I can speak to the Fosi some. Have a BT20A Pro with the 48 volt power supply. Silly good on my various speaker from $275-$5000. Drives them all. What a super value. Part of the fun.
Randy, your videos’ production and quality keep getting better and better without losing its soul, and I absolutely love that you allow us to see a little bit of your world….it keeps you real as a person and not like we are just watching “another reviewer” or “RU-vidr” 😊 Thank You for working so hard to bring us informative yet entertaining and personable video reviews….😊
Wow, thank you! that really means a lot. My secret is this... there's no way I'm as good as those other channels so I gotta differentiate myself somehow... being a slob...
Now this is an amazing review and revelation. Thank you very much, as always, Sir. I'm still awaiting the Fosi V3 Mono release, but i have the V3 doing duty for surround speakers. Glad you enjoy the eclipse. Stay well, brother.
I have a Fosi Audio ZA3, and I am loving it. When I bought it, I used it with the stock TI op amps while ordering a mix of op amps to replace them. I got the MUSES03 for the XLR op amp, the OPA2134PA for the 2 subwoofer op amps, and the Oracle II 02 for the Left and Right channels op amps. I tried the ZA3 after installing them and I admit, the sound (via Sony SSCS5 speakers) is simply superb. There is clarity, sweeter highs, and superb bass (using a Edifier T5 Subwoofer at 45% volume). It just sounds better that the stock TI op amps. No Sparkos op amps as the local price is nearly twice the price of the ZA3 itself.
As a brand Fosi are always good value for money. Every now and then one of their products punches well above its value, but, they're always solid products.
This listening sessions are interesting, but - as you, PROBABLY also KNOW - their outcome, massively depends on : your mood, ear condition ( blockages ) at the moment of listening, if you slept enough ( not a joke ), if there's any ringing ( Tinnitus ) going on.....if there's a noise from far construction works ( comes and goes )..... Yes- measuring is BORING, but it does PRECICELY tell all about the amps, speakers..... Listening, in other words, IS ( not only can be, but IS ) often, pretty subjective. Self persuasion does too, take a decent chunk of a cake - people "CAN" hear big difference between speaker-cables, if one pair costs 10000$, while the other, only 50$ ( cables that MEASURE same ) ! So, maybe, you could, supplement the listening sessions with some boring, but OBJECTIVE measuring ?? 🤔🤔
@@misterzero8667 not all 700 dollar systems will beat a 7,000 dollar system, but there are some that can definitely compete and do juts as well. Price in itself is NOT always the deciding factor to the best audio fidelity.
From what I've seen inside my ZA3 I can't imagine a mode of premature failure. All of the components are of very high quality and the whole thing seems built to an excellent standard... I guess we'll find out. Thanks as always and regards.
Enjoyed this video I like the comparison format Monoprice is a sleeper with some of their products and in particular the value of their AB class amplifiers Fosi is great for certain applications and as a starter amplifier Thank You 🙏
I've had a number brand name class A/B amps fail on me over the years in one way or another- Onkyo, Rotel etc. I think a lot of longevity has to do with heat. Since class D runs cooler, I think it would be more likely to last longer. Just a guess but I don't think you can say really without a long term comparison. Think a lot of audiophiles have an unconscious bias toward larger, heavier equipment both in sound and reliability. It doesn't seem like a little, cheap chip amp should sound really good or last very long.
I wish you would review more monoprice amps and speakers. They have some pretty cheap prices and great online reviews. Would like to see how they compare to all the other equipment you have listened to. Thanks for all the great info.
This is a good one. Supports the fact that amplifiers don't offer much of a sonic difference. It makes sense. All an amplifier does is boosts the signal from the source. So how could it be a vanilla to chocolate difference? Certainly wattage, current, and how loud you listen, and room size will make a difference. But amplifier to amplifier not so much.
The Fosi will if anything outlast the others all the caps resistors inductors and transistors are of a very good quality, thete are no unnecessary components due to it's simplicity of design and also features clever heat disapation technology, being a class d amp no internal transformer failure possible and as a class d amp it has no heat disapation holes so no build up of dust, smoke etc, mark my words, treat it with respect and will still be working in 30 or 40 years from now.
