Xonar Phoebus: User's Manual

Xonar Phoebus
PCI Express 7.1-Channel

Gaming Soundcard
User’s manual
E11110
Revised Edition V3
November 2015
Copyright © 2015 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any
means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written
permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modified or altered, unless
such repair, modification of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
ASUS PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ASUS, ITS
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS,
LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS AND THE LIKE),
EVEN IF ASUS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING FROM ANY
DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL ARE FURNISHED FOR
INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY, AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE,
AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY ASUS. ASUS ASSUMES NO
RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR INACCURACIES THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS
MANUAL, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE DESCRIBED IN IT.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identification or explanation and to the
owners’ benefit, without intent to infringe.
ii
Contents
Contents....................................................................................................... iii
Contents....................................................................................................... iv
Notices........................................................................................................... v
Federal Communications Commission Statement..............................v
Canadian Department of Communications Statement........................v
Australia statement notice...................................................................v
Safety information....................................................................................... vi
Trademarks.................................................................................................. vi
License......................................................................................................... vi
1. Introduction...................................................................................... 1
1.1 Package Contents............................................................... 1
1.2 System Requirements......................................................... 1
1.3 General Specification.......................................................... 2
2. About Hardware............................................................................... 4
2.1 Xonar Phoebus Audio Processing Card............................. 4
3. Installing the Xonar Hardware........................................................ 6
3.1 Preparing Your Computer................................................... 6
3.2 Installing the Audio Processing Card.................................. 6
3.3 Connecting TV tuner card................................................... 8
4. Installing Software........................................................................... 9
4.1 Installing the Audio Card Driver.......................................... 9
4.2 Uninstalling or Reinstalling Software.................................. 9
5. Connecting Speakers and Peripherals........................................ 11
5.1 Connecting to Phoebus Control Box................................. 11
5.2 Connecting Digital Speaker Systems (Home Theater)..... 13
5.3 Connecting stereo headphones........................................ 14
5.4 Connecting Analog Speaker Systems.............................. 16
5.5 Connecting Microphone.................................................... 21
5.6 Connecting Line-In audio sources.................................... 21
6. Xonar Phoebus Driver Guide........................................................ 23
6.1 Introduction to the Xonar Phoebus Audio Center GUI...... 23
6.2 Speaker Function Introduction.......................................... 25
6.3 Headphone Function Introduction..................................... 36
6.4 S/PDIF Function Introduction............................................ 46
iii
Contents
6.5 Microphone Function Introduction..................................... 53
6.6 Line-in Device Function Introduction................................. 61
6.7 Aux-in Device Function Introduction................................. 64
6.8 Information Page Introduction........................................... 67
6.9 Tray Icon Function Introduction........................................ 67
7. Troubleshooting and FAQs........................................................... 69
7.1 Troubleshooting................................................................ 69
iv
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference, and
• This device must accept any interference received including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.
This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Australia statement notice

From 1 January 2012 updated warranties apply to all ASUS products, consistent
with the Australian Consumer Law. For the latest product warranty details please
visit http://support.asus.com. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be
excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or
refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable
loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the
goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major
failure.
If you require assistance please call ASUS Customer Service 1300 2787 88 or visit
us at http://support.asus.com
v
Safety information
• Before installing the device on a motherboard, carefully read all the manuals
that came with the package.
• To prevent electrical shock hazard or short circuits, switch off the power supply
before installing the device on a motherboard or connecting any signal cables
to the device.
• If the device is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service
technician or your retailer.
• Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected. If you
detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.
• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, sockets and circuitry.
• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in
any area where it may become wet.
• Place the product on a stable surface.
• If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified
service technician or your retailer.
This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the product (electrical
and electronic equipment) should not be placed in municipal waste. Check local
regulations for disposal of electronic products.
Trademarks
Xonar and ASUS logo are trademarks of ASUSTek Computer Inc. “Dolby”
and “Dolby Digital Live”, “Dolby Pro Logic IIx”, “Dolby Virtual Speaker”, “Dolby
Headphone” are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. “DTS” and “DTS CONNECT”,
“DTS Interactive”, “DTS Neo: PC” are trademarks of Digital Theater Systems,
Inc. EAX and A3D are trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. Microsoft,
DirectSound3D, Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other company
and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which
they are associated. ASIO is a trademark and software of Steinberg Media
Technologies GmbH.
License
Dolby Master Studio driver is manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories;
DTS Connect driver is manufactured under license from Digital Theater Systems,
Inc.
vi
1. Introduction
1.1 Package Contents
• Xonar Phoebus 7.1 Channel PCI Express Audio Card
TM
• Phoebus Control Box

• Driver CD
• S/PDIF TOSLINK optical adaptor x1
• ATX 4P-to- 6P Power Cable x1
• Quick Start Guide
1.2 System Requirements

• One PCI Express 1.0 (or higher) compatible slot for the audio card
• 6-pin peripheral power cable connector from your computer’s power supply
unit (PSU)
• Microsoft® Windows® 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 (32/64bit) / XP(32/64bit) / Vista / MCE2005
• Intel® Pentium® 4 1.4GHz or AMD Athlon 1400 CPU or faster CPU
• More than 256 MB system memory
• More than 60 MB available storage space for driver installation
• CD-ROM drive (or DVD-ROM drive) for software installation
• High-quality headphones, powered analog speakers, or a Dolby Digital
decoder, to enjoy the audio card’s high fidelity
ASUS Xonar Phoebus 1

