ASUS Xonar U7 Echelon Review

[section_title title=”Conclusion”]Conclusion

The ASUS U7 Echelon External USB Sound card was always going to be interesting to test as it comes in a price point well under the “typical” external DAC but is designed to deliver top notch audio quality.  Is it a force to be reckoned with and is it a viable option to on-board sound?  It’s time for my final thoughts…

In terms of performance, where do I even begin?  In comparison to the Realtek ALC1150 which is featured on the MSI Z87 G43 Gaming motherboard, it made a startling difference and with the added bonus of Dolby HTV4 and Sonic Radar (not my cup of tea), then it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see the difference on paper.  The ALC1150 supports 44.1k/48k/96k/192kHz and the U7 Echelon supports 44.1k/48k/88.2k/96k/176.4kHz and 192kHz; a much better range bearing in mind this is just via the analogue inputs, not through S/PDIF or anything.  The actual difference in quality to my ears however was the clear decider and the ASUS Xonar U7 Echelon had tons more about it than the on-board solution; especially when I used it on my laptop, the difference was numbing to say the least.  Clarity between the 2 left a huge gap wide enough to park multiple buses and them some!

The U7 Echelon has some really nice features and a relatively nice GUI with Sonic Studio Pro (utility for the U7) although I would have liked to have seen the digital camouflage throughout the software and the device; maybe ASUS can release an updated version in the near future?  As mentioned previously, the external sound also features Dolby HTV4 which is absolutely fantastic when paired with good quality headphones and speakers; it adds another dimension to music, movies and is a worthy feature in my opinion.  Sonic Radar is also present and although I am not it’s biggest fan, it does work perfectly.  I have to say that my dislike of it is nothing to do with the mechanics or engine because both are superb, but when gaming I like to have my screen clear of distractions although in competitive gaming, it should hold an advantage!

Touching on the style and design, I really like the digital camouflage finish which the Echelon is well known for.  It has a very nice smooth finish and in my experience, it’s pretty impervious to fingerprints which with it being a portable device, it is bound to get touched quite a bit.  My favourite thing about the design is the volume control knob.  This doubles up as an input selector switch and keeps the U7 from being run amok with buttons/switches.  The microphone up and down buttons is also a nice addition and combined with all the connectivity options for such a small device, it makes the Xonar U7 Echelon not only an amazing piece of kit on paper, but also in the flesh too.

Price wise, it punches in at around £95 (can be had for less when on special offer) which is a good price when you compare it to the more expensive external DACs, but one thing I would like to point out is that it is a good £40-50 cheaper than the Xonar STX Essence PCI sound card.  Now of course it isn’t fair to compare an external sound card with an internal designed to provide one of the best experiences possible, but comparing the specs, is the U7 Echelon that far behind the STX?  Not in my opinion so in terms of price, it sits pretty good on the market.  The original U7 is around £20 cheaper and features the same important DAC/sound chips as the Echelon but it certainly doesn’t look as good and nor does it feature the Sonic Radar.  That alone would sell it for me, especially for gamers who are partial to FPS games.

Overall the ASUS Xonar U7 Echelon provides superb quality in such a small and desirable package.  It has plenty of options to cater for most people and even has pre-sets for those who don’t want to spend time setting up their own “audio profiles”.  At the time of this review, it is currently available for just over £76 which in my opinion makes it an absolute steal and if you want superior audio quality on your laptop, or even your PC without the need to install and internal soundcard, put the Echelon on the top of your list!

Big thanks to ASUS for sending the Xonar U7 Echelon in for review and I look forward to seeing more in the future.