The Truth Fosi Audio V3 Mono Power Amplifier

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[@chrisgrisdale6602]

I have two of these driving Magnepan MMG and they are very impressive for the cost. I bought two separate power supplies. I'm using a Raspberry PI 3 with a IQ audio DAC and XLR outputs. Very impressed with how good this super cheap setup sounds.

[@daphoosa]

I've been running a pair of these in a 2.1 home theater setup for nearly two months and they sound great. Plenty of headroom and dynamics. Really happy with how big the sound is.

[@milosdunjic8718]

Some of the best, professional and objective reviews on KZbin. Kudos. Love it.

[@JMMilici13]

Love to see your positive review of the Fosi amps. I’m using two of their 2 channel amps to drive 4 outdoor speakers and one of their subwoofer amps to drive the built in butt kickers in the seats in my Home Theatre!! Great amps for the price!

[@boomerscs9193]

I currently have 2 of these driving my Magnepans and I've been very impressed with them.

[@LexusAllTerrain1]

@@boomerscs9193 😲

[@jayem1826]

Which Maggie’s if you don’t mind me asking? Thanks

[@boomerscs9193]

@@jayem1826 MG2.5/R, they have the true ribbon tweeter.

[@kobee01]

Same. Driving my 1.7s.

[@boomerscs9193]

@@jayem1826 MG2.5R mains and CC3 center channels.

[@d.l.2401]

I really like your channel and appreciate your honest reviews. I hope you you continue.

[@tom6363]

I have the Fosi ZA3 2 channel ($150) with trigger control attached to my Denon X4700 to drive my rear Atmos in a 7.1.4 setup. Works great.

[@superspeeder]

Got a pair of these with TI OPA1656 op amps and an SMSL SU-1 DAC for my desktop system. Using RCA-to-TRS (1/4”) adapters to bypass the RCA input amplification stage. It sounds fantastic and has no audible noise at all, which is SUPER important for near-field listening. 10/10 for the money.

[@adrianbarac3063]

Good stuff. Would love to see more about POWERED speakers like Kali IN-8, KRK 10-3, PreSonus Eris Pro, PreSonus Sceptre S8. All truly excellent speakers... active crossovers, balanced inputs, some have DSP, bi or tri-amped.... And superb value! I've never looked back.

[@PoesAcoustics]

They absolutely can be great. The Kali speakers are very good value. Where I have run into issues with them is noise. They get a lot of the technical performance right. But when put into a theater environment, they produce substantial hiss. Many cannot play loud enough either. I tested the first Kali speakers when they first came out. I still have them. Great for the money. But the hiss was very bad and the max output was lower than expected. I had thought they would be sufficient for reference output in a 300 square foot room. I found they overloaded in such a space at such outputs with bass management. Really best suited for a bedroom sized theater half as big.

[@adrianbarac3063]

​@@PoesAcoustics Good points, although the newer Kali IN-8 Mk II are reportedly a lot better in the hiss dept. Mostly, I loved their sheer accuracy - although never needed to drive them beyond near-mid-field. But how about the KRK 10-3 ? Very underrated, and I've pounded them pretty hard wthout issue... and that's before adding subs.

[@paultravisano9403]

A 3 channel with integrated power supply would be a great value for LCR use. The only competitor would be monoprice and thiers is A/B. Otherwise Buckeye has class D 4 channels around $1000. A good pairing could be Klipsch RP 8000 F II which you reviewed with James Larson. Theyre around $450 ea now at Adorama.

[@PoesAcoustics]

Yes the Buckeye amps are a good value for sure. I would guess they could make a 4 channel version of this for half that price. Which would make it a steal. The similar priced amps from Monoprice is simply not as good. Not even close.

[@stevenlawrence2232]

Thanks for this great non hyperbole review Matt! I'm using two of the Fosi ZA3 Stereo amps using this chip with my 9.2 Yamaha to power the Atmos channels for 7.2.4 and find them really decent. I tried them as a test on the mains in mono and they sounded great there as well. I think for ht once any sort of equalisation comes in to play you can't really tell any difference between these and receiver amps at minimum.

