Fosi Audio DS2 Portable DAC & Amp Review

[jkim]

The hump shows up in traditional CCIF IMD as well, as you can see in the graph I posted, given that your ADC has low enough noise.

You are comparing apples to oranges. The AP measurements of SMPTE IMD, as defined by AP, includes noise whereas the REW measurements you showed do not include noise. And AP's definition of SMPTE (DIN) appears to be different from TD+N in REW, too.

And the Cirrus hump distortion does NOT occur in SMPTE IMD tests. The rise of SMPTE IMD in your graph is low enough and on par with recent ESS DACs'. This SMPTE IMD rise has a very different cause.

 

[torgeirs]

Here is the result, also with 0,1 dB step. Not much to see. Really good

 

[torgeirs]

So the DS2 has it's artifact but the rest is amazing.

 

[torgeirs]

It exists a lot of measurements of the DS2, but I think this is interesting. All ballanced
ADC has about 1,7 Volt in max at -27,2 dBFS from DS2. Gain on a scaler is set to 20dB gain. ADC is ADCiso grade B.
Then the distortion and noise from the DS2 is dominating.
The case are a headphone or loudspeaker system with to much gain for normal listening levels and digital attunation before DAC
The noise is 10 uVolt and THD is -100dBV.
That correspond to 1uV noise at 0 dB Gain.

 

[Saponetto]

Sorry of bother with a low level question...
Does this little device work with 88.2/24 files/contents or is it limited to 44.1/16?

 

[AJAPE]

Sorry of bother with a low level question...
Does this little device work with 88.2/24 files/contents or is it limited to 44.1/16?

It's a quality dac amp donge it should support up to PCM 32bit 384kHz and not limited to 44kHz 16bit.

 

[mc.god]

Sorry of bother with a low level question...
Does this little device work with 88.2/24 files/contents or is it limited to 44.1/16?

No problem with that format, I own donges with the same bridge+dac configuration than DS2 and all reports this to my os

Interface 2
Altset 1
Format: S16_LE
Channels: 2
Endpoint: 0x03 (3 OUT) (ASYNC)
Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000
Data packet interval: 125 us
Bits: 16
Channel map: FL FR
Sync Endpoint: 0x84 (4 IN)
Sync EP Interface: 2
Sync EP Altset: 1
Implicit Feedback Mode: No
Interface 2
Altset 2
Format: S24_3LE
Channels: 2
Endpoint: 0x03 (3 OUT) (ASYNC)
Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000
Data packet interval: 125 us
Bits: 24
Channel map: FL FR
Sync Endpoint: 0x84 (4 IN)
Sync EP Interface: 2
Sync EP Altset: 2
Implicit Feedback Mode: No
Interface 2
Altset 3
Format: S32_LE
Channels: 2
Endpoint: 0x03 (3 OUT) (ASYNC)
Rates: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000, 352800, 384000
Data packet interval: 125 us
Bits: 32
Channel map: FL FR
Sync Endpoint: 0x84 (4 IN)
Sync EP Interface: 2
Sync EP Altset: 3
Implicit Feedback Mode: No

 

[Saponetto]

Thanks a lot guys!

 

[Saponetto]

Another little question before I decide to send the DS2 back.
Does anybody knows if it works with the Android Tidal app?
Currently Tidal app doesn't recognize the dongle at all, and I am running out of options.
Other apps such as Fiio Player work almost good, Tidal did not.
Tried on a Samsung Note 8, Note 10, A25 getting same result.

 

[Viper780]

There isn't something in the App to recognize. This must be in Android itself.

Did you try another USB-C cable?

 

[roladyzator]

Another little question before I decide to send the DS2 back.
Does anybody knows if it works with the Android Tidal app?
Currently Tidal app doesn't recognize the dongle at all, and I am running out of options.
Other apps such as Fiio Player work almost good, Tidal did not.
Tried on a Samsung Note 8, Note 10, A25 getting same result.

Do you mean your have no sound at all?
DS2 produced sound in Tidal on my Samsung Note 10 Lite. I recall there wasn't an app where it didn't work (Neutron, UAPP, YouTube, Tidal). However, regardless of the app it did suffer from random sound dropouts. I've returned it and got a FiiO KA15, which didn't have such issues.

