
Level 10
What about the protection audio in Windows 8, Netflix/Hula and the Xbox. Or how about certified WHQL drivers that is approved by Microsoft? As no one even wants the sound card I put up for sale. To try and get a little money back from this non-support sound card. Perhaps everyone has a bait of all this nonsense of no drivers or support for this card. Just hate being stuck with this bad excuse of a sound card.

And again I know Raja@ASUS it isn't your fault. But you have to sit back and think. It has been over a year with only 2 drivers, which are beta. And nothing more has been said. Almost like this card is nonexistent now. And I'm honestly tired of trying to get answers or support for this. How about you tell Asus we all either like to have a refund from them or allowed to trade it in on something else. Then we would at least have a choice in the matter.

This is just sad for something like this to go on for this long of a time.
Official/Unofficial? Beta Tester For The Asus Pheobus ROG Xonar 2012 - 2013

Raja
Level 13
WHQL/(or whatever is needed) driver should be up soon for Netflix fix. Did say it was coming. 🙂

AVtemp
Level 10
RAJA, please answer on that:

A) What about my Battlefield 3 problem? You can`t replicate it?

I`ve sent about 7 bugreports and still got nothing.
Another user "cx-ray" got the same problem in Win8
http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?30478-Battlefield-3-Phoebus-HUGE-SOUND-BUG/page3

"AVtemp , I just installed W8 and finally managed to hear the same stereo related bug as you get. Most of the sound and footsteps are basically only coming from the right side. The only way to fix it without constantly messing around in-game, is to use one of these options or a combination of them: Enhanced Stereo Mode in BF3 Audio options, Dolby Digital Live if you're using S/PDIF, or XEAR Surround Headphone. Dolby stuff may work too...didn't bother to test. Either way, just pure stereo won't work."

I`ve done my own tests long time ago:
Tests:

1.Phoebus UI "HI-FI" profile is chosen before start of the game - PROBLEM

2.*Phoebus UI "HI-FI" profile is chosen before start of the game - PROBLEM
*When game is started, ALT+TAB to choose "Xear Headphone ON" - NO PROBLEM
(but dont know how accurate channels was mixed?)
I believe it works because of sample rate changes("Xear Headphone" auto changes it to 48KHz\16Bit)
*ALT+TAB and i return to "HI-FI" mode again - NO PROBLEM
(it returns to previous sample rate,as it was when game started)

3.*"Xear Headphone ON" is chosen before start of the game - NO PROBLEM
*When game is started, ALT+TAB to choose "HI-FI" profile - NO PROBLEM

4.*Phoebus UI "HI-FI" profile is chosen before start of the game - PROBLEM
*When game is started, ALT+TAB to choose "Dolby ON"(Game profile with all checkboxes OFF) - Sound in both channels,but it`s not "true stereo".Like mono was cloned to create stereo.Sounds wrong even weird,i guess left channel information still was missing before it was processed by dolby.Seems like now left channel volume is little bit higher.
*ALT+TAB and i return to "HI-FI" mode again - PROBLEM

5.*Phoebus UI "HI-FI" profile is chosen before start of the game - PROBLEM
*When game is started, ALT+TAB to choose "Dolby ON"(Game profile with all checkboxes OFF,Headphone ON) - The same as in (4),but with dolby reverb added.Still left channel volume is little bit higher,and it sounds like source was in mono.
*ALT+TAB and i return to "HI-FI" mode again - PROBLEM

6.*Phoebus UI "HI-FI" profile is chosen before start of the game - PROBLEM
*When game is started, ALT+TAB to choose "DTS UltraPC2 ON"(all checkboxes OFF).Phoebus profile goes to "Manual" - NO PROBLEM
*ALT+TAB and i return to "HI-FI" mode again - PROBLEM

7.*"DTS UltraPC2 ON"(all checkboxes OFF)is chosen before start of the game.Phoebus profile goes to "Manual" - NO PROBLEM
*When game is started, ALT+TAB to choose "DTS UltraPC2 OFF".Phoebus profile goes to "HI-FI" - PROBLEM

8.*Phoebus UI->Exit(No effect picked in Windows Sound window,all checkboxes OFF,and "Disable all effects OFF")- PROBLEM

9.*Phoebus UI->Exit(No effect picked in Windows Sound window,all checkboxes OFF,and "Disable all effects ON")- NO PROBLEM

10.*Phoebus UI "HI-FI" profile is chosen before start of the game - PROBLEM
*When game is started, ALT+TAB and change Sample rate - NO PROBLEM

Conclusion:Only change of Sample rate fixes problem.

