I picked up an SSX after you showed it off in the Kali IN-5 video. Your excitement for it in that video was enough for me to want to see what it could do for my desktop system. I plopped it on top of my Bifrost dac ( fit perfectly), running into a pair of Adam A5X's. I've enjoyed it ever since. It's adds a bit of meat to the A5X bass that was missing, and does wonders for the sound stage. Being a desktop setup, it sits right within hands reach to adjust whenever I want. Your review is spot on, as always.
I have the FOZ running through my Peachtree Nova 300 loop option, and can’t live without it. I just recently replaced the stock fuse with a ACME Silver Cryo Fuse below the mains. It sounds even more amazing 👍
Zeus, despite English not being my mother thong (greetings from Sunny Rio de Janeiro) and your swearing slang … I can understand 100% of your speech! Well done my friend!😊
I used one of these for a few months sometime last year. It does what it proclaims and I found it to be kinda cool. I tried it an assortment of gear, worked better with some things than others. With cheaper gear I felt it cleaned the signal up a bit. Which can be a real plus if your system is not the most resolving. In my main listening area it was picking up some noise from somewhere, I didn't feel like dismantling my system just to figure it out..since I didn't have this issue without the FOZ. I eventually got rid of it, but I definitely think it has a place in most peoples systems. Now that I don't have it anymore I wish I would have tried it in front of my powered subs and tinkered with it.
It would be interesting if one of the settings was “bypass” - just send the signal from the in to the out without modification. As you said, it’s going to be more detailed, but maybe as a point of comparison for the “original” width it would be interesting to bop back and forth
@@JaimeDeMarco-qs3eq oh? I didn’t think so. I thought it just had the minimal effect (neither wider nor narrower), but wasn’t actually cutting the circuit in and out. Unlike Z’s headphone test where he was using a separate switch that actually did what I’m suggesting would be a nice option in the box
I used to own one some years ago and loved it. It was tons of fun, then i let myself be swayed into the less is more camp and anything else in the chain is damaging the signal and you want a pure signal etc, so i simplified with a high end dac straight to power amp-and it sounded uber detailed but highly fatiguing and digital and cold and analytical. I've now added something that got rid of all digital HF noise and made it more analog sounding with no fatigue. It did magic for me. I now don't care if i add a bit of distortion as long as i like what i am hearing. I've been curious about adding a foz ssx to my system again, but i don't remember it adding much of a tube bloom or anything to replace a desire for tube sound. Better off going with a tube preamp.
DBX used to churn out tons of those Dynamic Range Expanders years ago, I think they still make them for studio usage, rack mounted boxes. This reminds me a bit of those, although I think DBX was intended more to add or restore punch to pro. recordings either pre-mastering or post-mastering. Usually I don't trust anything that claims to "add" surround to a stereo signal, sometimes it's gimmicky, but this seems a lot different. Although my Creative Labs G6 card has surround FX and it does a pretty good job of adding some wide FX effect.
@@thiscorrosion900 Since I used to be a DJ, there's no coming back from an active crossover, the balanced analog dbx 234XL. The all digital version, dbx DriveRack, can be the core to any killer high-end system. 🔈🔉🔊
I was waiting for more information on this! Thanks for the review Z-Man! Due to the low Canadian dollar will just have to keep saving...one day I'll get one fo sho! 😅
Zeus, the magic box does help when listening music in the living room when you want just the opposite of the traditional stereo image as with you were positioned exactly in the middle? I mean like a omni polar pattern
I am designing a similar product as this, but it will be entirely digital and placed before the DAC. I am interested in checking out the competition. Without hearing this for myself, it is hard for me to judge, but from everything I gather in this video this product is a bit gimmicky, while my digital algorithm does not alter the tone or sound that much. It does however increase the depth of the soundstage and gives you more holographic imaging. Once you set the desired soundstage depth enhancement, you won't need to change it ever, unless you use it with a different system. Instead of altering the phase, my algorithm uses convolution and analog modelling with harmonic enhancement to achieve more depth and Holographic Imaging. BTW using phase to increase the soundstage width is a cheap trick that may sound cool initially, but it alters the signal too much and changes the intent of the mixing and mastering engineers. I would be very hesitant to buy this. The good thing is that they have a 45 day trial period.
