In my experience, the 1656 either improves or maintains every aspect of the sound compared to the stock op-amps. They won't produce the soundstage of the premium, discrete op-amps, but are excellent in all other ways.
Thanks for ruining my pre-excitement of my V3 monos which will arrive this coming week. And thanks for showing me a way to better this 2 boxes. Probably the best V3 mono block review on TH-cam. Great!
Sorry and you're welcome! The OPA1656 might not be the very best option so maybe check some forums, but with those or an even better set of op-amps (some have said the MUSES 8892 are good too), you'll be enjoying some awesome sound!
I tried all Muses02 and was better than stock opamps but I found a better sounding with a combination of opams position 1 lme49860 on 2 opa445bm mono to dual and opa627 mono to dual, the opamp in position 1 also change the sound on XLR
I gave them. Try and plenty of burn in time but I found them ABIT bright for my ears. Tried various speakers but couldn't rid the brightness. Glad I gave them a chance though
I have had for a couple weeks and placed them between my main Emotiva amplifier and AC Infinity fan. I have temp set to 80* for fans to turn on and absolutely they generate power/heat while in standby and in fact my fans turn on with everything in off around once per hour due to temp hitting 80*.
Having a little issue understanding. Setup will be Wiim Ultra Preamp/Fosi Zd3 DAC/2Fosi Monoblocks. Rolling Op-Amps, should I roll them in the front end at the DAC or should I roll them in the end at the Monoblocs? If I have the Sparkos install in the DAC does the benefit, then get ripped down in the end where the stock op-amps are installed?
Yes, that gets a little tricky because your system will only be as good as the lowest quality op-amps in the chain. Ideally, you'd swap out the op-amps in the DAC and the amps. I think a full set of OPA1656s or MUSES02s would be preferable to Sparkos 3602s in just one device in the chain.
Yes. Picked up the Schiit Magni Heretic for $59 on closeout with the OPA1656's and it is just great with the Sennheiser HD 560s. We have a wealth of affordable choices these days.
In stby mode my V3 Monos were quite warm when I first got them, but for some reason now they are much cooler in stby. Still very slightly warm, but not to the point of power consumption terms. They are very warm when powered up, similar to my original V3.
I have noticed this with my Aiyima AO7 Max monoblock rig. When new they were warm for a while then just went cool and stayed cool. Not being a scientist or particularly bright where the reason is concerned at least without some google work I would say its just a break in on the chip and maybe the power brick. It still gets warm after a while but not like the initial set up.
Hi Lachlan - I love the compact recommendations you have in your video description. But what are your recommendations for headphones or IEMs by price tier when it comes to prioritizing isolation? So like closed back headphones or IEMs that have tight seals for use in public areas.
I haven't really considered them on those lines, but the Meze Liric 2 is brilliant for isolation in a wired headphones. Most IEMs will also isolate about the same unless they have significant venting (which is uncommon). A pure balanced armature design will give you maximum isolation though because they don't use any vents.
@PassionforSound I only recently discovered your channel: Thank you for excellent content and reviews. You make me very keen on your upcoming report of “winner amp “ ( with upgraded op amps ? )
Regarding the heat on standby mode. They should be on the cool side of luke warm. I initially though that they were also really hot on standby but then realised that it was because there was some signal that was occasionally triggering it. For some reason it has improved the longer I've run them.
Thanks for sharing! I have heard from many people that they thought the Sparkos Op-amp out performed the Burson V6 Op-amps. I am currently using a pair of Sparkos SS3602 Op-amps in a tube pre-amp, and I like how it enhances the audio, and tube flavor. However, I really like the V7V Op-amps discrete capabilities, and how it enhances the audio experience. At this point I think the Staccato Op-amp is the only competition for the Burson V7V in the same price range. I have yet to see/hear a video comparing the Staccato Op-amp with the Burson V7V. That would be very interesting to see/hear. The Burson V7V has only been on the market for around 9 months I think. The Staccato Op-amp has been around for quite a while now. However, there is not going to be many cheap audio equipment at this time that is going to accommodate either Op-amp. The Burson is tall (not as tall as the V6 models which helps in compatibility). The Staccato is a big block of circuit boards, and heatsinks. So, the two issues you may have is too tall, or too bulky, or both. I have heard that there are Op-amps that cost hundreds of dollars. I guess if you have audio gear worth tens, or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I compared the Staccato op-amps with the V6 and SS3602 op-amps a while back now and felt the SS3602 were maybe the best of the bunch in most cases (although they can be a little "polite" sometimes).
