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If you are reading this review it is almost certain you are interested in audio reproduction and may even be dissatisfied with the current audio chip built into your motherboard. My thorough testing over the last couple of weeks has highlighted that the ASUS Strix RAID Pro 7.1 PCI-E is a remarkably capable product backed up by expansive, stable, intuitive software.
The headphone amplifier aspect of the ASUS Strix RAID Pro 7.1 PCI-E deserves special mention. We analysed audio quality and impedance drive capabilities with a variety of headphones from companies such as Grado, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, AKG and Bowers and Wilkins.
The amplifier section is capable of powering all, but it will struggle with the most demanding headphones such as the HiFi Man HE600 or Abyss 1266. These are known as particularly difficult headphones to drive properly however and it seems a rather unlikely situation to be pairing up a £100 sound card with a £4,000 headphone.
While I am not the kind of person to extoll the virtues of a surround sound configuration there is no doubt that when partnered up with a quality pair of Razer 7.1 gaming headphones, the overall experience was highly entertaining.
For me, the ASUS Strix RAID Pro 7.1 really truly shines when paired up with a higher grade headphone around the £250-£300 price point. The Bowers and Wilkins P7 was a match made in heaven, and I spent many hours listening to my 24 bit collection of The Doors albums.
These headphones do tend to stray into the bass heavy category at times, but with proper amplification they are also extremely punchy and focused. The headphones did not spring to life in quite the same way when powered by the onboard audio chip on the motherboards we sampled from our labs.
If the ASUS Strix RAID Pro 7.1 PCI-E cost £250 then I would look at the investment factor a little more closely. When you find out that it is for sale at £99.95 from Overclockers UK then it seems like a complete no brainer to me. If you already listen to well recorded music or want to watch a movie collection and play games then you simply do need to consider one of these as your next hardware treat.
Buy from Overclockers UK for £99.95 inc vat HERE.
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Pros:
- Volume control box is handy.
- high grade components on PCB including Nichicon capacitors.
- strong software suite.
- 24 bit, 192kHz support.
- 7.1 surround works well.
Cons:
- None.
Kitguru says: The ASUS Strix RAID Pro 7.1 PCI-E is really a must have product if you value audio reproduction at all. The headphone amplifier deserves special mention – it is a huge upgrade from the onboard amplification of a motherboard.
