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ASUS Announces The Xonar U7 MK11 Sound Card

Despite the overwhelming majority of consumers relying on motherboard audio, there’s still some users who prefer a sound card to take their listening experience to another level. Today, ASUS unveiled their latest audio solution entitled the Xonar U7 MKII which is a USB external sound card and headphone amplifier. This compact device is an upgraded version of the highly-acclaimed Xonar U7 and features true 7.1-channe, 192KHz/24-bit high-definition surround-sound. Additionally, the unit is bundled with ASUS Sonic Studio which employs an easy-to-use interface and allows you to modify various settings.

The ASUS Xonar U7 MKII outperforms similar USB-powered audio devices using a compact form factor. In particular, the high-quality Cirrus Logic CS4398 digital-to-analog converter and exclusive ASUS Hyper Grounding technology contribute towards the immense audio fidelity. Also, the product has a 144dB signal-to-noise ratio which makes it a suitable choice for audio aficionados.

Enhanced gaming and media streaming
ASUS Xonar U7 MKII is great for gaming and media streaming with dedicated headphone and microphone controls that let users make instant audio adjustments without interrupting their game or entertainment. The master volume control knob doubles as an output selector, so users can keep their speakers and headphones connected and conveniently switch between them with a simple click of a button. Additionally, USB connectivity enables both laptop and desktop users to easily upgrade their system’s audio performance and enjoy incredible gaming and media streaming experiences.

Complete and intuitive audio control
ASUS Xonar U7 MKII comes with Sonic Studio, a full-featured and easy-to-use sound utility that gives users complete control over a wide range of audio features, such as equalization (EQ) and 7.1 surround speaker level-balancing. Unlike typical audio utilities with multi-screen interfaces that make configuration complicated and time-consuming, Sonic Studio has an intuitive all-in-one view that puts all the necessary audio controls on a single screen to make adjustments fast and easy.

Sonic Studio also includes controls for Sonic Radar Pro, a unique feature that precisely maps in-game sounds – such as footsteps and gunshots – and displays them on an on-screen overlay, so gamers can pinpoint their enemies for a competitive advantage in FPS games. Sonic Studio is fully compatible with Windows 10.

Specifications:

Output signal-to-noise ratio (A-weighted): Up to 114dB
Input signal-to-noise ratio (A-weighted): 110dB
Output total harmonic distortion + noise at 1khz (A-weighted): Up to 0.0006% (104dB)
Input total harmonic distortion + noise at 1kHz (A-weighted): Up to 0.001% (-100dB)
Frequency response (-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input ): <10Hz to 46kHz
Output/input full-scale voltage:
Rear output (Speaker) 1Vrms (2.828 Vp-p)
Headphone 1.3Vrms (3.677 Vp-p)
Line-in 1Vrms (3.677Vp-p)
Bus Compatibility: USB audio class, USB audio class 2.0 for all functions, USB audio class 1.0 for playback
Main Chipset (Audio processor): CMedia CMI6632AX High-performance sound processor (Max. 192KHz/24-bit)
D-A converter (digital sources): 1 x Cirrus CS4398 (120dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24-bit), 1 x Cirrus CS4362 (114dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24-bit)
A-D converter (analog input): 1x Cirrus CS5361 (114dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24-bit)
Analog playback sample rate and resolution: 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/172.4K/192KHz @ 16/24-bit
Analog recording sample rate and resolution: 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96KHz/172.4K/192K @ 16/24-bit
S/PDIF digital output: 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/172.4K/192KHz @ 16/24-bit
ASIO 2.0 driver support: 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/172.4K/192KHz @ 16/24-bit
Operating system support: Windows 10/8.1/7(32/64-bit)