I have the Bellari Sonic Exciter, which like the Foz is a clone of the BBE Sonic Maximizer. It can change the sound a lot but became gimmicky after a while and tedious to adjust the knobs. Most recordings just sound better without it. I now have it set as a "loudness" button for late night, low level listening and it's great for that
On the headphone segment you say "There's no other way to describe what's happening" as if you're demonstrating something like AR glasses or a VR headset where it simply isn't possible to demonstrate over TH-cam. In this case, it would be trivially easy to demonstrate EXACTLY what it's doing for anyone listening on stereo speakers or headphones. All you need to do is feed the output to the line input of your computer/camera/audio interface, play something (copyright free to avoid demonetisation) and turn the knobs. If it's as awesome as you're saying it is, I don't understand why you wouldn't just show us what it does.
Z, speaking of which, I was curious if you ever did a video that focuses on using 5.1 or 7.1 receivers vs. stereo recievers or amps for music only listening, the pros and cons of both, and also using stuff like this as well. A lot of home theater guys will tell you they only use their HT receivers etc. for movies or blu rays etc., and not so much for music alone. Various theories on that. I mean, since HT receivers and setups are inherently wide soundstage and surround and now Atmos as well. That doesn't mean they're optimal for music.
@@ZReviews Interesting. I know it's like apples and oranges, comparing surround receivers to a stereo setup or even with mono amps for each channel, etc. plus a gizmo like this thing. I have my home theater setup in a pretty small room here, there's only so "wide" it's going to go! But a small room is easier to tune to, I think.
@@ZReviews You could use any phone / keyboard/ mouse / MIDI / voice assistant device to control Equalizer APO or any Stereo to Surround VST plugin in a DAW. Then it's just output to your DAC/Amp, or audio interface as usual. The pricing on this device is a bit absurd for what it does, unless the buyer is looking for the simplest setup possible w/ no financial hurdles. The tube aspect doesn't really matter, and can be remedied by buying a tube amp to begin with...that doesn't look like the alpha batch of a kickstarter device.
You can pretend to be a mastering engineer. Add an EQ into the chain with this. Tweek junkie's dream. What about narrow headphones, like HD600? What about HD600, powered by a tube amp, with this in front?
I've got a Bellari sonic exciter on my living room stereo, it sounds like a good tube pre-amp but It's solid state. I kind of love the thing (guess it's poking the right spot.)
There are several problems with this method of enhancing the width for either speakers or headphones 1. It is not FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin is FREE 2. It does not have a balance control Z noticed at 19 minutes and 10 seconds that the guitar image shifted position as the width control was adjusted 3. Every song requires a different setting to get the best image (very tedious as noted by Vamsi) With the FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin, you can save every song with the perfect width (AND BALANCE) settings 4. The results will be different with headphones and speakers What sounds great in headphones can sound really bad in speakers and requires further balance adjustment With the FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin, you can save custom tracks that sound amazing on both headphones AND speakers 5. It does not include relative phase compensation adjustment like the FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin does Many older recording have phasing problems that make vocal timbre sound like A$$ The FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin can make vocals sound correct with a sleight phase adjustment 6. The tube audibly distorts as Z noted in the review The FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin does not distort your sound There are really only 2 major problems with the prerecorded music you listen to Every song from different groups have a different EQ and a different stereo width There are also 2 minor problems with many recordings 1. Changing the Stereo Width alters the balance The correct method of adjusting width and balance is to get the width as you like it first on your headphones and then adjust the balance on your speakers Why? Because you get a better sense of a correct width in headphones and a better sense of balance on speakers Once the width and balance are correctly adjusted, the music will sound correct on both headphones AND speakers 2. Phase problems on vocals Without proper phase correction, vocals can still sound like A$$
Proper EQ correction can be made with a program such as Izotope RX Use a pink noise track as a reference, then clone the pink noise EQ to the problem track Fleetwood Mac require ZERO adjustment on MOST tracks Bob Marley may require that you go between 70 and 80% of a Flat response to correct If the percentage is too high, like 100%, it can (in many cases) sound worse than no EQ correction at all Headphone and speaker reviewers never take this into consideration Instead, they tell you the headphones sound bright or warm, when in fact they really don't They simply picked the wrong tracks to listen to Same with width Try listening to the same reference tracks when comparing EQ and width on different headphones AND USE THE SAME AMP!