[@dwaynepiper3261]

Am I wrong in thinking external power supplies are better because there is less chance of noise transfer than an internal power supply with much closer proximity to the circuits and chip? Is not distance the best kind of shielding? What advantage do you gain with an internal power supply other than convenience? I have seen others suggest it would be better with internal power but not qualify their reasoning. Also an external power allows one product to meet several use cases cheaper by simply substituting the power level required for that specific application.

[@bstatmeister]

I think you are correct. Really, the only reasons to have the PS internal is for convenience and looks cool/gives heft for that luxury feeling

[@LexusAllTerrain1]

WOW, I am surprised you recommended this mono block. So how would you compare this amplifier to the Crown XLS 1002 STRICTLY SOUND QUALITY

[@gregmatula9749]

I have been comparing it with a class a b crown amp and they are very similar sounding. The fosi is a tad cleaner especially around 400 Hz. The crown has about 1 DB stronger deep bass. Both play louder than my ears can handle.

[@LexusAllTerrain1]

@@gregmatula9749 WOW. I don't like the highs on CROWN XLS 1002

[@gregmatula9749]

@@LexusAllTerrain1 I haven't heard the XLS class d crown amps so maybe a different sound than the crown XLI class AB that I have. I have heard that the XLS converts analog to digital and back to analog again I didn't like the idea of that.

[@mrpres17]

I would totally buy an 8 channel version of this that's 100 watts

[@GenevaCircle]

I have the Fosi BT20A Pro paired with a Boston Acoustics 2.1 satellite set -- puts out very clean sound even at high levels.

[@EdWilsonPhoto]

i'm using with micca RB42...very satisfied

[@andyv9365]

Thank you for videos like this.

[@BobFrostV]

I use 2 of the stereo Fosi V3 to power 4 channels for my 1 chair HoverEZE setup, lol. It works very well. On the rare occasion I overload the amps, I just need to be clicked off with the volume knob and then back on.

[@ryanchappell5962]

Small (low mass) binding posts are pretty good for sound quality, especially if they are non ferrous.

[@nattydj8646]

Finding a state of the art pair of speakers for $250 to “match” the Fosi value is perhaps not the point. Rather think of it this way: I have a $2000 budget for a pair for speakers and amplification. The Fosi gets the job done for $250 instead of the competition at a price of $750. So my remaining budget for speakers is now $1750 since I am using the Fosi. And there are several speakers at that price point that ace the CeA2034 game like KefR3 meta on sale, Revel, etc.

[@satansgolfcart]

Dude, I totally waved at you from my helicopter!

[@dixter1652]

I put two of these on a Smyth Realiser A16 ... this allows Dolby Atmos of 24 channels.. the A16 also emulates any speaker made... so you can plug two of the fosi amps into a A16 and get 24 channels of Dolby Atmos, your choice of speaker in a set of planar headphones... don't get any better than that... and if you want the best then mate this setup to a couple of shakers...

[@ManCaveAudio]

Hi, why Class D amplifier is not that much popular in HT? Have you ever tried Yamaha PX 5, 500w or Px 3, 300w power amp with 8ohms with inbuilt DSP with PEQ and many more. These amp are half of the price of other popular power amp. What are advantages and Disadvantages of this Yamaha Power amp in HT? Your thoughts and experience on the same.

[@PoesAcoustics]

Thank you for your support. I’ll make sure to answer your question in my upcoming videos

[@ManCaveAudio]

@@PoesAcoustics thanks looking for your thoughts and experience on this 🙏

[@ManCaveAudio]

@@PoesAcoustics waiting to listen your thoughts on this 🙏

[@trauma50disaster1]

Over the last 2 years I've bought 4 similar versions of the Fosi and Ayima amps to power my surrounds so the AVR amp could focus on the L/C/R. They never get hot and sound fine for me.

[@JCOTV]

I was thinking in that, let my Onkyo rz50 handle the LCR Klipsch rp m2's adding a couple of those for surrounds and Atmos.

[@christopherwilson6825]

Hey @Matthew Poes great video great review it was informative and educational thank you. You can pair up a pair of Polk audio monitor series 2 Tower speakers.. if that little amp sound that good it can push them with no problem, and you're right if they come out with a multi-channel version they will definitely make money on the market from audiophiles and home theater enthusiast.

