The card has a nice silver EMI shield covering on about half the width that protects against any interference, making it look sleek and uncluttered unlike most audio cards nowadays. It uses one PCI-E slot but still requires direct power from your PSU, which shows that this card means serious business. The power connection uses a Molex power connector. The card uses 2 X 6.3mm jacks instead of the usual 3.5mm ones as this card comes bundled with the Sennheiser PC 350 Xense Edition Gaming Headset. There is still a adapter included if you want to use a 3.5mm headset, but after trying the Sennheiser headset you’ll definitely want to keep using it. There’s also 7.1 channel speaker output that connects to your speakers via the splitter cable included and also a AUX IN connector if you want to connect your TV-tuner card to it.

                The driver comes with its own Xonar Xense Audio Centre which allows for a very wide range of tweaking the sound to your own preference. The main view of the application allows you to control the volume manually and view the settings you currently have in place. The software stands out here because it allows for different pre-sets when playing games. There are 5 buttons that are set to Racing, FPS, Movie, Hi-Fi and GX and clicking on these changes the settings to best fit the sound for playing your games, watching movies or listening to music. While testing on a normal MP3 file, I found that there was a very big difference in the music in each of the settings leading me to believe that the settings have been tried and tested to fit each genre.

                You can expand the menu to reveal even more tweaking options from the audio channel for different genres, the sample rate, output device and even the virtual speaker positions. It’s really a lot of fun to be able to customize the sounds you hear to your own preference, whether it’s a high bass or high treble that you like. Other options found in the 4 tabs below control the left/right speaker volume and the recording options since there’s a mic attached to the headset. Once again a variety of options are available for recording. Then there’s the fun effects tab that allows to change your virtual location such as at the concert hall and even in the middle of a  forest. It’s quite amusing to hear what the music would be like had you played it in different environments and there a ton to choose from. The effects tab also allows for the mixing of the sound, be it for Rock, Pop, Opera or Classic and you can define your own mix should you choose to. Finally the FlexBass tab allows you to control your bass volume.

                The widely-acclaimed Sennheiser PC350 headset is a marvel with its ergonomic design and sleek curves. The headset rests lightly on your head and is easily adjustable by puling lightly on the cups to lengthen it. The cups also do not grip on your ears, it is big enough to cover your whole ear, thus it prevents ear-ache from extended use. The whole headset is padded so you can barely feel it when you’re using it. The black, silver and grey colour scheme also adds to the appeal.

                I am not an audiophile and do not usually invest in a audio card but this offering from ASUS has really changed me. I always thought that my old audio card is sufficient since all the sounds could be heard but when I tried this card, it was as if I was deaf before. The card and headset picks up and amplifies even the softest of sounds and it softens the music so it doesn’t sound too harsh. The different settings allowed me to truly enjoy the experience, for example when playing a racing game the sound of engines revving was so real it was deafening and in FPS games you can really hear the soft footsteps of your enemies. The sound is directional in the sense that you can tell from which direction any sound is coming from, which give you a great advantage over others in FPS games. It definitely lives up to its name as a gaming headset. Listening to mp3 was also a joy since everything sounded much richer, it performs very admirably even when used for non-gaming content. The headset blocks off most background noise and since it’s not in-ear, you feel like you really are in the environment of your game. This card has shown me that audio quality is just as important to immersive gameplay as video quality.

                The card performs very well in combination with the headset and I have no issues with that at all. The only drawback is that you’re also paying for the headset that while ultimately good, will effectively eliminate your choices. If you already own a good one, this will be a waste of money. It would be better if there is an option to buy the card separately. But if you’re new to the audio world and do not own a proper audio card or headset then this package is extremely recommended for you. As much as I would dearly like to keep this card, I don’t believe that I will be able to afford it just yet. Thus, I give this package an 8/10 since I am currently unable to factor in the SRP.