1.3 General Specification
Items Description
Audio Performance
Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A- 118dB for Front channel of Line-out
Weighted) 112dB for other channels of Line-out
110dB for Headphone-out with 600ohm load
Input Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A- 118dB
Weighted):
Output Total Harmonic Distortion + 0.00039% (-108dB) for Front channel of Line-out
Noise at 1kHz (-3dB) : 0.00063% (-102dB) for other channels of Line-out
0.0019% (-94dB) for Headphone-out with 600ohm load
Input Total Harmonic Distortion + 0.0003% (-110dB) for Line-in
Noise at 1kHz (-3dB) :
Frequency Response (-3dB, 24- < 10Hz to 46KHz
bit/96kHz format):
Output / Input Full-Scale Voltage 2 Vrms (5.65 Vp-p)
Headphone Output Full-Scale Up to 6.8 Vrms (supports headphones with up to
Voltage 600ohms impedance)
Bus Compatibility
PCI Express - PCI Express Rev.1.0a specification compatible
- Max. full 2.5Gbps bandwidth per direction and
optimized latency for high-definition audio processing
- Compatible with x1, x4, x8, x16 PCI Express slots
Main Chipset
Audio Processor ASUS CM8888 HDT High-Definition Sound Processor
(Max. 192KHz / 24bit)
24-bit D-A Converter of Digital Texas Instruments PCM1796 * 1 for Front-Out (123dB
Sources SNR, Max. 192kHz/24bit)
Cirrus-Logic CS4362A * 1 for other 6 channels (114dB
SNR, Max. 192kHz/24bit)
High Fidelity Headphone Amplifier Texas Instruments 6120A2*1 (120dB SNR, -117dB
THD+N @ Vcc±12V, RL=600Ω, f=1kHz)
24-bit A-D Converter for Analog Cirrus-Logic CS5381* 1 (120dB SNR, Max. 192kHz/
Inputs 24bit)
Sample Rate and Resolution
Analog Playback Sample Rate and 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/176.4K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
Resolution
Analog Recording Sample Rate 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/176.4K/192KHz @ 16/24bit
and Resolution
S/PDIF Digital Output 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/176.4K/192KHz @ 16/24bit,
Dolby Digital
(continued on the next page)
2 ASUS Xonar Phoebus

Items Description
I/O Ports
Analog Output Jack 3.5mm jack * 1 (Headphone out)
Analog Input Jack 3.5mm jack * 1 (Shared by Line-In / Mic-In)
Digital S/PDIF Output High-bandwidth TOS-Link combo port supports
192KHz/24bit
Other line-level analog input (for TV Aux-In (4-pin header on the card)
Tuner or CD-ROM):
Driver Features
Operating System Windows® 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 (32/64bit) / XP(32/64bit) / Vista
/ MCE2005
Dolby® Digital Live Dolby Digital Live encodes any audio signal on PC in
real-time to Dolby Digital (AC3) 5.1 surround sounds
to your home theater environment through one single
S/PDIF connection
Dolby® Headphone Dolby Headphone technology allows users to listen to
music, watch movies, or play games with the dramatic
5.1-channel surround or realistic 3D spacious effects
through any set of stereo headphones.
Dolby® Virtual Speaker Dolby Virtual Speaker technology simulates a highly
realistic 5.1-speaker surround sound listening
environment from as few as two speakers.
Dolby® Pro-Logic IIxx Dolby Pro-Logic IIx is the well-known technology to
process any native stereo or 5.1-channel audio into
a 7.1- channel output, creating a seamless, natural
surround soundfield.
DirectSound3D Game EXtensions GX 3.0 supports EAX gaming sound effects and
3.0 DirectSound 3D hardware enhanced functions for
more games on Windows Vista/Win 7 & XP. (DirectX/
DirectSound 3D compatible)
Smart Volume NormalizerTM Normalizes the volume of all audio sources into a
constant level and also enhances your 3D sound
listening range and advantages in gaming
FlexBassTM Professional Bass Management / Enhancement system
Xear 3D TM
Virtual Speaker Shifter Virtual 7.1 speaker positioning
Other Effects 10-band Equalier / 27 Environment Effects
ASIO 2.0 Driver Support: Supports 44.1K/48K/88.2K/96K/176.4K/192KHz
@16/24bit with very low latency
*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

2. About Hardware
2.1 Xonar Phoebus Audio Processing Card
9 10 11
2
3
12
1
Mic in
2
HP out
3
Box link
4
Line in
5
Front
6
Ctr / Sbw
7
Rear
8
Side /
SPDIF out

No Item Description
Connect your external PC microphone to this 3.5mm

1 Microphone Input Port jack for voice input. Built-in high-quality Microphone
pre-amplifier.
2 Headphone Output Port Connect your headphones to this jack.
Connect the Xonar Phoebus Control Box to this 2.5mm
3 Box Link
port.
Connect analog devices like MP3 players, CD players,
4 Line Input Port music synthesizers, and other line-level sound sources
to this 3.5mm jack for audio recording or processing.
For 2 channel speaker systems, connects to the front
5 Front Output Port
left / right input on the powered speakers.
Center/Subwoofer Out Connect to the center / subwoofer input on 5.1/7.1
6
Port powered analog speakers.
Connect to the back surround input on 7.1 powered
7 Rear Output Port
analog speakers.
Digital output jack. Connect to an external digital
decoder or digital speaker systems, Home Theater
S/PDIF Output / Side systems, AV receivers for outputting digital audio
8
Out port including PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, WMA-Pro, etc.
Connect to the surround channel input on 5.1 powered
analog speakers.
4-pin header. Usually connects to the Analog Audio
output of TV tuner card or other sound source inside
your PC system. (To monitor your TV tuner card’s
9 Aux Input Header
audio from this Aux-In, you must enable the “monitor”
function for Aux-In in the Xonar Audio Center software’s
recording mixer.)
10 S/PDIF Out Header Connects to the graphics card with HDMI support.
Connects to the 6-pin power cable of your power supply
11 Power connector
unit.
12
PCI Express Bus Inserts into the PCI Express slot on your motherboard.
Golden Fingers

