Fosi ZA3 + Sparkos Op-amp - The Real Deal - Don't miss out !!!

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Fosi ZA3 + Sparkos Op-amp - The real deal - Don't miss out !!!
Interested in Sparkos Opamps - visit www.sparkoslabs.com
Need to get the Fosi Amp - fosiaudioshop.com/virtualhifi (affiliate link, no additional cost to you and I get a small comission that will help grow the channel)
The Qualio Loudspeakers - www.qualioaudio.com
Fosi is a great little amp that can put many multiple thousand $$$ to real shame.
The TPA3255 which is a heart of this amplifier is my favorite D-class Amp chip. It's dynamic, fast and tight, but also has the most wonderful midrange that I like even more than most class AB amps.
So how about upgrading it with one of the finest Op-amps - Sparkos Labs SS3602. This is a fully discrete op-amp and the combo is amazing. Whats better than me saying it ? You being able to hear it yourself.
In this video I added an extensive sound demo of the Fosi ZA3 with standard opamps and with Sparkos Labs SS3602. Over 20 minutes of sound demo for you accross different genres so that you can enjoy and make up your mind :)
0:00 - The Sparkos & The Fosi
2:41 - How to replacec the Op-amps
10:27 - One more trick - even less Op-amps needed ;)
14:15 - All that you are - Elvin Vanguard
15:45 - Purple Beach - Giants’ nest
17:15 - Monsoons - Johannes Bornlof
18:45 - The Last Kiss - Ritchie Everett
20:15 - Love You For It All - Daniel Gunnarsson
21:45 - Wood & Skin - Hara Node
23:15 - Something new - Anthony Lazaro feat Sarah Kang (Korean Version)
24:45 - Folium - Bladverk Band
26:15 - Air on the G String - Johannes Bornlof
27:45 - Coming Home Blues - Bo the Drifter
29:15 - Intimacy - Alex Kehm
30:45 - I Am Better Off (Jazz version) - Wildson
32:15 - Wandering Nomad - Cody Francis
33:45 - Virga - Bladverk Band
35:15 - The One - Ritchie Everett
36:45 - Conclusions

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3 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 276

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE 😄👍 For stunning revolutionary 3-way speakers visit - www.qualioaudio.com Looking for the best fullrage drivers - Cube is the answer - www.cubeaudio.eu Need to get the Fosi Amp - fosiaudioshop.com/virtualhifi (affiliate link, no additional cost to you and I get a small comission that will help grow the channel)

@remoshka777 3 месяца назад

@VirtualHiFi, Hello. Could you upload uncompressed samples with two opamps?

@Benjamin-nm4jd 5 месяцев назад

The difference is very pronounced, the Sparkos upgrade added a lot of weight to the overall sound profile, both male and female vocals are more open, thicker, a little more forward, wider and deeper soundstage. Instruments like Piano and Saxophone are also much more live-like, the Sparkos adds a lot of warmth to the tonality. It seems like this upgrade is a must for those running the ZA3 with very harsh and bright speakers, or listening to less than ideal recording, the upgrade certainly would smooth out and tame down some of the harshness. Quite a substantial and transformative upgrade I'd say, most definitely worth it. In direct comparison, the standard/OEM opamp came off quite thin, hallow, compressed, and sharp, the Sparkos pretty much set free the soul of the amp and open it up.

@danielbrrio 5 месяцев назад

100%

@Benjamin-nm4jd 5 месяцев назад

@@danielbrrio I'm wondering if this Sparkos Opamp would give the same kind of sound quality improvement for the TB10D, A07, A08, and A07 Pro Max....this $80 Sparkos Opamp cost more than the TB10D and A07. lol

@doofus4568 5 месяцев назад

@@Benjamin-nm4jd - i installed akliam lc2 op amps in my aiyima a07 max to great effect. the reviews on akliam's website swayed me over the muses02 i was considering; most preferred the akliam. one person even preferred it to the sparkos op amp. of course these are tall, and won't fit inside the cases; i had to fab a case for my a07 max. (i had posted a link to pics, but my post got deleted - are links not allowed?)

@Benjamin-nm4jd 5 месяцев назад

@@doofus4568 What improvement and difference did you notice with the akliam opams over the standard one from A07 max?

@MasterofPlay7 5 месяцев назад

Just use tube, sparko is too expensive

@user-ol6kh8od3k 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for showing the proper way to align the opend to the socket. I watched a few other channels, you are the 1st to cover the details.

@Douglas_Blake_579 5 месяцев назад

You need to take that one step further. You also need to use a magnifier to ensure the tip of each pin is correctly lined up with the hole at the bottom of the gold spot on the socket. If you do not, there is a high risk of bending the pin over, causing a bad connection that could damage the op-amp. When this chip-flipping nonsense started, I got quite a few of the a07 amplifiers in with dead channels and other crazy problems. Every time it was because someone had just jammed the chip into the socket and bent over the pins.

@Simon_Hawkshaw 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for your very comprehensive review and instructional video. Very helpful. Your time and efforts to share this with us all are much appreciated.

@robsandler1818 4 месяца назад

This Video was a game changer for me. Two things specifically. The diagram was extremely helpful as I never realized that for stereo mode I needed three SparkOs OpAmps. And the second thing was removing the sub woofer chips. I have not yet received my 2nd ZA3 for Mono Block, but I had received the additional set of SparkOS Op amps. So I did exactly as you recommended and all I can say is wow. Sound is amazing and the clipping stopped as well.

@halrichard1969 4 месяца назад

Definitely hear the difference in detail. I can imagine if any owner of Fosi ZA3 watches your video they will be trying the OP amp subraction that is is they are using mono. Thanks for an informative and straight ahead video.

@tobbietsai392 5 месяцев назад

Great test tracks, thanks.

@mikemullenix6956 4 месяца назад

Everything sounds amazing. It's all good. I think if I was standing in the live studio that I may here some difference . The play list was excellent. Good choice

@RomanBagdasarov 5 месяцев назад

Wow! Thank you very much for this thick with unused opamps! I have two ZA3's in mono, at first I swapped opamps (SS3602) in right channel, that made a huge difference. Then I swapped XLR opamps and I definitely could hear difference but it was rather small. And when I've removed all unused opamps, that made a big difference in sound too! Almost as big as swap of first pair of opamps. Vocals became full and open, more air and even wider soundtage, there is no harshness left in the high frequencies. The stock opamps really prevented Sparkos from opening up! Thanks again and best wishes!

