I am a musician. I just need to boost my Turn table volume so that my neighbors soak up some Led Zeppelin. In case no one here knows., 30 watts is enough to wake up the neighbors lol 50 is almost too much in a house. Thanks man
What might be the next step up? I would be happy but they stutter when my phone is not very far away and that really ruins it. I have a bt20 non pro that never stuttered.
I'm no audiophile (where I come from, being called an audiophile is akin to being called a sucker, a rube). But I have a Fosi V3 as well as the bt20a Pro (equipped with the 32V and 48V psu respectively) and they both sound more or less as good as the $600 ($800 MSRP) AVR I have on the opposite side of the room. I find the sound to be a massive leap over the older TPA3116 models which I found did sound a bit thin/forward with a soundstage that struggled to escape the confines of the speaker. The TPA3255 in these units sounds very neutral and clean. If you're coming from a vintage tube amp or a solid state 'audiophile' (read warm sounding) amp then these little fosi amps might sound a bit cool. I will say these little chip amps do seem to have more variability with different speakers. 8 ohm speakers benefit from the larger 48V supply to get good dynamics. However, I do feel more confident driving my 4 ohm Kanto YU Passive 4s as the efficiency of the little TPA3255 keeps the V3 nice and cool even after long listening sessions with the volume cranked (try that with an A/B amp-- particularly the "8 ohm only" Cambridge AXA). My advice is to stick with the 32V supply on low impedance speakers-- you'll likely not need the extra grunt and the current draw on the 48V when driving 4 ohm or lower loads can make both these little suckers concerningly warm. One thing is certain: these little amps area massive bargain. The V3 is about perfect for a desktop setup and the BT20A pro I use for everything from outdoor parties to garage/shop use and even movies under the stars.
Ok, so this might not be a fair comparison but I have a recapped NAD 3020 and a Fosi TB10D, which is close enough to look at the points you are making I think. When my NAD came back from its major service, which after 45 years it really needed, I swapped it out for the TB10 I had bought to tide me over in that particular set up. Small room, old KEF Q1 speakers, just a near field decent but not mind blowing sound. Now then, the first thing I noticed was the FOSI had a very noticeable wider sound stage, there was much more, I guess people call it instrument separation on the FOSI, the sound was of course more "clinical" but actually I felt it was a much more "technical sound". I have the TV and old S10plus connected to a SML D200 headphone/DAC and swapped the NAD out again and put the FOSI back. I have now swapped them back again after a week to see what I think. I guess my point is, the sound from the FOSI is far from terrible, in fact in many ways, its pretty decent and when you consider the price, well its very decent. Forget the figures on Wattage, meaningless, though it does go bloody loud. I shall see how I feel after a week of the NAD being back in place. What I would say though is for the TV, the FOSI is better by a very decent margin, its sound stage and separation is much better suited to TV, IMO of course. Have a great day.
So, after quite a while, I feel the major difference is the NAD's deeper front-to-back and thicker (warmer) sound. Of course, it's old and would be smashed by more modern IAmps, but for music, it is more enjoyable than the Fosi. I repeat my original comment for the TV, the Fosi and its wider, but shallower sound stage take it. Just for fun, I have connected a Do200pro to the NAD and through its preamp stage, to the new V3 monoblocks and it weirdly works. Given how often they push out new products I reckon you can get the TB10 for hardly anything now and for a small set-up, it's still totally fine.
@@0102studio yes, you are very right about the nitpicking. Of course they have "less detail" and "separation" whatever that is supposed to mean ( not a shock as it wasn't super expensive back in the old un days) but it just sounds nice, the class Ds as a power amp give a little of the staging and separation back, which was what I was hoping for. I just hooked up a Ifi Zen streamer in there (with the power X, replacing the iPower 1 that came with it and yes, it does make a difference, which shocked me it has to be said) and it plays really nice with the NAD too. The lesson from all of this is if you have even an old Intergrated lying around, and it is quite decent, you can mix and much for the best of both worlds, don't just throw them away.
Interesting review. I also find most of Fosi audio stuff to be good but not worth writing home about. There's something just "not quite right" about their design work. I've delved into the their TB10D to the level of doing a design critique and found a few things they can do better ... most pronouncedly keeping the output filter coils away from the big chip's heatsink. They tend to interact rather noticeably. Modifying the heat sink to create some clearance got rid of that NQR sound problem. Other mods brought out the better in the amp. Resulting in far better sound. Another shortcoming is the use of NE5532 op-amps. Not the best choice, but dirt cheap and readily available. On amps that allow chip flipping, I generally sub in RC4558 or TL072 chips with much better results. (the replacements are less than a dollar each) I haven't done a deep dive with the BT20A Pro, and don't plan to. But you should know that the TPA3255 chip, when properly implemented is capable of sound that will rival almost any decent stereo amplifier. Other than these small mini-amps you will find this chip in studio monitors, AV amplifiers, PA Amplifiers and even a few mid-range HiFi amps. Volume match them, do an AB test and you would be unable to tell which is playing. The key phrase here is "When Properly Implemented" which many of these mini-amps do not do. Do a side by side with an Aiyima A07 (original design) ... you'll get the idea.
