E3867 - Xonar HDAV - UM
E3867 - Xonar HDAV - UM
E3867 - Xonar HDAV - UM
3
(Deluxe)
Audio/Video enhanced combo card
User manual
ii
E3867
First Edition V1
June 2008
Copyright 2008 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any
means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written
permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (ASUS).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless
such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL AS IS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY
DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE,
AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO
RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS
MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to the
owners benefit, without intent to infringe.
iii
Contents
Contents ...................................................................................................... iii
Notices .......................................................................................................... v
Safety information ...................................................................................... vi
Trademarks .................................................................................................. vi
License ........................................................................................................ vi
1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 1
1.1 Package contents .............................................................. 1
1.2 System requirements ......................................................... 1
1.3 Specifications summary ..................................................... 2
2. Hardware overview ......................................................................... 4
2.1 Xonar HDAV card layout .................................................... 4
2.2 H6 DAC extension board layout ......................................... 6
3. Installing the hardware ................................................................... 7
3.1 Preparing your computer ................................................... 7
3.2 Installing the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card.................................... 8
3.3 Connecting to a TV tuner card ......................................... 10
4. Installing software ..........................................................................11
4.1 Installing the card driver ....................................................11
4.2 Installing the TotalMedia Theatre software ....................... 12
5. Connecting speakers and peripherals ........................................ 13
5.1 Connecting digital speaker systems (Home Theater) ...... 13
5.2 Connecting Headphones ................................................. 14
5.3 Connecting Analog Speaker Systems .............................. 16
5.4 Connecting Microphone ................................................... 23
5.5 Connecting Line-In Audio Sources ................................... 24
5.6 Connecting Digital Audio Sources .................................... 25
6. Xonar HDAV Center ....................................................................... 26
6.1 Xonar HDAV Center GUI.................................................. 26
6.2 Audio-Main Setting ........................................................... 28
6.3 Mixer/Volume ................................................................... 38
6.4 Effects .............................................................................. 41
6.5 Karaoke ............................................................................ 43
6.6 FlexBass .......................................................................... 44
6.7 AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancellation) ................................... 46
6.8 Smart Volume Normalization ........................................... 48
iv
Contents
6.9 DS3D GX and DSP Modes .............................................. 50
6.10 VocalFX ............................................................................ 52
6.11 Video Splendid HD ........................................................ 55
6.12 DVD/Blu-ray playback over DH/DVS/DDL/
Multiple Analog Speakers ................................................ 60
7. ASUS GamerOSD .......................................................................... 68
7.1 Enabling ASUS GamerOSD ............................................. 68
7.2 Setting ASUS GamerOSD ............................................... 69
7.3 Using ASUS GamerOSD ................................................. 71
7.4 Broadcasting games with ASUS GamerOSD .................. 75
8. RMAA Test Guide .......................................................................... 79
8.1 Setting Up Xonar HDAV 1.3 card ..................................... 79
8.2 Configuration and Test with RMAA................................... 82
8.3 RMAA Testing Results...................................................... 85
8.4 ASUS Xonar HDAV RightMark Audio Analyzer test ......... 86
9. Troubleshooting and FAQs .......................................................... 90
[Troubleshooting] ............................................................................ 90
[FAQs] ......................................................................................... 92
v
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
This device may not cause harmful interference, and
This device must accept any interference received including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturers
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
vi
This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical
and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local
regulations for disposal of electronic products.
Safety information
Before installing the device on a motherboard, carefully read all the manuals
that came with the package.
To prevent electrical shock hazard or short circuits, switch off the power supply
before installing the device on a motherboard or connecting any singal cables
to the device.
If the device is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service
technician or your retailer.
Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected. If you
detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.
To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, sockets and circuitry.
Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in
any area where it may become wet.
Place the product on a stable surface.
If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified
service technician or your retailer.
Trademarks
Xonar and ASUS logo are trademarks of ASUSTek Computer Inc. Dolby
and Dolby Digital Live, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Virtual Speaker, Dolby
Headphone are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. DTS and DTS CONNECT,
DTS Interactive, DTS Neo: PC are trademarks of Digital Theater Systems,
Inc. EAX and A3D are trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. Microsoft,
DirectSound3D, Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other company
and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which
they are associated. ASIO is a trademark and software of Steinberg Media
Technologies GmbH.
License
Dolby Master Studio driver is manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories;
DTS Connect driver is manufactured under license from Digital Theater Systems,
Inc.
