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UNi Xonar Drivers 1.81 (post periodically updated)

UNi Xonar drivers are Windows drivers for the following sound cards:

  • ASUS Xonar DG, Xonar DGX, Xonar DG SI, Xonar DS, Xonar DSX, Xonar D1, Xonar D2, Xonar DX, Xonar D2X, Xonar HDAV, Xonar HDAV Slim, Xonar Essence ST, Xonar Essence STX, Xonar Essence STX II, Xonar Xense.

  • Other C-Media CMI8786, CMI8787 and CMI8788 audio chip based cards: Auzentech X-Meridian & X-Meridian 2G; HT Omega Claro, Claro Plus, Claro II, Claro Halo, eClaro; Razer Barracuda AC-1; AIM Audio SC8000. View full list.

Supported OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012  Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019.

Please note that these are modded drivers and there are limitations regarding how much the actual original drivers can be fixed this way.

Linked content:

  1. Introduction

  2. UNi Xonar Features

  3. FAQ & troubleshooting guide (upd 08.02.2019)

  4. Having problems installing UNi Xonar drivers? Refer to this topic

  5. Xonar best audio settings guide

  6. Audio known issues and workarounds

    (upd 22 Mar 2016)

  7. UNi Xonar installer addon documentation

  8. ASUS Xonar sound cards issues

  9. Xonar cards and AMD Ryzen motherboards compatibility

  10. Poll: Rate ASUS Xonar driver support

Contents:

  1. Release notes

  2. Windows 10 compatibility and issues

  3. Downloads

Page updates and announcements:

Previous post updates

DONATIONS - Donation list here

Let me first say that these drivers are free of charge for everyone. Those of you who appreciate my hard work and take pleasure in contributing, you can make a small donation (minimum $3 because of fees). Bear in mind you don't donate for ASUS/C-Media work, you do it for the work that I have done and the support I'm providing.

CONTRIBUTIONS - Contributors list here

Surely donating is not the only way you can support this project. You can submit your custom made icon, application or any other little enhancements that can make UNi Xonar better. Let's not forget about spreading the word about UNi Xonar drivers and helping other Xonar owners.

RELEASE NOTES

Release notes 1.81a

Driver for all supported cards. Includes 1825 audio drivers for Windows 10. Unlike previous audio drivers, the 1825 audio driver will only work in Windows 10 and later. Due to the number of known and possible issues, the 1825 audio driver should be considered beta quality.

Driver changes:

  • Windows 10: Updated audio driver to 1825 (built date: 22 ‎June ‎2016, made by C-Media).
  • Updated C-Media Panel.

Other notes:

  • Replaced C-Media driver uninstaller with UNi Xonar driver cleaner.

Rev. 2 changes:

  • Added support for STX II cards in ASUS Audio Center, cards will be detected as STX by ASUS Audio Center but feature wise almost everything should be there with the exception of missing "IEM or for 16 ~32 ohms headsets" gain settings.

Known issues:

  • 1825 audio drivers have an issue when the audio card is uninstalled, disabled or the drivers are overwritten, resulting in a system crash. In order to avoid the uninstall system crash I've come up with a workaround  that's presented below
  • ASUS Audio Center: GX button is no longer showing. It has to do with 1825 audio drivers and besides the fact that GX is broken, there may be another reason why ASUS/C-Media removed it with these drivers. I'm not sure if it's worth it to bring the GX on/off control back. You could try enabling GX from C-Media Panel, named Xear3D there, or from XonarSwitch.
  • STX II: ASUS Audio Center is missing the gain to "IEM or for 16 ~32 ohms headsets". Try enabling it from XonarSwitch.
  • Windows 10: Before updating to new version, you should uninstall the v1.81a drivers, as the update process might result in BSOD (#1).

Possible issues:

  • STX II: XonarSwitch might not work. Need more feedback on this.
  • Audio playback through headphones and SPDIF at the same time isn't possible anymore. Original report. Need more confirmations.
  • DSX and probably other cards: DTS Connect with 5.1 speakers does not work. Original report. Need more confirmations.
  • There are reports that the sound quality of these audio drivers is different. RightMarkAudio tests that I've made didn't show any significant differences between v1.81a and v1.80a.
  • The 1825 audio driver may have higher DPC latency than previous drivers. Original report. The tests that I've made didn't show any difference in DPC Latency between v1.81a, v1.80a and v1.80b drivers. Maybe it has to do with the settings that are being used. My test where done with 2.0 analog output.
  • When waking system from sleep, volume from one of the speakers could be x2 louder. Original report.

