Fosi Audio ZA3 - Balanced Stereo & Mono Speaker Amp for $125? - Honest Audiophile Impressions
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- Purchase:
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15% off promo code：FAZA3MKT15 (This code will expire on 27th December)
A BIG thank you to Fosi Audio for providing the ZA3 for review, much appreciated. The ZA3 is a balanced speaker amplifier with stereo and mono modes for only $125. How does it compare to the SMSL AO300?
I am not a professional sound engineer, producer, musician, or vocalist, etc. I have not done any scientific research, measurements, or in-depth testing of any kind; just my own listening, comparing and internet reading/research. I have limited, real-life experience with recording, mixing and mastering gear. I have been involved since my teenage years with various churches as an amateur sound booth technician.
Please take these thoughts, opinions and reasonings as just that, my honest audiophile thoughts, opinions and reasonings.
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Woopsies, the mic is showing up top. Oh well, the voice wasn't willing to endure another take. I had to move the mic closer so that you could hear me better as my voice is very weak after a week plus of illness.
Cool. Glad you like Apple music.
Thank you for review. It's amazing what we can get for very little these days. That is very nicely designed and for the money a bargain.
Absolutely 💯
Thanks, its a pleasure to listen your reviews
You're welcome, my pleasure. Glad you enjoy the channel content.
Oh my, if I wasn't watching you, I wouldn't recognize your voice. You really do have a 'hitch in your get-a-long'!!! This amp sounds interesting, and I might have a need for it. Thanks for another great comprehensive review. If we don't hear from you again, have a wonderful Christmas. 🙂❤
Yeah the ZA3 would be great for a second room setup.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well
Incredible amp .. Will soon be ordering two more + an Atmos/DTS Preamp to expand my 2.1 setup into 5.1 surround. It drives my Kef speakers better than integrated amps that cost 5 times as much. So much effortless power/dynamics. Can't wait to get the full HT experience with these bad boys as the muscle.
Awesome 😎 Glad you enjoy them.
Would you still recommend the Periodic Audio Rhodium? I was looking at some $20 Chi-Fi and amazon options for my laptop to power my Xenns Mangird Top and my main concern was it being too loud on windows.
Would love to hear your recommendations.
Yeah the Rhodium is a solid performer that I still enjoy.
GM ☕️
I think you need a little tea 🫖 and honey 🍯 for those pipes of yours.
Listening and grinding away .
If I was to do another “stereo system “ ..I’d give this an honest try .
Best of the Christmas 🎄 season to you and yours.
Take care .
Tea and honey have replaced my coffee as of late.
Yeah the ZA3 would be great for a second system.
The knob matches the Klipsch speakers :)
Indeed 👍
Hi Dave. Just received this amp after seeing many positive reviews. Im using 6 ohm polk audio speakers and have hooked up my turntable, cd player and tuner yet im finding i have to turn the volume to max to drive my speakers. My other amps are HK integrated and Yamaha surround sound amp have no problem driving my speakers.
Sorry to hear that. I'm not a speaker guru nor am I very experienced with speaker amps. I had no issues driving my Wharfdale D310 and Martin Logan Motion 15 speakers in a nearfield, bookshelf setting. I am using the 48v 5amp power supply. I also used them with the balanced input from my balanced DAC outputs.
If you are driving wharfdales i wouldn’t think its a problem to drive my speakers. It was shipped with the larger power supply so that’s not the problem. Starting to wonder if something is wrong with the unit.
@billsmith8225 have you tried using a balanced input?
No. I have never used them.
@billsmith8225 If you have a DAC with balanced output I'd try that.
There is only one TPA3255 chip in there. The Stereo Mono switch changes the configuration of the chip from 2 x BTL outputs to 1 x PBTL output.
Thanks for the clarification.
I received two this week, tested and they are back in the box again for sale. As soon as I hooked them up, detail and warmth of my sound was gone. I have AE520 speakers from Acoustic Energy.
Thanks for the impressions.
It's a typical class D house sound.
Dave, great review of this and the SMSL A0300... you have a new subscriber!
Really interested in either the ZA3 or SMSL AO300 or the Wiim Amp, for a secondary system. Are you planning on doing a review of the Wiim Amp? Just trying to decide between the 3. Which sounds better, pro's and con's. Keep up the great reviews!
Would love opportunity to hear and review Wiim amp.
Nicely Done.
Maybe I missed it in the review but
How many watts does this amp have and would you tell us from your experience if it's over stated ?
Does this amp with sub out allow us to adjust the crossover to our speakers it's kinds of important don't you think ?
If you run this amp in mono mode do you need more than one dac How does that work ?
Thanks rest that voice :)
Mentioned in the specs section of the video:
With 48V/5A PSU
Stereo: 180Wx2 @4Ω
Mono: 235Wx1 @4Ω
With 32V/5A PSU
Stereo: 95Wx2 @4Ω
Mono: 110Wx1 @4Ω
To use in mono you would use one DAC, and go out separately to left and right amps.
The sub out is direct out so you'd have to control crossover with sub if it has one.
very nice review. do you think the ZA3 would be compatible with the magnapan LR3 speakers?
Sorry I don't know. I have no experience with Magnepan speakers.
Great video! Do you think these would be good to drive a couple of NHT Super One 2.1s? Thanks!
Sorry I don't know.
I here you can change the op amps in these. They just plug in, no soldering necessary.
Awesome 👍
Id like to know how well these would drive a set of 97db sensitivity klipsch flagship rf7, shouldnt be too bad with the right preamp id imagine? Whats your thoughts?
