Thanks to Harry's for sponsoring! Make sure you check out the Shave and Suds bundle through the link harrys.com/cheapaudioman Buy V3 Mono on Kickstarter: fosiaudio-inc.kckb.me/abbf87bd V3 Mono Landing Page: bit.ly/fosiaudiov3mono
This is how the U.S. was in the 1960s before the U.S. began specifying RMS or peak. You can just always assume RMS is 1/2 of whatever China is stating it is and you will be within 10% of accurate. That's exactly what we had to do in the 1960s here in the good 'ole USA.
I just got mine hooked up to my Markaudio chr-120 in decware horn dna horns. Switched from Aiyima a07 and the difference is night and day. Not only is there more volume but it is incredibly detailed in comparison and imaging is off the charts. I had been planning on building new speakers but this has brought me the sound I was craving.
Separate power supplies make sense for a variety of reasons. One practical logistical reason is when your monoblocks are located a large distance apart.
Got up early to hit the Kick Starter Fosi V3 Early Bird and landed a pair of V3's with PSUs (and a free tshirt before their Kick Starter early bird sold out, it sold out in about 30 minutes, amazing! Can't wait to get these, going to go full XLR, now just need to decide which XLR preamp (with tone controls) to get, perhaps the Douk Audio T8 PRO, just not sure I want the tubes. 🤔
That Harry’s section is worth the video itself hahaha 😂… wow, these speakers are amazing paired with these “little” amps from Fosi Audio. Separating the power supply from the amp is a very wise option because of two main reasons: heat generation, induced distortion and cabinet size. Wait, so that’s three reasons 🤨… thank you for the great content, having the dB meter interactively helps a lot to show what a real-life experience with these amps and speakers would be, instead of others just showing a bench with oscilloscopes and a computer; those are helpful too, but in a very different way. Keep up the great work 😊
They actually listened to the 3255 cult ,had this running for a year. My Diy disabled budget, hi tech 2.1 system, is quite adequate accurate and loud as car systems . Ooh the look in their eyes. Priceless!
Great review, V3 Mono's with Sparkos Op Amps? Also how's the gain compared to the ZA3? I'm considering using my current ZA3's (with Sparko's) to drive the bass units on my Martin Logans and getting a pair of V3 Mono's to drive the Stat panels, obviously the Sparko's would be better used in the V3 Monos.
I do need two more channels of amplification for my home theater... this may be the way. I went ahead and pledged a pair of these. My Marantz Cinema 70s is working great with 5.1 but it can do 7.1 - and with full pre-outs, these will be perfect to drive my main stereo pair and take that load off the weak internal amp.
I can totally see this thing being awesome for some DIY subwoofers filtered through a miniDSP or a cheap Dayton LF DSP. Wonder if it would immediately go into protection with a 2 ohm load. 😅
This might be a dumb question, but if I wanted to use this on a single sub, could I design/build a crossover, and just 3d print an enclosure for it and run the wires through? I'm super new to audio stuff, and keeping car, live, hifi, and surround peripherals straight has been tough.
What has a fuller sound, two of these in mono or one Schiit Gjallarhorn? I'm considering this for nearfield for a Desktop setup, my listening levels are not that high.
I love the grin when he's expecting it to distort and it doesn't. What do you do with the power brick? In my mind, this is an easy insertion into an existing setup, then gradually deal with DAC and streamer(s). I guess I can use gaffer tape to hide the amps on the back of the speakers...
Great Review, just wanted to let you know that FOSI is having quality control issues. There have been numerous reports of issues with the ZA3 and I experienced one of them. I purchased a ZA3 from their initial offering and then I like it so much, I purchased a 2nd from the their 3rd (i believe) run so that I can run them as Mono blocks. I connected them to my preamp so I set them both to Max Volume. Well newest ZA3 is putting out about 75% of the wattage as the old one. I reached out to customer suppport and this is yet unresolved.
keep trying. I'd always buy through amazon though too as you have their customer support and you can leave feedback on the product. seems like nothing gets a company's attention faster than a 1 star review. I've heard good things about their customer service though. if you still can't get a resolution on it then let me know somehow and I'll send a message over to them
You have NO quality control "issue". Between different runs, they will take whatever chips are available, and different chips will have different programming and parameters, meaning, they will be DIFFERENT chips. These are NOT the old analogue days, when transistors would match, and resistors would be inserted to match levels! If you do not match the amps to exactly equal versions, you are in a mammary-glands up position!
Be nice to know how they perform with more subtle sonic characteristics, detail, imaging etc.. My old 150w p/c power amp also pumps hard, but it's not the best in all areas.