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

thanks for sharing. yes it's funny how it works. that is why I like simple and specialized units. it's not like the signal flow like a water in the pipe, it's more of a electron pulses moving through entire PCB tracks and components. so if the MM pre is not used it should be deactivated if no headphone amp is used it should be out if not ... you get the point of the big integrated circuits ;)

@edthetruth 4 месяца назад

I also have two ZA3's in mono, and I am using only one balanced XLR from each. Which opamps do I need to replace if I want to try the Sparkos? Just the XLR one? And you are suggesting removing all the others? Thanks for your help. :)

@RomanBagdasarov 4 месяца назад

@@edthetruth Hi! You need to replace opamps in Right Channel and in the XLR. Sound became more opened when I removed all "unused" opamps (left channel & both sub opamps).

@ricochet243 Месяц назад

@@RomanBagdasarovso to confirm, for XLR you need 2 opamps for each mono unit? One for the channel and one for the XLR?

@Jacksonpt99 8 дней назад

Why would you need to replace the R channel also if you’re using XLR? If you’re only using XLR, you’re not using any other inputs, so you could just remove all of them, right?

@carlbrown3634 4 месяца назад

Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

@florinbizu5018 4 месяца назад

As an avid audiophile, I find very useful the info that you post on your channel, and I also appreciate very much the sound samples that you record. Please check and tell me if is just me and my bad hearing capacity, or the recorded level on each channel is slightly different, because I hear in this recording that the right channel sounds a little bit louder than the left channel, not on headphones, but on a stereo hi-fi system. That was not the case in the video posted with comparisons between DMP-A6 / Master Edition and DMP A8.

@isometrus 5 месяцев назад

Very well done video, excellent audio quality recordings and a nice playlist. I've heard clearly the differences and seems like those Sparkos are really lifted the amps on another level. Im curious if that sound signature of them is as suitable for more busy and speed music tracks where more are going on, as for the chosen more relaxed easy going playlist used in the video. The reason for asking that is because of my experience such a tunning where the atmosphere sound of the room, the air around of the notes are so beautifully saturated, works great on acoustic and relaxed music, but is the opposite when playing speedy tracks with more instruments playing together as metal, some classics etc.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for your comment and great question. in simple words I normally listen to way more punchy dynamic music, that I unfortunately cant use due to copyrights and the openness, punch and overall improvement of the sound is next level regardless the music ;)

@robinkleinsteuber5217 3 месяца назад

Well, yeah! Different enough to dive into the rabbit hole and purchase some SS3602 op amp modules from Sparkos Labs for my Fosi ZA3!! Thanks for your work in doing this video! 😉👍

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

Thanks for sharing! You'd be very happy for sure. It's exactly what the amps need imo ;)

@andrews4379 2 месяца назад

How much dou you need them?

@robinkleinsteuber5217 2 месяца назад

@andrews4379 I have a superb headphone amp/preamp that has the wonderful Sparkos SS2590 Pro op amps installed, and so have that Sparkos experience in my setup already. 😊 The sound clip demo in this video was enough to persuade me to make morph of my amplification chain into Sparkos amplification. For me, not really a difficult decision. 😉👍 Happy listening, whatever decision you make for your musical bliss. 🙂👍🎶🎶

@fredericguindo9090 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for the tricks. Your playlist is marvellous too and I add a lot of tracks on my favourites one. I noticed you changed your setup and replaced the Weiss audio dac by the holo. It sounds great too. It's little bit different. did you ever hear about 3DLAB brand? It seems they manufactured very good DAC and streamers but I never could hear how they sound. Maybe one day you may have opportunity to let them hear them. Thank you so much for your videos. It is always a pleasure😊

@34332 4 месяца назад

The difference isn't subtile, didn't expect that... Thanks for the practical tips re. swapping opamps 👊

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

My pleasure ;)

@chrisgrieves1468 2 месяца назад

Very interesting and useful video, nice job! So an upgrade path: Buy one ZA3. Replace one chip per channel (Sparkos or whatever). Buy second ZA3. Remove left channel chip from first amp, and put it right channel in second amp. No redundancies (apart from the stock ones), beautiful. I think I'll try that for my 'desktop' setup (the speakers are mounted in the walls :) )

@urka-off-world-adventures 4 месяца назад

Hi, appreciate all the work that goes into making a video like this so thank you 🙏 I have a pair of ZA3 as monoblocs and was waiting for your video on the sparkos before making the upgrade. Can you let us know what your setup is for doing this test? E.g. Dac / music source etc.

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

No problem 👍 It's Qualio IQ speakers Auralic Aries g2.2 streamer Holo Audio May KTE DAC Audiomica excellence USB Cable IC and speaker cables made by me OCC copper FOSI Za3 dual mono and sparkos Opamps

@Drewt-nq8yf 3 месяца назад

Oh good job it sounds so good and the bass sounds so perfect from my end beautiful thanku good job

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

Thank you very much as well ;)

@heathb1840 3 месяца назад

I first listened to the video you just did with the gryphon and d'agostino and then listened to this one and both of these sound like there is a blanket over the music.

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

yes that's because the system had meitner ma3 as a source and tellurium q black cables and make the sound very soft and the tellurium in my opinion adds plenty of body but at a very big cost of midrange detail and energy in the sound.

@fernandoleitao382 4 месяца назад

Great video!

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

Glad you enjoyed it

@fabricegrard1001 2 месяца назад

très belles explications, merci

@jericlee1509 5 месяцев назад

nice.. i really love it. za3 + sparkos par with class ab amp😊

@OSQQ123 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for this great review. I was wondering if you compared 2 ZA3 + stock op-amp with 1 ZA3 + Sparkos?

@matytinman 5 месяцев назад

First track: Better sound, more open with Sparkos. Greater dynamics too. Second: Same Third: Same Fourth: Same PS: with my *modified* KEF Q100 5.25 coaxials in near-field.

@mikepxg6406 3 месяца назад

Replacing an op amp is more likely to add distortion as the Equipment you have is designed around the opamp inside. Most people don't have enough electronic knowledge to do this. Every mixing desk in the audio chain has gone through hundreds of NE5532. So you put in an unsuitable JFet OPamp in a little box in your living room, you hear some high frequency noise and think it sounds better because you paid more for it, Unless you can test an improvement you are probably making things worse. Plenty of High End audio use Philips / Signetics NE5532 because they are perfect for audio.