1 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
1. Introduction
1.1 Package contents
ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 card
ASUS Xonar H6 DAC extension board
(ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3 Deluxe only)
H6 extension board cable x1
HDMI cable x1
DVI-to-HDMI cable x1
Stereo RCA-to-3.5mm cable x4
S/PDIF TOSLINK optical adapter x1
Support CD (including ASUS Gamer OSD and RMAA V6.0.6 utilities)
Quick installation guide
TotalMedia Theatre Bluray Disc/HD-DVD Software Player (ArcSoft) CD
1.2 System requirements
One DVI/HDMI graphics output
One PCI Express 1.0 (or higher) compatible slot for the HDAV card, and one
adjacent slot for the H6 DAC extension board
One available 4-pin power cable from PCs power supply unit
Microsoft
Windows
Pentium
4 1.4GHz or AMD Athlon 1400 CPU or faster CPU
256 MB DRAM system memory
100 MB available HDD space for driver installation package
Blu-ray/HD-DVD ROM
An HDMI-ready AV receiver or TV/monitor set (v.1.3 is better), home theater
system, high-quality headphones, or powered analog speakers, to enjoy the
ultra-high fidelity audio and video of the AV card
2 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
1.3 Specifcations summary
(continued on the next page)
Items Description
Main Chipset
Audio Processor
ASUS AV200 High-Definition Audio Processor (Max.
192KHz/24bit)
Video Processor ASUS Splendid HD Video Processor
24-bit D-A Converter of Digital Sources:
TI Burr-Brown PCM1796 *1 on AV card;
*3 on H6 DAC Extension Board
(123dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24bit)
24-bit A-D Converter for Analog Inputs:
Cirrus-Logic CS5381* 1 (120dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24bit)
Output Audio OPAs
Swappable DIP-typed NS LM4562 *4 (Ultra low THD+N~
0.00003%)
Analog Audio Performance
Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): Up to 120 dB for all channels
Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): Up to 118 dB
Output Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at
1KHz:
Up to 0.0004% (-108dB)
Input Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1KHz: Up to 0.0003% (-110dB)
Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input ): <10Hz to 46kHz
DAC Cross-talk at 1KHz: Down to -130 dB
ADC Cross-talk at 1KHz: Down to -115dB
Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage
-2.2 Vrms (6.22 Vp-p) for output
-2.0 Vrms (5.65 Vp-p) for input
Bus Compatibility
PCI Express
-PCI Express Rev.1.0a specification compatible
-Max. full 2.5Gbps bandwidth per direction and optimized
latency for high-definition audio processing
-Compatible with X1, X4, X8, X16 PCI Express slots
Sample Rate and Resolution
HDMI 1.3 Playback Sample Rate and Resolution
-44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit PCM
-Dolby Digital /EX, DTS 5.1/ES pass-through
-Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD Master
Audio pass-through upgradeable by TotalMedia player
Analog Playback Sample Rate and Resolution 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
Analog Recording Sample Rate and Resolution 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
S/PDIF Digital Output
-44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit PCM
-Dolby Digital /EX, DTS 5.1/ES pass-through
S/PDIF Digital Input 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
I/O Ports
HDMI Ports
HDMI-Out Type A *1
HDMI-In Type A *1
Analog Output Jack:
RCA jack *2 (Front L/R)
RCA jack *6 (Side/Back L/R, Center, Subwoofer)
Analog Input Jack: 3.50mm mini jack *1 (Line-In/Mic-In shared)
Front-Panel Header
-For connecting headphone/front-out jack and mic-in jack
on the front-panel of the PC case
-Works with both Intel HD Audio and AC97 standard front-
panels (2 x5 pins)
Other Line-level Analog Input (for CD-IN/TV
Tuner):
Aux-In 4-pin header
Digital S/PDIF Output
Coaxial and high-bandwidth TOSLINK optical combo
connector supports 192KHz/24bit
Digital S/PDIF Input
High-bandwidth TOSLINK optical connector (shared with
Line-In/Mic-In jack) supports 192KHz/24bit
Driver Features
Operation System Windows Vista/XP(32/64bit)/MCE2005
Dolby
Digital Live
Dolby Digital Live encodes any audio signal on PC in real-
time to Dolby Digital (AC3) 5.1 surround sounds to your
home theater environment through one single S/PDIF
connection
Dolby
Headphone
Dolby Headphone technology allows users to listen to music,
watch movies, or play games with the dramatic 5.1-channel
surround or realistic 3D spacious effects through any set of
stereo headphones.
Dolby
Virtual Speaker
Dolby Virtual Speaker technology simulates a highly realistic
5.1-speaker surround sound listening environment from as
few as two speakers.
Dolby
Pro-Logic IIx
Dolby Pro-Logic II is the well-known technology to process
any native stereo or 5.1-channel audio into a 6.1- or 7.1-
channel output, creating a seamless, natural surround
soundfield.
DTS
Connect Technologies
DTS Connect contains DTS Interactive Encoder and DTS
Neo:PC technologies. DTS Interactive encodes any sound
on PC to DTS 5.1 Surround high bitrate digital stream to
your home theater through S/PDIF connection. DTS
Neo:PC can convert stereo audio into 5.1 or 7.1-channel
high-fidelity surround sounds.