How to uninstall 1825 v1.81 drivers: In order to avoid a system crash while uninstalling 1825 drivers you will need to play an audio file before proceeding with the uninstall process. Restart system after the uninstall process is done.

 

Release notes 1.80

UNi Xonar installer changes:

  • Added DPI interface scaling to the installer.
  • Added card autodetection and if the audio card is not detected it will show an error message with possible reasons for that.
  • Improved driver cleaning. It uninstalls all copies of the Xonar/C-media CMI8788 drivers that are present in the Windows driver repository. By installing drivers with "Run driver cleaning" option you won't be able to use "Roll Back Driver" option for the audio card in Device Manager.
  • Changed the driver installation procedure. Added a fail safe driver installer that should help in those cases where you were required to manually install the audio driver or install it in safe mode. Silent installation is always on and its user option has been removed. If standard driver installation gets stuck (does not finish after 100 sec) it is automatically closed. If standard driver installer fails to install the drivers then an alternate driver installer is launched. If that fails too, you will get notified by the installer that driver installation failed.

Driver changes:

  • Windows XP: Added support for other CMI8788 cards.
  • Xonar DG, DGX, DG SI: Front Panel jack detection should now work if it did with the original drivers.
  • Fixed GX not being turned off by default in "Normal" configuration for the following cards Xonar D2, D2X, DG, DGX and DG SI.

Rev. 2 changes:

  • Improved and fixed some problems with the new driver installation procedure.
  • Added different messages based on why installation failed.
  • Fixed "Front Panel Microphone" not working by default.

Rev. 3 changes:

  • Increased the delay between driver cleaning and driver installation procedures. Might help in some installation failing cases.
  • Fixed the "Warning: Windows running in Test Mode or with Disable Driver Signature Enforcement is required!" message not showing up if needed in combination with the detected audio card.

The 1.80 drivers come in two variants:

  • 1.80a "Standard"

Driver for all supported cards. Replacement for 1.75a driver. Includes 1816 audio drivers for Win XP and 1823 audio drivers for Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10.

Driver changes:

  • Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10: Updated audio driver to 1823 (built date: 2 Jun 2015, made by C-Media).
  • Includes updated driver installer, ASUS Audio Center and C-Media Panel.

Other notes:

  • 1823 audio drivers are the first drivers released for Windows 10 by ASUS/C-Media. Whether they perform any better than 1822 or STXII 11.5 drivers remains to be seen.
  • Xonar STX II cards: Drivers work with STXII cards but the changing audio settings may not work with ASUS Audio Center and only with C-Media Panel. Installation on Windows Vista/7/8.1/10 x64 requires Windows running in Test Mode or with "Disable Driver Signature Enforcement" option.

Known issues:

  • STX II: ASUS Audio Center does not work. You need to download this patched version and copy paste it over “C:\Program Files\UNi Xonar Audio\Customapp\”. Note that the option to set the gain to "IEM or for 16 ~32 ohms headsets" is missing from ASUS Audio Center, try enabling it from XonarSwitch.

Possible issues:

  • Microphone stops working if running specific programs. If you run into this issue please report it in a reply to the original report. If you run into the issue you can switch to v1.75a drivers or connect the microphone to the onboard audio card microphone input.
  • WASAPI playback issues might occur with some soundcards
  • Occasionally when waking PC up from sleep the Xonar card does not output any sound.
  • Drivers might stop installing on Windows 10. Try 1.75a, 1.80b or 1.81a instead.
  • Windows 10 Creators Update: Windows would not boot after these drivers where installed. If you run into this problem you have to boot Windows in Safe Mode and remove the audio drivers. Original report. I could not reproduce the issue.
  • 1.80b "STXII"

Driver mainly for STX II and  STX II 7.1 cards. It does work for the other UNi Xonar supported cards too. Replacement for 1.75b driver. Includes STX II version 11.5 audio drivers (built date: 18 Feb 2014, made by C-Media).

Driver changes:

  • Includes updated ASIO (2.0.0.14), driver installer, ASUS Audio Center and C-Media Panel.
  • Windows XP: Drivers now work for all UNi Xonar supported cards. These were not working with 1.75b drivers.

Other notes:

Rev. 2 changes:

  • Fixed "Asus Audio Center" not working properly and getting replaced by C-Media Panel when installing with "Normal - Asus Audio Center" configuration.

Rev. 3 changes:

  • Fixed some installation issues when drivers were installed on STXII cards (like missing driver uninstall entry in Programs and Features,  incorrect C-media panel name).
  • Fixed a bug where optimal card configuration was not being applied if the drivers were installed without the "Re-enable stereo upmix" option.