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

From engendering point of view it might be the case, I'm not IC designer but from audiophile point I can clearly hear the difference between opamps and find it valid to change them to EQ the system that way ;)

@garlys3417 5 месяцев назад

Thank you and nice sound track. The difference in real is amazing, ss33602 is a very good investment and if you want a bit more, you should change the power supply Fosi 48V/5A (240W) for a 48v/7A (336W). This amp tuned is awesome.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for the tips! :)

@neilbrown-on4rm 5 месяцев назад

I have agd audion amps and Qualio speakers but I think after this demo I’ll try the fossi amps.

@patrickmaroche8717 4 месяца назад

Hello, Thanks so much for your top quality videos. For me the difference is clearly audible but I'm not sure I prefer this new configuration in fact the midrange is more open and detailed but also a little too much pronounced in top-mid range. And for me it becomes a little aggressive when listening, and It gets tiring after a while compared to the original. Even on these rather soft music. Do others experience the same feeling ?

@Kleyworks Месяц назад

Acoustics and tweeters could be the issue too.

@ELICK111 5 месяцев назад

Great video, made me take my Fosi ZA3 back out to open it up and tinker with it. Are you using the balanced XLR inputs with the ZA3 in your tests? Or RCA?

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

At the moment RCA but I'll swich to XLR once I have my cables ready :)

@garyalexander5686 4 месяца назад

I really appreciate the effort made in producing this very high quality video. The information and sound provided are excellent. However, while I can hear a slight difference in the opamps, I just don't think the improvement justifies the cost. I really had to focus to hear the difference. I have to wonder if much of that difference is attributable to an increase in gain. I have the Fosi ZA3 and like so many others am amazed at how good it sounds. I'd love to try the Sparkos opamps but based on what I'm hearing here I'm really hesitant.

@34332 4 месяца назад

Actually a good question, is it worth. For me it depends on the track, quality or type of instrument, but I def. noticed a more full or complete sound (body) of instruments and voices. I tried to achieve this with gain (PEQ) but to no avail (can't add what's not there I suppose). Once you hear it, you can't unhear it.. I'm also not in a hurry to replace the opamps, but it's itching. Not only for 'better' sound, but I also like to tweak gear. 😅 Expensive, yes, but also in the eye of the beholder.

@AusGanesh 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for the informative video. Can you please make video comparing this amp against the Eversolo amp, so we can decide which way to go, then if we were to go the Fosi route then this video will be useful. I know Burson Audio has released new op amps as well. The Burson Audio op amps are very well reviewed as well. Can you change the op amps for the Eversolo amp? Thank you.

@buzzwordy9951 5 месяцев назад

Sparkos really open up the sound they also seem louder But I like the original op amps too. Killer sound.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for sharing your findings and superb feedback ;)

@johncallaghan3097 5 месяцев назад

The more I listen to your channel, the more I genuinely appreciate all the effort you put in. Only Ron at New record Day on YT also goes to the trouble to play music from Epidemic Sounds, but you tend to include more clips. Kudos and many thanks! 🙂 To my ears, the sound of the dual mono with the Sparkos was noticeably richer and more immersive -- I'd guess over speakers in your room that would translate into more spaciousness and overall engagement. BTW, a short while ago I got a Singxer SU-2 DDC (£399 from Amazon) to improve the sound coming from my laptop. You may recall we had a brief interchange where you said something like an Eversolo would probably sound better than my laptop, but I was reluctant to change from my favoured interface. Well, I'm glad I got the Singxer because it's boosted the sound of my system to an obviously higher level and is only about half the price of an Eversolo. And of course, I get to keep the laptop!

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for your comment and sharing your experience. Yes Laptop sound can be improved so why now do it ;)

@ramondelgado6778 3 дня назад

Great review! As usual, your reviews are great! Question for you. If I want to use only one ZA3 or V3, via RCA cables (no XLR), how many op amps do I need? Only one or a pair? Thank you!

@adrian.parker 3 месяца назад

Difference was night and day. @Sparkos upgrade was open and airy, Just how I like my music to be. Clearly to appreciate the difference you need a good/better system. I am looking at adding to my new V3 monos, ordered on @kickstarter, when they ship in June. (Connect via XLR) would be good to know how to max use of these OpAmps? Brilliant video. Thanks.

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

Thank you for sharing your comment. I believe you will be very happy with the v3. I already tested them in my most recent video. You will need 6 sparkos for 2 v3 monos ;)

@elfton 5 месяцев назад

Thank you very much for you great reviews. Please have you tried TI LM4562NA OPA? These are so cheap and Audiophonics marks them as the most transparent OPA and use them in their new amp with new Purifi 1ET9040BA module

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for your feedback :) I'll try to test them when I'll do a Opamp wars ;)

@tranphuocloc7837 3 месяца назад

16:03 i can hear the differences . thanks for great video

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

My pleasure ;)

@LoftyVisions 5 месяцев назад

I had similar results with my two ZA3s and Sparkos opamps. I felt there certainly was an improvement, but to be fair the stock opamps are still pretty good. However, when i put my P3 back in the chain, i found it really closed up the sound stage and seemed to take away all the benefits brought by the Sparkos like air and width. Needless to say the P3 has since been sold . This setup really needs to be clean and simple for best results 🙂

@lassen1534 4 месяца назад

I clearly hear the difference and I absolutely think it sounds more open with the Sparkos. Just ordered a pair for my two ZA3s. Just one question. There are some comments in ASR forum and others that the result is due to 2db increase in volume. Could you please elaborate about that? Thanks for a good channel :)

@ropeburn6684 Месяц назад

Unless that was confirmed by measurements, I would heavily doubt that. Different opamps of the same compatible type do NOT have different gain - that is entirely determined by the surrounding circuit. Specifically, gain of the whole circuit around one opamp is set by the relations of resistors. Those do not change when you replace opamps.

@samidebs3559 4 месяца назад

I just ordered the LPS A6 in my opinion any electronics with a linear power supply is always a better choice!