3. Installing the Xonar Hardware
3.1 Preparing Your Computer
Before you proceed with the following installation steps, it’s recommended
that you disable your onboard audio device in your BIOS settings, or uninstall
any other sound cards on your PC. (For BIOS setting or uninstallation of other
sound cards, refer to the user manuals of your motherboard and sound card)
1. Power OFF the computer, the monitor,

and all other peripheral devices
connected to your computer.
2. Unplug the computer power cord from
your computer and power outlet.
3. Touch the metal back or side panel of
the computer to avoid static electricity.
4. Remove the chassis cover.
5. Remove the metal bracket from an
available PCIE slot for the Xonar Phoebus audio card.
3.2 Installing the Audio Processing Card

1. Face the bracket of the Xonar Phoebus audio card toward the back panel of
your computer and insert the audio card gently into an available PCI Express
slot. Make sure it’s completely inserted into the PCI Express slot. (Warning!
Do not force the audio card into the slot. Make sure that the gold pins of
the card's PCI Express connector are aligned with the motherboard’s PCI
Express connector before you insert the card into the PCI Express slot. If it
does not fit properly, gently remove it and try again.)

2. Secure the audio card bracket to the back of your computer with the screw
that you removed. Refer to section 3.1.
3. Connect the power cable of your power supply to the power connector on the
Xonar Phoebus audio card.
The PCI Express high-quality audio card requires additional power from your
computer. If the power cable is not connected properly, the audio card will not
work at all.

3.3 Connecting TV tuner card
If you have a traditional PCI or PCI Express TV tuner card on your PC, you may
need to connect it to the audio card to send the tuner card’s sound to your PC
speakers.
1. Secure the PCI/PCI Express TV tuner card and screw it into the back-panel.
2. Connect the audio output header from the TV tuner card to the Aux-In header
of the audio card, as shown in the figure below.
For optimum TV audio quality, Xonar uses ADC recording to digitize the signal
and loops it back to DAC playback. Please select Aux-In as the recording
source in the Xonar Audio Center’s recording mixer and enable the monitoring
button to pass this signal to the audio output. Using this setup, you can even
turn on sound effects such as Pro-Logic IIx to expand the stereo TV audio to 5.1
or 7.1 channel surround sound. TV audio on your PC will become even better
than on your TV set!

4. Installing Software
4.1 Installing the Audio Card Driver
1. After you have installed your audio card, turn on your computer. Windows
automatically detects your audio card and searches for device drivers. When
prompted for the audio drivers, click the Cancel.
2. Insert the Support CD into the optical drive. If Windows® AutoPlay mode is
enabled in your system, the setup starts automatically. If not, double-click the
setup.exe from your Support CD.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to finish the installation.
The version and content of the support CD are subject to change without notice.
4.2 Uninstalling or Reinstalling Software
4.2.1 Uninstalling Software

1. Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
3. Click the Change or Remove Programs button.
4. Select each program you would like to remove, and then click the Add/
Remove (or Change/Remove) button.
5. In the InstallShield Wizard dialog box, select the Remove option.

6. Restart your computer when prompted.

4.2.2 Reinstalling Software
To reinstall the Xonar Phoebus card driver:
1. Before reinstalling any software, it’s recommended to uninstall the existing

software first.
2. After finishing the uninstallation of the software, please follow the installation
process again to reinstall the same or updated software.

5. Connecting Speakers and Peripherals
5.1 Connecting to Phoebus Control Box
5.1.1 Connecting Phoebus Box
1
Mic in
2
HP out
3
Box link
Line in
Front
Ctr / Sbw
Rear
Side /
SPDIF out
No Item Description
1 Microphone Input Port Connect the microphone’s 3.5mm plug from the
Phoebus Control Box into this Mic-In port for voice
communication, recording or karaoke.
2 Headphone Port The headphone port has a built-in high-quality amplifier
to drive headphones. Connect the Phoebus Control
box directly to this port.
3 Box Link Port Connect the Phoebus Control box directly to this port.

5.1.2 Connecting Phoebus Box with external headphone and
microphone
Headphone Out
Mic In
No Item Description
1 Headphone Port Connect headphone to headphone port on Phoebus
Control box
2 Microphone Input Port Connect microphone’s 3.5mm plug to Phoebus
Control Box Mic-In port.

5.2 Connecting Digital Speaker Systems (Home Theater)
Xonar Phoebus makes playback through your home theater system possible,
creating an impressive surround sound experience. A single digital cable
connection can carry high-quality digital audio from any of your PC audio sources
to any digital speakers or AV Receivers.
Mic In
Headphone Out
Box Link
Line In
Front
Center / Sub
1 Rear
SPDIF / Side
No Item Description
1 Optical adapter Plug the optical TOSLINK adapter into the S/PDIF-Out
connector.
2 Optical cable Connect your decoder’s S/PDIF-In port to the optical
adapter with the TOSLINK optical cable.

