Great review. I've seen people talking about the lack of bass on this device, but no one talks about the exact eq set to get it back to neutral, thank you for a nice review.
This device improves the ONE thing that I need most, MIC input sound quality. My SBX G6 and built-in laptop mic input works ok but not nearly as clear/crisp as my Fosi K5 Pro when used with any given headset (currently use a Sennheiser PC38x). For voip work calls, this is the better way to go for me even if my headset needs to be tendered. I had tried both bluetooth and IR wireless audio connections with various headsets but the mic quality is not nearly as good as with the K5. I use a Volt 1 audio interface that has XLR inputs for video production but using a dedicated dynamic mic for work just for voip softphone calls is just not practical.
tomorrow I will order either fosi5 or fosi4, I was thinking about 5(this one obv) but was put off by multiple comments saying the mic part works very poorly? You and only one other comment have said it works a charm, maybe I should just gamble and take the 5 then. I dont know if theres a difference in audio quality between 4 and 5 anyway, I figure theres nothing different apart form 5 having a mic input?
Hey man, I really appreciate your review and this delivered me to a decision to buy this dac. Exactly the kind of commentary I was looking for and reasonable comparison. Thank you!
as someone newer to the audio scene i picked up the k5 mini for my pc set up after my front panel aio jack went out, i mainly use it to power my Beyerdynamic MMX300 headphones for music/gaming via the optical cable, very simple setup & i like that i dont always have to launch software to adjust the EQ
6:40 is exactly why fosi k5 beats epos gsx300. Anybody may dislike the "always EQ-ed" knobs, but everybody would agree that its not as bad as disconnecting mid gaming session.
Great seemingly unbiased review , there seems to be conflicting reviews on this dac amp whether this is down to QC issues at manufacturing or perhaps more likely low expectation bias because of the name and price point plus some of that Hi Fi snobbery and getting caught up in the gravy train of companies releasing products every few months to keep the train rolling Anyway I'm pulling the trigger on this unit to see for myself and to approach it with a level playing field and no expectation bias....if that's at all possible
quite interesting device, that seems to be able to improve the sound of many devices (computers, tablets etc.). usually I don't use tone controls, but in this case it could be a useful feature.
I use a Sharkoon Gaming DAC V3 on my PC and connect it to my LINSOUL SIMGOT SuperMix 4 In-Ears. Would it be worth upgrading to the Fosi Audio K5 Pro instead?
Hello, just to confirm the EQ Knob arrangement you have at 13:45 is your recommendation for getting the K5 as close to transparent as possible? Thanks!
The review that i need the most rn Im using ifi uno and Sennheiser game one(pc 37x) as my main cans its lacking bass for music and non competitive games Ive been plugging listen to ifi uno and mic to my laptop jack(combo jack) but kinda not practical since i have to set the audio jack to mic everytime i turn on my laptop Would it be downgrade in terms of audio if i use k5 pro just for the mic input and the bass slider?
hello i have a question can i plug presonus eris e3.5 2nd gen to Fosi Audio K5 Pro Gaming DAC. i want to connect speakers with RCA cable to the amp I don't want to burn any of these devices and I don't know anything about units, hence my question: if the amplifier is too weak, what power should it have?
Would it be better to plug to a amp or pre amp? I want to be able to have the least amount of noise and interference. Would adding a amp or pre amp to the k5 pro help drive high end cans? Thx
i'd like to put together a little setup (inexpensively) which consists of a dac/headphone amp + headphones which will be used almost exclusively with an older CD/Blu-ray player. What do you recommend? Thanks!
@@NoThemeReviews Let's say $200-$250 for both the DAC/amp and headphones. I don't have a preference in sound signature, yet, but the music that i will be listening will be more of the jazz/classical/instrumental variety. Hopefully that helps. Thanks and great channel by the way!
I'd suggest the Fosi K5 Pro if you want a desktop setup ($80). If portability is more the goal, then the Hidizs S9 Pro, Ikko ITM01/02/03, Moondrop Dawn, Fiio Q11, etc. They're all fine. Just look at the features and power output for each and figure out which one gives you more for the money. As for headphones, the budget is pretty tight, but you might want to look at the Drop HD58x Jubilee, which doesn't sound particularly clear but will work fine for classical and jazz; the Hifiman Deva, which has fairly wide soundstage and good clarity, but doesn't provide a lot of bass; Philips X2HR, which is a very good, warm-sounding headphone that is very well built and comfortable; Sivga SV021, which has a bass and treble emphasis, but also a pretty noticeable sibilance push; and the V-Moda Crossfade, or anything from them that's within your budget, as V-Moda has a bass-centric sound signature that still retains average clarity and detail.
Hi, I have a Marantz CD6005 cd player, can I connect using coaxial cable from the Marantz to the coaxial input on the Fosi K5 Pro? Any help would be appreciated, thanks
Hello I have G5 Sound blaster now, is it worth to upgrade to K5pro if I play mostly fpp games like tarkov ? I have Fanmusic TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero now, what do you think mate will I notice the difference ??