You NEED to buy the musical fidelity A1 clone. Seriously one of the best amps I've ever heard. PS the A1 clone blows away the ao200 mkII, night and day better and it's around the same price.
@@ancientalien815 Always hard to know what to get next that will be high value. I woke up this AM and ordered an A1 clone. Figured it's a good way to try a class A....with a classic. This post is good confirmation 🥳
Worth noting, it does have signal loop hum with easy to drive headphones but can be useable by turning the volume pots down. HE6 are so hard to drive, I hear zero hum or noise.
Got my pair for desktop use with the Burson 3XGT (XLR). Will definitely look at swapping the op amps. Shame the Burson amps don’t fit (without hassle) Looking to get the V7 for thr 3X and could use the v6 in the Fosi. Oh well. But yeah they fit my needs. Not brilliant but good enough. In Auto mine are just barely warm. However since they are within arms reach I switch them off completely. The XLR argument rings true my theory that cheap gear will always sound better with XLR. Only with some effort and money does any manufacturer does RCA equal XLR. For £160 and no import fees/tax these are fine. Was going to use my other pair in living room but I think an upgrade is on the cards.
Indeed the biggest improvement in these little TPA3255 based amps is to get rid of the NE5532 op-amps. Even the RC4558 which costs about the same as the 5532s ($0.50 each) is better.
@@PassionforSound Tried a pair of the v3 which were ok, but not quite doing it, so now going to add a second pair and a set of the muse02 to see how they compare. 🤔
Lol be careful if you order knock off ones. I have a 2 real muses02 chips because of the preorder reward and I ordered 4 knock off chips from aliexpress. The knockoffs got delivered so I put the 2 chips in the amp, no sounds came out of the speaker and the amp started smoking a little bit lol. I put back in the original chips to make sure it still worked, then put in the other 2 knock off chips and they work! They honestly sound pretty good! Next step is to compare the knock offs to the real muses02 chip
Thx for saving me $$ and not having to get the V3 Mono as I already have the SMSL AO200MKII and ❤ it! Although I think I’ll have to be the first audiophile viewer on YT to actually explain what an opamp does to people, as nobody can explain it correctly. You said an opamp is the chip that actually does the amplification… than what does TPA3355 and Infineon Class D amplification chips do? Do you see the problem? 😅😉🙃
Lachlan, you mean, horrible person! 😂 Thank you so much for this review. I have really been hoping these little amps could be an upgrade from my vintage Yamaha receiver. I actually *did* plan a bit of hot-rodding with these. Namely, upgrading the heat-sinks, replacing the op-amps, looking for a GAN power supply, upgrading the power cords slightly (Hosa makes wonderful, inexpensive power cords with OFC copper), and mounting them on a base for good vibration control. The next step would be finding a decent, inexpensive tube pre-amp to get more depth out of them. The reason these attracted me was because of the quality parts on the board, and the great potential for relatively little expense. I'm keenly interested in a part 2, or whatever you have planned to continue the discussion on these amps. Thanks again for more and better information than I got from a dozen other reviews of these. Cheers!
So glad I could help, but apologies for damping your plans. There's probably a lot of potential for what you have in mind, but what I'll suggest in the next amp video might be a better choice unless you're happy to cut holes in the cases of the V3s or run them open.
@@PassionforSound Thanks so much for the kind reply! I don't mind running them open at all, but as I said, I'm also excited to hear your recommendations. Looking forward to the next video!
