🎧 HT OMEGA Fenix Sound Card for PCI-Express Slots Review

The card has an optical input and an optical output, which gives me the benefits I need. Analog connections are of average quality, which is not surprising given the price. One caveat: never use the bundled software on a peripheral board - go to the website and download the latest version instead. The included disc contains drivers that may give you a headache when running Windows 10. The op amp on the card is decent and sounds good in my headphones. If you want to use your computer as a…

I am using this as an enhancement to onboard audio. It does a good job and HT Omega offers first class support for Windows 10 issues. The drivers clearly need to be optimized for Windows 10 and my conversation with CSR HT Omega shows that they are pushing CMedia to do their part. As for SQ, it's very good. I used to have an Asus Essence STX II and it's pretty close in comparison. Without going into too much detail, I'd give the Fenix a 90/100 while the STX II would get a 97 (I prefer the op…

If you use the onboard audio system or any other creative card, ASUS plug-in card, etc., it's just better. It's 192, 24. It has a huge amount of options in the control panel. The board itself is simple and very clean - good aesthetics. It has true 7.1 output, which means you can connect it to a 7.1 receiver and easily use whatever speakers you want. It has a built-in speaker for music and other purposes. This thing literally solved all my problems. Works on Win10 and Win11. Admittedly, this…

You still have a lot of choices when it comes to internal PCIe sound cards and most of these options I would ignore. Between good signal isolation, bloated dumb drivers, etc., there are many low-quality options that sound worse than just the on-board motherboard sound. The HT Omega Fenix is a welcome exception, and it's a great place to start exploring how your system will sound better than what's on the motherboard. Drivers are scarce and the UI might feel a bit dated, but the "sound" and…

I used to have an HT OMEGA STRIKER 7.1 card and was very happy with this card. I then moved to a new computer that didn't have the old PCI ports, so I had to buy a new PCIe sound card. Although Fenix claims "7.1 channels" and "S/PDIF output", it does not support 7.1 (or 5.1) via S/PIDF output! Surround sound ONLY via 3.5mm analogue outputs! If you're looking for digital surround sound, this isn't the card. The Striker 7.1 has a 7.1 digital output, the Fenix does not. Also, as other users have…

Just updated to this card from ASUS ROG Strix Raid Pro DLX. I experienced a hardware failure after an ASUS card hardware failure and contacted HT Omega to find out how their products work. Their support answered my questions and as a result I bought this card. Asus tech support kept me stuck for over 3 weeks with no apparent solution. Pros: * Great price. * Amazing sound. My main games that I play now are Mass Effect Andromeda, Elite Dangerous, Doom (2016) and Fallout 4. I've been seriously…