Possible issues:

  • Microphone stops working occasionally or when changing audio playback settings (DS->WASAPI). If you run into this issue please report it in a reply to this comment. If you frequently run into the issue you could try v1.75a drivers if possible or connect the microphone to the onboard audio card microphone input.

Previous release notes:

Release notes 1.75

UNi Xonar Installer changes:

  • Various changes and improvements done to the UNi Xonar installer.
  • Added warning message if installing the drivers would require Test Mode.
  • XonarSwitch is now automatically closed before installing the audio drivers.
  • Improved "Apply addons" function. Included .inf files from the drivers can now be dynamically altered. Documentation can be read here. Applying new 1.75 compatible versions of addons (like DHT4) will display the proper audio driver version now and users could now choose which addons they want to install once these are added to the Uni Xonar installer location.

Rev. 3 changes:

  • Fixed GX is not being turned off by default in Normal configuration for the following cards Xonar D2, D2X, DG, DGX, DG SI.

The 1.75 drivers come in two variants:

  • 1.75a "Standard"

Driver for previously supported cards. Same audio drivers as those in 1.72 (1816 for Win XP, 1822 for Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10).

Rev.2 changes:

  • Fixed ASUS and C-Media Panels not working in Win XP.
  • Includes updated driver installer and C-Media Panel.

Known issues:

  • The installer is showing "Warning: Test mode to be enabled!" message by mistake if Xonar Xense selected as card.

Possible issues:

  • Missing Dolby Pro-Logic IIx options from C-media Panel. If you have this issue, you can use the "C-media Panel v1.62" installer addon or install v1.72 drivers.
  • 1.75b "STX II"

Driver mainly for STX II and  STX II 7.1 cards. It also works with UNi Xonar previously supported cards.

Rev.2 changes:

  • Fixed issue where installer did not apply the correct audio settings (e.g. to fix surround echo). Anyone who installed the previous 1.75b drivers should install the 1.75b rev.2.

Driver changes:

  • Includes updated ASIO (2.0.0.13) , ASUS Audio Center and C-Media Panel.
  • Includes STX II version 11.5  audio drivers (created on 18 Feb 2014).

Other notes:

  • These drivers will work with the previously supported Xonar cards on Win Vista/7/8.1/10 but may require that you enable Windows Test Mode on 64 bit OS.
  • These drivers do not work for the other Xonar cards on Windows XP.

Known issues:

  • ASIO in 64 bit mode does not work. The cause of this issue is the 64 bit asio  dll file from the original STXII drivers.
Release notes 1.72

These drivers bring Windows 8.1 support.

Driver changes:

  • Updated audio driver to version 1822 for Windows Vista/7/8/8.1. Still using 1816 for Windows XP.
  • Includes updated driver installer, ASUS Audio Center and C-Media Panel.

Other notes:

  • New icon for UNi Xonar installer. Thanks to propheticus for his contribution.
  • ASUS Audio Center and C-Media Panel tray icons now have higher resolution icons. Useful for >100% DPI settings.

Known issues:

  • GX is not being turned off by default in Normal configuration for the following cards Xonar D2, D2X, DG, DGX, DG SI.
Release notes 1.71.1

Replacement for v1.71 driver package with configuration fixes and updated components.

UNi Xonar Installer changes:

  • Updated UNi Xonar Installer with that from v1.80a.

Driver changes:

  • Updated driver installer, ASUS Audio Center and C-Media Panel with those from v1.80a.
  • Added theoretical support for STX II cards.
  • Fixed GX not being turned off by default in "Normal" configuration for Xonar D2, D2X, DG, DGX and DG SI cards.

Known issues:

  • In some cases, WASAPI exclusive playback is interrupted by playback from other audio applications. More details here. Fix: If you don’t use S/PDIF, disable  "S/PDIF Pass-through Device (Asus Xonar...)" from Control panel->Sound. It's confirmed that the audio drivers included in v1.70 don’t have this issue.
  • Win Vista/7/8: There are reports that you cannot play sound through S/PDIF and headphones at the same time.
Release notes 1.71

Driver changes:

  • Updated audio driver to 1821 for Windows Vista/7/8  and 1816 for Windows XP.
  • Includes updated driver installer

UNi Xonar Installer changes:

  • Fixed some issues with Driver cleaning module
  • Improved and fixed some potential issues with UNi Xonar Installer

Known issues :

  • C-media Panel: Enabling and disabling "7.1 Virtual shifter" option disables stereo upmix. Use "Stereo upmix switch" to re-enable it or you can use the C-media Panel v1.62 addon (it will revert to an slightly older C-Media Panel version)
  • GX is not being turned off by default in Normal configuration for the following cards Xonar D2, D2X, DG, DGX, DG SI.
  • In some cases, WASAPI exclusive playback is interrupted by playback from other audio applications. More details here. Fix: If you don’t use S/PDIF, disable  "S/PDIF Pass-through Device (Asus Xonar...)" from Control panel->Sound. It's confirmed that the audio drivers included in v1.70 don’t have this issue.
  • Win Vista/7/8: There are reports that you cannot play sound through S/PDIF and headphones at the same time.