My friend bought one of those little fosi amps. I thought it was a POS to be honest. But then my expectation for Class D sound is Orchard Audio. So yes I am spoiled and a Class D Snob. His Black Ice Audio Amp was out getting modified (you need to hear their Aries Headphone Amp/DAC/Preamp). It will truly blow your mind. I saw your Dog and told me friend to feed the fosi to his Dog as a chew toy 🤣. Anyway, I enjoy watching your reviews (Currawong for that matter). Cheers, Joey G
The hoodie is great! Do the drawstrings have USB terminations at the end? Are they USB-A? That is after all the most ubiquitous and recognizable USB format. Hold on! This is an audiophile channel! Those should be USB-B’s! Nah-ah! USB-C is the new standard! Oh so now we’re just gonna gloss over micro USB? Okay so which micro USB are you talking about? Somebody get me an HDMI cable. The regular HDMI or the one for I2S? Do you have a camera? Maybe you need a micro HDMI. 😕🔫
The current breed of digital chip amps are absolutely phenomenal. As an electrical engineer, I've seen many tested and quite truly even a 100-watt amplifier costing $10 that's the size of a deck of cards can actually put out their rated wattage. With a very high speed switching power supply, you can end up with reliable gear that's the size of 3 or 4 decks of cards. Obviously, some sound better than others but even the cheapest such as I described tend to sound spectacular as long as you don't pursue full power potential. One key thing here to mention which you did though is the parasitic properties of equipment. It's actually very strange to me that something coming from a T.I. chip has been designed so it's parasitic. It doesn't take much to use an FET for a power switch that is dependent on an input signal so they're not parasitic in standby mode.
Ah an EE! Why do they get so hot? I'm lasering 112 degrees and have a power meter on them. They are pulling less than 30 watts (total) on a listen session at 70 dB SPL. The heat is also like class A, because they are still quite warm on idle. Regular V3's barely get warm. (Full volume on amp but controlled via pre) on same SPL listening and are room temp on idle. Why so hot with the V3M mono?
@@mattmiller4978 ultimately even once we're into Class-D with wattage so high, there's just a lot of heat regardless of conversion efficiency being the highest. Remember, even though they don't run at 360 degrees of operation, they can still be significantly close so they're still switched on an awful lot and with the rated wattage being what it is, we still end up with heat relative to a Class-A or A/B. This is especially so if you have them running a lot of low frequencies with some boosting. Imagine running 120Hz or as low as 25 Hz boosted. This means even at 70 dB, it's going to get hot pushing such slow waveforms with an emphasis. This is why we can run a test using a 100 Hz sine and a 1 Khz sine and even just at 70 dB, that 100 Hz sine is going to produce a lot of heat whereas the 1 Khz might be barely noticeable to the touch. Those huge, slow bass waveforms demand a lot from an amplifier.
@@JonDeth Hmm, I think you might be making a good case for bi-amping! 😆 However, what I really wanted to ask was whether the heat built up by these little amps could be from inadequate dispersion? As I understand it, there is a metal block with thermal paste on the bottom of the board, which connects to the outer shell of the amp and uses that as a heatsink. I'm wondering, if that shell were discarded and a good copper block were used, which was fastened to a nice, big, aluminum heatsink, wouldn't that dissipate the heat completely, and also be better for the lifetime of the circuits? I know that's not something most people would be willing to do, but I actually enjoy such tinkering.
@@HareDeLune that will definitely remove heat better even thought it's still convection. If you add more efficient cooling, you can also push them significantly harder aside from extending their lifespan.
He never was trying to compare it to a higher end Amp (eg Orchard Audio). But for someone in a budget and just needs to hear something decent. They work fine. Just don’t except miracles. That’s all !
For the price, the performance it gives and the fact they can produce so much power from a small, affordable box means they'll be a better option than big amps for a lot of people
High end carries its own compromises. Cost obviously. Also size / form factor. Maybe folks don’t have room for a full component sized power amplifier. Also most full sized amps do not have auto sensing on / auto sleep, relying on triggers, which limit the partnering equipment which can be used.
Thanks for sharing. I stopped after the OPA1656 example as an illustration of what's possible, but it makes sense that there could be even better sound on offer. 🙂
@@invisiblekid99 Exactly what I thought after looking up the Van Alstine's, thats like jumping in on a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla forum and saying, you Really should try a Porsche 911...lol. But hey, now I know the Van Alstines exist... 🙂
@@alexfernandez9977 to use your analogy, it would be more akin to me suggesting an Acura in a Honda forum. These aren’t CH precision monos that cost 75,000 per pair.