Ever try the Dayton Audio line by PartsExpress? I have: APA150 (still on sale), APA102BT (still on sale), DTA100a (long since discontinued), and love 'em all! The baby DTA100a is my desk computer-amp, and I hope it lasts forever, same wish for the other 2, which are in the living room (APA150) and library (APA102BT)!
Awesome ! Perhaps you could persuade them to make an equally high quality FM Tuner/Pre to drive them, w/presets !! Big Fan of your Channels & Patience (watched Live Stream yesterday) !!
I have the ZA3. I liked it so much that I bought 43 more and are using them as mono blocks in my multi-sampled system. with the Sparkos op-amps, they're remarkable
Does anyone know if you can order a second PSU for these, so that I can locate each amp behind their respective speaker without having to use the 'Y' cable?
Utilizing a reasonably good sounding Tube pre amp can really help to overcome some of the ( very few) shortcomings of this amplifier. Currently I am listening to the Aiyma 6A2 pre amplifier, with a pair of Nobsound G2 pro mono amps. This cheap little pre amp delivery the holographic image lacking from the already decent soundstage the tp3255 amps are known to produce. Add's a bit of magic, presence... mid range bliss and with a lot more ( noise free ) gain. Oh.. and don't forget to power the whole kit with lithium polymer batteries.. I use a set of 6s 5000mAh 90c lipos for the main channel amps , and an additional 3s 5000mAh to power the pre amp. Heaven for peanuts
I've been waiting for a decent simple mono power amp for a while. I hope other manufactures catch on. Kind of wished you'd picked a common song (GnR Sweet Child O' Mine?) and run it through this system giving us a description of the amps "characteristics"? How you felt about the songs quality in playback. Those Emotivas look REALLY sweet. I want my next system to be towers rather than the 2.1 I'm running now.
Andrew Robinsons review of these Ti based amps wasn't that... great (in his case it was the Wiim Amp). I wouldn't expect too much out of these. But it all depends on your speakers. If you have decent ones and some money, try the Purifi-based DIY kits. Or the HypeX Nilai-based kits.
I will be getting 2 of these Fosi V3 Monos in a short while. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all. I don't think they should slow down their product releases, as long as their quality is high and possibly improves on previous releases. I'm glad you shared 'Harry's' products. My nickname since junior school! 😂😂 But I'm confused. You and my beard back but get sponsored by shaving products! 😂😂😂😂 Take care, brother. BTW, please share the name of your phone sonic apps, thanks.
I have 2 of the Aiyima A07 Max's running a set of Delcoid LM-1 satellites and matching sub. The sub is a pain to run but these work nicely. The amps seem a bit treble forward but I can deal with it. That said, I think I'll be going back to a class A/B amp soon.
@@SlotHits777What I'm running is a sub/sat system...into the sub and out to the sats. This isn't a sloppy POS sub. These speakers are over 40 yrs old and now would now cost about $7k to $8k. I used to drive them with a GAS Ampzilla. The Aiyima amps DO sound good and they drive the sub with no issues. I just prefer the sound of an A/B amp.
***must resist GAS/FOMO urge to buy!!!*** These look awesome and I am seriously trying to find a way to justify buying a pair with a new set of speakers but ARRRGG I have too many as it is. Time to sell something. LOL Thanks for this one Randy. You looked like you had an absolute blast with these.
Thanks Randy! I was wondering when you would get a pair of these, so that means we will be able to purchase real soon! I have a single ZA3 running a pair of the Magnepan LRS+ speakers, and the little Fosi did not have any issues, it drove them easily without even breaking a sweat. No distortion at high volume, incredible separation and it simply sounded very very good. My only complaint, is the dimensionality of the amp, but that is an inherent issue with all Class D amps. The Class D amps are very two dimensional, vs a Class A/B and its 3 dimensionality. But, I will be purchasing a pair of these Fosi V3 mono blocks, as they are just simply too cool not to own.
that's bananas you can drive Maggies with these. I heard a great podcast from John Darko about THD. I think if an amp has really low thd and doesn't have a lot of even order harmonics it reduces the 3 dimentiality of the sound. in the race to the lowest THD I think some companies have forgotten that some even order harmonics (distortion) is actually a very good thing. tube folks have known about it for years and care not about measurements
@@cheapaudioman So true on the THD and "distortion". I run a pair of the Zu DW6 Supremes with a 10w tube amp and they sound incredible. But, back to the Maggies, yes this silly little ZA3 did not even flinch or even get warm after around two hours of listening, which really impressed me. I then drug out my 800 pound first gen Emotiva XPA2, the Fosi went back in the box. That old Emotiva amp will simply not go away.
@@cheapaudiomanThat's the reason why you can add even order harmonics with ESS DAC's. Not every manufacturer implemented that functionality but it's there.