 

Release notes 1.70

Driver changes:

  • For Windows Vista/7/8 it includes 1818 audio drivers. For Win XP it includes 1814 audio drivers.
  • Includes updated versions of C-media and Asus panels.
  • Fixed HTOmega Claro 2 driver support.
  • Fixed driver signature issues for the other non-Xonar cards that were present in previous release.

Rev. 3 changes:

  • All the improvements and changes done to the UNi Xonar installer from 1.7x versions have been incorporated into this release (like support for addons).
  • Updated C-Media Panel with the one included in 1.72 release.

UNi Xonar Installer changes:

  • Added option to apply addons at driver installation.
  • Improved Low DPC Latency option. Now it allows access to C-media Panel as well. And Asus Audio Center won't autostart after driver installation like it previously did.
  • Improved Driver Cleaning process. Now it will clean the Panel and HsMgr(GX) processes startup entries too.
  • Reduced the overall installer size (from 13MB to 7MB)
  • Replaced Windows XP driver installer with the same one that's being used in Windows 7. Please report if there are any malfunctions compared to previous UNi Xonar driver releases.
  • Removed "1777 drivers + Asio 1.0". This option lives on as an addon.
  • Rev 2: Applied all UNi installer fixes from 1.71

Known issues :

  • C-media Panel: Enabling and disabling "7.1 Virtual shifter" option disables stereo upmix. Use "Stereo upmix switch" to re-enable it or you can use the C-media Panel v1.62 addon (it will revert to an slightly older C-Media Panel version)
  • GX is not being turned off by default in Normal configuration for the following cards Xonar D2, D2X, DG, DGX, DG SI.

Other notes:

  • New icon for UNi Xonar installer. Thanks to propheticus for concept and contribution.
  • ASUS Audio Center and C-Media Panel tray icons now have higher resolution icons. Useful for >100% DPI settings.

Complete Previous Release Notes

Notes about Windows 10 and Windows 11 (updated 16 Sep 2021)

UNi Xonar drivers v1.64 and above will work with Windows 10 and Windows 11. There could be some issues that you could run into depending on audio settings used. Different drivers could work differently so if you encounter any issues try installing the other UNi Xonar versions. You will have the same issues with corresponding versions of ASUS drivers.

Apart from driver issues, there could be issues solely from Windows 10/11 sound system that would be fixed with future Windows updates. There is also a small chance that some things could break with future Windows updates. Here are some solutions on how to prevent a forceful Windows 10/11 standard or version update.

Regarding Windows 11, early indication is that the drivers will work as they did with Windows 10, that includes Microsoft breaking something ever so often.

Some of these issues also apply to other audio cards (Realtek, Creative, EVGA Nu Audio, ASUS Strix etc.) and external DACs.

> Find out which Windows version you have installed.

Windows 10 (multiple versions) and Windows 11 (multiple versions) notes

Possible issues and fixes:

  1. Microphone not working - Check this guide. (thanks Shane)
  2. Audio crashes - If you have “Dolby Atmos for Headphone” app installed you should remove it and replace it with the updated “Dolby Access” app in order to avoid audiosvr process stack overflow errors that are crashing the audio subsystem. (thanks Chris Leipold)
  3. Popping and cracking sounds - If you have a AMD graphics card, try disabling "AMD High Definition Audio Device" from Device Manager->"Sound, video and game controllers". It's possible to try the same steps for Nvidia HD Audio Device if you have a Nvidia card. (thanks Marc)
  4. BSOD's after system wakeup from sleep - There are a couple of solutions:
    1. Try UNi Xonar v1.71.1 driver. Thanks Kalle.
    2. Use a script to disable the sound card before going the system enters sleep/hibernate state and enable the card once the system wakes up. See MT post about this solution.
    3. If you have a nVidia graphics card, In "Device Manager"->"Sound, video and game controllers" disable the sound device named "NVIDIA High Definition Audio" and "NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM)". You may need to redo this after the nVidia GeForce drivers are updated. Might worth checking if this also applies to AMD graphics cards, in which case try disabling "AMD High Definition Audio Device". Thanks NoName-1.
  5. For systems with 1.81a drivers, the upgrading process to new Windows 10 version might result in BSOD (#1) causing the installation to fail. To avoid this problem, uninstall the v1.81a driver before upgrading.
  6. The number of audio channels resets itself back to 2 or can't change to more than 2 channels(stereo) - This might be caused by having enabled one of the Spatial Sound options (Windows Sonic for Headphones, Dolby Access, Dolby Atmos for Headphones, DTS Sound Unbound). Check that Spatial Sound is Off by right-clicking on Windows Volume tray icon.
  7. Sound playback echos. Issues within Windows 10 might cause the enabling of different sound settings, one of them causes sound playback echos that are more or less evident. To ensure you always get the best audio quality it might worth checking this from time to time. See Fix sound echos in Windows.
  8. No system sounds. See these solutions.
  9. Audio stutter in games. Open Windows Sound (right-click on Windows Volume tray icon-> Sounds or if missing type in Windows search: "change system sounds"), select Playback tab, double click your default playback device (for example Speakers ASUS Xonar Audio Device), go to Advanced tab and in the Default Format option select another sample rate setting and back to your original setting. The described windows and settings look similar to those in this picture. (thanks Jean Paul).
  10. No sound coming through speakers or headphones. There seems to be an issue where the default playback device is changed upon Windows restart to HDMI or other playback devices (#1). After each restart you can restore the default playback device to your preferred audio card by opening Windows Sound-->Playback tab-> select "Speakers (ASUS Xonar...)" and press "Set default". A more permanent workaround fix could be to disable all other playback devices in Windows Sound.
Windows 11 version 22H2 (September 2022 Update) notes

Known new issues: -

Possible new issues: -

Windows 10 version 21H2 (November 2021 Update) notes

Known new issues: -

Possible new issues: -

Windows 11 version 21H2 (October 2021 Update) notes

Known new issues: -

Possible new issues: -

Windows 10 version 21H1 (May 2021 Update) notes

Known new issues:

  • S/PDIF output not working (#1, #2?, #3?). If you have this issue please report it under this comment. Anyone having this issue should report it to Windows support.

Possible new issues: -

Windows 10 version 20H2 (October 2020 Update) notes

Known new issues:

-

Possible new issues:

  • No sound coming through speakers or headphones. There seems to be an issue where the default playback device is changed upon Windows restart to HDMI or other playback devices (#1). After each restart you can restore the default playback device to your preferred audio card by opening Windows Sound-->Playback tab-> select "Speakers (ASUS Xonar...)" and press "Set default". A more permanent workaround fix could be to disable all other playback devices in Windows Sound.
Windows 10 version 2004 (May 2020 Update) notes

Known new issues:

-

Possible new issues:

  • System crashing when installing the Xonar drivers (#1). A possible solution might be to install the drivers with Windows booted in Safe mode.
  • Equalizer and other sound effects from the cards control panel do not get applied to the sound when using S/PDIF output (#1).
  • Occasional BSOD when waking the system from sleep (#1, #2, #3). The BSOD shows DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (cmudaxp.sys) as the cause. A possible solution could be to install v 1.71.1 drivers, please provide feedback if this worked for you.
  • PC not booting after the Xonar driver install, issue possibly manifesting in conjunction with the use of Hibernate (Suspend to disk) (#1).
Windows 10 version 1909 (November 2019 Update) notes

Known new issues:

  • Higher DPC latency which may cause massive stuttering (#1). The v1909 can be uninstalled from Control Panel->Programs and Features->View Installed Updates-> select and uninstall "Feature Update to Windows 10 Version 1909 via Enablement Package (KB4517245)". To prevent v1909 update (KB4517245) to be installed again you should use Wushowhide tool (guide on how to use it) or disable Windows Update altogether for the time being.

Possible new issues:

-

Windows 10 version 1903 (April 2019 Update) notes

Possible issues:

Other notes:

  • Windows Sound is no longer accessible from Windows Volume-> Sounds. If you want to control the playback devices, recording devices, Windows sounds you can open Windows Sound by typing in search: change system sounds or by going to Control Panel->Sound.
Windows 10 version 1809 (October 2018 Update) notes

Before upgrading to 1809, you should uninstall the UNi Xonar drivers especially if you have v1.81a installed, as the update process might result in BSOD (#1). As a reminder, in order to avoid a system crash while uninstalling 1825 (v1.81a) drivers you will need to play an audio file before proceeding with the uninstall process. Restart the system after the uninstall process is done.