[@isak6626]

I've heard so many people suggest that you should invest in "good" amplification and/or add external amplification to an AVR for the front LCR's specifically. I agree with the good, of course it should be good, but I'm a bit confused about the recommendation to focus on the front LCR's. They are the most important speakers, yes, but are they likely to be the speakers that require the most power? In my case, my front speakers are the largest and most efficient speakers in my 7.2.6 setup. They are also closer to me than my surround back speakers and my front and rear height speakers. When calculating how much power I need for each speaker to hit specific SPL levels, it is very evident that the front LCR's actually need the least amount of power. And I don't think that my scenario is unique, quite the opposite. So, why do people keep recommending that you should focus on the LCR's? Given that you provide high quality amplification to all your speakers, shouldn't you actually give the most power to the less efficient/ farther away speakers rather than the LCR's? If not, can you provide any reasons (backed by evidence) as to why?

[@josephtronolone3242]

I like the money hawking pop ups... LoL. All about the money, isn't it?

[@PoesAcoustics]

I have no idea what you are referring to. What pop ups?

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

KZbin is full of ads! That's how they make money! They want your eyeballs!

[@mvanliessum]

A 8channel version would be great, any recommendations for a 8channel amp with similar specs?

[@MrBonger88]

I’ve been thinking about using one of these chip amps for my Atmos ceiling speakers

[@KimmoJaskari]

The 5 amp is 240 watts (48 volts times 5 amperes). The 10 amp power supply is if you want to fuel two of them from one brick. Separate 5 amps are better I'd say.

[@njrumenos]

There is speakers at the $400 range that is high value for performance the X-Bravo and the XL-S Encore, maybe you need to check them out.

[@evertgaitan23]

Thanks!

[@NicolaeLorimer]

Cool little amp

[@mediaconnect4135]

maybe Fosi Will introduce multichannel power amp for home theater. larger variant of V3 mono.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

For bad products ... if it's out there, being sold, people need to be warned. Try the V3 with a pair of LaScallas ... you're in for a treat. Price matching isn't the issue... performance matching is.

[@LexusAllTerrain1]

I am going to try these Amplifiers on my JBL STUDIO MONITORS...Keep you guys posted. The only reason I will play with these Amplifiers is because he is RECOMMENDING 😮

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@LexusAllTerrain1 I've been using TPA3255 driven amps on a pair of Pioneer Towers for a couple of years now... no urge to swap them out.

[@bstatmeister]

Awesome amps. I'm driving a pair of Vandersteen 2Cs to crazy levels with no strain whatsoever. The bass control is incredible, as well.

[@LexusAllTerrain1]

@@bstatmeister Love Vandersteen speakers.

[@roberthiggs9892]

I purchased the fosi v3 monos on kickstarter. I am only able to compare them to my trusty Spectral amps. They perform very well. Anyone that dismisses these as cheap Chinese class d equipment probably hasn't listened to them.

[@robertschlechter4407]

How would the sound quality of two Fosi V3 mono amps compare to the Marantz MM7025 stereo power amp? In other words, is it worth replacing the Marantz with them?

[@mediaconnect4135]

Interesting. my friend had Fosi V3 Stereo vs Maratntz MM7025. this case Marantz MM7025 Far better.

[@robertschlechter4407]

@@mediaconnect4135 I appreciate the answer. Thx.

[@Victor-i4g4u]

I heard the amps run hot is this true?

[@KimmoJaskari]

I've seen numbers like 55 degrees C which is warm, but we are talking about dissipating heat from 240 watts of power. The chips can handle that (PC processors, by way of comparison, can hit 80 or 90).

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

The Fosi V3 in stereo is a World -beater amp. Look out all you makers of four and five figure amps!

[@ryanschipp8513]

You mention a speaker to pair up with this amp on the cheap that measures and sounds great....Gene gave the Infinity Primus P363's tons of praise back in the day. Can be had for around $300 on the used market:)

[@lehsu]

Appreciate your review, but it would be better if you take a few moments to edit out you looking for price on your phone and the helicopter 🚁, lol. Again, good review. Thx

[@PoesAcoustics]

Oh hah actually I thought my wife was going to edit that out. Whoops.