@@michaelkaiser5994 I have had folks tell me these first gen XPA amps are not musical. I had the Parasound A23+ in here, and actually prefer the sound out of the XPA. I also had one of Emo's new DR2-XPA units, and it sounded sterile and lifeless, like a Class D amp. I then went to Zu speakers and had no real need for these amps, as I went to tubes. But, I keep that old XPA2 in the house, it is one of those, "In an Emergency, Break Glass" pieces of gear I feel I must keep.
Are you going to be reviewing the Emotiva XC1 or XC2? I have a C2+ and audio clarity is a bit rough for anything off axis. Debating buying an XC2 but waiting on reviews.
Add a 70hz hipass to monoblocks (fmod) get a couple of big subs and a big dayton plate or sub amplifier and a big room. Kick some sonic butt in cheap sound
were you using the single power with shared power cable or separate power for each amp? another channel reviewer had distortion problem quite obvious when he used one power supply, but it was fixed when used separate power supplies
Hoping you would compare the XLR and RCA outputs. My ZA3 with 3 Sparko's opmaps XLR output sounds way better than the RCA outputs. If possible could you please A/B the outputs on the ZA3 and the Z3 mono blocks. Being the owner of the Z3 and the ZA3 with 3 Sparko's opamps some A/B testing of the XLR/RCA outputs would be helpful for persons who might be considering purchasing the Z3 monoblocks.
I'm not so sure about that... there's a ton of hype around these days. Remember when the XTZ Edge A2-300 was heavily hyped? It's pretty good (perhaps better than this? And also quite affordable), but there are better amps. Saboton sounds terrible on the XTZ, while a NAD C298 makes it much more listenable. On my Benchmark AHB2 it actually sounds good. There are differences. That being said, I'd be curious to buy this (well, I'd prefer a stereo variant at a lower price tag) to power my rears, but I'd absolutely connect my fronts to them to see how good the Ti-amps actually are.
It’s closer to $220 for a pair. I backed the a kickstarter campaign for three of these with three 48v PSUs and added three RCA cables so I can run these off my Denon AVR to power LCR channels. Was $360ish with the cables, around $330 for three without the cables
Hi ! I bought two ZA3 two months ago and I love them. But these V3 Mono looks fantastic with the auto off and no volume knob. Are they sonically better than the ZA3 ? Should I sell my ZA3 to buy these ??? Thanks !
I was hoping for something like this, though not a mono variant. Give me an affordable stereo power amp so I can power my rear speakers. The regular V3 has the problem that it has a volume knob...
Yes we need the balanced PreAmp. I don’t like a single power supply for 2 amps with a split cable 😂, its like have a single amp. In other channel mentioned the noise of that power supply. I tested 2 V3s to supply power for a bi wire speakers and was awesome. Try that and compare, i believe its cheaper and more balanced sound. Did you find something different in soundstage?. 🤦🏻♂️please don’t say the soundstage was awesome listening electronic music produced by a synthesizer!
Hi, i use an old Denon PMA 560 with Wharfedale evo 4.1 and when its on but not playing music you can hear a kind of noise like "sssss" What can i do to stop it? Thanks
For sharing my experience...I had the same problem when connected to TV.I selected to the other sources but no "ssss".I changed a new rca cables to TV and it solved!...Hope it be useful.
This is going in the right direction though I'd rather see a dual mono design like this in a 3/4 or full sized component chassis with the PS built in because what good is one and at this kind of power the small foot print doesn't make any sense. Also I really hope Fosi has a pre-amp coming to pair with this, 3-4 inputs, subwoofer out and a remote would be perfect.
What would you recommend for polk r700 speakers? I don't have much choice in my part of the planet... And I seen these in the guitar shop, i think they would be nice for my size of the room and my type of music 😁
For 13 years I've been living with a Crown XLS class D amp and have been happy with it. In a musical sense, has the state of the Class D art advanced substantially with the advent of these little Chi Fi amps? Would they be musically superior? I've been thinking of trying the Fosi ZA3. Do these new monoblock Fosi's make even more sense?
Get a Schitt Vidar you'll never look at the crown again. If you need the DSP, get a little mini dsp box. I had XLS1002s on my surround channels for a bit. Ultimately swapped them for Vidars and the clarity and dynamics are much better. You'll find that the Schitt amps have that deep black noise floor like you get with pro audio class Ds or studio grade AB pwr like Bryston.
Hey, now that I'm thinking about this: What other device would do a better job of amplification, at any price, below the tested output of 88 dB? I'm literally thinking this is the best dB/$ (full stop) at any price, no? (I'm assuming I will get heat sink off Amazon for $-nothing.) The only other value-added component in the chain is the DAC, right? (Wall power...DAC...Fosi... speakers.)