Possible issues reported so far:

  • Crashes at boot or after walking PC from sleep or hibernation (#1)
  • Audio stops working after some time (#1)
  • Inability to change the number of audio channels to other than 2 channels when using S/PDIF output if you have Speakers disabled in Windows Sound -> Playback (#1).
  • For 1825 (v1.81a) drivers, during the installation of some Windows updates the system might get a BSOD (#1).
Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018 Update) notes (updated 13 May 2018)

Our community member Chris Leipold reports that the wake up from sleep BSOD, settings reset and not working audio server process at startup issues that where introduced with Fall Creators Update are fixed with Red Stone 4 preview (pre 1803 release).

Possible issues and fixes:

  • Microphone not working - Check this guide. (thanks Shane)
  • Audio crashes - If you have “Dolby Atmos for Headphone” app installed you should remove it and replace it with the updated “Dolby Access” app in order to avoid audiosvr process stack overflow errors that are crashing the audio subsystem. (thanks Chris Leipold)

Possible issues reported so far:

  • Settings (Bit-depth, sample rate, number of channels) reset bug when clicking the volume after restart might still happen (#1)
  • Windows might freeze when installing Xonar drivers (#1)
  • Microphone might not work even after doing the microsoft privacy toggle fix (#1)
  • S/DPIF output might not work at least for some with Xonar DG cards (#1)
Windows 10 version 1709 (Fall Creators Update) notes (updated 13 May 2018)

Reported issues so far:

  • Drivers above 1821 v1.71 may cause BSOD when waking system from sleep (#1, #2, #3). It's unclear if it is a driver issue or a Windows issue that's triggered in specific conditions that are met when using drivers above 1821 v1.71. Since ASUS/C-media driver support is pretty much dead and most people didn't have this issue until Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, people having this issue should contact Microsoft support and submit their crash dumps.
  • Card settings are being restored after each restart. A temporarily workaround would be to save your settings as a XonarSwitch profile and apply it each reboot. Anyone affected should report the issue to Microsoft. Update 6 Feb 2018: it looks like this is fixed in insider builds >= 17074, and it will be fixed in Windows 10 version 1803. Update 8 Mar 2018: this should be fixed with KB4074588 update for version 1709.
  • Default format (bit-depth and sample rate) from Windows Volume->Playback devices and the number of audio channels resets each time the Windows Volume icon is clicked (#1, #2). Anyone affected should report the issue to Microsoft. Update 8 Mar 2018: this should be fixed with KB4074588 update. Update 13 May 2018: This issue might still happen even after installing KB4074588 (#1).
  • Possible high frequency tone when playing audio.

Previous Windows 10 notes

 

Driver Downloads (Windows only) - click here if downloads are not showing



Standalone applications for changing settings or enhancing audio: 

1. Standalone apps pack. Based on a script made by Virus. Before running the files, close any audio source/application. Legacy, preferably use XonarSwitch and configure it with separate profiles.  Does not work correctly when used with STXII ("b") drivers. Contains:

  1. Front panel switch v3.2
  2. SampleRate switch v1.2
  3. Microphone Array Enabler v1.1 - Might be useful if you have an microphone array
  4. HDAV HDMI enabler v1.0 - This application hasn't been tested please submit feedback if it works or not. It appears it is not needed anymore.
  5. Acoustic Echo Cancellation enabler v1.0 - Useful for other Cmedia 8788 based cards that lack this setting
  6. Stereo upmix switch v1.0
  7. 7.1 virtual speaker shifter enhanced profile v1.0 - Profile created by Cu. This profile should enhance the effect of positioning in games when using Dolby Headphones and 7.1 virtual speaker shifter. Please provide feedback about this profile. Demo.
  8. Headphones ohm Amp switch v1.0  - Works only with the cards that support this.

2. Additional tweaks

  1. Disable SpeakerCompensation tweak
  2. Increase microphone volume by 3 dB tweak

3. Xonar related applications:

  1. XonarSwitch (beta) - Alternative panel to Asus Audio Center and C-Media Panel. Allows you to control various Xonar’s audio settings, define them as switchable profiles and apply them on-the-fly without having to stop the audio playback.
  2. Front Panel switch (new version) - Application that seamlessly changes between rear speakers and front panel speakers output.
  3. UNi Xonar driver cleaner - Standalone driver cleaner based on the one that's included in UNi Xonar drivers.
  4. Xonar Restoree Extended - Tool to restore Xonar cards hardware ID. The extended version includes support for Xonar STX II and Xonar DG SI cards.
  5. Xonar Driver Restart - Application that will restart the Windows Audio Service and C-media audio driver. Useful for sound loops, no audio output and other issues.
  6. Xonar Relay Restart - Application that will force the the Xonar relay switch to reinitialize. May be useful when there is no audio output after system boot or wake up from sleep. May be used instead of Xonar Driver Restart as it is quicker and does not affect running applications. This will cause a temporary 1 sec switch between rear and front panel outputs.
  7. Xonar-EQ - Control Xonar equalizer settings from your Android phone or tablet. By Sascha.