[@uribar-ner5055]

What about the polarity issues?

[@PoesAcoustics]

“For V3 MONO units purchased on or after August 2nd, 2024: The output polarity of V3 MONO has been revised. You can connect your speaker terminals normally without reversing the polarity. For V3 MONO units purchased before August 2nd, 2024: Using two V3 Monos together won't cause any phase issues.” My units didn’t have the issue so it’s not a problem. It’s also not a big deal. You simply reverse the polarity when. Wiring it. It doesn’t hurt anything. But as noted, mine didn’t have the issue.

[@NakeanWickliff]

Kali Audio LP6 might be a decent enough speaker to hang but it doesn't make sense since it's an active speaker.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

Sinad doesn't matter for the consumer, unless the sinad numbers are horrible and Those products just don't make it to market.

[@BobFrostV]

It does. I am sometimes close to my tweeters, and less hiss is welcome. Good sinad is good design. Clearly it can be done cheap so it should be a requirement.

[@Pete.across.the.street]

@@BobFrostV what sinad = no hiss from tweeter? If you don't know the number, sinad is useless for telling that it will hiss or not . Good sinad doesn't mean that it sounds any good. It may suggest a good design

[@milosdunjic8718]

@@Pete.across.the.streetit really depends on what speakers you are trying to power with the amp … efficient speakers (89db & above) require much higher amp sinad (100db or higher, or 0.001% thd+n), for hissing not to be audible … for 85db speaker efficiency or below, you can probably get by with sinad of 80 db (i.e. thd+n of 0.01%) or higher. Just my 2c

[@milosdunjic8718]

Easy THD+N to SINAD conversion 100%=0dB 10%=20dB 1%=40dB 0.1%=60dB 0.01%=80dB 0.001%=100dB 0.0001%=120dB

[@Pete.across.the.street]

@@milosdunjic8718 yeah, it will vary by speaker. But does a 100 sinad guarantee that you will get zero hiss from your tweeter? It might be somewhat correlated to less hiss, but I don't think it tells the whole story.

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

$280 a pair with the 48 volt power supply.

[@Nightjar726]

My issue with all these products is that , they are almost disposable and factoring in the shipping which burns fuel and pollutes out oceans also fills our landfills like crazy with all these super cheap products. All of it is bad for the environment. We need to make more ‘ stuff’ onshore to stop this huge pollution of shipping and landfills.

[@RandomShart]

Shipping argument is valid but I don't understand why they would be considered disposable, Vs any other amplifier, made anywhere else in the world. It surely just comes down to reliability and longevity and we won't know much about that for at least a few years.

[@Nightjar726]

@@RandomShart well the customer accounts of how many units are either faulty or break down is relevant. But my main point is the shipping which highly polluted as ships use diesel, and since China is still regarded as a developing nation by the WTO, they don’t have the same policies on even how much their factories pollute and where they dump their waste. Not to mention the literal slave labor they have. I blame the west first and foremost for exploiting that. But China is no better. Just look at the Congo for blood cobalt from Chinese mining companies. And our own. We say we have a climate crisis but the only thing we look at is minutia and not at shipping, poor regulated factories in China and exploited labor. What are we doing?? Would you be ok with buying a product made in the US knowing the factory pollutes and/or has lax regulations on manufacturing and dumping? No. So why are we ok with it being done elsewhere? Because we can’t see it?

[@JosephTongret]

There's been a narrative pushed recently that a reviewer getting compensated by the manufacturer is one of the ultimate sins and I just don't agree. If you're transparent about it then it's a non issue in my opinion. Somebody has to pay for your time and effort and in the age of free media consumption there just isn't a significant number of people willing to bear the financial load of that, especially in the niche community of serious audio enthusiasts. Let's be honest, it's not as if any of these manufacturers are willing to pay the kind of money to make anyone with good values abandon them anyway!

[@PoesAcoustics]

I look at it differently. Everyone’s sending us gear and paying for trips. How can you be biased when it comes from every direction. Especially since after a while it loses its appeal. It’s a job at the end of the day. As for being honest, for what it’s worth, we are required by law to disclose if we received anything in exchange for a video or review.

