Fosi Audio V3 Mono Amplifier Review

[ninetylol]

With all the problems with the single supply, I'm glad I've chosen the rationally appropriate option of two separate power supplies.

 

[antcollinet]

My ignorance, probably, but a small fire gives off less heat than a big fire-yes? Do these amps give off less heat in total than a full sized AB 300W/channel AMP? This is the only reason that I am investing. I get too hot in my Shedquarters (new family name for my man cave - where I work) with my current (pun intended) amp.

Yes, much less.

 

[Adrian Parker]

Dear @Fosi Audio

I have pledged, almost sound a religious thing to do. Yesterday was full of excitement. Today however I am now faced with five concerns:

1 Heat - ie total amount of. Videos are now showing amps as running hot. Will total heat output be less than standard A/B amp which runs hot and is large (think baby Krell)?

2 Power Supply crosstalk (noise) - per YouTube review - will this be fixed?
Will Fosi offer second power supplies if not, either free or discounted?

3 Op Amp Rolling - Why does Fosi not simply put the best in to start? (or maybe you do?)
I want flat, my dac/pre-amp does all I need from a musicality perspective. If op amp options are offered, it is not clear how many are needed, nor where to put them, and what difference they make, nor the spec needed to not invalidate warrantee? (unless I missed the small print).

4 I actually needed more amps than I was able to pledge for. 4 amps (2x2) is a start (I actually will need a potential total of 21! for my Kitchen (2), Hall(2), Lounge(7), Lounge II(2), Garage(4), Shedquarters/Office*(4) - and that is before going crazy - (crazy:bi-amping large speakers).
*Thus far, the Office will be the only place I can use them. Unless pledge can be added to? (did I miss something?)

5 There is no Sub out - so what do I do? Anyone, any ideas? (Stereo amp has one, but not the monos?) Or will there be a "Pro" version coming with Sub out?

I look forward to some great feedback.

 

[Adrian Parker]

With all the problems with the single supply, I'm glad I've chosen the rationally appropriate option of two separate power supplies.

I do find power a dark art. PS audio video, only yesterday in fact, suggests dedicated power per amp to reduce noise amplification in dual-mono configurations. How is this any different to sharing a power strip, or supply socket? That's what baffles me. Always has. BTW I avoid power amps (and mine are huge) from going anywhere near a power strip.

 

[Adrian Parker]

If you are in the UK ...

(I know where I am )

 

[SMen]

I was looking up power supplies and the AIYIMA 48V10A GaN Power Supply is priced at about 80USD, while the Fosi 'standard' 48V10 is 132USD.

This is a large variation ... particularly when GaN generally commands a premium.

Does anyone have experience of the Aiyima GaN or thoughts on this?

 

[SMen]

(I know where I am )

Well, it could have been Ireland ;-)

 

[ninetylol]

I do find power a dark art. PS audio video, only yesterday in fact, suggests dedicated power per amp to reduce noise amplification in dual-mono configurations. How is this any different to sharing a power strip, or supply socket? That's what baffles me. Always has. BTW I avoid power amps (and mine are huge) from going anywhere near a power strip.

Im no expert, but if you go the route with mono blocks im a bit bewildered you would go with a single power supply. I mean even philosopical - you chose to split each channel for pure bliss and then use a single power supply, that doesnt make any sense to me. Only point that would make sense was for convience reasons, but then i wouldnt go the monoblock path in the first way.

 

[Adrian Parker]

Im no expert, but if you go the route with mono blocks im a bit bewildered you would go with a single power supply. I mean even philosopical - you chose to split each channel for pure bliss and then use a single power supply, that doesnt make any sense to me. Only point that would make sense was for convience reasons, but then i wouldnt go the monoblock path in the first way.

Luckily, I only need to buy more power supplies to fix, and power cables clearly. Then that negates the whole Kickstarter early-bird discount. But it is ok. I guess the same holds for bi-amping, having two power supplies?

 

[Adrian Parker]

Well, it could have been Ireland ;-)

Crazy was the signup-email voucher-link not actually taking you to Kickstarter. I wonder how many people got stuck there! All a bit of fun.

 

[Adrian Parker]

I was looking up power supplies and the AIYIMA 48V10A GaN Power Supply is priced at about 80USD, while the Fosi 'standard' 48V10 is 132USD.

This is a large variation ... particularly when GaN generally commands a premium.

Does anyone have experience of the Aiyima GaN or thoughts on this?

see: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...48v-power-supplies-for-fosi-aiyima-etc.48373/ - might be out of date but looks a good source.

 

[SMen]

Crazy was the signup-email voucher-link not actually taking you to Kickstarter. I wonder how many people got stuck there! All a bit of fun.

Yes, I made it too from France. I went with the single 10A, but I'm wondering about the much higher price Fosi are charging ... I am presuming they will get these issues fixed with the single 10A power supply before they ship out.

see: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...48v-power-supplies-for-fosi-aiyima-etc.48373/ - might be out of date but looks a good source.

Thank you - Amir actually reviewed it with the Aiyima here https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/aiyima-a70-stereo-amplifier-review.52830/

This is an example of where I'd love to see a separate measurement for the power supplies provided.

At any rate - this Aiyima GaN 48v 10A is much cheaper than the Fosi 10A, but I remain curious about the ultimate impact these have on the end measurements.

 

[jvdburgt]

An informal survey of how many V3 Mono backers are upgrading from dual ZA3s would be quite interesting. There’s going to be a deluge of used ZA3s on the market in June!