I have both and the stock V3 Mono is a lot better than the stock ZA3 in mono mode. How much better are these little amps with better OA, or just get a better amp to start with as this video suggests?
@michaelcampbell9459 the op-amp makes all the difference. The V3 with a nice monolithic op-amp like an OPA1656 is great though so if you already have it, I don't know that I'd rush out to replace it.
@@PassionforSound All the difference is kind of vague, can you put some kind of perspective on it like maybe 10% or 20% improvement when replacing OA? Also, Fosi just sent me the bonus OA of two Muse 02, how do you think they compare to the 1656 you recommend and is it worth trying the Muse out as the stock OA in this V3 Mono is not sounding good to me, it's too edgy? Thanks
@michaelcampbell9459 the Muses are brilliant. They should be even better than the OPA1656s. As for putting numbers on sound quality, that's very hard because we all have different expectations and different gear - both of which will influence this. I'd equate the changes to a minimum of a 10% improvement though and then scaling up from there depending on the op-amps and your system synergy and quality level.
@@PassionforSound How much improvement with new OA, are we talking like 10-20%, more, less? Or as mentioned should I just get a better amp for my main 2 ch rig of demanding Magnepan speakers? Switching OA for a 10% improvement may not really be worth it when maybe a beefier A/B amp will be better SQ. Are you going to review the new Topping B200 Monos and compare to these V3 Monos?
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Fosi V3 mono: stand-by: 5 watts each, idle no music: 7 watts, low volume music: 9 watts each.
I found changing partner was the easiest path to Revel F228Be's and a Hegel H390 to find their ways into my living room😊
It's all priorities, I guess! 😂
I just upgraded my Fosi V3 mono to the OPA1656 😮WoW incredible upgrade. Why isn’t everyone doing this upgrade? Thanks so much!
So glad I could help and even more glad that you're so happy with it!
Where did you order them from?
Did the soundstage collapse with the 1656 or was it nearly the same ? Bass, mids, treble, quality and quantity did those change as well ?
In my experience, the 1656 either improves or maintains every aspect of the sound compared to the stock op-amps. They won't produce the soundstage of the premium, discrete op-amps, but are excellent in all other ways.
@@PassionforSound What is the best sounding op-amp you've heard?
Thanks for ruining my pre-excitement of my V3 monos which will arrive this coming week. And thanks for showing me a way to better this 2 boxes. Probably the best V3 mono block review on TH-cam. Great!
Sorry and you're welcome! The OPA1656 might not be the very best option so maybe check some forums, but with those or an even better set of op-amps (some have said the MUSES 8892 are good too), you'll be enjoying some awesome sound!
I tried all Muses02 and was better than stock opamps but I found a better sounding with a combination of opams position 1 lme49860 on 2 opa445bm mono to dual and opa627 mono to dual, the opamp in position 1 also change the sound on XLR
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
I gave them. Try and plenty of burn in time but I found them ABIT bright for my ears.
Tried various speakers but couldn't rid the brightness.
Glad I gave them a chance though
I have had for a couple weeks and placed them between my main Emotiva amplifier and AC Infinity fan. I have temp set to 80* for fans to turn on and absolutely they generate power/heat while in standby and in fact my fans turn on with everything in off around once per hour due to temp hitting 80*.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing that 🙂
Having a little issue understanding. Setup will be Wiim Ultra Preamp/Fosi Zd3 DAC/2Fosi Monoblocks. Rolling Op-Amps, should I roll them in the front end at the DAC or should I roll them in the end at the Monoblocs? If I have the Sparkos install in the DAC does the benefit, then get ripped down in the end where the stock op-amps are installed?
Yes, that gets a little tricky because your system will only be as good as the lowest quality op-amps in the chain. Ideally, you'd swap out the op-amps in the DAC and the amps. I think a full set of OPA1656s or MUSES02s would be preferable to Sparkos 3602s in just one device in the chain.