DirectSound3D Game EXtensions 2.0 & 1.0 (DS3D
GX 2.0)
-DS3D GX 2.0 supports EAX gaming sound effects and
DirectSound 3D hardware enhanced functions for more games
on Windows Vista & XP. (DirectX/DirectSound 3D compatible)
-DS3D GX 2.0 adds latest VocalFX voice effects for online
gaming or chatting.
VocalFX
TM
Xonar DX provides VocalFX, the latest vocal effect technologies
for gaming and VoIP, including:
-VoiceEX: produces vivid environmental reverberation for your
voice in EAX games
-ChatEX: emulates different background environment effects
when you chat online
-Magic Voice: changes your voice pitch to different types
(Monster/Cartoon) for disguising your real voice or just for
fun in online chatting
Smart Volume Normalizer
Normalizes the volume of all audio sources into a constant
level and also enhances your 3D sound listening range and
advantages in gaming
Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC)
Provides advanced Acoustic Echo Cancellation
(AEC) for best voice conferencing quality in VOIP
applications or online gaming
Karaoke Functions Music Key-Shifting and Microphone Echo effects
FlexBass
Professional Bass Management/Enhancement system for
small or large speakers
Xear 3D Virtual Speaker Shifter
Virtual 7.1 speaker positioning and shifting to adjust the
optimum soundfield for your speaker placement
Other Effects 10-band Equalier/27 Environment Effects
3D Gaming Sound Engines/APIs
DirectSound3D GX 2.0 & 1.0, EAX2.0&1.0,
DirectSound HW, DirectSound SW, A3D1.0, OpenAL
generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability
ASIO 2.0 Driver Support: 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
Software Utility
TotalMedia Theatre
7.1-ch Bluray disc/HD-DVD/DVD movie player supports HD
video/audio decoding
ASUS Gamer OSD On-screen-display utility for gaming
RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.0.6
Easy but powerful software intended for testing the quality
of audio equipments
Accessories
Accessories
-H6 Extension Board cable (for connecting HDAV card and
extension board) *1
-DVI-to-HDMI cable *1
-Stereo RCA-to-3.5mm cable * 4
-S/PDIF TOSLINK optical adaptor *2
3 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
Items Description
Main Chipset
Audio Processor
ASUS AV200 High-Definition Audio Processor (Max.
192KHz/24bit)
Video Processor ASUS Splendid HD Video Processor
24-bit D-A Converter of Digital Sources:
TI Burr-Brown PCM1796 *1 on AV card;
*3 on H6 DAC Extension Board
(123dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24bit)
24-bit A-D Converter for Analog Inputs:
Cirrus-Logic CS5381* 1 (120dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/24bit)
Output Audio OPAs
Swappable DIP-typed NS LM4562 *4 (Ultra low THD+N~
0.00003%)
Analog Audio Performance
Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): Up to 120 dB for all channels
Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): Up to 118 dB
Output Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at
1KHz:
Up to 0.0004% (-108dB)
Input Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise at 1KHz: Up to 0.0003% (-110dB)
Frequency Response (-3dB, 24-bit/96kHz input ): <10Hz to 46kHz
DAC Cross-talk at 1KHz: Down to -130 dB
ADC Cross-talk at 1KHz: Down to -115dB
Output/Input Full-Scale Voltage
-2.2 Vrms (6.22 Vp-p) for output
-2.0 Vrms (5.65 Vp-p) for input
Bus Compatibility
PCI Express
-PCI Express Rev.1.0a specification compatible
-Max. full 2.5Gbps bandwidth per direction and optimized
latency for high-definition audio processing
-Compatible with X1, X4, X8, X16 PCI Express slots
Sample Rate and Resolution
HDMI 1.3 Playback Sample Rate and Resolution
-44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit PCM
-Dolby Digital /EX, DTS 5.1/ES pass-through
-Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, and DTS-HD Master
Audio pass-through upgradeable by TotalMedia player
Analog Playback Sample Rate and Resolution 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
Analog Recording Sample Rate and Resolution 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
S/PDIF Digital Output
-44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit PCM
-Dolby Digital /EX, DTS 5.1/ES pass-through
S/PDIF Digital Input 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
I/O Ports
HDMI Ports
HDMI-Out Type A *1
HDMI-In Type A *1
Analog Output Jack:
RCA jack *2 (Front L/R)
RCA jack *6 (Side/Back L/R, Center, Subwoofer)
Analog Input Jack: 3.50mm mini jack *1 (Line-In/Mic-In shared)
Front-Panel Header
-For connecting headphone/front-out jack and mic-in jack
on the front-panel of the PC case
-Works with both Intel HD Audio and AC97 standard front-
panels (2 x5 pins)
Other Line-level Analog Input (for CD-IN/TV
Tuner):
Aux-In 4-pin header
Digital S/PDIF Output
Coaxial and high-bandwidth TOSLINK optical combo
connector supports 192KHz/24bit
Digital S/PDIF Input
High-bandwidth TOSLINK optical connector (shared with
Line-In/Mic-In jack) supports 192KHz/24bit
Driver Features
Operation System Windows Vista/XP(32/64bit)/MCE2005
Dolby
Digital Live
Dolby Digital Live encodes any audio signal on PC in real-
time to Dolby Digital (AC3) 5.1 surround sounds to your
home theater environment through one single S/PDIF
connection
Dolby
Headphone
Dolby Headphone technology allows users to listen to music,
watch movies, or play games with the dramatic 5.1-channel
surround or realistic 3D spacious effects through any set of
stereo headphones.