5.3 Connecting stereo headphones
5.3.1 Connecting stereo headphones
Connecting stereo hadphones
Mic in
1
HP out
Box link
Line in
Front
Ctr / Sbw
Rear
Side /
SPDIF out
No Item Description
1 Headphone Out Port The Headphone Out Port has a built-in high-quality
amplifier to drive headphones. Please connect your
stereo headphones directly to this jack.

Connecting 5.1 channel hadphones
Mic in
HP out
Box link
Line in
1
Front
3
Ctr / Sbw
2
Rear
Side /
SPDIF out
No Item Description
1 Front Out Connect the front-channel 3.5mm plug of your 5.1
headphones into this jack.
2 Back Surround Out Connects to the Back Surround input port with the mini-
jack cable.
3 Center/Subwoofer Connect the Center/Bass-channel 3.5mm plug of your
Out 5.1 headphone into this jack.

5.4 Connecting Analog Speaker Systems
5.4.1 Connecting Analog Power Amplifier
Mic in
HP out
Box link
Line in
Front
1
3
Ctr / Sbw
2
Rear
Side /
SPDIF out
No Item Description
1 Front Out Connects to the “left front” and “right front” input ports of the
analog amplifier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.
2 Back Surround Out Connects to the Back Surround input port with the mini-jack
cable.
3 Center/Subwoofer Connects to the “Center” and “subwoofer” input ports of the
analog amplifier with the mini-jack to RCA cable.

5.4.2 Connecting 2/2.1 Channel Speakers
2 Speakers
Mic in
HP out
Box link
AUDIO
INPUTS
Line in
1
Front
Ctr / Sbw
Rear
Side /
SPDIF out
No Item Description
1 Front Out Port Connect the 2 channel speaker set’s 3.5mm plug into
this Front Out jack.

4 Speakers
Mic in
HP out
Box link
AUDIO AUDIO
INPUTS INPUTS
Line in
Side Front
Front
1
Ctr / Sbw
2
Rear
Side /
SPDIF out
No Item Description
1 Front Out Connects to the Front input port of the 4/4.1 speakers
with the mini-jack cable.
jack cable.

5.1 Speakers
Mic in
HP out
Box link
AUDIO
INPUTS
Line in
Front Side Center/

Front
1
Subwoofer
3
Ctr / Sbw
2
Rear
Side /
SPDIF out
No Item Description
1 Front Out Connects to the Front input port of the 5.1 speakers with
the mini-jack cable.
jack cable.
3 Center/Subwoofer Connects to the Center/Subwoofer input port of the 5.1
speakers with the mini-jack cable..

Connecting 7.1 channel speakers
7.1 speakers
Rear Front Mic in

AUDIO AUDIO
INPUTS INPUTS
Side Center/ HP out
Subwoofer
Box link
Line in
Front
1
Ctr / Sbw
3
4
Rear
2
Side /
SPDIF out
No Item Description
1 Front Out Connects to the Front input port of the 7.1 speakers with
the mini-jack cable.
2 Side Surround Out Connects to the Surround input port of the 7.1 speakers
with the mini-jack cable.
3 Back Surround Out Connects to the Back Surround input port of the 7.1
speakers with the mini-jack cable.
4 Center/Subwoofer Connects to the Center/Subwoofer input port of the 7.1
speakers with the mini-jack cable.

5.5 Connecting Microphone
1
1
1
Mic in
2
HP out
Box link
Line in
No Item Description
Front
1 Microphone Input Connect the microphone’s 3.5mm plug into this Mic-In
Port Ctr / Sbw
port for voice communication, recording, or karaoke.
Rear
2 Headphone Port The headphone port has a built-in high-quality amplifier
to drive headphones. Connect your stereo headphones
Side /
SPDIF out
directly to this jack.
5.6 Connecting Line-In audio sources
Mic in
HP out
Box link
CD Player 1
Line in
Front
Ctr / Sbw
Rear
Side /
SPDIF out
MP3 Player
No Item Description
1 Line Input Jack Connect the 3.5mm plug of the CD/MP3 Player or any
other Line level analog audio sources into this Line-In jack
for sound recording.

6. Xonar Phoebus Driver Guide
6.1 Introduction to the Xonar Phoebus Audio Center GUI
1. After finishing the driver installation and rebooting your computer, you will
find the Xonar Phoebus Audio Center’s icon in the system tray on the bottom
right-hand corner of the screen. Double click this icon to open the Xonar
Audio Center utility.
If the icon could not be found in the system tray, go to the Windows Control
Panel and double click the “Xonar Phoebus Audio Center” icon.
6.1.1 Function Pop-up Menu

Xear Audio Center provides serveral sound effects. There is a pop menu for each output /
input device and you can enter the sound effect page to enjoy music, movie and gaming.
To open the pop-up menu:
1. Double-click the left button of the mouse on the Device icon.

