Yes, Windows 10, 1903 user here. It seems like I am up for a hard time. Let's say I get a Sound Blaster AE-9. Still, conversations on waiting for new drivers seem to be going on for years. The drivers are still 1-2 years younger than the STX II drivers tho.
EaglePC wrote:
ASUS Essence STX II
Thanks for the new angle. I've read a few articles about it, it sounds like a great card when it comes to quality, though it may not be the right pick for me.
It is quality sound all right.
Here I see that the card is big on keeping down the noise and distortions. It may seem an overdo for just plugging 3.5 mm headphones in, so that's the question of return for the value invested.
Molex may be a bit upsetting, non-trivial setup as well but let's keep those in a corner.
What about EMI shielding? With my Realtek HD Audio, I'm getting screeching at the ~frequency of frame rendering. It is so strong coming from the other monitor that I can hear it through headphones in NVIDIA HD Audio. Particularly while STX II seems to have some of its body covered, the SBZ has most of itself shielded. Is that the same quality/type of shielding? I would place high value on it.
Keep exploring, keep innovating, keep creating