Dolby
Virtual Speaker
Dolby Virtual Speaker technology simulates a highly realistic
5.1-speaker surround sound listening environment from as
few as two speakers.
Dolby
Pro-Logic IIx
Dolby Pro-Logic II is the well-known technology to process
any native stereo or 5.1-channel audio into a 6.1- or 7.1-
channel output, creating a seamless, natural surround
soundfield.
DTS
Connect Technologies
DTS Connect contains DTS Interactive Encoder and DTS
Neo:PC technologies. DTS Interactive encodes any sound
on PC to DTS 5.1 Surround high bitrate digital stream to
your home theater through S/PDIF connection. DTS
Neo:PC can convert stereo audio into 5.1 or 7.1-channel
high-fidelity surround sounds.
DirectSound3D Game EXtensions 2.0 & 1.0 (DS3D
GX 2.0)
-DS3D GX 2.0 supports EAX gaming sound effects and
DirectSound 3D hardware enhanced functions for more games
on Windows Vista & XP. (DirectX/DirectSound 3D compatible)
-DS3D GX 2.0 adds latest VocalFX voice effects for online
gaming or chatting.
VocalFX
TM
Xonar DX provides VocalFX, the latest vocal effect technologies
for gaming and VoIP, including:
-VoiceEX: produces vivid environmental reverberation for your
voice in EAX games
-ChatEX: emulates different background environment effects
when you chat online
-Magic Voice: changes your voice pitch to different types
(Monster/Cartoon) for disguising your real voice or just for
fun in online chatting
Smart Volume Normalizer
Normalizes the volume of all audio sources into a constant
level and also enhances your 3D sound listening range and
advantages in gaming
Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC)
Provides advanced Acoustic Echo Cancellation
(AEC) for best voice conferencing quality in VOIP
applications or online gaming
Karaoke Functions Music Key-Shifting and Microphone Echo effects
FlexBass
Professional Bass Management/Enhancement system for
small or large speakers
Xear 3D Virtual Speaker Shifter
Virtual 7.1 speaker positioning and shifting to adjust the
optimum soundfield for your speaker placement
Other Effects 10-band Equalier/27 Environment Effects
3D Gaming Sound Engines/APIs
DirectSound3D GX 2.0 & 1.0, EAX2.0&1.0,
DirectSound HW, DirectSound SW, A3D1.0, OpenAL
generic modes, 128 3D sounds processing capability
ASIO 2.0 Driver Support: 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
Software Utility
TotalMedia Theatre
7.1-ch Bluray disc/HD-DVD/DVD movie player supports HD
video/audio decoding
ASUS Gamer OSD On-screen-display utility for gaming
RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.0.6
Easy but powerful software intended for testing the quality
of audio equipments
Accessories
Accessories
-H6 Extension Board cable (for connecting HDAV card and
extension board) *1
-DVI-to-HDMI cable *1
-Stereo RCA-to-3.5mm cable * 4
-S/PDIF TOSLINK optical adaptor *2
*Specifcations are subject to change without notice.
4 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
2. Hardware overview
2.1 Xonar HDAV card layout
1
2
3
4
5
7 8
9
10
6
No Item Description
1 HDMI In port Connects to the DVI port of a graphics card using the
bundled HDMI-to-DVI cable for DVI signal transmission, or
connects to the HDMI Out port of an HDMI graphics card
using an HDMI cable.
2 HDMI Out port Connects to a device with HDMI support.
3 S/PDIF Out port Coaxial and optical TOSLINK combo digital output port.
Connects to an external digital decoder or digital speaker
systems, Home Theater systems, AV receivers for outputting
digital audio including PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, WMA-Pro,
etc.
4 Front Right Out port Connect the Right audio cable (red) from your 2/2.1 channel
speakers to this port. For multi-channel speaker systems,
connects to the Front Right In port on the powered speakers.
5 Front Left Out port Connect the Left audio cable (white) from your 2/2.1 channel
speakers to this port. For multi-channel speaker systems,
connects to the Front Right In port on the powered speakers.
6 Microphone In port Connect your external PC microphone to this 3.5mm port for
voice input. Built-in high-quality Microphone pre-amplifier.