Thanks for really good and informative entertainment.
Your new style has put you among the top of youtube reviewers, according to my "ears"
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. 🙂🙂
Yes. Picked up the Schiit Magni Heretic for $59 on closeout with the OPA1656's and it is just great with the Sennheiser HD 560s.
We have a wealth of affordable choices these days.
Currently 20% off right now on Amazon. Just ordered a pair myself. This is in the USA. Don’t know if this offer applies overseas.
Nice deal!
In stby mode my V3 Monos were quite warm when I first got them, but for some reason now they are much cooler in stby. Still very slightly warm, but not to the point of power consumption terms.
They are very warm when powered up, similar to my original V3.
I have noticed this with my Aiyima AO7 Max monoblock rig. When new they were warm for a while then just went cool and stayed cool. Not being a scientist or particularly bright where the reason is concerned at least without some google work I would say its just a break in on the chip and maybe the power brick. It still gets warm after a while but not like the initial set up.
Very interesting! Thank you both for the info on standby temps.
I have the Aiyima AO7 max in monoblock with the T1 Pro pre amp. I wouldn’t say it sounded smooth as such but it’s certainly lively and detailed.
I'm hoping to try one soon...
Hi Lachlan - I love the compact recommendations you have in your video description. But what are your recommendations for headphones or IEMs by price tier when it comes to prioritizing isolation? So like closed back headphones or IEMs that have tight seals for use in public areas.
I haven't really considered them on those lines, but the Meze Liric 2 is brilliant for isolation in a wired headphones. Most IEMs will also isolate about the same unless they have significant venting (which is uncommon). A pure balanced armature design will give you maximum isolation though because they don't use any vents.
I have been wondering about these.. Amir rated them highly. Great review Lachlan.
I'm glad you liked the review. They're a really solid option if you want the size and price.
Thank you for your opinion on these. Appreciated very much!
Tannoy Gold 6 or 8 inch monitors have A B amps in each monitor and they have really good review and sound amazing
@PassionforSound I only recently discovered your channel: Thank you for excellent content and reviews.
You make me very keen on your upcoming report of “winner amp “ ( with upgraded op amps ? )
I'm so glad you're enjoying the channel. Not too long to wait now for that review. I'm filming and editing it next week... 🙂
Regarding the heat on standby mode. They should be on the cool side of luke warm. I initially though that they were also really hot on standby but then realised that it was because there was some signal that was occasionally triggering it. For some reason it has improved the longer I've run them.
Someone else said the same thing about it improving over time. That's curious...
Thanks for sharing! I have heard from many people that they thought the Sparkos Op-amp out performed the Burson V6 Op-amps. I am currently using a pair of Sparkos SS3602 Op-amps in a tube pre-amp, and I like how it enhances the audio, and tube flavor. However, I really like the V7V Op-amps discrete capabilities, and how it enhances the audio experience. At this point I think the Staccato Op-amp is the only competition for the Burson V7V in the same price range. I have yet to see/hear a video comparing the Staccato Op-amp with the Burson V7V. That would be very interesting to see/hear.
The Burson V7V has only been on the market for around 9 months I think. The Staccato Op-amp has been around for quite a while now. However, there is not going to be many cheap audio equipment at this time that is going to accommodate either Op-amp. The Burson is tall (not as tall as the V6 models which helps in compatibility). The Staccato is a big block of circuit boards, and heatsinks. So, the two issues you may have is too tall, or too bulky, or both. I have heard that there are Op-amps that cost hundreds of dollars. I guess if you have audio gear worth tens, or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I compared the Staccato op-amps with the V6 and SS3602 op-amps a while back now and felt the SS3602 were maybe the best of the bunch in most cases (although they can be a little "polite" sometimes).
You NEED to buy the musical fidelity A1 clone. Seriously one of the best amps I've ever heard. PS the A1 clone blows away the ao200 mkII, night and day better and it's around the same price.
@@ancientalien815 Always hard to know what to get next that will be high value. I woke up this AM and ordered an A1 clone. Figured it's a good way to try a class A....with a classic.