No don’t waste your money. If you want to hear differences, use a different pair of IEMs or headphones. Dacs and amps are never going to make noticeable difference. You should stick with Sound Blaster, or if you really want to buy a new Dac/amp, purchase another model from Creative that has the gaming features you want.
Hello! I bought this DAC and happy with it. But i can't understand one moment: i connected it to PS5 via type-c and volume level is not high. In options of console the volume line is maximum. Is it supposed to be like this? On the PC via type-c all is good. Via optical connection to TV all is good too.
@@NoThemeReviews in PS5's only one volume option and it's in maximum value. Maybe it's specially done on program level by Fosi Audio's manufacturer, idk. Thx for your answer.
@@Samsei1 i wrote an e-mail to Fosi and support answered , that Sony limits the output power for audio vis USB. Also, they sent to me a dispute theme on forum. So, if you will play without the microphone, you can connect it to tv via optic.
@@797Ismail797 thanks for the response! I’ve noticed the lack of power. I have the HyperX Alpha with their usb dongle sound card and noticed it was louder on the PC than the PS5.
![Get VU meters in your system and in your life [Fosi Audio LC30]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eKH0QT0FqvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Great review. I've seen people talking about the lack of bass on this device, but no one talks about the exact eq set to get it back to neutral, thank you for a nice review.
This device improves the ONE thing that I need most, MIC input sound quality.
My SBX G6 and built-in laptop mic input works ok but not nearly as clear/crisp as my Fosi K5 Pro when used with any given headset (currently use a Sennheiser PC38x). For voip work calls, this is the better way to go for me even if my headset needs to be tendered. I had tried both bluetooth and IR wireless audio connections with various headsets but the mic quality is not nearly as good as with the K5.
I use a Volt 1 audio interface that has XLR inputs for video production but using a dedicated dynamic mic for work just for voip softphone calls is just not practical.
tomorrow I will order either fosi5 or fosi4, I was thinking about 5(this one obv) but was put off by multiple comments saying the mic part works very poorly? You and only one other comment have said it works a charm, maybe I should just gamble and take the 5 then. I dont know if theres a difference in audio quality between 4 and 5 anyway, I figure theres nothing different apart form 5 having a mic input?
Hey man, I really appreciate your review and this delivered me to a decision to buy this dac. Exactly the kind of commentary I was looking for and reasonable comparison. Thank you!
How is the dac?
as someone newer to the audio scene i picked up the k5 mini for my pc set up after my front panel aio jack went out, i mainly use it to power my Beyerdynamic MMX300 headphones for music/gaming via the optical cable, very simple setup & i like that i dont always have to launch software to adjust the EQ
6:40 is exactly why fosi k5 beats epos gsx300. Anybody may dislike the "always EQ-ed" knobs, but everybody would agree that its not as bad as disconnecting mid gaming session.
I really like your approach to your reviews, great vid as always!
Great seemingly unbiased review , there seems to be conflicting reviews on this dac amp whether this is down to QC issues at manufacturing or perhaps more likely low expectation bias because of the name and price point plus some of that Hi Fi snobbery and getting caught up in the gravy train of companies releasing products every few months to keep the train rolling
Anyway I'm pulling the trigger on this unit to see for myself and to approach it with a level playing field and no expectation bias....if that's at all possible
With my Google Pixel 6 it works 👍
I would really like to see your opinion on the Moondrop Kato love your content you are the literally best audio reviewer on the planet.
Think I might pick that up for the laptop. Thanks NTR. Always enjoy your content.
Awesome review, thank you
quite interesting device, that seems to be able to improve the sound of many devices (computers, tablets etc.).
usually I don't use tone controls, but in this case it could be a useful feature.
I use a Sharkoon Gaming DAC V3 on my PC and connect it to my LINSOUL SIMGOT SuperMix 4 In-Ears. Would it be worth upgrading to the Fosi Audio K5 Pro instead?
No, if you’re happy with what you have, no reason to buy anything else.
Hmm, to bad you didn't test the microphone jack. I planned to use this for zoom calls.
But, Thanks for the review.
does this dac/amp have enough power for ath-r70x? if so it would be a win for me because i need that mic input too
It says it can run up to 300 ohms. I don't have that high of headphones, but I believe it.
Hello, just to confirm the EQ Knob arrangement you have at 13:45 is your recommendation for getting the K5 as close to transparent as possible?
Thanks!
Or I guess it would be at 10:00 - great video thanks
The review that i need the most rn
Im using ifi uno and Sennheiser game one(pc 37x) as my main cans its lacking bass for music and non competitive games
Ive been plugging listen to ifi uno and mic to my laptop jack(combo jack) but kinda not practical since i have to set the audio jack to mic everytime i turn on my laptop
Would it be downgrade in terms of audio if i use k5 pro just for the mic input and the bass slider?
No
First of all, great review as always. Just a quick question, how does it compare to mayflower mkII?
