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Fosi Audio ZA3 Amplifier Review

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 14 3.5%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 58 14.6%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 235 59.3%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 89 22.5%

  • Total voters
    396
Depending on your high frequency hearing and your speakers, they may or may not sound different to you, because ZA3 and V3 do not have PFFB, but V3 Monos do, so V3 Monos have a potentially more neutral sound in the high frequency range compared to V3 or ZA3. ZA3 and V3 Mono both have low enough distortion/high enough SINAD that they should otherwise be transparent in direct comparison.

-Ed
Yeah, I doubt anyone could hear it. Last time I checked with accurate speakers and sine waves and calibrated mic, I could hear up to around 18kHz, It's probably a bit worse now. 20kHz is considered around the maximum threshold for younger people. So considering the ZA3 without PFFB at worst with 8 Ohm speakers only has a fairly linear 1dB rise between 5-20kHz (peaking way out of human hearing and recording range around +2.5dB @ 45kHz) and the threshold for hearing a variation in volume is around 3dB I doubt it will make a noticeable difference for most of us unless you have golden ears or are a bat.
 
I used to own 2 V3 monos but I prefer the ZA3 in mono in you are going to use XLR connection, I can not said for rca connection, In my case ZA3 sound much better with opams opa2604 than V7 vivid go figure out
Have you tried your ZA3s with RCA instead of XLR? Using single-ended input on the ZA3 will bypass an extra op-amp (the one that is used to downconvert balanced input signals to single-ended in order to push the signal through the volume potentiometer that cannot be bypassed).

V3 Mono is the opposite, the extra op-amp upconverts single-ended input to balanced because the V3 Mono is internally balanced differential, so the input signal cannot just be single-ended. Using XLR with a true balanced differential signal on V3 Mono avoids the extra op-amp.

-Ed
 
Have you tried your ZA3s with RCA instead of XLR? Using single-ended input on the ZA3 will bypass an extra op-amp (the one that is used to downconvert balanced input signals to single-ended in order to push the signal through the volume potentiometer that cannot be bypassed).

V3 Mono is the opposite, the extra op-amp upconverts single-ended input to balanced because the V3 Mono is internally balanced differential, so the input signal cannot just be single-ended. Using XLR with a true balanced differential signal on V3 Mono avoids the extra op-amp.

-Ed
I am using geshelli akm4499 with 2 V7 vivid on xlr, I have to place 1 V7 on rca but I am afraid that will not be better from several videos that I sow on you tube everyone recomended XLR
 
Hi all, new member here who has lurked for quite a while. Just an FYI here. I just purchased my 2nd Fosi ZA3 amp from Amazon for $150.00 w/ the 48V 5A power supply, Model: JYH23Z-4800500-BF. Or so I thought.
For $150 I received the ZA3 amp & the 48V 5A GaN Model: FJ-GN224048005000 power supply.
I thought they sent me the 32 volt power supply instead b/c it was so much smaller than the other one. Checked here and sure enough I got the GaN PS.
In Red is the PS I just received & in Green is the supply I received in the summer. Currently this power supply is selling for $71.00 on Amazon and it's much smaller than the regular 5 amp 48 volt PS. It'd be a good time to buy if this is the Power Supply they're pairing with the amp.
I am looking to this 48v power supply but have a weird output connection with 4 pins is made for medical equipment any idea what kind of adapter can be used?
Mean Well Medical 48V Power Supply GSM220A48 GSM220A48-R7B
 
I am looking to this 48v power supply but have a weird output connection with 4 pins is made for medical equipment any idea what kind of adapter can be used?
Mean Well Medical 48V Power Supply GSM220A48 GSM220A48-R7B
One of these. Don't know whether the center pin of the receptacle in the amp is 2.1 mm (P1J) or 2.5 mm (P1M).
 
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Looks like you want the 2.5 mm (-P1M) one.
Screenshot From 2025-02-11 00-55-39.png
 
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Hello FMs,

I just registered to ask some, maybe newbee, questions.