This post is good confirmation 🥳
@@mattmiller4978 I am super happy with it. Even sounds better than Aune s17 with my he6 headphones.
Worth noting, it does have signal loop hum with easy to drive headphones but can be useable by turning the volume pots down. HE6 are so hard to drive, I hear zero hum or noise.
Got my pair for desktop use with the Burson 3XGT (XLR). Will definitely look at swapping the op amps. Shame the Burson amps don’t fit (without hassle) Looking to get the V7 for thr 3X and could use the v6 in the Fosi. Oh well.
But yeah they fit my needs. Not brilliant but good enough.
In Auto mine are just barely warm. However since they are within arms reach I switch them off completely.
The XLR argument rings true my theory that cheap gear will always sound better with XLR. Only with some effort and money does any manufacturer does RCA equal XLR.
For £160 and no import fees/tax these are fine. Was going to use my other pair in living room but I think an upgrade is on the cards.
Indeed the biggest improvement in these little TPA3255 based amps is to get rid of the NE5532 op-amps. Even the RC4558 which costs about the same as the 5532s ($0.50 each) is better.
great entry level gear
but a truly good quality amp
is definitely well worth the investment
Good info. Opa1622 are nice too. Philips NE5532 sound better than JRC and TI.
Any thoughts on the MUSES02 op amp ?
I only have one of those so couldn't test with the V3 Monos, but they'd be a great option!
@@PassionforSound Tried a pair of the v3 which were ok, but not quite doing it, so now going to add a second pair and a set of the muse02 to see how they compare. 🤔
Lol be careful if you order knock off ones. I have a 2 real muses02 chips because of the preorder reward and I ordered 4 knock off chips from aliexpress. The knockoffs got delivered so I put the 2 chips in the amp, no sounds came out of the speaker and the amp started smoking a little bit lol. I put back in the original chips to make sure it still worked, then put in the other 2 knock off chips and they work! They honestly sound pretty good! Next step is to compare the knock offs to the real muses02 chip
Thx for saving me $$ and not having to get the V3 Mono as I already have the SMSL AO200MKII and ❤ it!
Although I think I’ll have to be the first audiophile viewer on YT to actually explain what an opamp does to people, as nobody can explain it correctly. You said an opamp is the chip that actually does the amplification… than what does TPA3355 and Infineon Class D amplification chips do? Do you see the problem? 😅😉🙃
Sorry. It's an oversimplification. The op-amp drives the load (as I understand it) while the amp chip provides the gain.
I would be interested in what you would think of the SMSL AO-300 although it might not be worth it considering you have reviewed the AO200 MK2.
Yeah. I haven't tried that one and may not get the chance
@@PassionforSound It’s a decent amp. Bit of a bargain. The Aiyima A70 has not had a bad review yet, PFFB power supply etc.
Are you going to review the smsl d10? Smsl’s new dongle dac up to 500mw at 32ohms
No current plans, but it might come up. We'll have to see...
Lachlan, you mean, horrible person! 😂
Thank you so much for this review. I have really been hoping these little amps could be an upgrade from my vintage Yamaha receiver.
I actually *did* plan a bit of hot-rodding with these. Namely, upgrading the heat-sinks, replacing the op-amps, looking for a GAN power supply, upgrading the power cords slightly (Hosa makes wonderful, inexpensive power cords with OFC copper), and mounting them on a base for good vibration control.
The next step would be finding a decent, inexpensive tube pre-amp to get more depth out of them.
The reason these attracted me was because of the quality parts on the board, and the great potential for relatively little expense.
I'm keenly interested in a part 2, or whatever you have planned to continue the discussion on these amps.
Thanks again for more and better information than I got from a dozen other reviews of these.
Cheers!
So glad I could help, but apologies for damping your plans. There's probably a lot of potential for what you have in mind, but what I'll suggest in the next amp video might be a better choice unless you're happy to cut holes in the cases of the V3s or run them open.
@@PassionforSound
Thanks so much for the kind reply!
I don't mind running them open at all, but as I said, I'm also excited to hear your recommendations.
Looking forward to the next video!