By the way ... Small Amp does not mean Small Speakers. Get almost any TPA3255 based amp hooked up to some decent floor standers -- Pioneer, Heresy or L-100 -- and you're in for a real treat.
Yeah, since they left amp here with me I do plan to go back to it at some point. But since I won’t be cracking it open or modding it in anyway I imagine the sound will still be so-so.
@@0102studio 50 watts is more than enough power for most people ... on the right speakers it can get right freaking loud. In fact most reasonable listening occurs at 2 and 3 watt levels with the rest being used for transients and peaks. My point was that the TPA3255 mini-amps I've worked with all seem a little anemic on lollipop speakers and do much better on the towers. For example: I'm using an Aiyima A07 in my main system on a 36 volt supply. This gives me about 75 watts of power. On my desktop speakers it's kinda "meh" but when I let it loose on my Pioneer towers it's like "Holy Crap" good.
The only downside to using this amp is that the Bluetooth can be intercepted, especially if you’re using RCA input and you have it on a loud volume and then someone intercepts your Bluetooth it could mean disaster for your speakers. 😮
You chose the wrong model i guess. Looking at how fast these small things are evolving, you have to buy the latest model, anything else is completely outdated. Other than 3255 units Some others like loxjie a40 and sabaj a30a (this one is a digital amp) are great options! (a bit more pricey but with a lot more features)
Great review , thank you. I really enjoy your approach and straight forward manner. Of all the reviewers out there I listen to just 4 , you being one of them . Cheers !
I am a musician. I just need to boost my Turn table volume so that my neighbors soak up some Led Zeppelin. In case no one here knows., 30 watts is enough to wake up the neighbors lol 50 is almost too much in a house. Thanks man
What might be the next step up? I would be happy but they stutter when my phone is not very far away and that really ruins it. I have a bt20 non pro that never stuttered.
I'm no audiophile (where I come from, being called an audiophile is akin to being called a sucker, a rube). But I have a Fosi V3 as well as the bt20a Pro (equipped with the 32V and 48V psu respectively) and they both sound more or less as good as the $600 ($800 MSRP) AVR I have on the opposite side of the room. I find the sound to be a massive leap over the older TPA3116 models which I found did sound a bit thin/forward with a soundstage that struggled to escape the confines of the speaker. The TPA3255 in these units sounds very neutral and clean. If you're coming from a vintage tube amp or a solid state 'audiophile' (read warm sounding) amp then these little fosi amps might sound a bit cool.
I will say these little chip amps do seem to have more variability with different speakers. 8 ohm speakers benefit from the larger 48V supply to get good dynamics. However, I do feel more confident driving my 4 ohm Kanto YU Passive 4s as the efficiency of the little TPA3255 keeps the V3 nice and cool even after long listening sessions with the volume cranked (try that with an A/B amp-- particularly the "8 ohm only" Cambridge AXA). My advice is to stick with the 32V supply on low impedance speakers-- you'll likely not need the extra grunt and the current draw on the 48V when driving 4 ohm or lower loads can make both these little suckers concerningly warm.
One thing is certain: these little amps area massive bargain. The V3 is about perfect for a desktop setup and the BT20A pro I use for everything from outdoor parties to garage/shop use and even movies under the stars.
They are a total bargain, and your use cases in your last paragraph are a perfect way to implement this amp.
Ok, so this might not be a fair comparison but I have a recapped NAD 3020 and a Fosi TB10D, which is close enough to look at the points you are making I think. When my NAD came back from its major service, which after 45 years it really needed, I swapped it out for the TB10 I had bought to tide me over in that particular set up. Small room, old KEF Q1 speakers, just a near field decent but not mind blowing sound. Now then, the first thing I noticed was the FOSI had a very noticeable wider sound stage, there was much more, I guess people call it instrument separation on the FOSI, the sound was of course more "clinical" but actually I felt it was a much more "technical sound". I have the TV and old S10plus connected to a SML D200 headphone/DAC and swapped the NAD out again and put the FOSI back. I have now swapped them back again after a week to see what I think. I guess my point is, the sound from the FOSI is far from terrible, in fact in many ways, its pretty decent and when you consider the price, well its very decent. Forget the figures on Wattage, meaningless, though it does go bloody loud. I shall see how I feel after a week of the NAD being back in place. What I would say though is for the TV, the FOSI is better by a very decent margin, its sound stage and separation is much better suited to TV, IMO of course. Have a great day.
I love this. Everyone has a different perspective and experience. I don’t think the Fosi is terrible, for around a hundred bucks, its pretty good.
@@0102studio hey, by the way, "not terrible" is slang over here for it being fair, if not exactly stellar!
