We purchased the ASUS Strix Raid PRO audio card so that our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and review it. Read on for our full product review.
Which card stands out above all the others?
The ASUS Strix Raid PRO audio card sounds as good as it looks. ASUS has delivered a quality product with a focus on usability. That convenience comes at a price for those who demand flawless audio, however, as the card exhibits some issues on audio gear above $300. It struggles with deep bass and lacks a convincing soundstage, but its bass boost and virtual surround effects sound great on good consumer headphones like the Sennheiser GSP300 or Sony MDR-7506 . What’s more, it has the sound and features necessary for top gaming performance: excellent treble for hearing audio cues, a dedicated control box that lets you change sound signature and volume with a single button, and a comprehensive software solution to customize everything to your liking.
The Strix Raid PRO is a good-looking card, with a sturdy, aggressive design that fits nicely into a tower PC. The rigid black chassis acts as a shield against EM interference from the rest of your PC. On the side is a glowing orange eye reminiscent of a strix, the mythological bird the card is named after, and the motif does an attractive job of breaking up the matte black of the case. On the inside, the audio chipset supports a max range of 192kHz and 24-bit audio, with a 116dB SNR, 10Hz to 48kHz frequency response, an 8-channel DAC, and a 500mW amplifier. It has 3.5mm line-in, five 3.5mm line-out, and one S/PDIF out jacks, and supports native 7.1 surround.
(Why do you need an amplifier? Check out this guide.)