1. Neither are amps and Headphones or speakers 2. The image shifted correctly. It was right, moved more right. 3. Are you a bot? 4. OMG you are a bot arent you.. 5. HOLY SHIT who let this Spam Bot on here. Izotope whatever are dicks. 6. Ok time to ban from channel bot. ------ 1. The balanced doesn't shift tho.. It just expands linearly. 2. I did notice it can IMPROVE vocals with a narrower width. Thanks for coming.
@@ZReviews Try a few dozen different ways to widen the image and you will find that a balance control becomes essential for some of the better methods There are many different plugins for this Many pre-amps for this Mid-side EQ's for this Home brew negative feedback circuits for power amps, etc, etc, etc
🍒Get Black-Ice Foz SS-X ----------- blackiceaudio.com/foz-line/?tag=SSX&ss_source=ytads&ss_campaign_name=Zeos+SSX
I picked up an SSX after you showed it off in the Kali IN-5 video. Your excitement for it in that video was enough for me to want to see what it could do for my desktop system. I plopped it on top of my Bifrost dac ( fit perfectly), running into a pair of Adam A5X's. I've enjoyed it ever since. It's adds a bit of meat to the A5X bass that was missing, and does wonders for the sound stage. Being a desktop setup, it sits right within hands reach to adjust whenever I want. Your review is spot on, as always.
I have the FOZ running through my Peachtree Nova 300 loop option, and can’t live without it. I just recently replaced the stock fuse with a ACME Silver Cryo Fuse below the mains. It sounds even more amazing 👍
lol
@@tenveri Spring for a $20 fuse and put one in your rig. You can always return it. Take a chance
For clarification, do you mean you replaced the tube?
I have a Nova 500 and your experience sounds very positive.
Zeus, despite English not being my mother thong (greetings from Sunny Rio de Janeiro) and your swearing slang … I can understand 100% of your speech! Well done my friend!😊
I used one of these for a few months sometime last year. It does what it proclaims and I found it to be kinda cool. I tried it an assortment of gear, worked better with some things than others. With cheaper gear I felt it cleaned the signal up a bit. Which can be a real plus if your system is not the most resolving. In my main listening area it was picking up some noise from somewhere, I didn't feel like dismantling my system just to figure it out..since I didn't have this issue without the FOZ. I eventually got rid of it, but I definitely think it has a place in most peoples systems. Now that I don't have it anymore I wish I would have tried it in front of my powered subs and tinkered with it.
"Black Ice Blinded ME with Science!" Hit me with technology.
It would be interesting if one of the settings was “bypass” - just send the signal from the in to the out without modification. As you said, it’s going to be more detailed, but maybe as a point of comparison for the “original” width it would be interesting to bop back and forth
If you set the dials to the 12 o'clock position, you will bypass the SSX circuit altogether.
@@JaimeDeMarco-qs3eq oh? I didn’t think so. I thought it just had the minimal effect (neither wider nor narrower), but wasn’t actually cutting the circuit in and out. Unlike Z’s headphone test where he was using a separate switch that actually did what I’m suggesting would be a nice option in the box
What a cool gizmo. I can imagine some people wanting Tube sound without the super expensive complicated preamp.
I used to own one some years ago and loved it. It was tons of fun, then i let myself be swayed into the less is more camp and anything else in the chain is damaging the signal and you want a pure signal etc, so i simplified with a high end dac straight to power amp-and it sounded uber detailed but highly fatiguing and digital and cold and analytical. I've now added something that got rid of all digital HF noise and made it more analog sounding with no fatigue. It did magic for me. I now don't care if i add a bit of distortion as long as i like what i am hearing. I've been curious about adding a foz ssx to my system again, but i don't remember it adding much of a tube bloom or anything to replace a desire for tube sound. Better off going with a tube preamp.
You added something, what is it?
@@tenveri a 1:1 cd/dac line output transformer.
Aside from fucking with the phase, since it's a tube, it's almost certainly adding 2nd order harmonics as well.
Good 😊
Zeos in a padded room - bound to happen eventually ;)
DBX used to churn out tons of those Dynamic Range Expanders years ago, I think they still make them for studio usage, rack mounted boxes. This reminds me
a bit of those, although I think DBX was intended more to add or restore punch to pro. recordings either pre-mastering or post-mastering. Usually I don't
trust anything that claims to "add" surround to a stereo signal, sometimes it's gimmicky, but this seems a lot different. Although my Creative Labs
G6 card has surround FX and it does a pretty good job of adding some wide FX effect.