[@simpsonbergman2185]

@@PoesAcoustics The glamor of receiving new gear regularly likely wanes with time :) Keep it fun!

[@richardgrant418]

“The Truth about …” Who has been telling any lies or falsehoods?

[@LexusAllTerrain1]

Great amplifier very clean, but it gets too HOT and heat kills electronics. And good for up to 85db's on my JBL STUDIO MONITORS with 93 sensitivity. They lose their composure. Not good for HOME THEATER at Reference levels. Recommended ONLY if you play at LOW LEVELS. Or you are low on FUNDS.

[@markdi2]

If your JBL studio monitors have 93 DB at 1 watt 1 meter sensitivity then you should be able to use one of these amplifiers to play a lot louder than 85 db because that should take far less than 1 watt to do

[@LexusAllTerrain1]

@@markdi2 I felt strained at 105 db's. But to be honest ..I didn't like the heat! So I returned. Great sound comparable to my Musical Fidelity M6x 250.5 5 Channel Class A/B Power Amplifier. For a fraction of the price .

[@howardskeivys4184]

Yeh, the product’s cheap enough, but, if I were to use it to replace my A//B class amplification, I’d need to upgrade my central heating system, so there would be no financial gain!

[@trumptardtearcollector9867]

That's funny makes me think my Marantz AVR is in a room that's not on my Central heating system because it has a wood burning stove. It's in a tight spot too so I have a fan that sits on top and blows the hot air out the front.

[@michaelcampbell9459]

These get just as hot as my old A/B Anthem MCA50 did before selling it and keeping these. Not too hot to touch but you wouldn't want to leave your hand on them.

[@robertjermantowicz-uw3iw]

The "golden ears" crowd won't like it! Too cheap, made in China, no bling-encrusted case ...

[@PoesAcoustics]

Hah oh well. Can’t win them all. It’s a good amp. The fact that it’s cheap is not really my concern. I mean look, I wouldn’t use it in my projects. I wouldn’t want to chance premature failure. Plus all those power supplies. But it’s a really good amp.

[@itisjustacomment]

They fibbed about the v3 stereo, saying it was 300watts per channel . Yet people who bought these and tested them, such as audio masters class said 100 watts and its distortion. So we are looking at 65watts to 75 max . Seems channels who want to grow or want views, so don't want to cut off freebies or just get paid. I told a lot of fibs about said amp . I'm so sorry I took everything with the pinch of salt from now on , sadly . It's worrying when if a reviewer says something bad or criticises some are sueing or the normal thing to do is not send out products again . This means reviewers miss out on new releases before the market or incentives to sell products. It's catch 22, but as a watcher, i lost trust a lot when these cheap class Ds .

[@wbm4848]

Those data are alle from Ti (3255) and the Chinese just use them as supplied. I would care less about this. If interested in the "truth" read ASR 🙂

[@frankd.b.9233]

Try the LOXJIE A40 Audio Power Amplifier and Ear Amplifier All-in-One Machine, MA5332MS Chip NJW194, Vinyl Phonograph Input, EQ Mode, 5 Filters Available, Bass Output, Bluetooth 5.1, with Remote Control + Heco Aurora 300 - Black / Ebony - Bookshelf Speaker, Technical Data PRINCIPLE 2 way bookshelf speaker, bass reflex SENSITIVITY (2.8V/1M) 90 dB IMPEDANCE 4 - 8 Ohms CROSSOVER FREQUENCIES 3.300 Hz POWER HANDLING (RMS/MAX) 80 / 150 watts FREQUENCY RESPONSE 32 - 42.500 Hz RECOMMENDED AMPLIFIER OUTPUT 20 - 150 Watts DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) Cabinet: 195 x 357 x 315 mm Dimensions (wxhxd), incl. terminal and feet: 195 x 357 x 333 mmsee ya

[@RandomShart]

Looks a really nice little do-it-all amp that A40. I almost bought one just out of interest but I decided I need to stop buying more amps that I don't need 😂

[@frankd.b.9233]

@@RandomShart If you don't need it you certainly shouldn't buy it, but then you don't know what is best for you, sell all the ones you don't want too lol;l

[@d.l.2401]

Thanks!

[@PoesAcoustics]

Thank you for your support