Asus Xonar Essence ST - Manual (Page 51)

44 ASUS Xonar Essence ST
Does the Xonar Essence ST support EAX on Windows ® Vista?
Yes, Xonar Essence ST supports EAX2.0 on both Windows ® XP and Vista through
the innovative DirectSound3D Game EXtensions v1.0 (DS3D GX 1.0) technology.
Why do I need Dolby for PC games?
• Dolby Digital and Pro-Logic IIx are available on the latest game
consoles, like XBOX360, PS3, and Wii. Dolby provides the best gaming
sound experience and compatibility with home theater or TV systems.
• Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker are the best 3D sound
positioning, spatial modeling and 5.1-channel virtualization technology
for regular stereo headphones, speaker headphones and speakers.
What are the most important benefits of the Xonar Essence ST for
musicians?
• Ultimate Fidelity: Xonar Essence ST has the highest quality of audio
in/out for the cleanest sound production.
• Duplex HD: Supports audio sampling rates up to 24bit/192KHz for all
inputs and outputs.
• ASIO 2.0: Xonar Essence ST includes an ASIO 2.0 driver for low-latency,
low-distortion music creation application.
Will PCM sound output through S/PDIF be limited to 2 channels even with
different analog output channels?
The S/PDIF protocol specification (IEC-60958) only carries the 2-channel PCM
data or non-PCM AC3/DTS data. Hence, when a user selects PCM output for
S/PDIF, the Xonar sound card always deliver a 2-channel PCM data through the
S/PDIF output port. For attaining 5.1 channel surround sounds, you can select
Dolby Digital Live encoding output from the S/PDIF out menu, which allows the
Xonar Essence ST to deliver 5.1 surround sound for DVD movies, and even stereo
music.