 

[HalSF]

I feel like this thread has drifted a little into fatal flaws and dealbreakers of the DS2 territory, so I just want to say that mine continues to perform beautifully and sound great.

 

[Saponetto]

@Viper780
I agree, other apps works fine and yes, I also used another USB cable, being the stock one almost flimsy...

@roladyzator
my only gripe is about Tidal android app, and being your Note10 Lite work on it, even if not flawlessly, I have to better search possible causes of this trouble.
Worst case, I'll send back the DS2 and peace for everyone.

 

[AJAPE]

Another little question before I decide to send the DS2 back.
Does anybody knows if it works with the Android Tidal app?
Currently Tidal app doesn't recognize the dongle at all, and I am running out of options.
Other apps such as Fiio Player work almost good, Tidal did not.
Tried on a Samsung Note 8, Note 10, A25 getting same result.

Can you check samsung smart things or something similar that manages audio form apps

 

[Saponetto]

Currently on my daily cellphone (a basic A25) Smart Things is not installed.
Also tried to check the configuration of the USB port without success.
Checked all authorizations of the Tidal app, everything is canonical.
Gonna perform a last check, rebooting the cellphone and reinstalling the Tidal app.

*edit*
nothing to do, even rebooting/reinstalling Tidal.

**edit**
Here it's the possible answer. It's Tidal limitation. Bummer.

 

[Jim Creek]

I feel like this thread has drifted a little into fatal flaws and dealbreakers of the DS2 territory, so I just want to say that mine continues to perform beautifully and sound great.

Yes, my DS2 works flawlessly too. Love the thing.

 

[AJAPE]

Currently on my daily cellphone (a basic A25) Smart Things is not installed.
Also tried to check the configuration of the USB port without success.
Checked all authorizations of the Tidal app, everything is canonical.
Gonna perform a last check, rebooting the cellphone and reinstalling the Tidal app.

*edit*
nothing to do, even rebooting/reinstalling Tidal.

**edit**
Here it's the possible answer. It's Tidal limitation. Bummer.

Welp I guess the end is near for us audiophile listeners it's now all Abt portable Bluetooth headphones domination

 

[Saponetto]

Welp I guess the end is near for us audiophile listeners it's now all Abt portable Bluetooth headphones domination

I'm afraid you are right...

 

[evilted]

Curious to know if anyone is using the Fosi DS2 successfully with Windows 11, and if so which device driver are you using?

I experience regular stuttering/drop-outs when I'd listen to music while browsing the web with the default MS provided device driver. It's almost like the device is temporarily muted (quick fade-out) and then unmuted (quick fade-in) as if there's some interrupt causing it. Tried all kinds of mitigations including disabling Windows sound effects for the device, setting another device to be default audio out and default comms device, disabling nVidia HD audio devices, disabling USB power management, trying different USB ports, etc.. But where my Fiio KA15 works perfectly the DS2 still stutters. Most recent change was to install the SaviAudio HD driver hosted on Fosi's site, but the issue still persists. Perhaps the stuttering is reduced with the new driver, but it's certainly not gone. Don't experience this stop/start behavior with the KA15 or the Topping D50s that's also plugged in.

Hadn't noticed the issue when purchased some months back because I was using it with iPhone/iPad and had no issues. But the KA15 has PEQ and was intended to be used with the Apple products for that reason.

 

[roladyzator]

Curious to know if anyone is using the Fosi DS2 successfully with Windows 11, and if so which device driver are you using?

I experience regular stuttering/drop-outs when I'd listen to music while browsing the web with the default MS provided device driver. It's almost like the device is temporarily muted (quick fade-out) and then unmuted (quick fade-in) as if there's some interrupt causing it.

There seems to be no rule to this.
On my Lenovo T460s laptop with Windows 10 I had no issues, I has sporadic issues on my old phone (Samsung Note 10 Lite), and it happened very often on my work laptop (Lenovo L14 Gen 2 with Windows 11).

On my work laptop the frequency of the dropouts was bigger whenever doing something related to entering password and the like, suggesting that the kernel mode drivers for the cybersecurity suite installed there was doing something special. But, it also happened without seemingly doing anything on the laptop.

I went with KA15 and it works fine on all my devices.

The people here who don't have issues on W11 aren't doing anything special as far as I know.