My friend bought one of those little fosi amps. I thought it was a POS to be honest. But then my expectation for Class D sound is Orchard Audio. So yes I am spoiled and a Class D Snob.
His Black Ice Audio Amp was out getting modified (you need to hear their Aries Headphone Amp/DAC/Preamp). It will truly blow your mind.
I saw your Dog and told me friend to feed the fosi to his Dog as a chew toy 🤣.
Anyway, I enjoy watching your reviews (Currawong for that matter).
Cheers,
Joey G
They're solid for the price and size, but you're right that they're not replacing higher end gear just yet...
The hoodie is great! Do the drawstrings have USB terminations at the end? Are they USB-A? That is after all the most ubiquitous and recognizable USB format. Hold on! This is an audiophile channel! Those should be USB-B’s! Nah-ah! USB-C is the new standard! Oh so now we’re just gonna gloss over micro USB? Okay so which micro USB are you talking about?
Somebody get me an HDMI cable.
The regular HDMI or the one for I2S? Do you have a camera? Maybe you need a micro HDMI.
😕🔫
The current breed of digital chip amps are absolutely phenomenal. As an electrical engineer, I've seen many tested and quite truly even a 100-watt amplifier costing $10 that's the size of a deck of cards can actually put out their rated wattage.
With a very high speed switching power supply, you can end up with reliable gear that's the size of 3 or 4 decks of cards.
Obviously, some sound better than others but even the cheapest such as I described tend to sound spectacular as long as you don't pursue full power potential.
One key thing here to mention which you did though is the parasitic properties of equipment. It's actually very strange to me that something coming from a T.I. chip has been designed so it's parasitic.
It doesn't take much to use an FET for a power switch that is dependent on an input signal so they're not parasitic in standby mode.
Ah an EE! Why do they get so hot? I'm lasering 112 degrees and have a power meter on them. They are pulling less than 30 watts (total) on a listen session at 70 dB SPL. The heat is also like class A, because they are still quite warm on idle. Regular V3's barely get warm. (Full volume on amp but controlled via pre) on same SPL listening and are room temp on idle.
Why so hot with the V3M mono?
@@mattmiller4978 ultimately even once we're into Class-D with wattage so high, there's just a lot of heat regardless of conversion efficiency being the highest. Remember, even though they don't run at 360 degrees of operation, they can still be significantly close so they're still switched on an awful lot and with the rated wattage being what it is, we still end up with heat relative to a Class-A or A/B.
This is especially so if you have them running a lot of low frequencies with some boosting. Imagine running 120Hz or as low as 25 Hz boosted. This means even at 70 dB, it's going to get hot pushing such slow waveforms with an emphasis.
This is why we can run a test using a 100 Hz sine and a 1 Khz sine and even just at 70 dB, that 100 Hz sine is going to produce a lot of heat whereas the 1 Khz might be barely noticeable to the touch. Those huge, slow bass waveforms demand a lot from an amplifier.
@@JonDeth
Hmm, I think you might be making a good case for bi-amping! 😆
However, what I really wanted to ask was whether the heat built up by these little amps could be from inadequate dispersion?
As I understand it, there is a metal block with thermal paste on the bottom of the board, which connects to the outer shell of the amp and uses that as a heatsink.
I'm wondering, if that shell were discarded and a good copper block were used, which was fastened to a nice, big, aluminum heatsink, wouldn't that dissipate the heat completely, and also be better for the lifetime of the circuits?
I know that's not something most people would be willing to do, but I actually enjoy such tinkering.
@@HareDeLune that will definitely remove heat better even thought it's still convection. If you add more efficient cooling, you can also push them significantly harder aside from extending their lifespan.
@@JonDeth
Thank you for the kind reply.
I prefer the ss3602 to any Burson v7
In which devices?
@@PassionforSound my reel to reel
I'll take a ggod clone over D amps. My Dartzeel clone is much better than my A07 monos
Are you referring to the clones on Ali and is this Dartzeel class A/B?
Recently, you seem to like controversial headline for more clicks. This is cheap entry level gear, no comparison to high-end stuff.
