There isn't much that can be said about audio cards, usually, besides the clarity, intensity and fidelity of the sound produced, but it looks like ASUS decided to experiment with something different when it created the Xonar U3.
Sound cards don't really get much attention these days, mostly because there aren't that many of them and most motherboards and notebooks have their own, built-in solutions.
This, in a way, is ironic, considering that speakers systems and headsets or headphones actually do turn heads when they come out.
Granted, one might say the reason sound cards don't stir so many waves is because not many of them get launched often.
Whether this is true or not, the fact is that ASUS did launch an audio card, one that is actually very unusual, if not outright unique.
Essentially, it is, as odd as it may sound, an USB-connected audio card for notebooks.
Featuring a form factor similar to that of a flash drive, the Xonar U3, as it is called, is meant to supplement a laptop's capabilities by adding Dolby and GX2.5 support (compatible with EAX 5.0 audio signals).
“The onboard audio solution for most notebooks in the market offers just the bare minimum in sound quality and controls,” says the press release.
”The Xonar U3 with built-in headphone amplifier is the best solution for those users who use their notebooks as personal entertainment centers.”
The newcomer enhances bass and treble, features the exclusive hyper-grounding technology (separates audio signals from noise) and has headphone impedance of up to 150 Ohms.
All of this is packed inside a small frame that weighs 25 grams and has multiple pre-set equalizer settings and modes (movies, music, gaming, headphone use, etc.). All in all, up to 128 sound effects can be played at once.
Unfortunately, the
press release had no pricing and availability details.
Find us on Google+