@@kadajawi2But dude! That's a little more than 10x the money... But it would be fun to hear it all well enough to get picky about choices made in the recording studio. Todd Rundgren used to talk about that.
I think the issue will be volume matching because the ZA3 has the volume knob and this doesn’t. Probably some way to sort it out with the pre amp I guess.
He’s back in the lab! I love it. I have to be honest, those curtains in his living room scare me. I’m afraid my wife will see me watching the video and get ideas.
The usual Fosi launch....not a single bad comment despite the issue they admit to having with the noise when running them off a single psu. As if volume is any type of test of sound quality!! Needs xlr for mono blocks cos you want them closer to the speakers
AV amps can use plenty of surround channels. I've ordered 4 and want an additional 2 for a 3 way active stereo setup (separate amp for each bass, mid, tweeter, both left and right).
The Schiit audio surround pre amp called Syn for $399 has 5.1 channel pre out so would be a good option for someone wanting 120w per channel from five of these amps, and a good pre amp. No other AVR setup for under a grand (that I’m aware of) is going to be pushing out 120w per channel with all channels driven.
Thanks to Harry's for sponsoring! Make sure you check out the Shave and Suds bundle through the link harrys.com/cheapaudioman
Buy V3 Mono on Kickstarter: fosiaudio-inc.kckb.me/abbf87bd
V3 Mono Landing Page: bit.ly/fosiaudiov3mono
The Chinese power amps need to specify RMS power ratings instead of peak power!
They did. They clearly give you 2 ratings at 1% and 10% distortion.
This is how the U.S. was in the 1960s before the U.S. began specifying RMS or peak. You can just always assume RMS is 1/2 of whatever China is stating it is and you will be within 10% of accurate. That's exactly what we had to do in the 1960s here in the good 'ole USA.
Super cool, I would like a 2.1 preamp with mono amps like this. It should include a crossover dial as well.
I just got mine hooked up to my Markaudio chr-120 in decware horn dna horns. Switched from Aiyima a07 and the difference is night and day. Not only is there more volume but it is incredibly detailed in comparison and imaging is off the charts. I had been planning on building new speakers but this has brought me the sound I was craving.
Separate power supplies make sense for a variety of reasons. One practical logistical reason is when your monoblocks are located a large distance apart.
I just got that fosi audio amp/speaker switcher. Its awesome. VU meters are life.
Got the Za3 monoamps. Satisfied for a couple of years. Rocks like a champ.
Fosi, keep doing what you’re doing!
Got up early to hit the Kick Starter Fosi V3 Early Bird and landed a pair of V3's with PSUs (and a free tshirt before their Kick Starter early bird sold out, it sold out in about 30 minutes, amazing!
Can't wait to get these, going to go full XLR, now just need to decide which XLR preamp (with tone controls) to get, perhaps the Douk Audio T8 PRO, just not sure I want the tubes. 🤔
That Harry’s section is worth the video itself hahaha 😂… wow, these speakers are amazing paired with these “little” amps from Fosi Audio. Separating the power supply from the amp is a very wise option because of two main reasons: heat generation, induced distortion and cabinet size. Wait, so that’s three reasons 🤨… thank you for the great content, having the dB meter interactively helps a lot to show what a real-life experience with these amps and speakers would be, instead of others just showing a bench with oscilloscopes and a computer; those are helpful too, but in a very different way. Keep up the great work 😊
They actually listened to the 3255 cult ,had this running for a year. My Diy disabled budget, hi tech 2.1 system, is quite adequate accurate and loud as car systems . Ooh the look in their eyes. Priceless!
Great review, V3 Mono's with Sparkos Op Amps? Also how's the gain compared to the ZA3? I'm considering using my current ZA3's (with Sparko's) to drive the bass units on my Martin Logans and getting a pair of V3 Mono's to drive the Stat panels, obviously the Sparko's would be better used in the V3 Monos.
I do need two more channels of amplification for my home theater... this may be the way. I went ahead and pledged a pair of these. My Marantz Cinema 70s is working great with 5.1 but it can do 7.1 - and with full pre-outs, these will be perfect to drive my main stereo pair and take that load off the weak internal amp.
I can totally see this thing being awesome for some DIY subwoofers filtered through a miniDSP or a cheap Dayton LF DSP. Wonder if it would immediately go into protection with a 2 ohm load. 😅
This might be a dumb question, but if I wanted to use this on a single sub, could I design/build a crossover, and just 3d print an enclosure for it and run the wires through? I'm super new to audio stuff, and keeping car, live, hifi, and surround peripherals straight has been tough.
Hi Randy! How do you think the v3 mono compares (sound quality-wise) with AVRs like the Marantz NR5015 or similar?