2. Left-click the mouse on the Device icon.

6.1.2 Audio Status Panel
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
12 11
No Item Description
1 Playback (Speaker Indicates the output default device.
Out)
2 Capture (Mic In) Indicates the input default device.
3 Speaker Numbers Indicates the speaker numbers for Speaker device only.
4 Sample Rate Indicates the sample rate of playback sources.
5 Audio Output effect Indicates the playback sound effect status.
indicator Abbreviation of Sound effect:
EQ: Equalizer
EM: Environment Effects
VSS: 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter
FB: Flex Bass II
KS: Xear SingFX for key shifting
VF: Xear SingFX for vocal fading
XS: Xear Surround
6 In effect indicator Indicates the playback sound effect status.
Abbreviation of Sound effect:
SF: Xear SingFX for microphone echo
SF: Xear SingFX for Magic Voice
7 Switch to Profile Click to switch the status bar to the Profile panel.
Panel button
8 Smart Volume Click to enable the SVN function. SVN is abbreviated from
Normalizer (SVN) Smart Volume Normalization, which normalizes the volume
(Vista / XP only)
of all audio sources into a constant level and also enhances
your 3D sound listening range and advantages in gaming.
9 Volume Adjust Click to increase or decrease volume.
10 Mute / Unmute Click to mute or unmute a device.
11 SonarMax Click to enable SonarMax with amplified 3D/2D sounds.
12 GX Click to enable GX 2.0.

6.1.3 Profile Panel
This profile panel for sound effect contails a preset mode and a user-defined mode.
1 2
4 3
No Item Description
1 Profile Mode Click to select the presets in profile mode.
2 Add Profile Adjust specific sound effects (EQ, EM etc…) settings and
click “+” to create a user-defined mode.
3 Delete Profile Click to delete a user-defined mode.
4 Switch Button Click to switch between the Profile panel and Audio Status
Panel.
6.2 Speaker Function Introduction
Click the device icon on the right side to open the pop-up menu.

6.2.1 Dolby® Home Theater (Windows® 7 Only)
Function Introduction
• The following items will be replaced by Dolby® Home Theater V4 under

Windows® 7 Operating System.
- 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter
- 10-Band Equalizer
• Refer to Dolby’s official manual for Dolby® Home Theater V4 functions.

6.2.2 Volume Control
1
3 4
The function allows you to control the volume of the Speaker.
No Item Description
1 Volume Control bar Master – Adjust the volume level for all channels.
Front - Adjust the volume level for the front channel.
2 Left/ Right Channel Click to lock the left / right channel to sync L/R channel.
Lock
3 Mute / Un-mute Click to mute or ummute all channels.
4 dB Input Area Key in a dB value in this field to set the volume level.

6.2.3 Speaker Setting
2
1
This function allows you to set the speaker numbers (stereo, quadraphonic, 5.1
surround, 7.1 surround).
No Item Description
1 LFE / Center Channel When enabled, the function can swap the audio stream
Swap between Center/LFE. (Available for 5.1 and above)
2 Surround Max When enabled, the function allows the stereo to have the
benefits of multi-surround effects.

6.2.4 Sample Rate
1 2
This function allows you to set the sample rate for the Speaker.
No Item Description
1 Sample Rate button 44.1 KHz - set the playback sample rate to 44.1K
48 KHz - set the playback sample rate to 48K
88.2 KHz - set the playback sample rate to 88.2K
176.4 KHz - set the playback sample rate to 176K
2 Bit Depth button 16bit - set the playback bit depth to 16bit
24bit - set the playback bit depth to 24bit

6.2.5 Equalizer
1
This 10-band EQ function allows you to adjust the EQ band manually and create
customized preset items or click to select a preset EQ mode.
No Item Description
1 EQ enable/disable Click to enable / disable EQ.
switch
2 EQ band controller Change the gain setting for each band (30/ 60/ 120/ 250/
500/ 1K/ 2K/ 4K/ 8K/ 16K).
3 Manual mode Change the gain setting for each band, key in a name in the
input field and then click save to add your new setting. New
setting will appear in the Manual Mode List. Click trash to
delete settings.
4 Preset mode Select a preset mode for equalizer that is designed
accordingly. There are 12 preset modes such as Bass,
Treble, Live, Rock, Jazz, etc.

6.2.6 Environment Effect
1
This function provides 28 special environment emulations for different sound

reflections and revweberation.
No Item Description
1 Environment Effect Click on the check box to enable / disable Environment
enable/disable switch Effect.
2 Environment Effect Click on an Environment Effect button or drop the dropdown
mode list to choose an Environment Effect.
3 Room Size Change the Room Size icon to simulate a larger or smaller
space.

6.2.7 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter
1 2 3
8
4
7
6
5
No Item Description
1 7.1 Virtual speaker Click on the check box to enable / disable 7.1 Virtual
shifter enable/disable Speaker to simulate the speaker direction and distance.
switch
2 Virtual Speaker (L/R/ Each virtual speaker virtualizes one channel of the 7.1
Ls/Rs/Lb/Rb/C/W) channel speakers in the real world.
3 Volume Control Each virtual speaker virtualizes one channel of the 7.1
channel speakers in the real world.
4 Volume indicator Indicate the volume of each channel.
5 Reset Reset the location of virtual speakers / virtual listener to

default.
6 Manual Shifting (Free Use the pointer to click and drag to move the location of
Moving Mode) individual virtual speakers.
7 Manually Rotation Use mouse to rotate the virtual speakers on the screen
Mode manually.
8 Auto Rotation Mode The virtual speakers rotate clockwise or counterclockwise
slowly.

