Audio Quality
We tested the analog output quality of ASRock’s onboard codec and MSI’s included soundcard, comparing these to the capabilities of Asus’ Xonar D2X. With a rated 124db signal-to-noise ratio, the Xonar D2X was used as the capture device for the included audio solutions of each motherboard.
ASRock’s ALC890B codec is the first to drop off the frequency response scale, with a noticeable droop around 18 kilohertz. MSI’s X-Fi solution nearly matches the Xonar D2X, both exceeding 20 khz in discernable output.
Noise levels look comparatively poor for MSI’s X-Fi audio card, but remain better than 120 db throughout most of the spectrum. The Xonar D2X shows clear superiority, as any high-priced solution should.
A strange spike shows up in both ASRock’s and MSI’s total harmonic distortion graph, but both solutions again look great overall.
The MSI X-Fi solution shows a similar spike as a loss in dynamic range over an extremely narrow band of the spectrum, but once again the averages are acceptable for both included solutions.
MSI’s stereo crosstalk curve is a little better than even the high-end Asus Xonar D2X, especially when considering that higher frequencies sound “more directional”.