4. Auxiliary audio applications:

  • ASIOConfig - ASIO configuration viewer/changer that can be used when you can't access the Xonar ASIO Configuration directly. By djdecks.
  • SoundLock - Set the maximum output volume that sounds can be at. Can replace Xonar SVN in some cases (like limiting the volume of loud noises in movies). Works on Windows Vista and newer.
  • more...

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9197 Comments

  1. ket06 Sep 2023 @ 23:26

    I'm probably pissing into the wind here hoping for the impossible but I'll ask anyway. Firstly, does anyone know of an Xonar DX 7.1 mod that can be done to provide the card with enough power so that it doesn't have to use an FDD cable, and second is it in any way possible to integrate the Asus Xonar AE control panel into the unixonar driver? (preferably 1823 as I've tested that with everything and it just works flawlessly). As far as I know the Xonar AE is still using the CM8788 it just got transplanted to a new PCB design and dropped to 5.1 to make the SOAR look more appealing. I still love my Xonar it wipes the floor with literally almost every other sound card out there but the control panel side of things is starting to be lacking for my uses and needs :o(

    Reply

  2. Pengu21 Sep 2023 @ 03:13

    OS: Windows 10 - 64bit
    Internet connection: 100mbit down - 45mbit up (ethernet cable no wifi)
    Soundcard: Essence STX I
    Driver: 1.80a

    Issue: Lately i have been getting a lot of problems in Discord where my friends starts sounding robotic and laggy. This mostly happens when I play a heavy load game and stream footage over discord while watching my friend's stream too. I have been in talks with Discord's support but they aren't sure either. Today however i bumped into this topic on reddit: https://old.reddit.com/r/discordapp/comments/48x3bc/discord_has_peculiar_way_to_access_my_sound_card/

    The top post describes my issue nearly perfect: "Same here, using Xonar DSX. Also having weird problem: my friends are lagging pretty often, their sound comes robotic/laggy for a second or something.. They dont have that problem, and my voice is not lagging either. Also having high-end computer and stable 60/10 connection with 33ms on our server. Weird.."

    I really do not want to use onboard sound but these issues with Discord and the robotic sounds are starting to get to me. Without physically removing the Essence STX and uninstalling its drivers. Is there any other way to see if it is indeed the Essence STX and/or the unidrivers which conflict with discord?

    Pengu

    Reply

    • CarvedInside23 Sep 2023 @ 02:39

      Which CPU, which motherboard, which video card?

      Try each of the following:
      1. To disable the ASUS Xonar card: Open Windows Device Manager, expand "Sound, video, and game controllers", select the Xonar card, right click and "click Disable device". See if it you still get the same issue with the onboard sound card.

      2. Which panel configuration did you chose when you installed UNi Xonar drivers? If it was Normal, then reinstall the drivers (can be overwritten) with "Low DPC Latency" or "C-Media Panel" configuration, and restart the PC. If you had Low DPC Latency, try reinstalling with Normal configuration.

      3. Change priority to "High" for all Discord processes. You can do this by going to Windows Task Manager->Details-> right click on a discord process->Set Priority->High. You'll have to redo this each time to start Discord again.

      Report back and we'll see what else you can do.

      Reply

      • Pengu26 Sep 2023 @ 02:42

        CPU: AMD 5800x3d
        Motherboard: B550 Aorus pro v2
        GPU: EVGA Rtx 3080 ftw3

        1. Preferably i will skip for now and see if the following will help. If nothing else work I will uninstall the Essence STX and physically take it out.
        2. I had it installed with Low DPC Latency and as of now reinstalled it with Normal configuration.
        3. Will try this too

        I will try these settings out for a few sessions and report back. So far after the first one it seems to not show the issues.

        Reply

      • Pengu28 Sep 2023 @ 06:29

        Issues still remain. I have tried:
        - Steps 2 + 3
        - Removing latest Nvidia driver (537.42) with DDU in safe mode and reinstalling it.