He never was trying to compare it to a higher end Amp (eg Orchard Audio). But for someone in a budget and just needs to hear something decent. They work fine. Just don’t except miracles.
That’s all !
For the price, the performance it gives and the fact they can produce so much power from a small, affordable box means they'll be a better option than big amps for a lot of people
High end carries its own compromises. Cost obviously. Also size / form factor. Maybe folks don’t have room for a full component sized power amplifier. Also most full sized amps do not have auto sensing on / auto sleep, relying on triggers, which limit the partnering equipment which can be used.
The measurements say otherwise
What do they say otherwise to?
Great match with Klipsch speakers.
I enjoyed Danny Ritchie’s (of GR Research) analysis of klipsch speakers.
Great review.
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it
I tried the opa1656 but preferred the muses8920, almost same price
Thanks for sharing. I stopped after the OPA1656 example as an illustration of what's possible, but it makes sense that there could be even better sound on offer. 🙂
The amp used will make a much bigger difference than the USB cable used. Therefore I don't see these little amps, ending the larger ones.
I tend to agree, but it all depends on each person's priorities. Many will prefer a smaller amp that can be hidden away.
You REALLY should try the Van Alstine 225 monoblocks
Not exactly in the same league tho are they.
@@invisiblekid99 nope. Then again, never said they were.
@@wprimrose You didn't, but it would have saved searching and then being disappointed I could never afford them.
@@invisiblekid99 Exactly what I thought after looking up the Van Alstine's, thats like jumping in on a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla forum and saying, you Really should try a Porsche 911...lol. But hey, now I know the Van Alstines exist... 🙂
@@alexfernandez9977 to use your analogy, it would be more akin to me suggesting an Acura in a Honda forum. These aren’t CH precision monos that cost 75,000 per pair.
Fosi Audio za3 power amp + V7V Dual = BLISS!
Shhh... You're ruining my next video! 😉😂
I have both and the stock V3 Mono is a lot better than the stock ZA3 in mono mode. How much better are these little amps with better OA, or just get a better amp to start with as this video suggests?
@michaelcampbell9459 the op-amp makes all the difference. The V3 with a nice monolithic op-amp like an OPA1656 is great though so if you already have it, I don't know that I'd rush out to replace it.
@@PassionforSound All the difference is kind of vague, can you put some kind of perspective on it like maybe 10% or 20% improvement when replacing OA? Also, Fosi just sent me the bonus OA of two Muse 02, how do you think they compare to the 1656 you recommend and is it worth trying the Muse out as the stock OA in this V3 Mono is not sounding good to me, it's too edgy? Thanks
@michaelcampbell9459 the Muses are brilliant. They should be even better than the OPA1656s.
As for putting numbers on sound quality, that's very hard because we all have different expectations and different gear - both of which will influence this. I'd equate the changes to a minimum of a 10% improvement though and then scaling up from there depending on the op-amps and your system synergy and quality level.
0:57 How did he know about that statue?! I never shown it to anyone XD
😂 I can speak to audio gear. They tell me everything!
Small and hot 🔥🔥 I love them for what they are.
Love hearing people talk about speaker amps that are in super budget territory like these.
There's amazing gear at every level. 🙂🙂
You have gone full circle. From $28000 aspen fr30 to these monoblocks. Excellent job.
There's great enjoyment at every level. I love trying it all and sharing it all. 🙂
A class only, big one, no wife anymore 😁
😂
Black device on the black background wearing a black hoodie. Not the best idea for a thumbnail.
Great specs, poor tone, ok for a non serious listener.
I think the op-amps are the key issue there. Swapping those out was a nice improvement IMO
@@PassionforSoundyes! I think i saw a demo of this on youtube and i thought the muse op amps sounded better. I think it was muse? Could be wrong 😆
@@PassionforSound How much improvement with new OA, are we talking like 10-20%, more, less? Or as mentioned should I just get a better amp for my main 2 ch rig of demanding Magnepan speakers? Switching OA for a 10% improvement may not really be worth it when maybe a beefier A/B amp will be better SQ. Are you going to review the new Topping B200 Monos and compare to these V3 Monos?