The Essence STX clarifies the product's audiophile targeting somewhat, and touts an incredible 124dB signal-to-noise ratio. The card loses its optical/coaxial digital input connection, but gains an additional quarter-inch input jack for analog audio input, and a metal EMI shield covering the upper half of the card containing the analog output stage.
The focus of the Essence STX is in providing the very highest-end experience for stereo music, not delivering realistic surround-sound effects, but the question is this - will you really miss them? The sound cards that currently top the charts are all multichannel jobs - with the ability to output 5 or 7 full-range channels and a separate, dedicated LFE channel for feeding a subwoofer, as well as the ability to synthesize multichannel reverb effects that lend a sense of spaciousness to PC games. The Essence STX, on the other hand, lacks analog outputs for multichannel audio, though it supports multichannel output via its S/PDIF digital output.
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