Nice blind test. Great video as always great review is always. Biggest sound difference in any system I believe is always in the speakers I have several amps from classic pioneers and advanced to modern Yamahas in fosi, no great difference in the sound until you push them so they're clipping levels
Exactly true, at lower listings levels you’d be hard pushed to notice much difference. Invest the money into better and bigger speakers and maybe ad a subwoofer to fill in anything from around 80HZ and below 👍
I'm extremely sceptical of having that thing in your signal path. It''s bound to add some noise and interference and change the signal as it goes through it.
it's got to have an effect on it for sure. However, it's going to have the same effect on BOTH amps so if there are differences they're valid differences. and the only thing that can happen if you take it out of the path is it's going to sound better. so for comparison purposes I don't see a downside to it. a much needed piece of kit at my house.
If it limits the sound quality of the 2 other amps while let's the Za3 be at its best it does matter. Fosi stuff is cheap and gives good value for the money but it has its limitations.
Funny you should mention the 30 year thing. I just took my Outlaw 750 to the repair shop after over 20 years of flawless class A 165 watt per channel performance and I can remember being a relatively poor 20something and thinking "I'm spending $1055 on an AMP. WTF is wrong with me?" and now I understand. Because $150 later, my Outlaw is as good as new. It's done HT duty and is about to be the hero of my two channel system powering bi-amped speakers. Bottom line is that money spent on good amplification is never going to be squandered. In the audio sense, of course.
I have a Loxjie A30 in the kitchen and have had it 2.5 years.Its playing up…clipping when volume is raised. I have a ZA3 which was supposed to replace it but am so impressed with it it that it’s in the lounge connected to my main system! Hope it lasts longer than the loxjie
Hi and thank you for the video... Long time listener of yours and I have a question. I saw yesterday for the first time a bunch of amplifier simulators offered by Neural DSP for computers and seeming to be used mainly by guitarists and musicians. BUT WAIT... How many of us relatively new to the audio hobby don't even know about that ? And then, I never heard anyone talk about it, it seems very confidential. But why ? So here are couple of questions for which it would be so nice to hear you talk about these sims and potential uses, as you probably know more about that than most of us, often newbies... So first and foremost, for someone using computer as a music source, can these be just used just for listening to music only ? And if yes,would one need a Focusrite audio interface or such to make it work ? Second, if of use, are those amp. sims. any good, for they seem to be actually, after seeing couple of guitarist vids on YT or advertising from Neural DSP. Third, wouldn't those amp sims be nice for all the people that can't financially upgrade to a different amp. by playing with those amp sims over their physical ones ? (Say, someone has a lean average D class amp, using an amp sim layer could bring like a class A amp sound for example, no ?) Last... I'd let you do the last, for I think if someone knows better, you,d be the one and you will have the right next question and its answer to wrap it up. Any insight or video on the subject would be very nice... Thank you
Too bad you would have gotten a copy right strike, but it would have been the best to have played Total Eclipse of the Heart or Dark Side of the Moon 🌙. Great Job on the comparisons.
Should have added in that Sparkos mod to the mix! Great review. I have a V3, and a BT30D thanks to you and the sound is great for my needs. Cheap amps = more systems. I'm going for whole home music (5 systems including outdoor) over what an Audio Phil would do with my budget and 1 system. Do an outdoor system video please. Appreciate you!
I wanted to compare the ZA3 stock. as soon as you add op amps the price gets up there and it wouldn't have been nearly as interesting of a video. I did an outdoor Emotiva speaker vid a while back but I'm not really the guy for outdoor speakers.
Is the ZA3 better than that Aiyima A07? Or are they about the same? I could benefit from the balanced inputs since my DAC supports it. I have the Sparkos op amps in my Aiyima A07 and it sounds pretty great. Using Sony SS-DX50 bookshelf speakers with Yamaha NS-777 tower speakers and a cheap 100w powered subwoofer.