-Ed

I’m actually in the market for a single ZA3. Any dutchies here lookijg to get rid of one?

 

[Fosi Audio]

Do the y-splitter cables come with the 4x amp, 2x power supply backer option or do I have to add them as an extra?

The Y splitter cables will be included in that bundle option.

 

[Fosi Audio]

Hello @Fosi Audio one YouTube reviewer is saying that there is cross-talk from the single power supply, "pop and crackle" noises - demonstrated in the video. Suggests avoiding the single power supply, as it goes against "conventional wisdom". Is this a known issue, and will it be fixed, or will Fosi give all backers of the single supply a discount code for a second? I am now concerned at a time when I should be excited. Also I am still not sure how I will connect to my Sub? There is not means to do so, right?

The noise issue currently occurs when only one V3 Mono is turned on; however, it disappears when another V3 Mono is powered on. Our R&D engineers have been working on resolving this issue over the past two weeks, and we now have a promising solution. Rest assured, we will ensure that this problem does not persist in the final version. If the issue is not perfectly resolved by then, we are prepared to offer a free replacement of two 48V/5A power supplies along with two V3 Monos as a set for you.

 

[Fosi Audio]

Dear @Fosi Audio

I have pledged, almost sound a religious thing to do. Yesterday was full of excitement. Today however I am now faced with five concerns:

1 Heat - ie total amount of. Videos are now showing amps as running hot. Will total heat output be less than standard A/B amp which runs hot and is large (think baby Krell)?

2 Power Supply crosstalk (noise) - per YouTube review - will this be fixed?
Will Fosi offer second power supplies if not, either free or discounted?

3 Op Amp Rolling - Why does Fosi not simply put the best in to start? (or maybe you do?)
I want flat, my dac/pre-amp does all I need from a musicality perspective. If op amp options are offered, it is not clear how many are needed, nor where to put them, and what difference they make, nor the spec needed to not invalidate warrantee? (unless I missed the small print).

4 I actually needed more amps than I was able to pledge for. 4 amps (2x2) is a start (I actually will need a potential total of 21! for my Kitchen (2), Hall(2), Lounge(7), Lounge II(2), Garage(4), Shedquarters/Office*(4) - and that is before going crazy - (crazy:bi-amping large speakers).
*Thus far, the Office will be the only place I can use them. Unless pledge can be added to? (did I miss something?)

5 There is no Sub out - so what do I do? Anyone, any ideas? (Stereo amp has one, but not the monos?) Or will there be a "Pro" version coming with Sub out?

I look forward to some great feedback.

I'm glad to respond to all your concerns above.

1. V3 Mono employs a unique cooling design. We closely attach the amplifier chip's heatsink to the chassis, effectively turning the entire chassis into a radiator. Additionally, we have included vent holes on both sides of the chassis to enhance air circulation. Since the chassis serves as a radiator, its surface temperature may seem a bit high. However, this indicates that the heat from the TPA3255 amplifier chip is being effectively transferred to the chassis, allowing the V3 Mono to stably maintain high power output continuously. So, there is no need to worry.

2. We are currently resolving this issue. If it is not perfectly resolved, we will offer you the dual power supplies set instead.

3. The standard op-amp in V3 Mono is the NE5532, which is known for its ability to reproduce sound in a true and natural manner without altering the original timbre. If your DAC or preamp already has tone-tuning functions, there is no need to roll the op-amp. The design of replaceable op-amps is particularly favored by many DIY enthusiasts. Among our fans, many users opt for renowned op-amps like the Sparkos SS3602, Burson V7/V6/V5i, and MUSES02. They enjoy experimenting with different op-amps to experience various sound signatures, which they find quite intriguing.

4. Yes, you can add more sets if needed. Please leave a message for our team on Kickstarter, and my colleague will guide you on how to add them.

5. V3 Mono is designed as a power amplifier; hence, it is typically used in conjunction with a preamp. You can connect a subwoofer to the preamp to setup your system.

 

[Dr. Noooooo]

I have never heard any differences in this guy's comparison, except today, even if it was just a tiny bit. I preferred candidate B.

I have to admit that YT‘s compression is the bottleneck here. What would make it really interesting is if the creator could provide a download link for a lossless or even better HiRes soundtrack to be played along with the video. I’m still doubtful there would be any significant audible differences between the op-amps or the D class amps. However, the differences between V3 Mono and the A/B and A class amps (2nd part) were audible here, for one amp B had reversed L/R channels and amp C had a tad more midrange presence and top end clarity in my opinion. Whether that alone would justify the price difference is “highly subjective“.

 

[drmevo]

We're looking forward to your sharing of comparing the two setups.

As it turns out the Pascal module blew last night, so I basically have a preamp only. I’ll be (maybe not so) patiently awaiting the V3 Mono ship date!

 

[Guddu]

When a device is pre production it is because the development is not finished. More often than not the product testing is still ongoing. It would be a surprise if pre production devices didn’t have some issues.

Pre-production units are sent to people putting videos on youtube, specially when has issues that could be tested so easy!!!
Doesn’t seem like a good idea, does it!

It is what it is.

PE. By the way, it is an observation to improve on but not a criticism, if you like.
We know what happened in case of PA5 (first release) after all.

 

[TonyJZX]

i feel like anything that isnt the least bit 'well worn and tested' will have issues like this

eg. what happened to the A70 max?

if you are releasing a plain A07 max you should have little issues but the 48v 10a dual head psu is a new thing so... expect some oddness

i give them pass for this