6 Line In port Connect analog devices like MP3 players, CD players,
music synthesizers and other line-level sound sources to
this 3.5mm port for audio recording or processing. (Through
Ultra-high fidelity 115dB SNR A-D converter)
(continued on the next page)
5 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
6 S/PDIF In port Optical TOSLINK digital input jack. Connects to external
digital audio sources such as MD players, CD players, or
DVD players, for audio recording or loopback.
7 Front panel audio
header
Connect one end of the front panel audio cable to the front
panel audio header on the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card, with the
other end to the chassis-mounted front panel audio I/O
module.
8 Aux Input Header Usually connects to the Analog Audio output of TV tuner card
or other sound source inside your PC system. (To monitor
your TV tuner cards audio from this Aux-In, you must enable
the monitor function for Aux-In in the Xonar HDAV Center
softwares recording mixer.)
9 Power Connector Connects to the power cable of your power supply.
10 Bridge connector Connects to the extension board with the bundled bridge
cable.
6 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
No Item Description
1 Right Side Surround
Out port
Connects to the surround channel input on 4/5.1/6.1/7.1
powered analog speakers.
2 Left Side Surround
Out port
Connects to the surround channel input on 4/5.1/6.1/7.1
powered analog speakers.
3 Center Out port Connects to the front center input on 5.1/6.1/7.1 powered
analog speakers.
4 Subwoofer Out port Connects to the front subwoofer input on 6.1/7.1 powered
analog speakers.
5 Right Back Surround
Out port
Connects to the Right Back Surround input on 6.1/7.1
powered analog speakers.
6 Left Back Surround
Out port
Connects to the Left Back Surround input on 6.1/7.1 powered
analog speakers.
7 Bridge connector Connects to the Xonar HDAV card with the bundled H6
extension board cable.
2.2 H6 DAC extension board layout
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
7 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
3. Installing the hardware
3.1 Preparing your computer
Before you proceed with the following installation steps, it is recommended that
you disable the onboard audio device in the BIOS settings, or uninstall any other
sound cards on your PC. (For BIOS setting or uninstallation of other sound cards,
refer to the user manuals of your motherboard and sound card.)
1. Power off your computer and disconnect the power cord.
2. Open the computer chassis.
3. Remove the metal brackets from one unused PCI Express x1 slot for the
Xonar HDAV card and its adjacent slot for the H6 DAC extension board.
8 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
3.2 Installing the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card
Securing the Xonar HDAV card and the H6 DAC extension board:
1. Carefully insert the Xonar HDAV card into the PCI Express x1 slot and the
extension board into the other adjacent slot. Ensure both the Xonar HDAV
card and the extension board sit properly in place.
2. Secure both the Xonar HDAV card and the extension board with screws or
metal brackets.
1
2
Connecting cables:
1. Using the extension board cable, connect the Xonar HDAV card to the
extension board.
2. Connect a 4-pin ATX power cable to the ATX power connector on the card.
The Xonar HDAV 1.3 card requires additional power to work. Ensure that you
connect the ATX power cable to the card to provide ample power.
1
2
ATX power cable
Extension board cable
9 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
Connecting to a discrete graphics card:
1. Install a discrete graphics card on your motherboard.
2. Using the bundled HDMI-to-DVI cable, connect the DVI Out port of the
graphics card to the HDMI In port of the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card.
If you are using an HDMI graphics card, connect your graphics card with the
Xonar HDAV 1.3 card using the HDMI cable that comes with your graphics card
package.
1
2
Graphics card HDMI-to-DVI cable
Connecting to an HDMI display device:
Using an HDMI cable, connect one end to the HDMI out port of the Xonar HDAV
card and the other end to the HDMI display device.
Ensure that you have properly connected the DVI-to-HDMI cable for normal
video signal transmission. Otherwise, there might be no display on your
HDMI display device.
Some LCD TVs with HDMI output do not support PC resolutions and may
lose audio output, excepting on following video resolutions: 480i/p, 720p,
and 1080i/p.
1
2
10 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
3.3 Connecting to a TV tuner card
1. If you have a traditional PCI or PCI Express TV tuner card on your PC, you
may need to connect it to the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card to send the tuner cards
sound to your PC speakers.
2. Secure the PCI/PCI Express TV tuner card and screw it into the back-panel.
3. Connect the audio output header from the TV tuner card to the Aux-In header
of the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card.
For optimum TV audio quality, Xonar HDAV uses ADC recording to digitize the
signal and loops it back to DAC playback. Select Aux-In as the recording source
in the Xonar HDAV Centers recording mixer and enable the monitoring button
to pass this signal to the audio output. Using this setup, you can even turn on
sound effects such as Pro-Logic IIx to expand the stereo TV audio to 5.1 or 7.1
channel surround sound. TV audio on your PC will become even better than on
your TV set.
11 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
4. Installing software
4.1 Installing the card driver
Ensure that you have installed the VGA card driver before installing the Xonar
HDAV driver. Otherwise, driver installation error may occur.