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

Congrats 🎉

@przemekmarciniak8007 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for the hint to remove all unused op-amps. Definitely I'll try it when my ZA3s arrive, but for the op-amps I'm going to check the Muses 8820 / 8920 first. Those are about $10 per piece, so later I'll see if additional $70 for Sparcos are justified.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Sure you should try removing all unnecessary ones. Ill do a battle of Obama some time In the future, but when few months ago I bought stacatto ones for the aiyima i also got like 10 normal ones and they were not a match at all. ;)

@tjeerdkruidhof5808 5 месяцев назад

The muses 8920 are in my aiyima a07 max and they sound great. I don’t think the sparkos are worth spending 160 euros on. They sound great but the muses sound great as well

@przemekmarciniak8007 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi You really have one of the best sound quality on RU-vid, so I'd love to hear your recordings of various op-amps in ZA3, even if I plan to replace mine within 2 weeks, so most probably before your comparison. If I had 7k EUR speakers (yours sound good :)) I'd go directly for the Sparkos, I'm quite sure they are technically better than e.g. 8920s, the question is what kind of difference I'll be able to hear on my system.

@przemekmarciniak8007 5 месяцев назад

@@tjeerdkruidhof5808 I'm a happy user of the 8820s (in the headphone amp), these are warmer than 8920s. I need to hear ZA3s in my system to decide which way to go - warmer = 8820, neutral = 8920 or Sparkos. I expect that difference between 8920s and Sparkos will be much smaller than between 8920s and the stock op-amps, but maybe I'm wrong or even if that's true it still will be worth extra $$...

@tjeerdkruidhof5808 5 месяцев назад

@@przemekmarciniak8007 no i totally agree

@defstarx 5 месяцев назад

I wonder if the mic placement was a bit off or something since the sound balance appears tilted to the right in all the music samples? Didn't find that in your earlier videos, nor where you speak. Still, I can hear the difference. I switched the OpAmps to Sparkos' in my ZA3 and was not disappointed - definitely better depth of soundstage (more 3D) vs. the TI's. Anyway, big thanks for the comparison videos - they're really helpful if one is trying to understand if/how the equipment sounds differ. 👍

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

yes I moved the mics further apart to balance everything to sound as close to the what I hear in the room as possible, but also there is a new DAC now - it's Holo Audio May and it's awesome ;)

@D1N02 5 месяцев назад

I found the sound widened and lifted whenever the Sparkos kicked in. More airy and rich sounding. With some songs I preferred the more focussed sound of the originals. A cheap option for making the ZA3 more crisp may be the opa627 dual. They are about 10 euros a piece. I am also wondering how well the ZA3 will work with Staccato opamps.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Hello thanks for the comment. Yes later on I'll try some opamp wars with more options. Fosi and staccato is basically a no go. They are too high to fit inside and unlike aiyma A07 enclosure is an aluminium radiator so it can't be working without the box unless one get rids of the box entirely and put the food on some kind of copper or aluminum radiator

@BoolixDlike 5 месяцев назад

Jestem niezwykle ciekaw, jak przebiegną Pana testy z xlrami :) Ze swojej strony mogę napisać, że mam już ten test za sobą i w przypadku mojego zestawu różnica jest większa niż przy testach sparkos vs ne5532 na rca. Dzięki za świetny materiał. Pozdrawiam!

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Witham, tak też już słuchałem i no cóż teraz będę składał full Balanced preamp. Film pewnie nagram jakoś w kwietniu, ale genearlnie XLR robią świetną robotę :) Żeby test był jak najbliższy obiektywnie muszę dokończyć swoje kable XLR z tym samym kablem co RCA i wtedy nie będzie samej różnicy w kablu :)

@howe123456654321 5 месяцев назад

You've got me super interested in these amps. Since they are in preorder right now I ordered a v3 on Amazon. I figure if it's even remotely good I'll preorder the za3. I was thinking about the opamps as well so awesome video. Are there other upgrades to be done with the fosi? I was considering binding posts etc...

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

I'll do a video comparing Fosi V3 to Za3 soon since I have both. yes you can go all in remove change opamps, replace binding posts, linear power supply etc, but opamps and binding posts are easy ones. go for the 48v max amps (5 or more PSU to start with)

@howe123456654321 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi sounds good, that's what I figured. If I love it I may go for a ferrum hypsos or a major capacitor (like 10x). I'll only use the v3 long enough to get a sense of the za3 might work for me, I'm a pretty hard core single ended tubes guy but I'll try anything once.

@doofus4568 5 месяцев назад

i have not tried either fosi amp; for my use, i preferred to try the aiyima a07 max. but from what i can tell, if you do not need the additional "features" of the za3, the v3 will be the (slightly) better amp. and, because the za3 really does not bridge the two channels when run in mono mode, if you want "mono amps", just run a pair of v3's using only one channel; the results should be similar to doing that w/the za3. imo, of course! doug s.

@howe123456654321 5 месяцев назад

So I got the v3 in today ... uh what the hell. how is it this good? It's literally 95.6% cheaper than several amps I've had through lately. It costs less than the RCA cable connecting it (which I consider very high value). You could buy 3 of them for the price of the optional remote for one amp I own. I genuinely think it may be a keeper. It's insanely balances, dynamic and smooth and rich. I find myself not listening critically but tapping my toes and getting lost in the music. Wow. Buying the za3, op amps, some fancy power supplies, maybe some cap upgrades etc...

@michaelwright1602 5 месяцев назад

@@howe123456654321 If you can bump up the line voltage, the V3 really opens up... I am still experimenting with mine. I just received a line input voltage booster, and will use a linear power supply with it to see if that helps the TI amp chip sing. I was able to bump the gain a bit using XLR to RCA adapters with my PS Audio DAC, and bumping up the EQ on the WiiM Pro, which really opened up the V3. Sparkos should be here Thursday. I have both power bricks, the 36v and 48v... Feeding Zu DW6 Supreme speakers, 95dB.

@crate718 2 месяца назад

would it make more sense buying and A B class amp instead of putting so much money into a D class amp? i have a Geshelli dac with xlr sparkos

@xlr82bgr8 4 месяца назад

Very informative, thanks! Got two ZA3’s and removed left opamps and did manage to smear a bit off the grease, hope this won’t affect that one unit. Also, can you tell me if I should take out the subwoofer out opamp as I’m not using that connection. I do however have my passive subwoofer connected to both ZA3’s, and my main speaker cables are connected to and through my subwoofer. Your advice would be apppreciated.

