Maybe buy the Fosi BT20A Pro instead of the Fosi ZA3 amplifier?
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
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Great review as always. A way to remind us to keep enjoying our gear and music. Have my BT20A Pro 4 months ago and still loving it, want to take baby steps into the hobby. Love the specs and the reviewa of the ZA3, i'll be thinking about it in my next upgrade. Greeatings from Colombia.
Awesome, thank you for watching and the kind words!
These small Class D amps definitely have a place in today's Hi Fi scene, but I wish they had more inputs. Most of these amps are just like power amps with volume controls.
Yeah, or the other way around. I have a nice preamp and would like to use these amps as power amps with no volume control. It’s like these amps are stuck in the middle. Either be an integrated amp or be a power amp.
@@sean_heisler
Take a look at pro-audio amplifiers ... they all have volume controls so that you can equalize gain throughout a system.
@@sean_heisler i guess they'll be adding a volume bypass switch in future units. Still there's an easy workaround. Just leave these units with maxed out volume and control it through your pre.
The BT20A PRO preout volume DOES change with the volume control. The Fosi V3, not discussed in this video, is a fixed preout (basically a lineout), though it sounds like they are working on an updated version that changes (corrects?) that.
Gotcha. Thanks for the correction!
I think it’s more so meant as a sub out
Hi, noob question, would two ZA3s in mono be more powerful than the 600w TB10D?
Very interesting video!
hello,
I own a Fosi BT20A Pro, the minijack sub output is variable when I turn the Fosi main volume Knob. I use this output connected to a Crown XLS 1502 with two 15" sub.
Great video. Subbed. The ZA3 just looks like a more serious product for what that's worth. (A lot actually) I'm building some various speakers and will need a flexible system in my workshop to try them out. The budget is flexible. I'm just interested in sound quality and multiple use case scenarios. What unit do you recommend to get the ZA3 functioning with a remote? A WIIM? I'd be tempted to go with a WIIM amp and be done with it, but the power isn't quite there with it. I like the power rating and monobock capabilities of the ZA3.
They both use the same TPA3255 chip as their core amplifier component. I wouldn't expect largely different behaviours from either amplifier.
Thanks for watching! The WiiM products are easy to buy and return on Amazon if they don't meet your expectations, so that's my usual advice, is to just try one out and see how it works with the system you are building! Trial and error is part of the fun for me, lol.
I've been running the BT20A Pro since the middle of last year, when my mid-2000s NAD receiver kicked the bucket. I've been really pleased with the BT20A Pro, nice clean sound from the RCA input (Bluetooth as a bit underwhelming) and it's even been noticeable on the power bill. The ZA3 and its two analog inputs has tempted me several times though... the option to run both my turntable and a streamer would be nice.
Awesome and yes, I look forward to these small amps allowing for more inputs or at least someone selling a preamp that will do that as well!
@@ForeverAnalog I would love a tiny pre-amp with a similar footprint.
I considered buying the Wiim Pro, since it could provide a rca-input for my turntable. But I wonder if Wiim does some additional processing to that input.
@Porco1984 yeah and you’d need a phono preamp in between unless your table has one built in
The ZA3 is a parallel bridge and it doesn’t increase in power when you use them as mono blocks!
Fosi has a t10 that also has a decent place in their line up. The t10 was my first fosi product and because of the quality of that i bought the bt20.
Im happy with both amps. The t10 i use for a pool system with a set of yamahas. The bt29 i use in my garage with a set of old panasinc mini system speakers i had. Both work very well in their applacations.
Awesome. Thanks for watching and sharing!
I use the TB10D through a pair of old Boston Acoustics A40V large bookshelves. My friends can't believe the sound I get with my vinyl. Sony table through a Douk tube phono preamp through a Behringer FBQ eq.
Yes! Another great amp folks forget about!
I love the bt20a pro, it has great bass punch, and it pairs REALLY nice with some sony sscs5’s. For less then 300 bucks u can have a kickass system.
Nice! Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Would the za3 be good in mono mode for powering a passive subwoofer???.
Thanks.
I'd be interested in a comparison between the ZA3 and SMSL A300. The A300 has a lot more features for $50 more. It has a high pass filter and REMOTE control! A remote is nice in my office system as sometimes I need to answer a phone.
I need to get my hand on an A300. Thanks for the suggestion!
Loxjie a40 also seems a nice competitor. Pricier but with dac built in and also hdmi arc. (no mono block option or hpf though)
Out of the more than 10amps I've tried over the last 8 years i like the bt20a pro the most in this price class next to smsl da9 next to topping la90 discrete (not in that order but those are the keepers) all the others i will be selling.
Thanks for sharing and for watching!
Thanks.
What is the differences in sound quality between them?
Kind regards
Look @ erins Audio corner for a proper review of this product...
I have the BT20a pro. I use it to drive speakers for my desktop computer. It work really well. I will eventually add a subwoofer. Maybe if i have a couple hundred dollars i dont know what to do with ill upgrade the chips with sparkos chips for better sound.
It’s a great little amp, congrats!