I wish you could compare in mono mode with Sparkos opamps, and if at that price how it compares sonically to something a little more expensive such as A-S301 or Emotiva A2 for example?
Thanks, I went back to that video and he did mention that he calculated the Za3 with the power supply, OP Amps, and DAC would cost 300-350 which costs around the same as A-S301. However, this is one Za3 in stereo mode. He said the Yamaha had more "omph" and he felt the weight of the attack of the instruments such as guitar and snare was heftier in the Yamaha. He said the Za3 had soundstage, imaging, and treble as well as more pleasant to listen to vocals such as Adele. I wonder how going mono the Za3 would fare in the mid to lower end against the Yamaha. I'm absolutely sold on the Za3 but at the price of two Za3s with op amps and a DAC, it comes close to the Emotiva A2 which costs 450-500$. The Emotiva A2 has 160 watts RMS per channel at 8 Ohms and 250 watts RMS per channel at 4 Ohms, and it's a class A/B.
I have the E3 running my front stage and two za3 running my surrounds and it sounds great, I got my E3 last year on a Father’s Day sale it was $200 off .
It does not matter how much it costs. What it sounds like to your ears is the only thing that matters. A Timex and Rolex both tell time. Which would you buy?
Nice video. I’ve bought all the fosi amps and my ears just don’t find them pleasurable for long listening. And, they sound thin to me. Perhaps I’m just to used to AB. But I did find the RSL amp the best out of all the class d, but it’s been replaced with g’horns in mono.
Great show again! Have you ever compared the Aiyima AO7 MAX with the Fosi ZA3, both factory stock, with your amp switcher? Bet it would be hard to tell any difference. Thanks.
I'm debating between a Fosi and Aiyama amp for my computer audio. I'm got an old NAD 317 that's very noisy one of these will replace. Great info for amateur audio guys like me.
Just a heads up, the Fosi ZA3 monoblock power amps are due out on 20th Apr. They measure better than the ZA3 but how much you'd notice that is system and hearing dependent. They'll be close to $260 for a pair with a shared 10A 48V PSU. They lack a volume pot but you may already have that covered by using the NAD or maybe your DAC as pre amp.
If it was me, I’d buy the monolith. 3 year warranty, power rated before the knee, class AB, nothing in the signal path, big ass heat sinks. 300$ for a real deal 100Wpc into 8ohm load power amp is a goddamn steal.
@@cheapaudioman At the original price it makes no sense to buy anything but the 5 channel for 499$, but for 295$ it’s my de facto recommendation for a 2 channel system with a budget of 1000$. You can get a Wiim mini, SU-1, and 2100X for less than 500$, and then get a pair of RP-500M II on sale for 330-350$. Save up another 500$ for a speedwoofer and you’ve got a genuine full range system with streaming and EQ for well under 1500$.
I like it getting more visual and too the point. The shooting and mixing is fun. Did you check with your boys before you moved the Playstation. Please dust and wipe the coffee table and speaker stands before the next living room shoot. Isn't that the wife's job?
2 things- I was watching a Tuber that has headphones from cheap to $5k plus and he said the only speakers he needs are JBL 306 mk ii. I know you have bias against powered speakers, but they must be pretty good. 2nd thing-you had a portable thing in the pool a few weeks back. I have one of the best portables I could afford - an Aiwa axos9. What I think would make a good RU-vid would be you telling us about the amazing Diamondboxx. It ain't cheap but it's the best portable out there(so I've heard)
2 things. Headphone guys generally aren't speaker guys. Speaker guys usually aren't headphone guys. with that said... I love headphones but my audience generally doesn't watch. lot of the vids. don't tell anyone but I love headphones
I only have the A1 monoblocks from the BasX series here now and then the step up amps which wouldn't have been a good comparison. but would have been cool to compare
Wait, the monolith has XLR outputs that aren’t balanced? I understand that some higher end processors only have XLR outputs, but doesn’t that defeat the purpose? And why wouldn’t they just take the extra step to make a completely balanced?
you'll have to ask them. if you look at their specs they even mention that it's not a true balanced input. Probably just for convenience if someone likes to run a xlr cable.