Can’t say. I don’t have and never used the Mayflower
hello i have a question can i plug presonus eris e3.5 2nd gen to Fosi Audio K5 Pro Gaming DAC.
i want to connect speakers with RCA cable to the amp
I don't want to burn any of these devices and I don't know anything about units, hence my question: if the amplifier is too weak, what power should it have?
Would it be better to plug to a amp or pre amp? I want to be able to have the least amount of noise and interference. Would adding a amp or pre amp to the k5 pro help drive high end cans?
Thx
Amp
i'd like to put together a little setup (inexpensively) which consists of a dac/headphone amp + headphones which will be used almost exclusively with an older CD/Blu-ray player. What do you recommend? Thanks!
Depends entirely on your budget and what sound signature you prefer. If you tell me those specifics I can make some recommendations.
@@NoThemeReviews Let's say $200-$250 for both the DAC/amp and headphones. I don't have a preference in sound signature, yet, but the music that i will be listening will be more of the jazz/classical/instrumental variety. Hopefully that helps. Thanks and great channel by the way!
I'd suggest the Fosi K5 Pro if you want a desktop setup ($80). If portability is more the goal, then the Hidizs S9 Pro, Ikko ITM01/02/03, Moondrop Dawn, Fiio Q11, etc. They're all fine. Just look at the features and power output for each and figure out which one gives you more for the money. As for headphones, the budget is pretty tight, but you might want to look at the Drop HD58x Jubilee, which doesn't sound particularly clear but will work fine for classical and jazz; the Hifiman Deva, which has fairly wide soundstage and good clarity, but doesn't provide a lot of bass; Philips X2HR, which is a very good, warm-sounding headphone that is very well built and comfortable; Sivga SV021, which has a bass and treble emphasis, but also a pretty noticeable sibilance push; and the V-Moda Crossfade, or anything from them that's within your budget, as V-Moda has a bass-centric sound signature that still retains average clarity and detail.
@@NoThemeReviews thanks! I really appreciate the input.
Best review I’ve seen on this, would you recommend this or a schiit fulla e ?
Probably this. Schiit makes good stuff, but as a simple dac/amp with a mic input, the Fulla is overpriced.
@@NoThemeReviews ok great, will go with this thanks for the reply
I bought. Dac fosi audio k5 pro, and the microphone of this hyperx cloud silver hx-hscl-sr headset didn't work... 😔 I don't think it's compatible
so will this be a good investment for me if im gonna use it with the DT990 Pro 80 ohm on a PS5?
Yeah sure. Assuming the PS5 is compatible
Hi, I have a Marantz CD6005 cd player, can I connect using coaxial cable from the Marantz to the coaxial input on the Fosi K5 Pro? Any help would be appreciated, thanks
As long as your source has coaxial output then yes
@@NoThemeReviews Thanks
Hello I have G5 Sound blaster now, is it worth to upgrade to K5pro if I play mostly fpp games like tarkov ? I have
Fanmusic TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero now, what do you think mate will I notice the difference ??
No don’t waste your money. If you want to hear differences, use a different pair of IEMs or headphones. Dacs and amps are never going to make noticeable difference. You should stick with Sound Blaster, or if you really want to buy a new Dac/amp, purchase another model from Creative that has the gaming features you want.
One question...will this power my Sony SSCS5 speakers? I'm not into games.
If that’s a passive speaker, then no.
Can this thing power the hifiman he400se?
Hello!
I bought this DAC and happy with it. But i can't understand one moment: i connected it to PS5 via type-c and volume level is not high. In options of console the volume line is maximum. Is it supposed to be like this?
On the PC via type-c all is good. Via optical connection to TV all is good too.
Doesn't the PS5 have more than one volume option? That's the only possibility I can think of...other than making sure the K5's volume knob is up.
@@NoThemeReviews in PS5's only one volume option and it's in maximum value. Maybe it's specially done on program level by Fosi Audio's manufacturer, idk.
Thx for your answer.
@@797Ismail797 Have you found a solution? I'm waiting for my order to arrive and also planning it to use it with my ps5.
@@Samsei1 i wrote an e-mail to Fosi and support answered , that Sony limits the output power for audio vis USB. Also, they sent to me a dispute theme on forum.
So, if you will play without the microphone, you can connect it to tv via optic.
@@797Ismail797 thanks for the response! I’ve noticed the lack of power. I have the HyperX Alpha with their usb dongle sound card and noticed it was louder on the PC than the PS5.
Would this be enough for the Hifiman Edition XS?
Yes
I am still confused... Isn't it because the dac part or amp part of k5 causing the reduced base?
Probably the amp section. Bellari Audio does something similarly with one of their amps.
is it enough for dt990 pro 250 ohms ?
Yes
can i connect my edifier mr4?
Yes
ai voice
Dumb comment
Hi would this power my HD 6XX or would it just be better to spend a bit more money and go with a magni+ or anything else around the 100 dollar range
This has plenty of power for the 6xx