1. After you have installed the Xonar HDAV card, turn on your computer.
Windows
taskbar and select Setting to display the setup menu. If you exit
the utility, go to Start > Programs > ASUS > GamerOSD AP > GamerOSD to
relaunch the program.
The GamerOSD setup menu is as follows:
Capture Mode
Broadcast
Select to have live broadcasts of the games you are playing on the Internet.
Movie
Select to record games and save the videos.
Advanced Setting
Allows yout to set the Video Capture Size, Video Capture Frame Rate, Sound
Capture Device, Broadcast Port, and Movie Format.
Start Broadcasting
Click to start live broadcasts of games. When selected, the broadcasting icon
appears on the Windows
taskbar.
3. Start a full-screen game. Launch the
GamerOSD using the hotkeys.
4. Press the Page Up/Down key to
go to the Video Capturing menu
and use the Up/Down arrow key to
highlight Start Capturing.
5. Press the right arrow key to start
broadcasting.
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7.4.3 Watching broadcasts
Remote clients can watch the game youre playing via live broadcast on the
Internet.
To watch broadcasts:
1. From the IE Address box, key in the IP address of the computer that is
broadcasting a game.
2. Click the play button to start preview.
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8. RMAA Test Guide
The Xonar HDAV 1.3 driver CD includes RightMark Audio Analyzer (RMAA), a
popular software intended for testing the quality of audio equipment, be it a sound
card, portable MP3 player, consumer CD/DVD player, or a speaker system. The
measurements are conducted by playing and recording test signals, and using
frequency analysis algorithms. The following provides a step-by-step loop-back
test guide for your Xonar HDAV 1.3 card.
8.1 Setting Up Xonar HDAV 1.3 card
Open the Xonar HDAV Center. Use the settings below:
1. Select the sample rate you will be using with RMAA (here we set 48KHz for
testing 48KHz/24bit signals).
2. Set analog output to 2-speaker mode (to get rid of any channel processing
over RMAA stereo signals in the driver)
3. Turn off all sound effects including Dolby, DTS, 7.1 speaker shifter, EQ,
Environment, etc. A quick way to do so is to enable the Hi-Fi mode button in
the Xonar HDAV Center.
2
1
3
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4. Go to the Mixer Recording page and select Line In as the recording source.
Click Reset to make sure the recording volume is on the default highest
level (0dB). This allows you to get realistic output and input quality ratings for
the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card.
You may also choose to use an external 3.5mm line cable as follows (as short
as possible) to connect the Front-Out jack to the Line-In jack for loop-back
testing. In that case, select Line In as the recording source on the mixer page.
4
81 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
5. Click Reset on the playback volume mixer page to keep the volume setting
on default.
6. Turn the master volume to the MAX level (0dB)
5
6
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8.2 Confguration and Test with RMAA
Start RMAA and follow the setup procedure below.
1. Select playback devices as [DirectSound] ASUS Xonar HDAV Audio. (As
Windows MME mode does not support high-resolution 24bit audio playback
and the data may be manipulated by Windows, the real hardware quality can
not be measured properly.)
2. Select recording devices as [MME] ASUS Xonar HDAV Audio.
3. Select 24bit and 48KHz for the test signals. (If you change the format here,
remember to go back to set the same sample rate output in the Xonar HDAV
Center)
4. Click the loop-back mode test button .
3
1
2
4
5. Check if the levels shown in the Adjusting level window are OK (the level
meter will be green).
5
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6. If the recording volume level is not high enough, check and make sure the
WAVE and Master Volume have been at the maximum level; instead, if the
recording volume level is too high, lower the WAVE and Master volumes
gradually until the level is ok.
6
7. Begin the test by clicking the Start test button. If you cannot get the level to
be OK after the previous step, click Start test anyways and proceed.
7
84 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
8. Enter ASUS Xonar HDAV Audio in the New slot name and select one Empty
slot. Click OK when done.
9. RMAA will pop up the Test results window. You can click the Select
checkbox and click to Make html report.
9
10. Check and key in the report name/options as follows and then click OK
85 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
8.3 RMAA Testing Results
Open the html file you created and saved in the test above, and it will display the
report with both data and plots in your browser. The following report is a sample
and you can see how high-fidelity and crystal-clean the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card is for
both output and input (one of the worlds finest sound cards, it has higher quality
than most CE devices.) You can also try testing the performance for other sample
rates and bit-depths with the same procedure.