6.2.8 Flex Bass II
1 2
4 3
This function allows you to increase / decrease the LFE strength. This function
would cut the low frequency band (50~250Hz) of stereo music content (eg.
Mp3,WMA, CD Audio) and transfer to subwoofer or each speaker.
No Item Description
1 Flex Bass II enable/ Click on this check box to enable / disable Flex Bass II.
disable switch
2 Bass Level The bass level range is from -12 to 12dB.
3 Speaker Size Small Speaker w/o bass
When the speaker size is set to small, you can hear the
sound resonance more obvious and reverberation from
subwoofer.
4 Speaker Diagram You can also check the speaker size from this home theater
diagram.
5 Cut Off Frequency The cut off range of low frequency is from 50Hz to 250Hz.

6.2.9 Xear SingFX
1
Xear SingFX function provides two features for karaoke applications.
No Item Description
1 Key Shifting switch It provides the key change function. There are four steps to
shift up or down. Use the slide bar to change the key level.
2 Vocal Fading It provides the vocal removing function for any stereo music
content (eg. Mp3, WMA and CD). Use the slide bar to
change the vocal fading level.

6.2.10 Xear Surround Speaker
1
No Item Description
1 Xear Surround The Xear Surround Speaker allows you to enjoy the
Speaker enable/ multichannel effects on stereo. Click the checkbox to enable
disable switch
or disable it.
2 Surround Max Click the checkbox to enable or disenable the Surround Max.
3 Sound Field Change to simulate a larger or smaller space.
Expansion & Speaker
Angle

6.3 Headphone Function Introduction

6.3.1 Dolby® Home Theater (Windows® 7 Only)
• The following items will be replaced by Dolby® Home Theater V4 under

Windows® 7 Operating System.
- 7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter
- 10-Band Equalizer
• Refer to Dolby’s official manual for Dolby® Home Theater V4 functions.

1
No Item Description
1 Volume control bar Adjust the volume level for all channels.
2 Left/ Right Channel Click the lock/ unlock button to lock / unlock the left channel
Lock and right channel to sync L/R channel.
3 dB Input Area Key in a dB value in this text box to set the volume level.
4 Mute / Un-mute Click this button to enable / disable the mute function

6.3.3 Headphone Settings
You can set the gain setting based on your headphone impedance.
No Item Description
1 Normal Gain 0dB for < 64 ohms
High Gain 6dB for 64 ~150 ohms
Extra High Gain
12dB for > ohms

6.3.4 Sample Rate
1
This function page provides a sample rate setting for the headphone device.
No Item Description

6.3.5 Equalizer
1
4 3
This 10-band EQ function allows you to adjust the EQ band manually and create
No Item Description
1 EQ enable/disable Click on this check box to enable / disable the Equalizer.
switch
500/ 1K/ 2K/ 4K/ 8K/ 16K)
3 Manual mode Change the gain setting for each band and key in a name in
the input field, and then click save to add your new setting.
The new setting will appear in the Manual Mode List. Click
trash to delete settings.
accordingly. There are 12 preset modes, such as Bass,
Treble, Live, Rock, Jazz and so on.

6.3.6 Environment Effects
1
This function provides 28 special environment emulations for you to enjoy different
sound reflection and reverberation.
No Item Description
1 Environment Effect Click on this check box to enable / disable the Environment
enable/disable switch Effects.
2 Environment Effect Click on an Environment effect button or drop the dropdown
mode list to choose an Environment effect.
3 Room Size Change the “Room Size” to simulate a larger or smaller
space.

6.3.7 Virtual Speaker Shifter
1 2 3
8
4
7
6
5
No Item Description
1 7.1 Virtual Speaker The 7.1 Virtual Speaker simulates the speaker direction and
Shifter enable/disable distance. Click the check box to enable / disable it.
switch

default.
Moving Mode) individual virtual headphones.
7 Manually Rotation Use the mouse to rotate the virtual speakers on the screen
Mode manually.
slowly.

6.3.8 Xear SingFX
1
The Xear SingFX function provides two features for karaoke applications.
No Item Description

6.3.9 Xear Surround Headphone
1
No Item Description
1 Xear Surround The Xear Surround Headphone allows you to enjoy
Headphone enable/ multichannel effects on stereo. Click the check box to enable
disable switch
or disable it.
2 Surround Max Click the check box to enable or disenable the Surround
Max.
space.

6.4 S/PDIF Function Introduction

1
3
4
No Item Description
1 Volume Control bar Adjust the volume level for all channels.
4 Mute / Un-mute Click the button to enable / disable the mute function.

6.4.2 Sample Rate
1
This function allows you to set the sample rate for the S/PDIF device.
No Item Description

6.4.3 Equalizer
1
4 3
The 10-band EQ function allows you to adjust the EQ band manually and create
No Item Description
1 EQ enable/disable Click on this check box to enable / disable the Equalizer.
switch
500/ 1K/ 2K/ 4K/ 8K/ 16K)
3 Manual mode Change the gain setting for each band and key in a name in
the input field, and then click save to add your new setting.
The new setting will appear in the Manual Mode List. Click
trash to delete settings.
accordingly. There are 12 preset modes, such as Bass,
Treble, Live, Rock, Jazz and so on.

6.4.4 Environment Effects
1
This function provides 28 special environment emulations for you to enjoy different
sound reflection and reverberation.
No Item Description
1 Environment Effect Click on this check box to enable / disable the Environment
enable/disable switch Effects.
2 Environment Effect Click on an Environment Effect button or drop the dropdown
mode list to choose an Environment Effect.
space.