I wonder since a 48V5A PS consumes 240 Watts - how can an amplifier then deliver two times 180 Watts (each cannel) by only receiving 240 Watts from the Power Supply?

(this is related to the above referenced spec table)

(Edit: cutted out off topic question)
 
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I replaced a dysfunctional Denon AVR with a ZA3 this week. Running Pioneer SP-BS22-LR speakers. Sub out to an RSL Speedwoofer 10E. Plenty, plenty, plenty is all I can say.
 
I have seen a youtube video where it is claimed that this product is not good because the low frequencies are not cut by the main speakers when a subwoofer is connected. What do you think?
 
I have seen a youtube video where it is claimed that this product is not good because the low frequencies are not cut by the main speakers when a subwoofer is connected. What do you think?

Which stereo power amp have had a high pass crossover in the last 50 years?

Are you serious?
 
I have seen a youtube video where it is claimed that this product is not good because the low frequencies are not cut by the main speakers when a subwoofer is connected. What do you think?
Too many Youtubers with opinions... If we ran them as a stereo pair, they'd play full-spectrum. They sound great that way. I added a sub. Does this sound great to me? Also, yes. Could these Pioneers play more cleanly without the lower octaves? Suuure, maybe so? I just like music. And I like a great deal. The science says the ZA3 measures pretty decent to be a budget buy. I'm happy. And I'm not even using a balanced connection (for shame!)
 
I recently got a Fosi Za3 and conected it to a pc as a source. Would I benefit by getting a DAC? It sound's good to me for now.
 
I recently got a Fosi Za3 and conected it to a pc as a source. Would I benefit by getting a DAC? It sound's good to me for now.
As a example I have a fancy ASUS gaming motherboard with fancy audio chips and I got a DAC and a headphone amp and other than it going louder I noticed no difference in sound. If you want a DAC there are solutions from about $80 and up for a good DAC.
 
Great, thanks. Was looking into smsl su-1, but I will probably skip it for now. Although i got a Gigabyte b550 ds3h which i think does not have a decent DAC in it.
 
Great, thanks. Was looking into smsl su-1, but I will probably skip it for now. Although i got a Gigabyte b550 ds3h which i think does not have a decent DAC in it.
As long as you’re not hearing noises or a high noise floor, you’re fine. I remember years ago hearing all sorts of noise and artifacts from my PC sound card, as if poorly grounded or something.

Sound Blaster 16 Pro!

-Ed
 
Great, thanks. Was looking into smsl su-1, but I will probably skip it for now. Although i got a Gigabyte b550 ds3h which i think does not have a decent DAC in it.
The newer model is better, newer and available. Recently reviewed here @ ASR. Very good review and the price is great.
 
I have a couple of the ZA3s, purchased a few weeks ago. As noted by a prior post, the ZA3s now come with Fosi's 48v 5a, GAN power adapter.

Also, I noticed on the Fosi Audio website, that some customers were using the 48v 10a, GAN adapter, in a 1:1 relationship, with the ZA3s set to mono. I found the Aiyima equivalent for much less on Amazon. In an A/B testing (with my Wiim Ultra set to mono), there's a noted (for my tastes) improvement, in increased note weight, when comparing one mono with the 48v 10a & the other ZA3 mono using the Fosi 48v 5a GAN adapter.

I don't have a Fosi 10a to compare with, but I can say that the Aiyima adapter does not require a filter; it's dead silent, between songs.
 
Hello there,
can someone tell me if the Fosi ZA3 is an improvement against my current setup?

Current setup is Project-Audio DS2 Amp Box -> Polk ES60

I use the Power Amp for Music (Wiim Ultra) and on the Front PreOuts from the Marantz Cinema 70s for Movies. I think the Project-Audio Speaker Noiselevel is kinda extreme. So compared with each other, would be the Fosi ZA3 better as the Project-Audio DS2 Amp Box Noiselevel- and Powerwise?

Sorry for my bad english ;)
 
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