That's right. 🔈🔉🔊
@@TriAmpHiFi I see DBX still makes tons of stuff, mostly aimed at live DJs etc.
@@thiscorrosion900 Since I used to be a DJ, there's no coming back from an active crossover, the balanced analog dbx 234XL. The all digital version, dbx DriveRack, can be the core to any killer high-end system. 🔈🔉🔊
I was waiting for more information on this! Thanks for the review Z-Man! Due to the low Canadian dollar will just have to keep saving...one day I'll get one fo sho! 😅
Yep that was real life crack at 17:00, glad you said something because I looked over my left shoulder to see what it was.
The late Ray Manzarek=Doors keyboardist
Zeus, the magic box does help when listening music in the living room when you want just the opposite of the traditional stereo image as with you were positioned exactly in the middle? I mean like a omni polar pattern
I mean it adds phasing so at maximum it can do things similar to this.
Have the Monolith THX Amp/DAC. It's DIRAC function surely approximates it's sound-stage expander?
I am designing a similar product as this, but it will be entirely digital and placed before the DAC. I am interested in checking out the competition. Without hearing this for myself, it is hard for me to judge, but from everything I gather in this video this product is a bit gimmicky, while my digital algorithm does not alter the tone or sound that much. It does however increase the depth of the soundstage and gives you more holographic imaging. Once you set the desired soundstage depth enhancement, you won't need to change it ever, unless you use it with a different system. Instead of altering the phase, my algorithm uses convolution and analog modelling with harmonic enhancement to achieve more depth and Holographic Imaging.
BTW using phase to increase the soundstage width is a cheap trick that may sound cool initially, but it alters the signal too much and changes the intent of the mixing and mastering engineers. I would be very hesitant to buy this. The good thing is that they have a 45 day trial period.
Hi Z! Those speaker stands are awesome, where did you get them?
Now i want to try it. Damn i thought I'm done with new hardware
smooth video ;)
This is why I love tubes
I have the Bellari Sonic Exciter, which like the Foz is a clone of the BBE Sonic Maximizer. It can change the sound a lot but became gimmicky after a while and tedious to adjust the knobs. Most recordings just sound better without it. I now have it set as a "loudness" button for late night, low level listening and it's great for that
How does this compare to the schiit syn
how is this compared to schiti syn ?
I opened this and wasn't paying attention or looking at the screen, and my first thought was Holy Shit those headphones are loud.
The Doors 8 years ago... damn its 1978 again
For steel drums -. Bjork Biophilia Live - 'One Day'
does this have for headphones ?
On the headphone segment you say "There's no other way to describe what's happening" as if you're demonstrating something like AR glasses or a VR headset where it simply isn't possible to demonstrate over TH-cam. In this case, it would be trivially easy to demonstrate EXACTLY what it's doing for anyone listening on stereo speakers or headphones. All you need to do is feed the output to the line input of your computer/camera/audio interface, play something (copyright free to avoid demonetisation) and turn the knobs. If it's as awesome as you're saying it is, I don't understand why you wouldn't just show us what it does.
Is this just a sonic maximizer for a lot more money?
So much for the headphone amp comes first.😮
My question is how this compare to flamingo as outputs on the back?Is it good idea comparing them or is it a stupid question?
That is a tube pre, this is a tube pre. But its hard to compare since they are setup different. I had stacked them for ULTIMATE tube Funkery
Z, speaking of which, I was curious if you ever did a video that focuses on using 5.1 or 7.1 receivers vs. stereo recievers or amps for music only listening,
the pros and cons of both, and also using stuff like this as well. A lot of home theater guys will tell you they only use their HT receivers etc. for movies
or blu rays etc., and not so much for music alone. Various theories on that. I mean, since HT receivers and setups are inherently wide soundstage and
surround and now Atmos as well. That doesn't mean they're optimal for music.
I've not but I have got some new surround stuff coming!
@@ZReviews Interesting. I know it's like apples and oranges, comparing surround receivers to a stereo setup or even with mono amps for each channel, etc. plus a gizmo like this thing. I have my home theater setup in a pretty small room here, there's only so "wide" it's going to go! But a small room is easier to tune to, I think.
You saw The Doors 7 years ago? Oh you see dead people too... ;-)
9:05, who? I can't find this anywhere.
Why did you have to wait 15 seconds Zeos?