What has a fuller sound, two of these in mono or one Schiit Gjallarhorn? I'm considering this for nearfield for a Desktop setup, my listening levels are not that high.
I love the grin when he's expecting it to distort and it doesn't. What do you do with the power brick? In my mind, this is an easy insertion into an existing setup, then gradually deal with DAC and streamer(s). I guess I can use gaffer tape to hide the amps on the back of the speakers...
gaffer take solves all problems
You are becoming an extraordinary sales spokesperson.
Great Review, just wanted to let you know that FOSI is having quality control issues. There have been numerous reports of issues with the ZA3 and I experienced one of them. I purchased a ZA3 from their initial offering and then I like it so much, I purchased a 2nd from the their 3rd (i believe) run so that I can run them as Mono blocks. I connected them to my preamp so I set them both to Max Volume. Well newest ZA3 is putting out about 75% of the wattage as the old one. I reached out to customer suppport and this is yet unresolved.
keep trying. I'd always buy through amazon though too as you have their customer support and you can leave feedback on the product. seems like nothing gets a company's attention faster than a 1 star review. I've heard good things about their customer service though. if you still can't get a resolution on it then let me know somehow and I'll send a message over to them
@@cheapaudioman Thanks for your help. You're my "GoTo" audio equipment reviewer.
@@robsandler1818 lol. You may want to seek more qualified help…
You have NO quality control "issue". Between different runs, they will take whatever chips are available, and different chips will have different programming and parameters, meaning, they will be DIFFERENT chips. These are NOT the old analogue days, when transistors would match, and resistors would be inserted to match levels!
If you do not match the amps to exactly equal versions, you are in a mammary-glands up position!
I totally laughed out loud when you stated placing shaving cream all over your face 🤣 Best sponsored spot ever
I like seeing the story boards in the office area. At least I think they are story boards?
Oh GOD FUNNY ! refreshing!!!!!! Coming back for more!
Be nice to know how they perform with more subtle sonic characteristics, detail, imaging etc.. My old 150w p/c power amp also pumps hard, but it's not the best in all areas.
All hail Wayne Static. RIP. Great shirt, Randy.
they are a blast in concert
Lmao, the shaving ad was actually so entertaining
Ever try the Dayton Audio line by PartsExpress?
I have: APA150 (still on sale), APA102BT (still on sale), DTA100a (long since discontinued), and love 'em all!
The baby DTA100a is my desk computer-amp, and I hope it lasts forever, same wish for the other 2, which are in the living room (APA150) and library (APA102BT)!
Daaamn, "discount fruits" is already banging, only through my tablet speakers 😂
Didn't knew that about you, Randy 😅
Awesome ! Perhaps you could persuade them to make an equally high quality FM Tuner/Pre to drive them, w/presets !! Big Fan of your Channels & Patience (watched Live Stream yesterday) !!
thanks for watching!!!!
I have the ZA3. I liked it so much that I bought 43 more and are using them as mono blocks in my multi-sampled system. with the Sparkos op-amps, they're remarkable
I’m guessing there are a couple of commas missing. 😂
Lol
Does anyone know if you can order a second PSU for these, so that I can locate each amp behind their respective speaker without having to use the 'Y' cable?
Is your audio tester an app on your phone? Where can I get it? Did your watt meter indicate 200 watts?
Utilizing a reasonably good sounding Tube pre amp can really help to overcome some of the ( very few) shortcomings of this amplifier. Currently I am listening to the Aiyma 6A2 pre amplifier, with a pair of Nobsound G2 pro mono amps. This cheap little pre amp delivery the holographic image lacking from the already decent soundstage the tp3255 amps are known to produce. Add's a bit of magic, presence... mid range bliss and with a lot more ( noise free ) gain. Oh.. and don't forget to power the whole kit with lithium polymer batteries.. I use a set of 6s 5000mAh 90c lipos for the main channel amps , and an additional 3s 5000mAh to power the pre amp. Heaven for peanuts
I noticed FA has an option for 2 monos with 2 48v/10A I think that would be better with noise
When they went to Stripes and ran out of Copenhagen 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. That's phenominal, bro. I have seen that roughneck reaction 😂😂
💯
I've been waiting for a decent simple mono power amp for a while. I hope other manufactures catch on. Kind of wished you'd picked a common song (GnR Sweet Child O' Mine?) and run it through this system giving us a description of the amps "characteristics"? How you felt about the songs quality in playback. Those Emotivas look REALLY sweet. I want my next system to be towers rather than the 2.1 I'm running now.
Andrew Robinsons review of these Ti based amps wasn't that... great (in his case it was the Wiim Amp). I wouldn't expect too much out of these. But it all depends on your speakers. If you have decent ones and some money, try the Purifi-based DIY kits. Or the HypeX Nilai-based kits.