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

If you are using High level input on the sub(run parallel speaker cables from amp speaker outputs to the sub) , you can take out sub opamps as well. Let me know how it worked out for you :)

@xlr82bgr8 4 месяца назад

Okay, this what I courageously did yesterday and removed all four subwoofer opamps and there is markable increase in stage width and depth. Definitely worth doing.@@VirtualHiFi

@venkoshopov328 4 месяца назад

Hi there! I like your videos. Can you try some other op amp like BB1656? I have already changed and I think that they are very good choice. Two ZA3 with two Omron 48v 5A blow my head out. Thanks again for your videos

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

Thanks for sharing. I'll try to do opamp wars soon ;)

@nocnymarek7645 5 месяцев назад

which preamp you recommend for this dual monoblocks set? Is it really need to buy two of them? Is one to small in power? Soarkos opamp is just the only one ir ut myst be special type for this amolifier?

@harrychristo 26 дней назад

Hi there, thanks for your video and tutorial. Great stuff. I have a question please: If I want to use XLR AND I also have 2 subs that I want to connect (1 to each ZA3), do I also need to change the Op amps for the sub channel? Or can i keep the standard op amp that comes with the ZA3 for the subs? Also, by removing the stock op amps from the left channel (as per your advice), will this affect the circuitry and paths on the board from allowing the subs to work? Thank you

@greatpix 3 месяца назад

I'd protect the finish with blue tape then use two spoons on opposite sides of the knob to remove. Fit tip of spoon under knob the then push down on handles evenly.

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

Thanks for sharing. Great way to do that for sure ;)

@greatpix 3 месяца назад

@@VirtualHiFi I picked it up from guitar techs taking off hard to remove knobs on guitars where protecting the finish is important.

@Panslapper 2 месяца назад

This might be OK I wanted to step out of the budget sector but if I want to stay in the budget arena then this is not the best choice. For example 2 x Za3 = £300! 4 x Sparkos = £320 Grand total = £620!! Not budget sector and for that money you could buy the Cambridge Audio CXA61 which has a built in dac....

@VirtualHiFi 2 месяца назад

yes if budget is concerned it's not the most cost effective approach and single Fosi V3 is better, but IMO there is no Cambridge amp in the world that can outclass the ZA3

@user-fn4fo8ns9x 19 дней назад

I can confirm this. My stock, single ZA3 sounds much better than the Cambridge amp it is replacing. I have a set of Sparkos that I will eventually install, but even out of the box, the ZA3 has an amazingly detailed sound. Thank you for your videos on this great device!

@piopio1807 4 месяца назад

not so clear, not sure if my mind fools me when I see the name of the opa being changed, but as soon as I close my eyes I can't detect any difference!, please try it yourself.

@34332 4 месяца назад

I did that (always do). With the standard op-amp the soundstage shrinks slightly (listen to the sax.). It gets a bit fuller and wider with the upgraded op-amps. Btw, I'm not listening with a 'high end' headset (BT Sennheiser Momentum 4). To be fair, we can debate what causes this, but something does 😉

@danielbrrio 5 месяцев назад

Cool! It gave more airiness and resolution. Can you test with a DAC using the AKM AK4499EX AK4191EQ chips? THX!

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thanks 🙏 yes why not I'll test everything I can get to test ;) added to the must test list ;)

@deepcuttabeats356 5 месяцев назад

Wow, the Sparkos Op-amp upgrade makes a very noticeable improvement in the overall sound quality. They should make the amps with these Op-amps right from the factory! I'd like to hear sound samples of your upgraded Fosi amps with some high-end class A/AB amps. In your earlier videos, I perceived more natural vocals and instrument sounds with the non-class D amps you sampled. I wonder if you've closed the gap with this upgrade?

@Benjamin-nm4jd 5 месяцев назад

making Sparkos Op amp by default would double the price, defeat the purpose of having something cheap and affordable, a pair of ZA3 with Sparkos upgrade would run you almost $400USD (that's after the 15% discount), at this price point there are a lot of people who rather buy a name brand integrated amplifier be it used or new instead.

@deepcuttabeats356 5 месяцев назад

@@Benjamin-nm4jd That is all true, unless, the Fosi with Sparkos can compete even more effectively against amps costing $500-5000. I could see a “premium” lineup from Fosi with these new components having potential.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Replacing opams is easy and it's true, they would have to do a rebranding to go for a big boys market. And I like the niche they are in. One can get great amp at few hundred bucks

@ropeburn6684 Месяц назад

Very interesting. Of course it seems questionable to essentially double the price of an amplifier by using super expensive opamps. But if you have the money to play around with, why not? Personally I wouldn't do it, but to each their own, and of course the Sparkos are extreme examples in terms of price. You can always try cheaper ones and see if you like the difference. There's a lot of options for 2-10 moneys each, all of which are theoretically better than the stock ones. So you can still play around and see (or hear 😅) for very little money.

@user-bo3ld2km4f 4 месяца назад

Hello, when I configure the za3 amplifier as a monomono with xlr cable, do you mean that I can remove the sub side and the 3 left opamp?

@user-bo4yk9rb8p 4 месяца назад

Thank you for sharing. If we will only use mono mode with RCA connection, no sub, does it mean we only keep opamp at socket "L-OPAMP" and remove all 4 other opamps?

@venkoshopov328 4 месяца назад

You have to keep R op amp for mono mode

@radiofreealbemuth 4 месяца назад

Do you find that the sparkos has recessed vocals? I added it to my xd05 pro, and compared to the stock op amps OPA and LME, the vocals sound veiled to me. The sparkos adds smoothness and amazing layering and soundstage depth, you lose vocal clarity. I listen to a lot of kpop girl groups, so i want the vocals to pop and be crystal clear, but the sparkos has an effect where it dulls the vocals and makes it kind of husky.

@faithhopelove6945 3 месяца назад

Momentary i use a wonderful sounding SMSL AO200 MK2 Amp. Do U think the ZA3 in Stereo and with 2x Sparkos OP Amps, is the better Amp?

@liubomir4o 4 месяца назад

Noticeable improvement ,but I'm still very impressed how ZA3 sounds even with the stock OP amps . I will keep the stock OP amps for now (probably will remove only those which are not needed) because the investment for sparcos is significant for me and I,m quite satisfied with the sound even now.

@larryjohnson9019 5 месяцев назад

Hello...the ZA3 is a bridge amplifier even in stereo mode, however switching it to mono places it parallel bridge mode. That is why you have to use both positive speaker posts in mono mode.

@Douglas_Blake_579 5 месяцев назад

Not in this case. Read the ZA3 instructions... you use only the right channel binding posts.