Curious - Does Class D amps, I guess as shown have any real advantages of A/B class amps other than size and costs? I'm old school and am currently rubbing a vintage Yamaha receiver system/I like receivers as I have my computer plugged into my receiver and toggle back and forth which gives me great flexibility for my favorite FM station much like a US PBS station. I will be upgrading in the kinda near future so a big learning curve for me lately. Thanks👍
Great question and always a loaded topic, lol. I think class D's affordability has made them popular but I wouldn't go so far to say they all sound better than A/B. I still love my Schiit Rekkr and G-horn amps which are class A/B. I think a lot of it comes down to each listener's preference and since these class D amps are so easy to return with Amazon, I often just recommend people try them and get a feel for if they like or not.
I've been messing with Class-D for a few years now. I'm currently using a TB10D in my main system.
Don't be fooled by price or size.
These little Chi-Amps have come a long way from "transistor radio" sound to the current nearly state of the art sound and I'm sure they will eventually get it spot on perfect.
That is, if you level match a class A/B amp and a recent class D one, and do a blind comparison, you would be hard pressed to reliably tell them apart.
The class-D advantage is smaller size, better efficiency and a much less complex design. Take away the "audiophile" markup and you can sell a truly good amplifier for much less.
@@ForeverAnalogwhy not do a blind test and invite other people to participate in the blind test.
I want to get the bt20A pro to pair with Elac 2.0 b6.2. speakers. Will it be able to manage?
I own the Sony - STRDH190- and I love them too much that I bought 2 extra for other small room systems. My source is the Wimm Mini and my speaker are the Klipsch RP 6000m. My question is why take a risk on these class D Chinese amps while the $148.00 Sony is as good as it is at the price point ?
I did a review on the Sony as well!
The Fosi BT20A Pro is a great amp but lacks a Sub out meaning you cant use an active sub you cant match the bass frequencies with your speakers. And unfortunately it seems to me that the ZA3 is only really worth the extra money if you are looking for a monobloc system. I am looking for an amp to use with my laptop on a desk, so a small amp with BT and an input to connect with said laptop and also a sub out might be useful as I will only be using small bookshelf speakers so might need the extra bass. Top of my list at present is the Aiyima AO7 but again it lacks a dedicated sub out so Im open to suggestions if there is something Ive missed at a similar price point?
You can connect an active subwoofer to the Preout on the BT20A Pro. The review is wrong... the volume on the Preout is variable, controlled by the volume dial. Almost all active subs have frequency (crossover) control.
I'll wait for the next generation of pffb amplifiers from Fosi. (and i guess all the other brands that make similar amps)
Can I just buy the BT20A to power 2 big passive 8 ohms speakers ? Or do I need a preamp. Thanks for the help!
No preamp is required!
Pair the ZA3 with the douk T8 pro preamp.....
They should have a bear on the logo :)
The ZA3 a has to be the most misunderstood amplifier I've ever seen.
I've seen everything from trying to argue that because a class A/B amplifier, when bridged, almost doubles it's power the ZA3 mono mode should do that too, all the way to telling people that mono mode simply shuts off one channel of the amplifier and then all the way to expecting huge differences with the higher voltage power supply.
Nobody expects Joe Average to be a technician or an engineer... but lets be real, people weren't even looking at the spec sheets and simply expecting a class D chip with clearly defined operating modes to act like an old-school class A/B amplifier. As they say: "Dis ain't Dat!"... we need to expect differences in how they operate.
Would I buy a ZA3? Emphatically: "NO" ...
The deal breakers are the lack of a separate front panel on/off switch, the stereo/mono switch on the front panel and the failure to fully implement the balanced inputs for RCA use. I'm also not a fan of using the case as a heatsink, proper ventilation and a good heatsink provides a much more effective solution, every time.
If I want mono-blocks for my system I will look at the M03 instead.
What do you mean about failure to use fully implement balanced inputs for RCA use? RCA is unbalanced… Also loads of amps use their case as a heatsink…
@@Salmonaxe223
The connectors they used allow for XLR, TRS balanced and TS unbalanced connections. Correctly implemented the amp would switch between balanced and unbalanced automatically depending on what you plug in. And it's not hard to do, just a matter of a couple of resistors.
If you are referring to AB amps with massive heat sinks on their sides, that's not the same thing. They aren't relying on smooth metal to radiate heat and the heat source is underneath the casings... not on top or sides... which is going to be very inefficient.
BT20A Pro is my favorite class D amp. A 36v6a will light up a pair of 590s.
I have a 48v, even at idle, the amp can get too warm for my comfort. Heat is not your friend.
Waiting on delivery of ZA3 only for the 12v trigger to pair with my WiiM Pro Plus.
TB10D is a great choice too.
Forget about the cost of adding as that hasn’t got anything to do with the sound of the amplifiers on their own. I have both of these units and I must say that the ZA3 is the better sounding amp. The ZA3 expresses more of the information in the music. So do your homework properly and stop talking 💩.
Thanks Inspector 😂
The "sub out" circuit on the ZA3 has no high pass filtering, so it is sending full range signals to both the sub and the mains, which kind of defeats the purpose of having one.