Difference among ASUS Xonar HDAV series

chefso1 · 30 Apr 2010 at 02:30

Notice ASUS Xonar HDAV series--HDAV 1.3 Deluxe, HDAV1.3 Slim, and HDAV1.3.

However, these 3 cards look much the same for me....ha. However, out of curiosity, I still want to know what is the difference among the three.

Some points I search out until now are all these 3 cards have video function supported (Splendid HD), and HDAV1.3 Deluxe has a H6 daughter card, while the other two have none.

Is there any other difference? And how to choose among them? Thanks a lot.

Marsman · 30 Apr 2010 at 11:26

HDAV 1.3 Deluxe, has a 7.1 analogue daughter board bundled with it.

HDAV 1.3 Slim, is for low profile HTPC cases, but it doesn't have analogue stereo connections like the other versions.

Rather puzzled why the Deluxe has an analogue daughter board. Does someone actually need to have 7.1 analogue speakers aswell as the HDMI connection to their AV amp? If analogue connection is used to the AV amp, that means they can't take advantage of the Dolby TrueHD, which is the whole point of buying the card in first the place.

up2nogooduk · 30 Apr 2010 at 12:08

I was about to ask the same kind of question

Hope you don't mind me asking few questions, saves me starting the same thread lol

I'm still learning about this stuff.
I have a 7.1 AV Receiver, with a 5.1 B&W speaker setup for my pc.
It's running via optical lead at the mo for blueray and games.
But as i've heard True HD via movies, (which sound amazing) i want to make my system the same.
So would the Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 be what i need. i won't need the Delux ?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-003-AS&groupid=701&catid=11&subcat=

My old card runs on a pci slot, i see this is PCI Express card.
This don't affected how the 16x band width works on my motherboard on graphics card?
maybe silly question, but just wondering.

And i just use the HDMI cable to get the True HD working, not the optical lead.
And does anyone have one of these ?

Be v.grateful if you could help

Cheers.
Sorry to gate crash :eek:

Marsman · 30 Apr 2010 at 13:30

Yes you use the HDMI. Reasons are. 1, HD audio content found on Bluray's is HDCP protected, so it has to be sent over HDMI. 2, SPDIF (optical/coaxial) cannot support any more than 5.1.

You will not need the deluxe version.

The PCIe bandwidth shouldn't pose a problem. As to my knowledge, sound cards don't really need the bandwidth PCIe can deliver. I think the main reason for sound cards moving to PCIe, is because most boards now support more PCIe sockets than PCI, also it's probably an effort to get people moving over to PCIe, so that one day PCI can be phased out.

up2nogooduk · 30 Apr 2010 at 14:19

Marsman said:
Yes you use the HDMI. Reasons are. 1, HD audio content found on Bluray's is HDCP protected, so it has to be sent over HDMI. 2, SPDIF (optical/coaxial) cannot support any more than 5.1.

You will not need the deluxe version.

The PCIe bandwidth shouldn't pose a problem. As to my knowledge, sound cards don't really need the bandwidth PCIe can deliver. I think the main reason for sound cards moving to PCIe, is because most boards now support more PCIe sockets than PCI, also it's probably an effort to get people moving over to PCIe, so that one day PCI can be phased out.

Thanks for that info

I just got a Asus P6T DELUXE V2.

The sound say it's 8 -Channel (High Definition Audio) CODEC
Support Jack-Detection, Multi-Streaming, and Front Panel Jack-Retasking
Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF out ports at back I/O

So if it's High Definition Audio (but don't have a HDMI connetion ?) does that mean i can use my reciever with my onboard sound card for True HD Audio ?

Bit confused about this :eek:

Any chance you could explain please

Cheers.

Marsman · 30 Apr 2010 at 14:47

No, you can only send Dolby TrueHD to the AV amp via HDMI. It can't be sent via SPDIF due to limitations of SPDIF. Even if the motherboard has HDMI, it must support HDCP (high definition content protection) for TrueHD to be passed on to the AV amp.