So, after quite a while, I feel the major difference is the NAD's deeper front-to-back and thicker (warmer) sound. Of course, it's old and would be smashed by more modern IAmps, but for music, it is more enjoyable than the Fosi. I repeat my original comment for the TV, the Fosi and its wider, but shallower sound stage take it. Just for fun, I have connected a Do200pro to the NAD and through its preamp stage, to the new V3 monoblocks and it weirdly works. Given how often they push out new products I reckon you can get the TB10 for hardly anything now and for a small set-up, it's still totally fine.
@@ggproductions7078 I used the NAD as a preamp into the Rotel 1582 mkii, and was great. So long as I decided to not nitpick! 😂
@@0102studio yes, you are very right about the nitpicking. Of course they have "less detail" and "separation" whatever that is supposed to mean ( not a shock as it wasn't super expensive back in the old un days) but it just sounds nice, the class Ds as a power amp give a little of the staging and separation back, which was what I was hoping for. I just hooked up a Ifi Zen streamer in there (with the power X, replacing the iPower 1 that came with it and yes, it does make a difference, which shocked me it has to be said) and it plays really nice with the NAD too. The lesson from all of this is if you have even an old Intergrated lying around, and it is quite decent, you can mix and much for the best of both worlds, don't just throw them away.
Interesting review. I also find most of Fosi audio stuff to be good but not worth writing home about. There's something just "not quite right" about their design work.
I've delved into the their TB10D to the level of doing a design critique and found a few things they can do better ... most pronouncedly keeping the output filter coils away from the big chip's heatsink. They tend to interact rather noticeably. Modifying the heat sink to create some clearance got rid of that NQR sound problem. Other mods brought out the better in the amp. Resulting in far better sound.
Another shortcoming is the use of NE5532 op-amps. Not the best choice, but dirt cheap and readily available. On amps that allow chip flipping, I generally sub in RC4558 or TL072 chips with much better results. (the replacements are less than a dollar each)
I haven't done a deep dive with the BT20A Pro, and don't plan to.
But you should know that the TPA3255 chip, when properly implemented is capable of sound that will rival almost any decent stereo amplifier. Other than these small mini-amps you will find this chip in studio monitors, AV amplifiers, PA Amplifiers and even a few mid-range HiFi amps. Volume match them, do an AB test and you would be unable to tell which is playing. The key phrase here is "When Properly Implemented" which many of these mini-amps do not do.
Do a side by side with an Aiyima A07 (original design) ... you'll get the idea.
@TSME , Calcutta?
By the way ... Small Amp does not mean Small Speakers. Get almost any TPA3255 based amp hooked up to some decent floor standers -- Pioneer, Heresy or L-100 -- and you're in for a real treat.
Yeah, since they left amp here with me I do plan to go back to it at some point. But since I won’t be cracking it open or modding it in anyway I imagine the sound will still be so-so.
@@0102studio
Give it a fair chance... 50 watts per channel is not to be sniffed at.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 its not the 50 watts. I have and love a few 50 watt amps.
@@0102studio
50 watts is more than enough power for most people ... on the right speakers it can get right freaking loud. In fact most reasonable listening occurs at 2 and 3 watt levels with the rest being used for transients and peaks.
My point was that the TPA3255 mini-amps I've worked with all seem a little anemic on lollipop speakers and do much better on the towers.
For example: I'm using an Aiyima A07 in my main system on a 36 volt supply. This gives me about 75 watts of power. On my desktop speakers it's kinda "meh" but when I let it loose on my Pioneer towers it's like "Holy Crap" good.
Sabaj A10 same price but way better sound on sale for 97.91 on hifi express...even at 136.00 it punches way above it's price...review it
Colour me curious!
The only downside to using this amp is that the Bluetooth can be intercepted, especially if you’re using RCA input and you have it on a loud volume and then someone intercepts your Bluetooth it could mean disaster for your speakers. 😮
Oh no! I have a friend that listens to death metal and intercepts all the time. That would be awful.
You chose the wrong model i guess. Looking at how fast these small things are evolving, you have to buy the latest model, anything else is completely outdated. Other than 3255 units Some others like loxjie a40 and sabaj a30a (this one is a digital amp) are great options! (a bit more pricey but with a lot more features)
Fosi sent this one, so I imagine its the latest.
@@0102studio nope. 😀
@@0102studiotssssss
Great review , thank you. I really enjoy your approach and straight forward manner. Of all the reviewers out there I listen to just 4 , you being one of them .
Cheers !
@@dannyheaton1 thank you so much, its much appreciated!
Good channel, I like your real-world non-techie-speak approach. You should reach out to A British Audiophile, he might be your long-lost brother.
Lol amazing, I’ll check him out!
I've been using the BT20A Pro with a pair of Klipsch b20 bookshelf speakers and I think it sounds pretty decent for what it is.
For what it is, and for the price there’s not much to complain about.