Asus Surprises by Xonar U3 Plus External Sound Card

Asus always makes people stare at its gadgets, PC devices, and hardware components. Its latest external sound card, entitled Xonar U3 Plus, is no exception. It boasts a small-sized flash-like design, receiving power via a standard USB port. According to Asus designers, the card is intended for those customers who look for a comprehensive solution for high-quality audio playback and recording.

Asus Xonar U3 Plus is furnished with an in-build amplifier for headphones with a variable gain level, compatible with different audio fittings of less than 150 ohm impedance. Therefore, this amplifier dramatically improves the playback of high and low frequencies, adding dynamics to high-frequency and low-frequency sounds (to reproduce multiple effects: steps, blasts, etc.).

To continue, this model supports microphone recording in real time by means of an integrated digital signal processor; the latter ensures minimal latencies on audio programming. It also boasts the availability of a studio-class set of sound effects, including reverberation alignment, frequency filters, and 10-band equalizer.

The implementation of Stereo Mix mode allows mixing vocals with music tracks, whereas DJ Mix utility provides for an automatic reduction of a background audio track volume during speech thanks to an in-built ducking-effect. Furthermore, the model offers five pre-set audio modes: Pop, Rock, Ballad, Ballad-Pro, and Special.

A list of Xonar U3 Plus most vital specifications is provided below:
— SNR: 100 dB;
— frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz;
— headphones impedance: 32 ohm – 150 ohm;
— supported interface: USB 1.1 and up;
— supported OS: Windows XP/7/8/8.1;
— connectors: 2x 3.5 mm input/output, S/PDIF out.