A cheaper way of sending TrueHD to an AV amp, would be a Radeon 5450 GFX card. The Radeon 5 series have onboard audio controllers, and are HDCP verified.

up2nogooduk · 30 Apr 2010 at 15:40

Marsman said:
No, you can only send Dolby TrueHD to the AV amp via HDMI. It can't be sent via SPDIF due to limitations of SPDIF. Even if the motherboard has HDMI, it must support HDCP (high definition content protection) for TrueHD to be passed on to the AV amp.

A cheaper way of sending TrueHD to an AV amp, would be a Radeon 5450 GFX card. The Radeon 5 series have onboard audio controllers, and are HDCP verified.

Ok i get the idea now about it having to have HDCP to support True HD.

My 5970 says HDCP Capable.
Display Connectors are/ 2 Dual-Link DVI-I & 1 Mini DisplayPort.
Right then, it came with an adaptor that has DVI one end, and HMDI connetor on the other. sorry if i sound thick mate :eek:

lol

So can i plug that adaptor into the other DVI port on the card, (as the other one is giving me my picture via DVI to DVI of course) then use my HDMI cable from the adaptor to my AV amp via HDMI ?

His reply might be , nooooo u dump a++sss lol

Don't ask you never learn i guess lol

Grateful for you're help throu

Cheers.

intruder369 · 7 Jul 2010 at 18:40

Marsman said:
Rather puzzled why the Deluxe has an analogue daughter board. Does someone actually need to have 7.1 analogue speakers aswell as the HDMI connection to their AV amp? If analogue connection is used to the AV amp, that means they can't take advantage of the Dolby TrueHD, which is the whole point of buying the card in first the place.

Quite interesting this , so what you are saying then that there is no such thing as a decoder that can send HD sound formats via RCA cables. I find that hard to believe, especially as the Sony BDP-S550 Blu Ray Player can, as it as an onboard decoder to do so. Or are Sony talking crap.

Marsman · 7 Jul 2010 at 21:59

I should have worded that differently. HD formats, Dolby True HD and DTS HD are decoded by either the card or the software being used, then the audio is sent via analogue. What I was trying to get at, if someone uses analogue connection to their AV receiver, or speakers, then why buy an HDAV? Surely someone would buy an HDAV to use the HDMI connection, otherwise, why not save £80 and get a D2X.

intruder369 · 8 Jul 2010 at 00:45

Marsman said:
I should have worded that differently. HD formats, Dolby True HD and DTS HD are decoded by either the card or the software being used, then the audio is sent via analogue. What I was trying to get at, if someone uses analogue connection to their AV receiver, or speakers, then why buy an HDAV? Surely someone would buy an HDAV to use the HDMI connection, otherwise, why not save £80 and get a D2X.

This very much depends if the person as a new AV Receiver with HDMI Inputs and Outputs on it. The Daughter Board that comes with this card, will allow them to output via RCA cables into an older receiver without HDMI In's and Out's on. And will work with exactly the same principle as the Sony BDP-S550 Blu Ray Player in Decoding Dolby Tru HD and DTS HD via RCA (phono) Jacks. The difference between HDMI and Phono Jacks is exactly the same. As a matter of fact the so called RCA (phono) Jack can transmit more audio information than any HDMI Lead. The so called Optical & Coaxial (SPDIF) cannot. So there is a reason for Asus providing a Daughter Board with 7.1 outposts on there Deluxe cards.

Marsman · 8 Jul 2010 at 02:28

intruder369 said:
The difference between HDMI and Phono Jacks is exactly the same.

intruder369 said:
As a matter of fact the so called RCA (phono) Jack can transmit more audio information than any HDMI Lead

HDMI transmits digital data. RCA, analogue singal. Analogue audio signal is not information.

intruder369 · 8 Jul 2010 at 06:53

Marsman said:
HDMI transmits digital data. RCA, analogue singal. Analogue audio signal is not information.