6.4.5 Virtual Speaker Shifter
1 2 3
8
4
7
6
5
No Item Description
1 7.1 Virtual speaker The 7.1 Virtual Speaker simulates the speaker direction and
shifter enable/disable distance. Click the check box to enable / disable it.
switch

default.
Moving Mode) individual virtual headphones.
7 Manually Rotation Use the mouse to rotate the virtual speakers on the screen
Mode manually.
slowly.

6.4.6 Xear SingFX
1
No Item Description

6.5 Microphone Function Introduction

1
2
3
4
No Item Description
1 Volume Control bar Adjust the volume level of all channels.
4 Monitor Click the checkbox to enable monitoring.

6.5.2 Sample Rate
1
This function allows you to set the sample rate for the microphone device.
No Item Description

6.5.3 Xear SingFX
1
No Item Description
1 Microphone Echo Click the check box to enable / disable the Microphone Echo
function. Use the slide bar to adjust the echo level.

6.5.4 Xear Magic Voice
1 2
While talking to your friends online (eg.Messenger, VOIP, online game

applications), use the “Magic Voice” effects to simulate funny voices.
Choose one type of voice only at one time.
No Item Description
1 Xear Magic Voice Click this check box to enable / disable the Microphone
Magic Voice function.
2 Magic Voice mode Click to choose a magic voice mode.
(Monster/Carton/Male/
Female)

6.5.5 ROG Command Beam Forming
1
Beam Forming function is available only when the Control Box is connected to
the audio card without any other external microphones.
No Item Description
1 Beaming Forming Click the check box to enable / disable the Beam Forming
function.

6.5.6 ROG Command ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation)
1
ENC is available only when the Control Box is connected to the audio card with
an external microphones.
No Item Description
1 Environmental Noise Click the check box to enable / disable the Environmental
Cancellation Noise Cancellation function.

6.5.7 Microphone Boost
1
No Item Description
1 Microphone Boost Drag the slide bar to boost microphone volume and
sensitivity

6.6 Line-in Device Function Introduction

1
3
4
5
No Item Description
1 Volume Control bar Adjust the volume level of all channels.
3 dB Input Area Key in a dB value intthis text box to set the volume level.

6.6.2 Sample Rate
This function allows you to set the sample rate for the line-in device.
No Item Description

6.7 Aux-in Device Function Introduction

1
3
4
5
No Item Description
1 Volume Control bar Adjust the volume level for all channels.

6.7.2 Sample Rate
1
This function allows you to set the sample rate setting for the aux-in device.
No Item Description

6.8 Information Page Introduction
This page lists the driver information and the technologies’ trademark logo. You
can get both hardware/software details and legal information references here.
Click the device icon on the left side to open the pop-up menu.
6.9 Tray Icon Function Introduction

Open the “CPL Tray Icon Function List” by right-clicking on the tray Icon in the
system tray.
1. Open: Click the Open item to restore the USB Audio Software CPL.
2. Volume Control: Click the Volume Control item to launch the Volume Mixer
of Windows OS, which allows you to control the volume of speakers and
other audio devices seperately.
3. Windows Media Player: Click the Windows Media Player item to launch
the Microsoft Windows Media Player.
4. Sound Recorder: Click the Sound Recorder item to open the Windows
Sound recorder.
5. Multimedia Properties: Launch the Multimedia Properties page of
Windows OS to select the working sample rate & bit rate.
(1) Select the Speakers device and then click the properties button.

(2) Click the Advanced tab and click the dropdown list to open default
format support list as shown in the diagram below.
(3) Follow the same step to change the sample rate & bit rate for
Microphone device.
6. Open ASIO: Click to open ASIO.
7. Settings: Click setting to launch the Advanced Settings page as shown

below.
(1)
Language Select: Change the UI language.
(2)
UI Transparent: Adjust the UI vision of transparent.
(3)
Show System Tray Icon: Check Show System Tray Icon box to show
the Xear Audio center icon in the system tray.
8. Exit: Click Exit to exit the tray Icon from the system tray.

7. Troubleshooting and FAQs
7.1 Troubleshooting
1: I cannot install the audio card driver in my PC.
Instructions:
(1). Make sure that you have properly plugged the audio card into the PCI
Express slot on your motherboard.
(2). Check that the Windows hardware Device Manager has discovered a
multimedia audio device. If no device is found, please try scanning for new
hardware.
(3). Try to restart your Windows.
(4). Remove the card and plug it into another PCI Express slot.
2: I cannot find the Xonar Phoebus Audio Center.

Instructions:
(1). Make sure you have installed the driver.
(2). Find the Xonar Phoebus Audio Center icon in the system tray on the right
bottom of the screen. Double click the icon to launch the Xonar Phoebus
Audio Center utility.
(3). If you cannot find the icon in the system tray, go to the Windows Control
Panel and double click the “Xonar Phoebus Audio Center” icon to make it
visible in the system tray again.
(4). After the driver installation is complete, it’s recommended that you reboot
your computer to complete the setup. If the icon still doesn’t appear, please
try installing the driver package again.
3. I can’t hear any sound from my analog speakers

Instructions:
(1). The Xonar Phoebus PCI Express audio card needs the power cable to supply
additional power in addition to the basic PCI Express bus power. Please
double check you have plugged the small 6-pin power plug into the Xonar
Phoebus power connector. If you did not plug the internal power, the Xonar
Phoebus audio center will remind you a warning message and won’t allow
your operation when you double click the Xonar Phoebus audio center icon in
the system tray.

