Taipei, Taiwan -- Following the success of the award-winning PCI express Xonar DX soundcard, ASUS has responded to audiophile requests for a PCI version with the same exceptional features and value. Today, with the release of the ASUS Xonar D1 PCI soundcard, users can enjoy the same rich gaming audio effects and extensive Dolby Home Theater features as the Xonar DX, and free up PCI express slots for other uses at the same time. This iteration of the Xonar provides fine-tuned audio components that reach a clear 116dB SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio); while the built-in DS3D GX revives support for DirectSound HW multi-channel gaming audio and the latest EAX (Environment Audio Extension) in PC games.

35 Times Cleaner Audio Quality over Most Motherboard Audio
Most onboard audio can only provide 80-86 dB SNR. Consequently, background noises are noticeable and can interfere with music and games. By adopting a CirrusLogics CS4398 audio DAC (120dB SNR & 117dB THD+N), noise levels on the Xonar D1 soundcard are only 1/35 (2.8%) of the noise levels when compared to motherboard audio. Additionally, the Xonar D1 also produces as little as 1/32 (-105dB) of the total harmonics distortion present in motherboard audio (-75dB).

Supports the Latest DS3D GX 2.0 for Gaming on Vista & XP
The Xonar D1 also comes equipped with the renowned DS3D GX 2.0, which revives EAX HD 5.0 DirectSound HW effects in games for both Windows XP and Vista. DS3D GX 2.0 automatically enables the latest EAX and DirectSound HW after installation, with no additional driver patches, game modifications, or OpenAL required; while extending MMOG EAX to online chat, allowing users to place their voice into the game’s environment with ease.

S/PDIF Header Easily Combines Audio and Video through a VGA Card’s HDMI Output
The new S/PDIF header allows connectivity with supported VGA cards, and facilitates merged outputs of audio and video through a VGA card’s HDMI port. This provides a clean, simple solution for Home Theater PC builders.

Innovative VocalFX Makes Gaming and Online Chat Lively and Attractive
VocalFX is an innovative voice processing technology that places the user’s voice into the realistic game landscape (VoiceEX) or emulates background scenes in online chat (ChatEX). It is also able to change the voice pitch to disguise identities (Magic Voice) – dramatically increasing the fun for voice communication in PC games.

Dolby Sound Technologies for Ultimate High Quality Audio
Besides delivering impressive audio quality, the Xonar D1, like other members of the Xonar family of audio devices, is also packed with multiple sound technologies from Dolby to deliver outstanding entertainment experiences. These include Dolby Digital Live, which converts PC or game audio content into Dolby Digital in real-time; Dolby Headphone, which creates a surround sound listening experience when using any set of headphones; Dolby Virtual Speaker, which delivers a vibrant surround sound listening experience from stereo speakers and Dolby Pro Logic IIx, which creates up to 7.1-channel surround sounds from stereo or 5.1 sources.