I'll get my hands on mine in 3 weeks! Can't wait!!!
Three weeks later ?
I will be getting 2 of these Fosi V3 Monos in a short while. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all. I don't think they should slow down their product releases, as long as their quality is high and possibly improves on previous releases. I'm glad you shared 'Harry's' products. My nickname since junior school! 😂😂 But I'm confused. You and my beard back but get sponsored by shaving products! 😂😂😂😂 Take care, brother. BTW, please share the name of your phone sonic apps, thanks.
That new Fosi monoblock is the bees-knees of hifi amps at low cost.. but highly recommend separate power supply for each amp
There's power strips for hifi, like one from dynavox.
They usually bring the silence people are looking for
I have 2 of the Aiyima A07 Max's running a set of Delcoid LM-1 satellites and matching sub. The sub is a pain to run but these work nicely. The amps seem a bit treble forward but I can deal with it. That said, I think I'll be going back to a class A/B amp soon.
@@rakitakhan imo, not really a sub amp.. mains, center, surrounds are better use case
@@SlotHits777What I'm running is a sub/sat system...into the sub and out to the sats. This isn't a sloppy POS sub. These speakers are over 40 yrs old and now would now cost about $7k to $8k. I used to drive them with a GAS Ampzilla. The Aiyima amps DO sound good and they drive the sub with no issues. I just prefer the sound of an A/B amp.
you'd get about 13,300 of these for the price of that $4m system at Axpona, thats 3,192,000 watts - its a no brainer (speakers extra)
Is this what happens when you leave him home alone? He just starts putting on shaving cream in the living room?
pretty much
Looks like rabies but he still has the beard. Guess the shaving cream needs a razor.
They have medication for this behavior
@@roadfordays I’m on a ton. Looks like a need to go back to the psychiatrist for a tune up
Yes, it has an XLR connector, but is that input truly/fully balanced?
Harry's is the best 60 seconds on Utube !!
Me the young version of the old Handel's Messiah guy.
thanks for the video (and for leave your beard on) :)
Which preamplifier could you suggest for control these two little beasts?
***must resist GAS/FOMO urge to buy!!!***
These look awesome and I am seriously trying to find a way to justify buying a pair with a new set of speakers but ARRRGG I have too many as it is.
Time to sell something. LOL
Thanks for this one Randy. You looked like you had an absolute blast with these.
tons of fun. I think that it also had something to do with the speakers
Thanks Randy! I was wondering when you would get a pair of these, so that means we will be able to purchase real soon! I have a single ZA3 running a pair of the Magnepan LRS+ speakers, and the little Fosi did not have any issues, it drove them easily without even breaking a sweat. No distortion at high volume, incredible separation and it simply sounded very very good. My only complaint, is the dimensionality of the amp, but that is an inherent issue with all Class D amps. The Class D amps are very two dimensional, vs a Class A/B and its 3 dimensionality. But, I will be purchasing a pair of these Fosi V3 mono blocks, as they are just simply too cool not to own.
that's bananas you can drive Maggies with these. I heard a great podcast from John Darko about THD. I think if an amp has really low thd and doesn't have a lot of even order harmonics it reduces the 3 dimentiality of the sound. in the race to the lowest THD I think some companies have forgotten that some even order harmonics (distortion) is actually a very good thing. tube folks have known about it for years and care not about measurements
@@cheapaudioman So true on the THD and "distortion". I run a pair of the Zu DW6 Supremes with a 10w tube amp and they sound incredible. But, back to the Maggies, yes this silly little ZA3 did not even flinch or even get warm after around two hours of listening, which really impressed me. I then drug out my 800 pound first gen Emotiva XPA2, the Fosi went back in the box. That old Emotiva amp will simply not go away.
@@michaelwright1602I know what you mean. Using a first gen XPA 3.
@@cheapaudiomanThat's the reason why you can add even order harmonics with ESS DAC's. Not every manufacturer implemented that functionality but it's there.
@@michaelkaiser5994 I have had folks tell me these first gen XPA amps are not musical. I had the Parasound A23+ in here, and actually prefer the sound out of the XPA. I also had one of Emo's new DR2-XPA units, and it sounded sterile and lifeless, like a Class D amp. I then went to Zu speakers and had no real need for these amps, as I went to tubes. But, I keep that old XPA2 in the house, it is one of those, "In an Emergency, Break Glass" pieces of gear I feel I must keep.
The Harry's commercial made me forget the real reason for the video.
Are you going to be reviewing the Emotiva XC1 or XC2? I have a C2+ and audio clarity is a bit rough for anything off axis. Debating buying an XC2 but waiting on reviews.
