Fosi Audio DS2 Portable DAC & Amp Review

[Mulder]

Um, they have. The Qudelix 5K has it's own battery. It works great for me in the car (via BT) where it's always plugged into a power source. The PEQ is icing on the cake.

I bought a Qudelix 5K, but it stopped working after two weeks. I tried contacting Qudelix support. No answer. I wrote an email, asked on their forum. No answers. In the end I sent it back to Amazon. So, no Q was not a good experience.

 

[mc.god]

You probably know this but just in case, you can't use AP as the source for this device using ASIO4ALL. It will distort the bitstream. My non-sweep measurements were performed using Roon player with the test signal in exclusive mode to get around this. All USB audio devices in this class do the same thing.

it's one reason i asked @Fosi Audio what usb bridge they used here, since if it's Savitech or Comtrue there are native ASIO drivers you can install for them and maybe overcome that Asio4all limitation.

 

[ShadowBoxer]

So, no Q was not a good experience.

Odd, I only contacted them once and they responded. I've had mine for almost two years with zero issues.

But, lemons do happen and the unit is highly regarded.

 

[jasonhanjk]

Convincing my colleague to buy this as I already had Moondrop Dawn. Naughty me.

 

[Kimbrough Xu]

So is it better?

I like ESS9038.

 

[RoA]

I like ESS9038.

Me too but I also like Chord's FPGA's, Cyrus Logic/Wolfson etc etc

 

[bt3]

!!!

Why? How?

Why? Who knows?
I had white mailboxes and white wood posts. Maybe the color was an attraction?
I've seen other mailboxes which appear to have been damaged in my semi-rural region.
Thinking there are a very small % of people who indulge in vandalizing property?
I’m a get along with everyone person, so there’s no there, there.
How? It appeared as though it was hit by a vehicle judging by tire tracks that tore up my grass by the mailbox.
Have never used video surveillance and don’t plan to start.

 

[Brian Hall]

I'm real ignorant so no one laugh, the gain on the amp is high level right (to drive high impedance headphones), does this mean it's less efficient driving lower impedance devices, it'll drain your battery more than if you were using that Sonata dongle that seems less maximized for high impedance phones?

It has an option for low and high. You switch between the modes by pressing both up and down volume at the same time. The indicator light changes when you do this.

It also changes color to show what quality stream is playing, but I never bothered to figure out what those colors mean. Fosi's manual is a little confusing about what the colors mean.

 

[Brian Hall]

So is it better?

Both are good. You wouldn't be able to hear any difference.

 

[GeekyBastard]

it's one reason i asked @Fosi Audio what usb bridge they used here, since if it's Savitech or Comtrue there are native ASIO drivers you can install for them and maybe overcome that Asio4all limitation.

It's SA9312, made by Savitech.

 

[mc.god]

It's SA9312, made by Savitech.

View attachment 393365

Then it should be recognized by the same driver used by Tempotec for most of their dongles, the last in the list here:

https://www.tempotec.net/pages/firmware-download

with a dedicated control panel for asio settings similar to this

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Will see how it goes

 

[GeekyBastard]

Then it should be recognized by the same driver used by Tempotec for most of their dongles, the last in the list here:

https://www.tempotec.net/pages/firmware-download

with a dedicated control panel for asio settings similar to this

Yes, I think it uses Savitech's standard BRAVO-HD driver, but the Tempotec one was quite outdated, the one from Fosi Audio's website was newer.

Also, DS2 Spec page, you can find the same link at the bottom.

 

[GeekyBastard]

It has an option for low and high. You switch between the modes by pressing both up and down volume at the same time. The indicator light changes when you do this.

It also changes color to show what quality stream is playing, but I never bothered to figure out what those colors mean. Fosi's manual is a little confusing about what the colors mean.

Huh, interesting, it's not even being mentioned in the user manual.

 

[Brian Hall]

Huh, interesting, it's not even being mentioned in the user manual.

Terrible color choice for an online manual, but here is where it is mentioned:

Edit: Forgot to include the link.

Fosi Audio Product User Instruction DS2

Design by GemPages

fosiaudio.com

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Terrible color choice for an online manual, but here is where it is mentioned:

View attachment 393425


Edit: Forgot to include the link.

Fosi Audio Product User Instruction DS2

Design by GemPages

fosiaudio.com

It's not working with mine.
Maybe its only valid for version with ESS chip?
@Fosi Audio ?

 

[mc.god]

Yes, I think it uses Savitech's standard BRAVO-HD driver, but the Tempotec one was quite outdated, the one from Fosi Audio's website was newer.

Also, DS2 Spec page, you can find the same link at the bottom.

Nice, I'll try it wit my Sonata BHD.

 

[Labjr]

Why didn't they rename the newer version?

 

[Labjr]

Terrible color choice for an online manual, but here is where it is mentioned:

View attachment 393425


Edit: Forgot to include the link.

Fosi Audio Product User Instruction DS2

Design by GemPages

fosiaudio.com

What does low level and high level mean?

 

[GeekyBastard]

Terrible color choice for an online manual, but here is where it is mentioned:

Edit: Forgot to include the link.

Fosi Audio Product User Instruction DS2

Design by GemPages

fosiaudio.com

That's for the old version DS2 with ES9018K2M chip, it won't work with the CS chip one. (2024 Ver.)
Stated in specs: High-low gain mode change - Not available