Whilst dedicated PC soundcards aren't quite as popular as they used to be, there are still some companies releasing boards for the desktop audiophile.
ASUS, who has made a name for itself with the well-received Xonar family, is one such company and is today expanding its range with the introduction of the Xonar DG.
Aimed at the gaming crowd, the Xonar DG promises a handful of optimisations including a dedicated headphone amplifier.
The manufacturer insists that this will result in sharper, clearer audio with less background noise than you'd get from a soundcard without such an amp. This is paired with Dolby Headphone support to give virtual of 5.1 surround when using stereo headphones.
For those who prefer to listen through speakers, the Xonar DG can output a full 5.1 signal through an analogue or digital connection, and the chipset features a signal-to-noise ratio of 105dB and supports 192 kHz/24-bit audio.
As well as gaming rigs, the card's low-profile design will be well suited to most HTPCs, and there's an additional SPDIF output to connect to a video card for audio output over HDMI.
Unlike some higher-end soundcards, the Xonar DG makes use of a PCI interface, as opposed to PCIe. And, whilst the card's specification may not be quite as impressive as others in the Xonar family, it should be plenty sufficient for all but the pickiest of audiophiles. It should also prove to be a significant improvement over onboard soundcards, especially when listening through headphones.
We haven't been given an official price or release date from ASUS, but have seen the Xonar DG at a few domestic retailers priced at under £30 with an estimated release date of August 27.