Add a 70hz hipass to monoblocks (fmod) get a couple of big subs and a big dayton plate or sub amplifier and a big room. Kick some sonic butt in cheap sound
I hate sponsers but I get it. Your bit was the best one I have seen. Well done.
I just ordered the marantz steteo 70s, will i be happy?
were you using the single power with shared power cable or separate power for each amp? another channel reviewer had distortion problem quite obvious when he used one power supply, but it was fixed when used separate power supplies
He said he was using the single power supply with the splitter. Maybe Fosi has already fixed the buzz issue that was occurring with earlier units.
Hoping you would compare the XLR and RCA outputs. My ZA3 with 3 Sparko's opmaps XLR output sounds way better than the RCA outputs. If possible could you please A/B the outputs on the ZA3 and the Z3 mono blocks. Being the owner of the Z3 and the ZA3 with 3 Sparko's opamps some A/B testing of the XLR/RCA outputs would be helpful for persons who might be considering purchasing the Z3 monoblocks.
Nice job with the sponsor Randy! these amps are that good for $300 a pair? What a time to be alive!!!
I'm not so sure about that... there's a ton of hype around these days. Remember when the XTZ Edge A2-300 was heavily hyped? It's pretty good (perhaps better than this? And also quite affordable), but there are better amps. Saboton sounds terrible on the XTZ, while a NAD C298 makes it much more listenable. On my Benchmark AHB2 it actually sounds good. There are differences.
That being said, I'd be curious to buy this (well, I'd prefer a stereo variant at a lower price tag) to power my rears, but I'd absolutely connect my fronts to them to see how good the Ti-amps actually are.
It’s closer to $220 for a pair. I backed the a kickstarter campaign for three of these with three 48v PSUs and added three RCA cables so I can run these off my Denon AVR to power LCR channels. Was $360ish with the cables, around $330 for three without the cables
So obviously you need a preamp to control volume. What did you hook them up to? Does it fine with two power supplies?
He says in the video
Hi ! I bought two ZA3 two months ago and I love them. But these V3 Mono looks fantastic with the auto off and no volume knob. Are they sonically better than the ZA3 ? Should I sell my ZA3 to buy these ??? Thanks !
I did the same and wondering the same too... do I upgrade!?!
I was hoping for something like this, though not a mono variant. Give me an affordable stereo power amp so I can power my rear speakers. The regular V3 has the problem that it has a volume knob...
Sill the best audio Man to Watch. Thanks for making it still entertaining event though i have a good setup. Or do i ?
I ordered a pair of ZA3 with 48v psu for mono. Haven’t opened them. Wondering what to do..
Sell them, get the V3 Mono's. No load dependency, signal autodetect. No volume knob.
Yes we need the balanced PreAmp. I don’t like a single power supply for 2 amps with a split cable 😂, its like have a single amp. In other channel mentioned the noise of that power supply. I tested 2 V3s to supply power for a bi wire speakers and was awesome. Try that and compare, i believe its cheaper and more balanced sound. Did you find something different in soundstage?. 🤦🏻♂️please don’t say the soundstage was awesome listening electronic music produced by a synthesizer!
What is the continuous power rating for 8ohm at 20hz-20khz, 2 channels driven? So I can compare that with what my avr produces.
These are monobloc so it’s just one channel driven and the Fosi website says 120w at 8ohm with the 48v PSU
What app are you using to measure dB? I have my SSCS5 speakers connected. Testing different amps.
decibel X
Just shaved... Harry's 5 blade of course and this pops up! Love it, great channel!
Would anyone recommend an outdoor amplifier, 4 channel, WiFi, AirPlay, Bluetooth ? I have 4 DT AW650 speakers to power.
Hi, i use an old Denon PMA 560 with Wharfedale evo 4.1 and when its on but not playing music you can hear a kind of noise like "sssss"
What can i do to stop it?
Thanks
For sharing my experience...I had the same problem when connected to TV.I selected to the other sources but no "ssss".I changed a new rca cables to TV and it solved!...Hope it be useful.
Heavy on the "Pimp My ride/Cribs" vibe 😗
This is going in the right direction though I'd rather see a dual mono design like this in a 3/4 or full sized component chassis with the PS built in because what good is one and at this kind of power the small foot print doesn't make any sense. Also I really hope Fosi has a pre-amp coming to pair with this, 3-4 inputs, subwoofer out and a remote would be perfect.
Copenhagen wow we are rocking it old school! That was my Dad's poison of chooice for many many years! I did not know it was still a thing in 2024! LOL
What would you recommend for polk r700 speakers?
I don't have much choice in my part of the planet... And I seen these in the guitar shop, i think they would be nice for my size of the room and my type of music 😁
Not these. They might clip and damage your $$$$ Polks.