86 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
Frequency range Response
From 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dB -0.12, +0.03
From 40 Hz to 15 kHz, dB -0.04, +0.03
8.4 ASUS Xonar HDAV RightMark Audio Analyzer test
Testing chain: External loopback (line-out - line-in)
Sampling mode: 24-bit, 48 kHz
Summary
General performance: Excellent
Frequency response
Frequency response (from 40 Hz to 15 kHz), dB: +0.03, -0.04 Excellent
Noise level, dB (A): -116.2 Excellent
Dynamic range, dB (A): 116.1 Excellent
THD, % 0.0003 Excellent
THD + Noise, dB (A) -103.9 Excellent
IMD + Noise, %: 0.0007 Excellent
Stereo crosstalk, dB: -115.5 Excellent
IMD at 10 kHz, %: 0.0007 Excellent
General performance Excellent
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Noise level
Dynamic range
Parameter Left Right
RMS power, dB: -115.0 -114.3
RMS power (A-weighted), dB: -116.5 -115.9
Peak level, dB FS: -90.3 -89.8
DC offset, %: -0.00 -0.00
Parameter Left Right
Dynamic range, dB: +115.1 +114.2
Dynamic range (A-weighted), dB: +116.5 +115.6
DC offset, % -0.00 -0.00
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THD + Noise (at -3 dB FS)
Parameter Left Right
THD, %: +0.0002 +0.0004
THD + Noise, %: +0.0006 +0.0006
THD + Noise (A-weighted), %: +0.0006 +0.0007
Intermodulation distortion
Parameter Left Right
IMD + Noise, %: +0.0006 +0.0008
IMD + Noise (A-weighted), %: +0.0004 +0.0005
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Stereo crosstalk
IMD (swept tones)
Parameter Left Right
IMD + Noise at 5000 Hz, 0.0006 0.0007
IMD + Noise at 10000 Hz, 0.0005 0.0009
IMD + Noise at 15000 Hz, 0.0005 0.0011
Parameter Left Right
Crosstalk at 100 Hz, dB -112 -110
Crosstalk at 1000 Hz, dB -115 -114
Crosstalk at 10000 Hz, dB -97 -97
*This report was generated by RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.0.6
90 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
9. Troubleshooting and FAQs
[Troubleshooting]
The audio card driver could not be installed on my PC.
Instructions:
1. Make sure that you have properly plugged the audio card in the PCI Express
slot on your motherboard.
2. Check that the Windows hardware device manager has discovered a
multimedia audio device. If no device is found, please try scanning for new
hardware.
3. Try soft reboot (restart) your Windows.
4. Remove the card, plug it into another PCI Express slot, and try again.
I couldnt fnd the Xonar HDAV Center
Instructions:
1. Make sure you have installed the driver
2. Find the Xonar HDAV Center icon in the system tray on the bottom right-hand
corner of the screen. Double click the icon to open the Xonar HDAV Center
utility..
3. If the icon could not be found in the system tray, go to the Windows Control
Panel and double click the Xonar HDAV Center icon to make it visible in the
system tray again.
4. After the driver installation is complete, its recommended that you reboot your
computer to complete the setup. If the icon still doesnt appear, please try
installing the driver package again.
I cant hear any sound from my analog speakers
Instructions:
1. Xonar HDAV 1.3 card needs the power cable to supply addition power in
addition to the basic PCI Express bus power. Please double check you have
plugged the small 4-pin power plug onto Xonar HDAV 1.3 power connector.
If you did not plug the internal power, Xonar HDAV Center will remind you
a warning message and wont allow your operation when you double click
Xonar HDAV Center icon in the system tray.
2. Ensure that you have connected speakers properly and have powered on
your speakers
3. Ensure that the device master volume or the software player has NOT been
muted on the Xonar HDAV Center
91 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
4. If you are using Dolby Digital Live or DTS Interactive encoders through the
S/PDIF output, the analog output will be muted to get rid of the interference
between your digital speaker system and analog speakers or headphones.
Check if this is the case.
5. Try restart your Windows.
I cant hear any sound from the S/PDIF output
Instructions:
1. Ensure that you have enabled S/PDIF output in the Audio Center GUI (Main
page)
2. Ensure that you are connecting the correct S/PDIF output jack on the card to
the decoders (AV receiver) S/PDIF input jack
3. You may need to select the correct input and mode of your decoder or AV
receiver. For Dolby Digital or DTS output, you may have to double check that
the AV receiver is in that decoding mode.
4. If you are using 192KHz PCM output, please make sure your decoder can
support 192KHz decoding. Try changing it to 44.1K or 48KHz first.
I cant hear audio input (Mic, Line-in, etc.) from my speakers
Instructions:
1. Go to the mixer recording page in the Audio Center and select the correct
input as the recording source (Xonar HDAV 1.3 uses high-quality 118dB
digital recording and monitoring to route the input signal through to the
output.) If you are using Windows Vista, please also go to system audio
control panel to see the current default recording/input device is right.
2. Remember to turn on the digital monitoring button for that recording source.
I cant hear the TV tuner audio from my speakers
Instructions:
1. If you are using a traditional TV tuner card which has analog audio output,
please connect it to the Aux-In header on the audio card
2. Select Aux-In as the recording source and remember to turn on the digital
monitoring button on the recording mixer page
3. If you are using a TV tuner card which has digital audio output instead
of analog, please check that the sound is not muted and whether other
applications can play sound out. If you still have problem, please read the TV
tuner cards software user guide.