Yes your quite right and now my wording is totally off the mark, what I meant was the the difference between listening to HD Sound Formats via HDMI Leads and RCA Leads is exactly the same, if there is a difference please let me know where.

As for HDMI transmits digital data, and RCA, analogue being a signal, as long as you have a good decoder and a reciever with good DAC's on it , it will do a perfectly good job of it. The RCA cable can carry more audio through it with it being a signal.

james.miller · 8 Jul 2010 at 18:19

Marsman said:
I should have worded that differently. HD formats, Dolby True HD and DTS HD are decoded by either the card or the software being used, then the audio is sent via analogue. What I was trying to get at, if someone uses analogue connection to their AV receiver, or speakers, then why buy an HDAV? Surely someone would buy an HDAV to use the HDMI connection, otherwise, why not save £80 and get a D2X.

indeed.

intruder369 · 10 Jul 2010 at 00:37

james.miller said:
indeed.

Well thats quite simple, the Xonar D2X does not support HD sound formats at all. Least with the HDAV 1.3 you will get to listen them regardless of if your going via digital or anaolgue. If you can tell the difference between listening to them via an HDMI Lead or RCA Analogue Leads stick it on a postcard and mail it to Total Idiots Dot Com.

Marsman · 10 Jul 2010 at 02:27

intruder369 said:
Well thats quite simple, the Xonar D2X does not support HD sound formats at all. Least with the HDAV 1.3 you will get to listen them regardless of if your going via digital or anaolgue. If you can tell the difference between listening to them via an HDMI Lead or RCA Analogue Leads stick it on a postcard and mail it to Total Idiots Dot Com.

Doesn't need to support HD formats, the software will decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD.

intruder369 · 10 Jul 2010 at 09:07

Marsman said:
Doesn't need to support HD formats, the software will decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD.

Are you referring to the software that comes with the Xonar D2X, which does not have an HDMI or 7.1 Daughter Board on it to do such a thing, and certainly as nothing in it's specifications what so ever to support HD Lossless Sound Formats. You can only get DD 5.1 and DTS via SPDIF and Coax with this card. Hence the reason for people purchasing the HDAV 1.3 Delux instead of a D2X.

Marsman · 10 Jul 2010 at 20:15

intruder369 said:
Are you referring to the software that comes with the Xonar D2X, which does not have an HDMI or 7.1 Daughter Board on it to do such a thing

What? Firstly, the 7.1 analogue connections are on the card itself. Secondly, what has the daughter board or the HDMI of the HDAV got to do with decoding HD formats? In the case of the HDAV, when HDMI is used, the AV receiver does the decoding, when the daughter board is used, then the card itself does it. You are indeed correct when you say the D2X or it's software can't decode HD formats, however, the playback software does, PowerDVD etc.

It amazes me that people think that an HDAV is needed to be able to decode the HD lossless formats when watching Bluray's on PC. Clever marketing.

intruder369 · 11 Jul 2010 at 01:38

Marsman said:
What? Firstly, the 7.1 analogue connections are on the card itself. Secondly, what has the daughter board or the HDMI of the HDAV got to do with decoding HD formats? In the case of the HDAV, when HDMI is used, the AV receiver does the decoding, when the daughter board is used, then the card itself does it. You are indeed correct when you say the D2X or it's software can't decode HD formats, however, the playback software does, PowerDVD etc.

It amazes me that people think that an HDAV is needed to be able to decode the HD lossless formats when watching Bluray's on PC. Clever marketing.

Well unfortunately the D2X card does not have the same outposts on it that the HDAV as regarding to it's Daughter Board. Granted yes it as got outputs on it but not sure about 7.1 at all after all you can only use about 3 of them outputs to get all the channels through, which maybe ok for PC Speakers but certainly not good enough in connection to an AV receiver.

The D2X as got far more chance of supporting 5.1 rather than anywhere near supporting 7.1. On any good amp you need total control over every channel. I cannot see a way to get that with the DX2 at all. You need 8 outposts to do so.