@larryjohnson9019 5 месяцев назад

Hello Blake thanks for correcting, we missed that @@Douglas_Blake_579

@larryjohnson9019 5 месяцев назад

However the amp is still a bridge design...thank again

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

I have to ask at the fosi :)

@Douglas_Blake_579 5 месяцев назад

@@larryjohnson9019 Yes it is a BTL amplifier even in stereo mode. You were also correct about PBTL. But look at the back of the amp ... it's marked, showing the two right channel binding posts for mono.

@torbjornsjoberg6516 4 месяца назад

If I want to use 1 subwoofer, can I leave the sub opamps in one of the amps and connect the sub to that amp? In this dual mono setup, I will only get one channel to the sub? If so how to connect 1 sub to a dual mono setup? Best regards Toby

@JRadian 5 месяцев назад

Have you matched the sound levels? Sparkos sound significantly louder at same volume, to me, which may be due to its more forward, dynamic sound, but it also may actually be producing higher gain possibly? When I match the volume relative to the female vocal range, then the initial impression of huge differences in sound becomes less pronounced, and I can see how bright systems may even prefer the darker/creamier Original Fosi, but for my tastes the Sparkos has more life, projection, density, and punch.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Hello Yes I always level match using pink noise and SPL meter. The precision is around 0.5 db so inn the end they can be in a worst case scenario 1db difference

@wtcamer 5 месяцев назад

Isn't this amp bridged when using mono? If so you would need both channels. I mean I guess it would be noticable, but I guess it would only need one preamp so thats probalby why the second opamp isn't needed. I'd have to see a schematic.

@rcavor74 4 месяца назад

Hi VirtualHiFi, I have received my two pieces of ZA3 with Sparkos used as monos. Btw, Sparkos brings noticeable improvement in terms of clariy and soundstage. You mentioned the break-in period. How did you do it and for how long? I'm asking because at first I'm not so much impressed with ZA3 with Sparkos in my system A setup. Short background of my setup, modded Willsenton R8 with Klipsch Heresy III speakers. This system is configured to be very natural, lively and transparent. Also I have First Watt F7 Class A for comparison as output power amplifier. I know this is a price wise unfair comparison but from your videos and demos I expected more from ZA3. My first concern is dryness without timbre in the midrange.

@rcavor74 4 месяца назад

Problem solved with tube preamplifier buffer. Cheers!

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

Hello, Sorry to hear that it didn't work for you. Yes the class D is different flavor than the Class A Pass amps so You will benefit out of better speed, control and punchyness. I can see that you added a Tube pre and solved the issue alread. What did you use and how it sounds now compare to the Pass ? Also give the amps at least 200 Hours since they are sluggish at the beginnig :)

@rcavor74 4 месяца назад

@@VirtualHiFiHi, at the moment the amps are on 60 working hours and the things are getting better in terms of musicality and warmth. The preamplifier used is DIY First Watt Korg Nutube Triode with adjustable 2nd harmonic. It can be very neutral and transparent or warm and tubey. For test purposes with Fosis the latter mode has been used with following result the mids get velvet and more pronounced but bass slam and authority is lost. I have a feeling that Heresies does not like Class D cause the synergy is important after all. I will continue to play with Fosis for up to 200 hours.

@rcavor74 4 месяца назад

Forget everything, I have changed the speakers cables and used the ones which are used with my tube amplifier and know what? Everything suddenly opened, without the preamplifier now I have 90% sound of my main tube amplifier in my main system...😀👍

@Dag_L 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for great comparisons! :) Maybe to get the most out of your budget, it would be worth using 4 ZA3s in biamping mode? Would bringing the microphones closer (to about 20 cm) and placing them at the listener's position change the perception of the recorded material?

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

great idea for the extreme approach. however please remember that the sound bcharacter will also change. class d amps need output filters in the topology of the amp and it changes high frequency output depending on the speaker impedance. if you have 4 ohms speakers with biamping they will be around at 6-8 or more ohms depending on the driver's used. and the higher the speaker impedance the more high frequencies you will get.

@tjeerdkruidhof5808 5 месяцев назад

Please also try some reviews of some Chinese made discrete opamps. 😉👍 would love an honest review on those as well

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Interesting. Do you have any particular in mind ?

@tjeerdkruidhof5808 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi EQ100 EQ200 on Ali SA100 / SA200

@doofus4568 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi - i installed akliam lc2 op amps in my aiyima a07 max to great effect. the reviews on akliam's website swayed me over the muses02 i was considering; most preferred the akliam. one person even preferred it to the sparkos op amp. of course these are tall, and won't fit inside the cases; i had to fab a case for my a07 max. i had posted a link to pics, but my post got deleted - are links not allowed? doug s.

@tjeerdkruidhof5808 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi yeah there are some on the known Chinese websites. EQ100

@MrTombishop Месяц назад

Ho comprato il v3 con alimentazione 48v… il suono è molto bello e morbido, l’unica cosa che posso notare è il palcoscenico non molto ampio e i dettagli che sono un po’ poco evidenti… hai provato anche il muse e opa? Quale consiglieresti? Dovrei anche abbinare un dac perché sembra che il v3 abbia bisogno di un ingresso con più guadagno

@howe123456654321 5 месяцев назад

So guys, i bought the v3 to test and hooked it up last night and i love it. Then bam, the za3 magically became available on amazon tge same night so i bought two, arriving tomorrow. I would tend to want to try further modding than the opamps. Im definitely getting some binding posts (klei) but i would also wonder about things like bypassing the volume control, disconnecting any unused features (extra inputs etc...) and upgrading resistors and capacitors. Some kf that is easy, but since i dont know much about circut boards, do you think its possible to disable volume control and have it set to maximum, and maintain the on/off? Think thats possible? I figured you would know G.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Congrats A. :) Yes I would go for opmps, to start with and leave it at that for now. With ZA3 give them 200 Hours of break in the sound will change a lot since at the begining they are very sluggish. The Fosi is working on v3 monoblocks and that is worth waiting for and than deciding to choose the best one and selling the others and ust upgrading the best potential candidate. So go with the opams now :)

@howe123456654321 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi ok that makes a lot of sense, about the v3 mono blocks. I'll wait before doing anything too involved.

@crazyprayingmantis5596 4 месяца назад

Would you be able to pick the sound of the Sparkos op amp in a blind test? How noticeable is the difference on a scale of 1 being slightly noticeable 10 being extremely noticeable?

