amplifier My impressions about Fosi V3

[Mr.Brown]

Fosi Audio is updating its offering of stereo amplifiers: the Fosi Audio V3 is probably the first of this new cycle. Completely renewed design and use of quality components that make it more attractive and make it sound better than the brand's previous series. Anyhow it remains a product with a truly affordable price.

The packaging of the Fosi Audio V3 is truly basic and includes only the amplifier itself, the power supply and a manual.

The Fosi V3 amplifier looks slim, it hasn’t tone controls but only a pot that serves as on/off switch and volume control. On the upper part of the chassis there is a series of holes, in a circular shape, which helps heat dissipation since there is also a corresponding series of holes on the bottom: this makes the heat dissipation of the power chip more effective.

A concession to aesthetics is the second volume knob that you can purchase separately. It is bright orange color and it is very easy to replace instead of the black one. The potentiometer is logarithmic rather than linear, meaning that the increasing in volume will be much more gradual up to the later stages.

The status LED is blue and is clearly visible, without being excessively bright. The build quality seems to be excellent and in fact it is surprising that the cost of this unit is so convenient, since that it is very well built together and has no defects to report.

The Fosi Audio V3 only has RCA input, but in addition to the usual speaker output it also offers a preamp output via a 3.5mm connector. This 3.5mm output is not controlled by the potentiometer and the signal is transmitted at full volume.

Fosi Audio V3 uses the Texas Instruments TPA3255 amplifier chip for the power part and two TI NE5532 operational amplifiers that can be replaced with other performing chips, thus allowing you to refine the sound to your liking.

The amplifier is capable of producing a fair amount of power, depending on the power supply you use: Fosi states that the V3 can produce up to 300 W, but it is not possible with the standard 32 V power supply which provides only 160 W. You need to buy a different one to get that result, as the V3 supports power supplies up to 48 V.

 I tested the Fosi Audio V3 using an Aiyima A1 as DAC and a pair of JBL E50. The V3 sounds clean and clear. Even with songs where many instruments appear the sound remains clean and with excellent instrumental separation. The V3 offers a neutral sound performance that doesn’t color the sound, allowing you to listen to your music without alterations. Transient response is fast, with drum/snare hits immediate and dynamic. The amplifier is very silent: I set the volume knob to maximum by acting on the volume of the DAC/pre. Furthermore, there is no audible noise even when I get close to the speakers. The V3 sounds very good, even with complex tracks at both low and high volume levels, which is quite significant at this price range.

Fosi can still certainly improve something in this device: for example, I am quite sure that the addition of a toggle switch for turning it on/off would get better the reliability and longevity of the potentiometer intended only for regulating the volume. The Fosi Audio V3 offers great value as it provides great sound quality at a very favorable price. For these reasons I can only recommend it.

We look forward to seeing what Fosi will do as a company after this first promising step.