To be honest, I'm not sure. I'm not much of a source with speakers.
you mentioned it right (8:45). the SMSL double the price and think it's because of the features. if the smsl was only with the same bare minimum functionality as Fosi at was at the same price and still sounded better.
yeah its ability to do desktop usages makes desktop setup kind of obsolete
idk how foobar and mpc sound now they might have improved just like desktop youtube
Imagine a version 2.0 with just HDMI input to connect to tv arc hdmi to control with tv remote
@TheHonestAudiophile would you be able to compare the ZA3 to the SMSL A300?
Sorry haven't heard the A300 just the AO300 that was mentioned in the video.
I wish someone would review the ZA3 while using some real full sized floor standing speakers to see how the amp reacts with producing deep bass with a larger full bodied speaker load. It isn't just your channel, but it seems that only light bookshelves are being used with these class D amps by almost everyone.
Totally understand. I don't have a setup like that with floorstanding speakers.
ua-cam.com/video/yTmcNPaAqks/v-deo.htmlsi=-mTiy6CPcpwVsXfo
Usually, a floorstander would be easier to drive than its smaller bookshelf brother.
@@enricolisk1357 that is simply not true as the bass section takes the most power and often has the lowest impedance in the speakers.
@@richh650 to reach the identical SPL on both floor & book:)
Can you do a review on KZ Castor...
Thanks for the suggestion.
I'm considering buying a Fosi ZA3 but I'm not sure if it has HISS Noise when there's no signal input. I would appreciate it if you would answer my questions. Advance Thanks..
I don't hear any hissing from my speakers when using the ZA3.
Thanks for your reply@@TheHonestAudiophile
My pleasure, you're welcome.
What speakers are in the background? Looking for some bookshelves with planar / AMT tweeters about that size.
Martin Logan Motion15
@@TheHonestAudiophile ah thanks, nice, a bit beyond my budget though.
My pleasure, you're welcome.
Dayton b652 air might be in your price range
@@crazyprayingmantis5596 looks awesome, but for that price I'd be concerned the parts are low quality. Looking ideally for a kit as I'm a woodworker, around £300, available for shipping to the UK.
good day! if i want to run the za3 as monoblocks and want to change the op amps, do i need to change both left and right op amps? thank you!
Sorry I don't know. I have experience with mono mode or swapping opamps.
@@TheHonestAudiophile all good thank you!
My pleasure, you're welcome
Yes you do
YES!! If you change on you change them all! Even if you have 2 ZA3`s all the op amps should be the same! Will it hurt things if they are not? Probably not!
Thanks for the vid. Not having a component that can trigger via the 12v trigger connector, I was wondering if you could build a 12v trigger using an old 12v wall wart wired into a 3.5 mm TS cables? If the trigger just needs to see voltage, seems you could run the wall wart from a single switched 120v power supply. I'd like to set the levels and power on remotely. Thanks again.
Hello, can you hear the hiss from the tweeter up close like in Fosi v3? Best regards
I didn't notice any hiss but I don't normally put my ear right up to my speakers.
@@TheHonestAudiophile Thx.😁
@adammrozek4276 my pleasure, you're welcome
I have one Fosi V3, also a pair of Aiyima A07 Max's, powering the Zu DW6 Supreme speakers, and no hiss or any other noise, all three amps are dead silent. May be a cable or other device in the chain. If all is good in the chain, I would check the wall outlets, make sure everything is tight in that circuit. Electricity vibrates, and will loosen outlet/switch wiring connections over time. Also, anything plugged into the same circuit that your audio gear is plugged into, can make noise, hence the hiss.
I have a ZA3 hooked up to Emotiva XB2's and I do hear a tiny hiss from the tweeters when nothing is playing.
Comparing Za3 and ao300, which would have better sound quality paired to dynaudio 2/6?
Sorry haven't heard Dynaudio 2/6.
@@TheHonestAudiophile no problem, thanks for your reply.
@danielchang9731 my pleasure, you're welcome
Seems they're sold out worldwide already.
♥
👍
I just got 1
Look forward to hearing your impressions.
I got 2, lol.
Sparkos 3306 Opamp upgrade it to beat up smsl ao3 and tell us about it.
Does the amp have to be at full till to have a decent SPL ?
Max SPL is how loud the speaker can play before it breaks or starts to sound really bad. So an amp does not have to be max volume to have a decent SPL.
Are you ok?
Been battling a severe cold for about 2 weeks. Gotta love the weather changes and flu season. Thanks for asking.
Not true mono. Fosi will clarify that to be the case.
What do you mean? Mono is mono, if you use it for only one channel it will be "true mono"
Not one of videos show it live....
What's there to show with it powered on? There is no led or RGB lights, no screen. Sound demos don't reveal accurate reproduction of the sound.
@TheHonestAudiophile all of videos are pointless
Thanks for watching, commenting and subscribing!!!
@@sircampbell1249your comments are pointless
@@TheHonestAudiophile He probably means playing music.
Did Fosi tell all these reviewers to drop a video at exactly the same time?
It seems like a targeted attack
It's a standard release day practice by vendors and manufacturers to ask for reviews to be dropped on it as close to the release of a new product. Fosi Audio asked if I could release on December 20th and so I was able to schedule.
No payments or other arrangements were made between myself and Fosi Audio. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Fosi Audio received a copy of the video same time as my Patreons and UA-cam members did.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
There will always be one hater in the crowd....
@@robertkensler2156
There will always be one person who thinks someone is a hater for simply being skeptical and asking a reasonable question
@@TheHonestAudiophile
So it is a targeted attack. Thanks 👍
Yo you may be on to something. I also noticed that movie theaters tend to start showing the same movie on the same date! This may go deeper than we think.
ChiFi? PoFi for sure🤣🙈.
Just because a product is Chinese doesn't make it poor quality. The ZA3 is a good value for what it offers. Try it before you write it off.