92 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
I found no sound effects when playing 96K or 192KHz sound sources.
Instructions:
1. Currently Xonar HDAV 1.3 effects including Dolby/DTS support common
44.1K, 48KHz sound sources processing and will assure high-definition audio
(96K/192KHz) in hi-fidelity playback. This is also usually the behavior that
professional audiophiles and musicians prefer.
2. If you still want to have the effects, you can use some editing software
(Ableton Live, Cakewalk, CoolEdit, Soundforge, etc.) to convert the sounds
into 48KHz files.
3. Please note that the frequency meter on Xonar HDAV Center panel will not
take effect either when the playback source is 96KHz or 192KHz sample rate
to prevent any processing distortion.
[FAQs]
Q1: Does the Xonar HDAV 1.3 support Windows Vista?
Answer:
Yes, the Xonar HDAV 1.3 driver package does support Windows Vista 32/64 bit
and most key features are available. In addition, Xonar HDAV 1.3 supports unique
DS3D GX 2.0 on Windows Vista, which can recover DirectSound 3D hardware and
EAX gaming sound effects on Vista for a lot of existing DirectX games.
Q2: Why does the Xonar HDAV 1.3 support Dolby and DTS technologies?
Answer:
Dolby & DTS are the ONLY brands and technologies recognized by the CE
industry and available on a wide range of audio equipment. Xonar includes these
features to make your PC a powerful media and entertainment center.
Q3: Why is Xonar HDAV 1.3 the best audio card for HTPC and multi-channel
speakers?
Answer:
The Xonar HDAV 1.3 supports Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect, which allow
a single digital connection to your AV receiver to carry Dolby Digtial and DTS 5.1
audio. In addition, Xonar HDAV 1.3 also provides Dolby Pro-Logic IIx and DTS
Neo:PC to upmix TV and other music to multi-channel surround sound in Home
Theater environments. Xonar HDAV 1.3 also has Ultra High Fidelity SNR120dB on
ALL 7.1 channel analog output at 192K/24bit, which is the best quality consumer
audio card in the world. Therefore, its also the best card to deliver the high quality
audio through an analog connection to your home theater system or high-end
multi-channel speakers.
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Q4: Does the Xonar HDAV 1.3 support EAX on Vista?
Answer:
Yes, Xonar HDAV 1.3 can support EAX2.0 not only on Windows XP but also on
Vista through innovative DirectSound3D Game EXtensions v1.0 (DS3D GX 1.0)
technology.
Q5: Why do I need Dolby and DTS for PC games?
Answer:
1. Dolby Digital, Pro-Logic IIx, and DTS are available on the latest game
consoles, like XBOX360, PS3, and Wii. Dolby and DTS can provide the
best gaming sound experience and compatibility with home theater or TV
systems.
2. Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker are the best 3D sound
positioning, spatial modeling and 5.1-channel virtualization technology for
regular stereo headphones and speakers
Q6: Whats the most important beneft of the Xonar HDAV 1.3 for musicians?
Answer:
1. Ultimate Fidelity: Xonar HDAV 1.3 has the highest quality of audio in/out for
the cleanest sound production
2. Duplex HD: Supports audio sampling rates up to 24bit/192KHz for all inputs
and outputs
3. ASIO 2.0: Xonar HDAV 1.3 includes an ASIO 2.0 driver for low-latency, low-
distortion music creation application
Q7: What's the application of "S/PDIF in loopback"?
Answer:
"SPDIF in loopback" is the process of looping back the sound card's S/PDIF digital
input signal directly to the S/PDIF output. It's useful mainly for two purposes:
transforming electrical signals from coaxial cable to a fiber optical cable, or vice
versa.
using the PC as a SPDIF bridge (typically as a media center): for example,
connect other devices like DVD players to the Xonar HDAV 1.3s S/PDIF input
and then connect its SPDIF output to an AV receiver or decoder. When you
would like to send the player device's audio to the AV receiver, you need to
have the Xonar sound card's "S/PDIF in loopback" enabled to redirect the
player's input signal to output to the AV receiver.
Since "SPDIF In Loopback" is the hardwares high-fidelity pass-through path, not
all sound effects will be applied to the signals.
94 ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
Q8: Will PCM sound output through S/PDIF be just 2 channels even with
different analog output channels?
Answer:
The S/PDIF protocol specification (IEC-60958) can only carry 2-channel PCM
data or non-PCM AC3/DTS data. So, when a user selects PCM output for S/PDIF,
the Xonar sound card will always deliver 2 channel PCM data through the S/PDIF
output port. For attaining 5.1 channel surround sounds, you can select Dolby
Digital Live or DTS Interactive encoding output from the S/PDIF out menu, which
will allow the Xonar HDAV 1.3 to deliver 5.1 surround sound for games, DVD
movies, and even stereo music.