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

I'd say a 9 for sure 😊

@rosspulsford3070 5 месяцев назад

Good morning, a super amazing Video thank you so much. Has anyone tried the BURSON Op amps? Or have experience with the V6 Classic or V6 Vivid. They have just pre released the V7 being in Australia I wonder if they are as good as Sparkos. Thank you so much for your insights.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for your comment. I am planning to record Opamp Wars with many different opamps so that there is a good reference for all of us ;) Wasnt aware about the v7 ones ;) I'll try to get them as well ;)

@rosspulsford3070 5 месяцев назад

That's awesome news I cant wait to hear the sound test and your comments, the V7 is so very new pre orders only opened this week@@VirtualHiFi

@Adslon 4 месяца назад

I have ordered the ZA3, I am only going to use it on my desktop as a near field. After watching a multitude of videos about the product, I have a question, the next time I spend, do you recommend that I buy another ZA3 to configure both as mono, or that I buy two Sparkos chips and have it as stereo?

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

That is an interesting question. I'd go for the second amp first. And you can buy few even few buck opamps to have fun in te meantime :)

@geevee1045 4 месяца назад

The 2nd amp for mono also has its own benefit. The parallel mono amps see 4 ohm speakers as 8 ohm, so they're easier to drive with double the current output.

@michaelt-8563 4 месяца назад

Are you using an pre Amp or what's your set up?

@caminglis53 Месяц назад

If you want proper fact Class A sparkos is your option There 1 other brand off shelf option but they aren’t as stable

@FerenczyAS 4 месяца назад

Is there possible to use indual mono mode XLR only and therefore replacing and using only a pair of Sparkos, one for each amplifier in the socket corresponding to the XLR? I am not a huge RCA fan. Thank you in advance.

@geevee1045 4 месяца назад

Replacing only the XLR chip, means you're keeping the original 5532 preamp chip rather than replacing it with Sparkos chip. And that preamp chip probably accounts for most of the change in sound, even more so than the XLR.

@ramlord6669 5 месяцев назад

The improvement was exceptional by changing the op-amps. Also thanks for showing the process how to properly change them 🙂 Two proposals in addition: 1. Add the Fosi GaN PSUs as an further and certain noticable upgrade to the ZA3s and compare. 2. a) Get the T + A M200 mono class D power amps AND b) the Nuprime Evolution mono class D power amps for a big fat class D battle comparison session. There are also less costly stereo versions of both, but I think mono is there where someone finds himself at the end anyway.

@therationalpiper7428 5 месяцев назад

Hypex and Purifi would make more sense. Those alternatives are in a different price class.

@ramlord6669 5 месяцев назад

@@therationalpiper7428 Hey, the T+A has a Purifi Eigentakt core. The amp is build around it in combination with the HV-Tech approach the company is so famous for. They asked the Danish Purifi developer if they can get a stripped down to the core version of it to develope around it by their own engineers. The NuPrime on the other hand is a complete inhouse development at least as I know. When it is about the price I would have never proposed to get these class D power amps when thus channel would be only about cheap or MidFi, but some serious stuff is presented here like 6.000 Euro streamers and DACs up to five figures. In addition the claim and mentioned opinions from his customers is that the Fosi can take it on with the expensive stuff. As I saw there were only big class A/AB amps mentioned. Hence why not compare the Fosi against some serious class D stuff to get to new cognition and what to improve next?

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

The Gaan power supply I can check it I believe. For the T+A I did not hear it, but had a chance to listen to purifi module and I believe the TPA3255 is sounding more organic with way more immersive and natural sound. Infact the TPA3255 is the best I heard across all hypex, ice powers and purifi what makes it special is for a very long time I was using set tube amps and am used to very magical tube midrange and great liveliness. Nearly all class D amps are a good from the technical point of view but it's more a good sound and not good music coming from the speakers. But yes anything I can get my hands on I'll test ;)

@ramlord6669 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFiOnly suggestions for you as a thought contribution for new exiting gear for the journey. It is your channel, thus do at your will and what your after at the moment ❤

@doofus4568 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi - i queried fosi about its gaan power supply when i was considering the v3 - they told me no sonic benefits, just form factor. i considered getting the mean well Mean Well HRP-300-48, which wouldn't have cost any more than the gaan p/s offered by fosi (you have to shop for a good price, they're typically more expensive than even the gaan p/s.) i decided not to go that route, since thge speakers i'm using on the aiyima a 07 max amps are >95db-efficient, so i did not see the need for better p/s's than the standard 48v 5a offerings.

@doofus4568 5 месяцев назад

hi greg! i'm curious if you've tried the fosi and aiyima amps on the cube audio speakers, and what you think of that pairing. single driver speakers, but not the most efficient, while certainly more efficient than average... thanks! doug s.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Hi, well, fullrange speakers with amps of high damping factor do not show their max since they like loose amp control. While standard speaker drivers have magnetic field in the gap that push the voice coil at the level of 1 Tesla, and hence like to good control from the amp to jest the cone at bay, the fuller age drivers like Cube had field of 1.8-2 Tesla and hence all class A amps are great since they have a small damping factor. So generally full range drivers love A class amplifiers whether it's Tube or not ;)

@doofus4568 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi- well, I'm not sure of the tesla level of the full range driver tang band w8-1772, but the aiyima a07 max amp sounds better than the tube almarro a205a mkii single ended tube amp, and the solid state class-a pass f2 clone amp, (and also the tube mesa baron amp), that I was using previously. So I was just wondering if you tried one of these 3255 amps on the cube audio speakers. doug s.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

That's a cool idea. I'll test it against the Tekron 211 amp that is really good sounding one on a Cube Speaker ;) as added to the to do list ;)

@matthewhoult1350 5 месяцев назад

I had to listen hard to hearthe differences but there are some, the Sparkos sounded more open with a wider sound stage I guess in the room you will be hearing this much more profoundly, a great video and some nice music

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for the comment. Yes it's exactly like that. More open spacious energetic and definitely not relaxed it goes for a concert sound character ;)

@thierrybernot9369 5 месяцев назад

I agree. Espcially on the monsoons track and the following ones. Wood and skin is more 3D with the sparkos.

@SERKAN_HOT34 2 месяца назад

Hello how did you try the fois audio za3 muses03 op amp sound? i'm really curious about this, are there any friends who have tried it?