(2). Please ensure that you have connected speakers properly and have powered
on your speakers.
(3). Please ensure that the device master volume or the software player has NOT
been muted on the Xonar Phoebus Audio Center.
(4). If you are using Dolby Digital Live encoder through the S/PDIF output, the
analog output will be muted to get rid of the interference between your digital
speaker system and analog speakers or headphones. Please check if this is
the case.
(5). Please go to the sound and audio device of Windows Control Panel to check
if the playback default device is set to Xonar Phoebus Audio Device, instead
of other onboard AC97 or HDA codec device. If it’s not, please set it to Xonar
Phoebus Audio Device and restart your applications.
(6). Please try restart your Windows.
4. I can’t hear any sound from the S/PDIF output

Instructions:
(1). Please ensure that you have enabled S/PDIF output in the Audio Center GUI
(Main page).
(2). Please ensure that you have connected the correct S/PDIF output jack in the
card to the decoder’s (AV receiver) S/PDIF input jack.
(3). You may need to select the correct input and mode of your decoder or AV
receiver. For Dolby Digital or DTS output, you may have to double check that
the AV receiver is in that decoding mode.
(4). If you are using 192KHz PCM output, please make sure that your decoder
can support 192KHz decoding. Try changing it to 44.1K or 48KHz first.
5. I can’t hear audio input (Mic, Line-in, AUX, etc.) from my speakers
Instructions:
(1). Please select the correct input as the recording source. If you are using
Windows Vista/Win 7, please also go to system audio control panel to see
the current default recording/input device is right.
(2). Please remember to turn on the digital monitoring button for that recording
source.
6. I can’t hear the TV tuner audio from my speakers

Instructions:
(1). If you are using a traditional TV tuner card which has analog audio output,
please connect it to the Aux-In header on the audio card

(2). Select Aux as the recording source and remember to turn on the digital
monitoring button in the recording mixer page.
(3). If you are using a TV tuner card which has digital audio output instead
of analog, please check that the sound is not muted and whether other
applications can play normally. If you still have problem, please read the TV
tuner card’s software user guide.
7.2 FAQ
Q1: Does the Xonar Phoebus support Windows Vista / Win 7?

Answer:
Yes, the Xonar Phoebus driver package does support Windows Vista /
Win 7 32/64 bit and most key features are available. In addition, the Xonar
Phoebus supports unique GX on Windows Vista / Win 7, which can recover
DirectSound 3D hardware and EAX gaming sound effects on Vista / Win 7 for
a lot of existing DirectX games.
Q2: Why does the Xonar Phoebus support Dolby technology?

Answer:
Dolby is the ONLY brands and technology recognized by the CE industry and
available on a wide range of audio equipment. The Xonar Phoebus includes
these features to make your PC a powerful media and entertainment center.
Q3: Does the Xonar Phoebus support EAX on Vista / Win 7?

Answer:
Yes, The Xonar Phoebus can support EAX not only on Windows XP but also
on Vista / Win 7 through innovative GX3.0 technology.
Q4: Why do I need Dolby for PC games?

Answer:
(1). Dolby Headphone is available in the latest game consoles, like
XBOX360, PS3, and Wii. Dolby can provide the best gaming sound
experience and compatibility with home theater or TV systems.
(2). Dolby Headphone is the best 3D sound positioning, spatial modeling and
5.1-channel virtualization technology for regular stereo headphones and
speakers.

Q6: Will PCM sound output through S/PDIF be just 2 channels even
with different analog output channels?
Answer:
The S/PDIF protocol specification (IEC-60958) can only carry 2-channel PCM
data or non-PCM AC3/DTS data. So, when a user selects PCM output for S/
PDIF, the Xonar Phoebus audio card will always deliver 2 channel PCM data
through the S/PDIF output port. To attain the 5.1 channel surround sound,
you can select DDO, which allows the Xonar Phoebus to deliver 5.1 surround
sound for DVD movies, and even stereo music.

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Xonar Phoebus

PCI Express 7.1-Channel

Copyright © 2015 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

Australia statement notice

• Phoebus Control Box

1.2 System Requirements

ASUS Xonar Phoebus 1

(continued on the next page)

2 ASUS Xonar Phoebus

*Specifications are subject to change without notice.

ASUS Xonar Phoebus 3

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Connect your external PC microphone to this 3.5mm

ASUS Xonar Phoebus 5

1. Power OFF the computer, the monitor,

3.2 Installing the Audio Processing Card

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4.2 Uninstalling or Reinstalling Software

4.2.1 Uninstalling Software

5. In the InstallShield Wizard dialog box, select the Remove option.

ASUS Xonar Phoebus 9

1. Before reinstalling any software, it’s recommended to uninstall the existing

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Connecting stereo hadphones

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Front Side Center/

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Rear Front Mic in

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directly to this jack.

5.6 Connecting Line-In audio sources

ASUS Xonar Phoebus 21

6.1.1 Function Pop-up Menu

To open the pop-up menu:

1. Double-click the left button of the mouse on the Device icon.

ASUS Xonar Phoebus 23

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6.2 Speaker Function Introduction

ASUS Xonar Phoebus 25

• The following items will be replaced by Dolby® Home Theater V4 under

26 ASUS Xonar Phoebus

The function allows you to control the volume of the Speaker.

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This function provides 28 special environment emulations for different sound

ASUS Xonar Phoebus 31

5 Reset Reset the location of virtual speakers / virtual listener to