Asus Xonar Xense PCIe

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 8 expert reviews

Excellent:

5
Good:

2
Average:

1
Bad:

0

Pros:

Exceptional audio quality up to 192kHz/24bit.
Ton of options and support.
Plenty of inputs and outputs.

Cons:

Sennheiser PC350 Xense edition headphones aren't great for music.
No hot-keys to quickly alter settings in Xonar Audio Center.

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Last revision on September 11, 2015

Reviewers Liked

Exceptional audio quality up to 192kHz/24bit
Ton of options and support
Plenty of inputs and outputs
Supports all common connections
User replaceable opamps
Near flat frequency response
Inbuilt headphone amp
Insignificantly low noise levels
Drivers work flawlessly on Windows Vista and 7
Dolby technologies including Headphone and Pro Logic
Exceptional sound quality
Well constructed with high-end components
Unobtrusive driver
Quality headset included
Great sound out of the box
Cinematic feel to films, Fantastic with music

Reviewers Didn't Like

Sennheiser PC350 Xense edition headphones aren't great for music
No hot-keys to quickly alter settings in Xonar Audio Center
EAX emulation not quite as good as a native hardware solution
Expensive
Not significantly better than cheaper competition in games
Room for improvement with the headphones

Expert reviews and ratings

The ASUS Xonar Xense is a beast, it is probably the last soundcard you will ever need to buy. It has every single necessary audio input and output for any enthusiast, and can even meet the demands of professionals. The bundled headphones, Sennheiser...

By ThinkComputers on June 26, 2011

It’s an odd package, but the card alone is...

By Atomic MPC on May 18, 2011

In terms of performance, the Xonar Xense nails it. Flat frequency response, indiscernible noise levels, and superior dynamic range place this card leagues ahead of typical onboard solutions. Replaceable op-amps, high quality capacitors, EAX...

By Benchmark Reviews on December 20, 2010

A match made in heaven that we would recommend to...

By Kitguru.net on November 19, 2010

So how did this combination of Xonar and Sennheiser work?As with any headset the primary thing is always going to be gaming. Very few audiophiles will want something with a microphone attached.For gaming the Xense (unless otherwise stated I mean...

By Overclock3D on August 26, 2010

With its highbrow hi-fi spec, Xonar Xense from Asus is part of a relatively new trend of sound cards that are looking to win back audio buffs who have been avoiding the pitfalls of PC sound processing by offloading everything to an external amp, or...

By TechRadar on August 26, 2010

We're great fans of Asus' sound cards, and the Xense One is no exception - the specification and audio quality are good enough to satisfy the keenest hi-fi enthusiast. While supposedly matched to the card, we weren't particularly impressed...

By Bit-tech.net on May 31, 2010

The Xonar Xense sound card and headset are an amazing pair. Their sound quality is definitely their biggest advantage. On no occasion did they sound as if they were pushed too far; all sounds at all frequencies were crystal clear and the distortion...

By Neoseeker on January 17, 2011

The sound card market is amazingly competitive and yet the Xonar Xense is more than capable of standing out from the rest of the pack. Like many other upper echelon offerings, it has removable op-amps, great SNR and a bevy of gaming features that will...

By Hardware Canucks on November 29, 2010

The Asus Xonar Xense sound card/Sennheiser PC350 headset bundle definitely lives up to its claim of being a premium gaming set. If you want to hear games, movies and music the way they were meant to be heard, this combination of products will make...

By TweakNews on November 16, 2010

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