That's crazy, good to know. I almost bought at least one of their multi channel amps because they have XLR inputs. Placebo is a hell of a drug specially with all the other reviewers don't know that 😂😂
for atmos and surrounds I'm sure it would be more than enough if you have preamp outs on all of your channels. there real question is do you want 8 48 volt power bricks all over your room. I'm beginning to appreciate less is more when it comes to cords
@@cheapaudioman so happy to say Thank you for your reply. for a while i want try fosi as power amp for Atmos because I'm on a tight budget bcoz Marantz AV8805A.
@@cheapaudioman I thought it would be something along those lines. Love how you do the expensive to less expensive reviews in the one video. A big Hi from Scotland. 👍
yeah. the low end was actually awesome to begin with. that was the biggest surprise for me. I thought long term this thing would run out of juice but it didn't. And I know that you were just having fun with your OP but I don't like to have people mention other creators in the comments. Even if it's just a joke it's just kind of a personal policy of mine. I'm leaving it up and totally not upset with it but just going forward.
You’re underestimating the size comparison. Most wives don’t like looking at 30lbs black box the size of a cinder block in the living room. Fosi is affordable and small enough to hide.
You should not use an unfiltered lens to record the eclipse! Yikes… that could blow out the sensor. Oh well, fun video though, Randy… as usual, good stuff!
And Zu DW6? 86 db (i think) at 12 ohms… are these easy to drive like a Klipsch? Or more akin to speakers with similar efficiency (in the mid/high 80’s)?
great content!..👍👍👍..can you pls make video with 2.1 speakers?top 10 or20....have an old Logitech 2.1 speekers,eaten by my dog😐..she loved my sb realy..budget max 500
Bridged mode switches phase 180° on left/right positive outputs so all that will happen is the sound will stop on both speakers. You need to connect +/- to both positive terminals to hear sound after that...
@cheapaudioman have you seen the ToneWinner AD-2500? it's under 1k and is made by the people emotiva get there parts from apparently it's like a xpa but nicer imo ...as it's bridgeable and has cool vu front ...not put together in america tho : / but idk i kinda want it haha have a emotiva A2 atm...
Not at all... it's only the box tuning of a ported enclosure... Once you go below port frequency, it will happen anytime.. irrelevant of the amp/speaker you choose.
I have a Loxjie A30 in the kitchen and have had it 2.5 years.Its playing up…clipping when volume is raised. I have a ZA3 which was supposed to replace it but am so impressed with it it that it’s in the lounge connected to my main system! Hope it lasts longer than the loxjie
I wonder how emotiva fully differential would match up with Arendal monitors. For a very dynamic speaker, if you would be able to tell the differences or not. Hey does dampening factor really matter?
@@cheapaudioman so what about the emotiva xpa hc1 mono blocks. On the site it says unbalanced, and xlr balanced independently selectable. So i wonder what im gathering here is you can chose between both balanced and unbalanced? I wonder how these would do. Be alot cheaper than $1400 per unit for the larger unit. These are coming in at $879. And they seem to always sell out fast as hell.
Why not compare against your Emotiva???, Well, what you have there is market response. What the customer wants it's what makes money. I know you noticed that yesterday with the Eclipse,, phones cameras were terrible, but using a real camera i took real good pictures. that's an example of the market, people wants the convenience easy and "cheap" (phone), not necessarily better. The issue, Are you going to keep that for longtime?. Because that amp will be replaced with other in maybe another year in response to the Market!. With something "better". Fosi is another league, small form audio equipment sacrificing others performance stuff to maintain the form and the response to the market. I'm not saying its bad, I have 2 v3 amps with my speakers and sounds pretty impressive, but I noticed difference vs my main. I used to hate class D. BUT, Its FUN!!!