        Reply

      • Pengu01 Oct 2023 @ 02:40

        I explained the situation in detail to Discord's support. Best advice they gave was for me to upgrade hardware due to high usage...
        I found a work around which seem to work so far:
        - Stream gameplay on discord client as usual
        - Use secondary discord account and watch friend's stream via the browser. (on same PC)

        So far this is the only reliable yet annoying work around I've found. Told discord support about it but have not received a reply yet.

        Reply

  3. Moob24 Oct 2023 @ 20:52

    Fresh install of Windows 10 and cannot get Uni Xonar drivers running 🙁 UNi-Xonar-1823-v1.80a-r3

    It only installs when in Test Mode but drivers still show up in Device Manager as "Windows cannot verify the digital signature for the drivers required for this device"

    I even tried the last beta file from Asus direct and still same issue. Any WHQL signed version of Uni Xonar which works with Windows 10?

    Reply

    • CarvedInside25 Oct 2023 @ 07:54

      1. Which Xonar card do you have, both per your knowledge and what's been detected in the UNi Xonar installer?
      2. But it works in Test Mode?
      3. Tell me the Windows 10 complete version.

      LE: Updated the questions.

      Reply

      • Moob25 Oct 2023 @ 12:47

        Xonar d2x
        Windows 10 Pro
        It didn’t work in Test mode. However, I found a workaround. I did a Reset This PC and after the reset the drivers worked!

        Thought I’d leave that in case it helps someone.

        Reply

        • Moob25 Oct 2023 @ 15:24

          Just to be explicit step by step

          1. Boot into Test Mode
          2. Install driver (C-Panel selected)
          3. Reboot (Xonar D2X shows but with error above in Device Manager)
          4. Exit Test Mode and Reboot
          5. Reset This PC (settings only)
          6. Sound card now recognised and working in Device Manager
          7. Boot into Test Mode again
          8. Install package (C-Panel selected, clean old driver NOT selected)
          9. Reboot after turning off Test Mode

          This got the driver working ok for me, C-Panel running and no need for Test Mode

          Hope this helps someone

          Reply

  4. old D229 Oct 2023 @ 10:18

    Hello everyone,

    I am using a Xonar D2 sound card (PCI interface) with Windows 10 (version 22H2). I have the Unified Xonar drivers installed, usually version 1.71.1.

    Recently I have been encountering a lot of problems with this sound card, and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced similar issues and might be able to help me resolve them.

    The problem usually occurs when I am playing music or using the sound card for any audio output. The speaker output will suddenly generate a loud "pop" sound, static, or beep, and then the analog audio output dies completely. Using the Xonar Driver Restart utility from this site does not fix the issue. I have to fully uninstall the Xonar driver, physically unplug the PCI card from the motherboard, reinsert it, and then reinstall the driver in order to get the card working again. Simply uninstalling and reinstalling the driver (with a system reboot) does not resolve the problem. It seems like the card needs some kind of hardware reset. After getting it working again, the same issue recurs after a few days of use.

    This is very frustrating. The last time it happened, I almost decided to give up on this old sound card. However, I noticed that the S/PDIF digital output still works fine. If I connect an external DAC and route audio through that to my speakers and headset, there is still good quality audio and all the DSP effects in the Xonar card still work. For example, I can hear the difference when enabling Dolby Virtual Speaker or Headphone modes in the XonarSwitch software. So it seems like just the analog outputs have failed.

    Currently, I am still using this D2 card with an external DAC as a workaround. I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered this kind of problem? Is there a better solution I could try? Or is it likely just time to replace this aging sound card?

    Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply

    • CarvedInside30 Oct 2023 @ 23:25

      Hardware issue, might be from the cards capacitors.

      Reply

      • old D231 Oct 2023 @ 14:09

        Thank you for your reply.

        It sounds like it's not fixable, or at least not by driver or software. If I'm not planning to purchase a new card in the near future, using the S/PDIF digital output to an external DAC is likely the best and only workaround right now?

        Reply

  5. Mmajstor07 Dec 2023 @ 20:50

    What driver you recommend , i have honar dgx and headphones alpha s hyperx ? Ty

    Reply

  6. Chris24 Dec 2023 @ 07:24

    OS: Win 10 64 bit Build 19045
    Xsonar driver: 8.1.8.1823
    Xsonar settings: Audio channel 2 channels, Sample rate 44.1Khz, Analog out 5.1 speakers, SPDIF out DTS interactive selected

    I noticed that my center speaker isn't working and my rear speakers arent as well they worked before but stopped they do work on my ps5, but not when I have it connected to the Xsonar

    Reply

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