YT algorithm stupidity
Can you recommend me some sub 500 headphones for hip hop and dance music. I am willing to EQ
Zeos request for audiophile steel drums: Jean Michel Jarre ‘Calypso’
I think this was designed by Dr Emmett Brown in the yr 2090 fortunately it doesn't require the full 1.21 gigawatts to power it
All I can think about is citizen erased playing
(also hi audio daddy)
Can't Equalizer APO do this for free ?
Its possible but its not as easily adjustable. And not a real tube pre. So yes and no. I don't know?
@@ZReviews You could use any phone / keyboard/ mouse / MIDI / voice assistant device to control Equalizer APO or any Stereo to Surround VST plugin in a DAW. Then it's just output to your DAC/Amp, or audio interface as usual.
The pricing on this device is a bit absurd for what it does, unless the buyer is looking for the simplest setup possible w/ no financial hurdles. The tube aspect doesn't really matter, and can be remedied by buying a tube amp to begin with...that doesn't look like the alpha batch of a kickstarter device.
You can pretend to be a mastering engineer. Add an EQ into the chain with this. Tweek junkie's dream.
What about narrow headphones, like HD600? What about HD600, powered by a tube amp, with this in front?
I test mid video.. Yes
Bellari or Ballari makes a product called a sonic “exciter”. I thought it was a product for people who like to poke prostates.
I've got a Bellari sonic exciter on my living room stereo, it sounds like a good tube pre-amp but It's solid state. I kind of love the thing (guess it's poking the right spot.)
You can achieve the same result using software plugins.
first!
There are several problems with this method of enhancing the width for either speakers or headphones
1. It is not FREE
Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin is FREE
2. It does not have a balance control
Z noticed at 19 minutes and 10 seconds that the guitar image shifted position as the width control was adjusted
3. Every song requires a different setting to get the best image (very tedious as noted by Vamsi)
With the FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin, you can save every song with the perfect width (AND BALANCE) settings
4. The results will be different with headphones and speakers
What sounds great in headphones can sound really bad in speakers and requires further balance adjustment
With the FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin, you can save custom tracks that sound amazing on both headphones AND speakers
5. It does not include relative phase compensation adjustment like the FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin does
Many older recording have phasing problems that make vocal timbre sound like A$$
The FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin can make vocals sound correct with a sleight phase adjustment
6. The tube audibly distorts as Z noted in the review
The FREE Izotope Ozone 5 Imager Plugin does not distort your sound
There are really only 2 major problems with the prerecorded music you listen to
Every song from different groups have a different EQ and a different stereo width
There are also 2 minor problems with many recordings
1. Changing the Stereo Width alters the balance
The correct method of adjusting width and balance is to get the width as you like it first on your headphones and then adjust the balance on your speakers
Why?
Because you get a better sense of a correct width in headphones and a better sense of balance on speakers
Once the width and balance are correctly adjusted, the music will sound correct on both headphones AND speakers
2. Phase problems on vocals
Without proper phase correction, vocals can still sound like A$$
Proper EQ correction can be made with a program such as Izotope RX
Use a pink noise track as a reference, then clone the pink noise EQ to the problem track
Fleetwood Mac require ZERO adjustment on MOST tracks
Bob Marley may require that you go between 70 and 80% of a Flat response to correct
If the percentage is too high, like 100%, it can (in many cases) sound worse than no EQ correction at all
Headphone and speaker reviewers never take this into consideration
Instead, they tell you the headphones sound bright or warm, when in fact they really don't
They simply picked the wrong tracks to listen to
Same with width
Try listening to the same reference tracks when comparing EQ and width on different headphones
AND USE THE SAME AMP!
1. Neither are amps and Headphones or speakers
2. The image shifted correctly. It was right, moved more right.
3. Are you a bot?
4. OMG you are a bot arent you..
5. HOLY SHIT who let this Spam Bot on here. Izotope whatever are dicks.
6. Ok time to ban from channel bot.
------
1. The balanced doesn't shift tho.. It just expands linearly.
2. I did notice it can IMPROVE vocals with a narrower width.
Thanks for coming.
@@ZReviews
Try a few dozen different ways to widen the image and you will find that a balance control becomes essential for some of the better methods
There are many different plugins for this
Many pre-amps for this
Mid-side EQ's for this
Home brew negative feedback circuits for power amps, etc, etc, etc
Adderall might work for ya..
No i ain't heard of fukin fozgate
Fozgate is that "Fozzy" puppet from The Muppets. WAKKA WAKKA! Didn't you know?