interesting. not saying you're wrong. I'm just sharing my experience with listening to dozens of amps with the same preamp. they all have a bit of a flavor. if it were that simple then there wouldn't be a ton of amp companies out there. I won't tell anyone though
@@AndiGomez-yu2dx I think you can be pretty sure there'll be a dozen RU-vid videos by the end of the month. I do have Aiyima A07 and Fosi V3 for recent same chip comparison and Exposure Super XVIII Stereo and Rotel RB970 power amps for older full sized kit comparison.
i really like this video! I find I'm always comparing things that don't "fit their price point" because I'm always looking at some kind of value per dollar in my mind. I have passive speakers and at some point I'll prolly get a stand-alone DAC and go to separates. Then those fosi amps will be great! I don't really care which streaming source I grab, as of 2024. But i guess someday they'll figure out how to add value.... a rolling stone gathers no moss.
and by the way nice videos it´s subscribed for a long time, really don´t know when but it´s a youtube channel i check always when i´m at work ,allthough i am retired, i still work ,so there is where i watch the videos, agriculture there are monthes when you don´t work at all but others you work a lot but to avoid the summer heat ,i start at 4 in the morning but by 11 in the morning i take a bath and i´m in bed again
I grew up on a working farm in NE, my friend. I know your life and few can do what you do. Be well. planting and harvest and summer irrigation are not fond memories of mine
@@cheapaudioman yes ,it´s true anyone with a university 5 year degree in Europe if he learned the same as i did ,will do the same work ,but not anyone, i can gicve you the example of a year where all the "farmers" complained about a bad year for agriculture due to have rained not much and in a time that depending on the culture, most of the agricultures who provide in taxes 50% of the internal PIB of the country were demanding money from the governament because they stayed under less than 30€ of a regular year profit but i having knowledge ,because i studied had less in come but had the profit of severa lmillions of €´s that year in one culture only, azeite production and natural species not foreign species of olive trees that were changed in a laboratory, and not only me butm otrhers had good profits , so the governament understood that the ones that didn´t made the treatments for several deseases were most of the farmers because the only phitopharmaco treatmentr they done was out of the time it had to be done and i followed the evolution of all deseases and in the right time to aply phitopharmac produts for the 3 main deseases out of that time window any treatment wouldn´t make any effect, they worked based on a calendary left by their great great fathers in late 50´s dso no money to help them ,instead of working they went to the Alpes to make ski and now they were complaining ,that´s the big diference between one that works like it should be or other that works like in the 50´s was done before there were studies to diferent kinds of deseases and how to treat them , so not everybody works the land as it should, but could you explain what is the problem with that switch and less powerfull amplifiers and more powerfull , i would be interested and by the way i couldn´t notice what were those speakers ,they seem good but for that power you showed in the video , i would like to know what they are and maybe than i can see what is the problem, the switch i have none but if it works i would be interested
@Randy This is the reason why I loved your page, and was seriously disappointed when you started to review higher priced products here. Thankfully, now that you have access to both of the affordable stuff and the expensive stuff, you come to PROVE the "law of diminishing returns." For most people (including me) the ZA3 will be enough. I would say for those with a bit bigger budget or want something built a bit better, I would think the Monoprice unit would be good too. $300 is still reasonable for an amp. But $1200? No, that isn't necessary, unless the thing was built like a McIntosh, which would be doubtful at that price. With the ZA3, you probably get about 90% there from the E2 sound. So you really have to ask yourself is it really worth it to drop so much extra money into that amplifier just for a minute improvement. The answer (at least for me) is a big whopping, NO! Don't give in to the audio manufacturer trolls and overspend for something you really don't need, or worse, buy into something that is overhyped and over priced. Just look at Randy's reviews of the KEF-LS50s, an excellent example of an overhyped and overpriced speaker. You really have to watch out that you don't get taken for a ride by these high end manufacturing (or middleman) trolls!
@@cheapaudioman You're Welcome! Sorry, for getting on you about the expensive stuff in some of my comments, I just think that stuff should go on a separate page. But this was good as you proved that you don't have to spend a huge chunk of change to get a good sounding system.
