On-board sound isn’t too bad nowadays, but there is a definite demand for better audio like external DACs (digital analog converters). Having gotten our hands on the Asus Xonar U5, we gave it a basic audition to see how it fares.
Sound Box
The box shaped DAC may look plain, but I quite like the simple brushed black aluminium body. Everything was laid out pretty well by Asus, with the volume control knob that can toggle output modes on top, the mic volume control at the front, and the I/O ports at the back.
Wire Mess
The Xonar U5 found a space on my desk quickly, with its rubber feet keeping it from sliding around. That’s neat, but there was one problem: cable management. Considering that the device was sitting near the front of my desk with the cables pouring out behind, instead of plugged into my PC behind, it created a clutter of cables for me to deal with; not fun.
Audio Boost
For the audio test, I used a regular PC speaker, my Beyerdynamic headphones, as well as my SteelSeries gaming headset. While there was no discernible improvement to sound on the speakers, the headphones fared better because of the extra power from the amp. Volume and sound quality for headphones definitely improved, but I wouldn’t say it was anything mind-blowing.
Gamer’s DAC
Gaming is where it should shine for most potential users, as the added software simulates 5.1 or 7.1 channel audio is great for accurate sound positioning. With it I could hear the sound of someone trying to sneak a Roshan in Dota 2- wait a minute… let me check that one out later. To conclude, if you are looking for a cheap DAC that has an amp and provides surround sound, the Xonar U5 is a great value proposition.
Specs
Dimensions 138 x 80 x 25 mm
Chipset C-Media CM6631A High-Definition Sound Processor
Signal-to-Noise Ratio 104 dB
Frequency Response 10 Hz to 44 KHz
I/O
4 x 3.5 mm (Headphone out/Front out/Center-Subwoofer out/Rear out
1 x 3.5 mm (Line-in/ Mic-in combo)
1 x S/PDIF out
Value 8
Performance 8
Features 9
Design 10
Usability 10
Verdict
Total 9