@MrAlexandreazevedo 5 месяцев назад

I think the sound is more natural without the opamps, they add a little more space to the sound but in some recordings it sounds a little artificial.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Thank you for sharing your opinion ;)

@michaelbogdanovich1247 4 месяца назад

Hello! What do you think, how could this Fosi be rated in terms of sound compared to, for example, Purifi or a very good AB amplifier?

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

Good question! I had Purifi here for some time and I liked the Aiyma A07 more for the magical musicality and midrange, and I believe the Fosi is a little biot less dynamic, but even more musical so we have this answered. For the AB amps well Check out this video and let me know ;) - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LWft9BX0fLQ.html This amp is stupid good to the point where with the right speakers It's going to be hard to find anything good unless the price for the am gets close to a new car ;)

@michaelbogdanovich1247 4 месяца назад

Because I have a very good ASR Emitter 1 amplifier, I ordered a few from FOSI anyway:) Let's see if they're any good against it...@@VirtualHiFi

@quma001 Месяц назад

If I only use XLR, can I then only install one Op amp (for the XLR) and can ignore the other two?

@dariuszr8426 5 месяцев назад

Zaciekawiłeś mnie tymi wzmacniaczami,czy to zagra na poziomie Supernait 3 ?a może lepiej? To jest integra czy końcówka?

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Ja mojego Supernaita sprzedaje bo uważam że fosi po wymianie opa gra lepiej.

@dariuszr8426 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi Jako pojedynczy czy jako dual mono? Trzeba dwoma potencjometrami głośności regulować czy jednym?

@dariuszr8426 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi Różnica między opampami ogromna

@dark4o90 4 месяца назад

Can you do the same comparison for a07 max?

@jarekg-xd4pq 2 месяца назад

Hi. Could you compare the Sparkos SS3602 with the Burton V7 Vivid and give your opinion on the sound of these two op-amps. I would like to buy one of these options and am wondering which is better for me

@VirtualHiFi 2 месяца назад

Just done it here - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kNDX7SCN6Jc.html

@SERKAN_HOT34 3 месяца назад

Hello, Is Fosi Audio ZA3 muses 03 opamp compatible?

@REX4340 5 месяцев назад

Please add a track from Jacinta's Autumn Leaves album, its good for comparisons🙏

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Sorry copyrights won't allow to do that :(

@edw5386 5 месяцев назад

bardzo ciekawe recenzje,dziękować ja), czy można zrobić odcinek o serwerach z dyskami z możliwoscią odtwarzania jak np .melco, czy to ma jakiś sens jeszcze dzisiaj? ciekawe jeszcze było by o rozwiązaniach z zasilaniem.

@doofus4568 5 месяцев назад

i'm curious - someone mentioned on a forum that the recordings with the sparkos op amps in the amps were 2db louder than the same passages recorded with the stock op amps. graphs were shown. (does youtube not allow links to be posted? my prior post about this had a link to the graphs, and my post disappeared.) comments are appreciated. doug s.

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

I always adjust the volume using pink noise and spl meter. Pink noise averages the volume across very wide spectrum and I'm able to match the volume to around 0.5db If the recordings are louder - I also have such an impression IMO the sound character difference - more open and pronounced midrange comes from something - louder midrange so yes there will be a difference.

@doofus4568 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi - that's why i asked the question - the graphs are of recordings of the same musical passage; the measurements for the passage w/the sparkos op amps installed are consistently 2db louder that w/the stock op amps installed. maybe his recordings are not correct? doug s.

@kernek4406 4 месяца назад

Is dual mono mod Stereo to?

@peterdesmidt8742 3 месяца назад

Didn't the Sparkos make the sound louder? If so, that by itself will lead to it sounding better, as we tend to prefer slightly louder. If they were level matched, though, it doesn't follow that there would be any improvement. There might be, but so far we don't know.

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

It seems that its louder, but it puts more volume on the midrange and thats where it being louder comes from in my opinion :)

@phillipmorris9847 5 месяцев назад

sounds great thanks for sharing, $80 for 1 lil tiny chip seems like alot 😂not saying its not worth the improvement. looking forward to opamp wars 🙏

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

Yes it's a lot for sure. How I look at things is that the overall combined sound to price ratio. And it's still awesome.

@phillipmorris9847 5 месяцев назад

@@VirtualHiFi same here, my ps for my dac cost more than the dac itself but combined I have to spend 2x to match. I just hope you can find something comparable for less during your journey. Thanks for sharing. Btw, would the za3 be a good match for cube 8 ?

@christianblumke3600 4 месяца назад

If you use it as a mono block with XLR input you only have to swap the XLR Opamp?

@geevee1045 4 месяца назад

No. You'd still be listening to the original NE5532 preamp chip. You need to change out the single NE5532 preamp chip on the right channel, for Sparkos chip.

@christianblumke3600 4 месяца назад

@@geevee1045Tank you

@SERKAN_HOT34 3 месяца назад

How is the Fois Audio ZA3 muses02 opamp sound? would you recommend muses02?

@Apocrypha303 3 месяца назад

i should be getting the muses02 opamp pair i ordered from fosi next week. ill let you know how they compare to the stock opamps.

@SERKAN_HOT34 3 месяца назад

@@Apocrypha303ok, i bought muses02 from digikey.

@Gadgetdad007 5 месяцев назад

Snake oil comes to mind. 😮

@marcusm5127 4 месяца назад

You can't just remove OPamps without checking schematics. You do don't decide a voltage you get one and if you are unlycky you could break something.

@VirtualHiFi 4 месяца назад

Thanks for the comments O would never suspect anyone to design opamp section with series connection and including each opamp voltage drop to influence the voltage on other one. Hence if the signal path does not go through the section I feel quite comfortable removing the opamps ;) but I'm not an electronics engineer so maybe I'm wrong ;)

@soryszorys2134 3 месяца назад

Zastanawiam się tylko po co XLR w tak tanim urządzeniu i jaki ma to wpływ na brzmienie

@VirtualHiFi 3 месяца назад

A Dlaczego nie, na XLR jest żywiej i lepsza kontrola a RCA jest spokojniej i bardziej analogowo :)

@jedi-mic 5 месяцев назад

ummm the mid Rangers a bit more fuller and the top end has increased in volume. It might be better separation hard to tell on yt listen throw laptop speakers. What was the number of the original op-amps what type

@VirtualHiFi 5 месяцев назад

thanks for the comment. originals are ne5532

@D1N02 5 месяцев назад

They are NE5532 from Texas instruments