I hate ads. However, the Harry’s ad was better than any ad during the last Superbowl. Very amusing and actually watched the whole thing.
Staging then side-by-side = blocking air vents?
Much for Free Range Pomeranian Taco? Also.. How does this compare to the Topping LA90 ??
What is the song playing at 7:56?
So...how does this compare to a schiit gjallarhorn or other higher end stuff?
Can i use a pair of those straight with a Wiim Pro Plus or do i need a pre amp for volume control?
You need a pre-amp. If you want to regulate the volume at any rate.
Fosi audio is Class D king
For 13 years I've been living with a Crown XLS class D amp and have been happy with it. In a musical sense, has the state of the Class D art advanced substantially with the advent of these little Chi Fi amps? Would they be musically superior? I've been thinking of trying the Fosi ZA3. Do these new monoblock Fosi's make even more sense?
Get a Schitt Vidar you'll never look at the crown again. If you need the DSP, get a little mini dsp box. I had XLS1002s on my surround channels for a bit. Ultimately swapped them for Vidars and the clarity and dynamics are much better. You'll find that the Schitt amps have that deep black noise floor like you get with pro audio class Ds or studio grade AB pwr like Bryston.
@@ELcinegatto87 What is a DSP? Those little class d Chinese amps like the Fosi's?
Hey, now that I'm thinking about this: What other device would do a better job of amplification, at any price, below the tested output of 88 dB? I'm literally thinking this is the best dB/$ (full stop) at any price, no? (I'm assuming I will get heat sink off Amazon for $-nothing.) The only other value-added component in the chain is the DAC, right? (Wall power...DAC...Fosi... speakers.)
Better job at amplication? Benchmark AHB2. Yes, it is more expensive, but it is as close to perfection as you can get.
@@kadajawi2But dude! That's a little more than 10x the money... But it would be fun to hear it all well enough to get picky about choices made in the recording studio. Todd Rundgren used to talk about that.
I have a single ZA3, and I was just wondering if this new amp in conjunction with the ZA3, both in mono, will work?
I think the issue will be volume matching because the ZA3 has the volume knob and this doesn’t. Probably some way to sort it out with the pre amp I guess.
He’s back in the lab! I love it. I have to be honest, those curtains in his living room scare me. I’m afraid my wife will see me watching the video and get ideas.
ha
The ad is almost as much fun as the Fosi news! 😂😂😂
I had fun with the ad read
These look nice, but i just purchaed 2, AO7 max's. Theyll do the job for now and at half the price, 140 for 2.
On the kick starter page but I can't figure out how to buy them?
What did you go for in the end?
Your neighbours must love you 😂 that said I’m sold
The usual Fosi launch....not a single bad comment despite the issue they admit to having with the noise when running them off a single psu.
As if volume is any type of test of sound quality!!
Needs xlr for mono blocks cos you want them closer to the speakers
Boss cam you recommend headphones amplifier?
How to do you buy these mono blocks?
Yes this is off topic but awesome shirt bro
I see on their page advertising them to power even bigger setups as dedicated amps for each speaker but how can the signal be splitted in 5 amps?
AV amps can use plenty of surround channels.
I've ordered 4 and want an additional 2 for a 3 way active stereo setup (separate amp for each bass, mid, tweeter, both left and right).
The Schiit audio surround pre amp called Syn for $399 has 5.1 channel pre out so would be a good option for someone wanting 120w per channel from five of these amps, and a good pre amp. No other AVR setup for under a grand (that I’m aware of) is going to be pushing out 120w per channel with all channels driven.
I would like them with separate power supplies. They could be used for more channels out of a home cinema preamp
That's exactly what I am planning. 😁
13 of them to be precise. I hope they turn out to be reliable and the QC-issues be resolved. 😉
@@quaternion Thirteen?!? I like the sound of this, what’s the project??
@@ricochet243 The project is named 'Mom's a retired blind widow who needs some entertainment now and then' 😂
5 amp or 10 amp power supply? I’m just curious it’s asking on kick starter. If the amp can’t draw more than 5 amp would you really need more?
Also, I can't wait to see the review on the XT1 speakers!
Soon
What's that db app called? Cheers
Ahhh! You push it push it!!
Odessa Texas... I understand that reference lol
This sponsorship was S tier
Even if it was made with the horn of the last winged unicorn, still class D 😂 😂 😂
Dude, you EARNED that sponsorship!
It might be interesting to use a higher quality power supply.
Ask them to build one with a GaN MOSFET.
According to Bruno Putzi “ the father of class D” GaN FET makes a difference in 100k HZ plus range, well beyond human hearing !
Hypex Class D is better.
why has no one done any reviews on the XT line up yet? I've got the XT3s and love them
soon. XT1 will be one of my next videos. probably Tuesday