B) What about ASIO bugs and terrible input latency?
The same situation here, nothing changed for over 6 month.
http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?31930-Phoebus-latest-driver-ASIO-bugs&country=&status=

C) I do have constant static noize\buzz with headset with Phoebus.
But it works great with motherboard!!!
I have to use SoundMax superbeam stereo mic from previous Asus motherboard to avoid it.

D) I`m still think that Phoebus UI is not user-friendly, but it can be changed by your programmers in few hours with skin system being implemented.
Phoebus is missing global configurable speed picking profile in system tray (we have only Dolby).
DTS Ultra PC 2 is handy with crappy Youtube videos, but i have to do fine tune a lot.
User can`t do it easy and fast, thats why UI is non-user friendly.
You have 3 different sound emulation tech in this card without convenient way to switch between and to fine-tune it.
I have to do a lot of mouse movements and double clicking.
Also,with last driver update, when user moves Surround Sensation sliders in DTS, sound mutes for a second.
In previous drivers it was OK.

E) We don`t have option to choose amount of virtual input\output channels.
But cheap ASUS cards has it!
Only Xear headphones tells game that we have 7.1 virtual system.And what about Dolby?
Dolby HT is also limited to 10band EQ vs original 20band EQ,etc.

F) There is a lot of other problems(terrible UI translation,etc.), i`m tired to repeat it in my posts.

AND HERE IS THE MOST FUNNY PART:
New people get ASUS Xonar Phoebus with lower cost + bundled with Assassins Creed 3.
And old users, who suffer from bugs from the day one got no support, no compensation, nothing.

appsmarsterx
Level 7
here is another ...
if we select movie mode on phoebus software (not DHTv4) it will automatically enable environmental effects and enable stupid "Concert Hall" option .. and if we select music mode it will select "Karaoke" option in environmental effects.... I'm not sure someone with at least little knowledge about sound can use these stupid environmental reverb effects while on movies/music.. ??
so really any sound engineer examining these presets before making final driver ? just pathetic ...

AVtemp
Level 10
Man, they don`t give a damn about profile system at all.
Try to create new custom profile in Phoebus UI.
You will be asked to type "Profile Name" info that will not be ever shown to you.
And your profile will get default folder pic, with no chance to choose something else.
If i have like 3 custom profiles,how can i know which is what? I have to point at them and wait for description info to be shown.

23207

I cant move profiles in a row to sort them.
It must be invented by evil genius, not by professional programmer or designer.

Also try to pick that profile fast.You will have to:
1.Open main Phoebus window by double clicking tray icon.
2.Drag your mouse to the center of your screen to Switch to profile mode.
3.Point at unnamed folder pics.
4.Try to guess what custom profile do you need.
5.And if you need to fine-tune that profile, it`s became a mess.

Compare it with Dolby tray speed profile system.It can be improved too.But it`s a way better than Phoebus UI.

AVtemp
Level 10
Here is how i see it should be done:

23208


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AVtemp
Level 10
And i`m still waiting for answers from Raja...

appsmarsterx
Level 7
thanks for the tip... so we can only create custom profiles for Xear and DTS modes ?? I'm not a fan of either algorithms.. I only use hi-fi mode and DHTv4 custom profiles ...

P.S = sorry ...I got it .. I can create custom profiles for DHTv4 too as a custom profile in Phoebus Control Panal.. anyway still impedance settings are not saving in profiles..

I just pointed out these music and movie profiles so in the upcoming or whatever update they can just link these 2 profiles to DHTv4 custom profiles like rest of the gaming profiles in Phoebus Contol Panal without enabling stupid environmental reverb effects .. anyway these custom profiles are not even worth mentioning since they are just useless and no one will ever enabling them in Phoebus control panal ..