Xonar U7 Soundcard Review

So on my HTPC I can't get DD to stream from Amazon when I am watching movies. i read about an external soundcard from Asus which can upsample PCM to dolby digital and is the subject of this review: https://www.asus.com/us/Sound-Cards/Xonar_U7/
The drivers from the asus website for windows 10 lack the ability to output Dolby Digital from PCM sources so I needed to follow instructions from a youtube video whicj=h I will post at the end. First it sounds awesome to be able finally stream in Dolby Digital from everything online, Amazon, Youttube, etc. In comparison to the native DD from Netflix the DD upmixer from the sound card sounded better. You can select if you want the stream from the coax digital port to be output in dolby digital or PCM. If you select PCM it allows you to choose the sample rate to stream all the way up to 192/24. I found that movies sound better in DD and most music sounds better in PCM. The software that comes with the card is called dolby theater. It let's you choose whether to leave it on or off and has presets for movies, music, and games to select from. i found whether or not to use them is dependent on the material. pacific rim sounded MUCH better with the software enaged, Star Wars phantom Menace did not. james Taylor at the Beacon sounded better without the software, old live recordings of ella fitzgerald sounded much better with it on. I love the flexibility. The card also has to RCA ports for L and R channels that can be used so that you can use the sound card like a DAC. i have yet to try this feature because I like the digital out so much but will post a follow up later. The card cost less than $100 and sounds absolutely fantastic. If you use a PC as your front end I would recommend to get this card. If you use windows 10 follow these installation instructions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwEDDp1WNu8

Review Part 2-
I had time to test out the Xonar as a DAC today using RCA outs. It made an A/B comparison fairly simple since I used both inputs into my Marantz 7702 processor. I used PCM out in 192/24 for both comparisons. The digital output sounded good. The DAC in the Marantz sounds very detailed through my Paradigm Active 40 speakers. Sometimes that level of detail can seem to tip the highs a little bit and lose some of that nice air you hear around cymbals or the bass notes seem a little more pronounced like they almost call attection to themselves. This can be great on movies and electronica music but less so on acoustic bass. When I switched to the RCA out and used the Xonar as a DAC the music seemed to lose that digital glare and regain some of that lost air around cymbals and the acoustic instruments. I would be happy just listening to the digital out, it still sounds WAY better than using the SPDIF port on my PC straight into the Marantz. But once you compare it to the RCA I prefer the RCA out in 2 channel so much I actually have no desire to upgrade my DAC at all (ever?). this sound card brings so much to the table. It sounds great as a DAC in 2 channel, you can select the sample rate you want in PCM, it has the Dolby Digital Live software which lets you upsample any source to DD and then use the movie/music/game modes in the software to tailor the sound if you prefer. I haven't even tried the headphone amp yet which I imagine layers in a whole bunch more value. If you use a PC as a front end you can't go wrong getting this card.

Review Update

So the DAC is broken in now and sounds even better. I use PCM mode for streaming music and Dolby Digital mode for movies. The Dolby digital Live HT software is great. I use movie mode for movies and music mode for streaming concerts from concertvault.com and qello.com. After using the software I really can't go back to not using it for movies and live performances. For 2 channel music I turn the software off.