Fosi Audio ZD3 Balanced DAC Review

[CedarX]

Thinking about Fosi opamps genre-based recommendations… The ZD3 is actually a terribly bad design: if my next track is a different musical genre, I have to stop listening, get my toolbox, open up the ZD3, swap the opamps, re-assemble and re-connect everything before starting the next track…!!!???

I also have a few Chinese traditional music tracks for which there is no opamp recommendations: I can’t play these on the ZD3…???

Really, I shall buy a DAC that can play every musical genre with no issue and no opamp swap, rather than this very inconvenient (staying polite) ZD3… I changed my rating to “Poor”.

 

[Romario]

Assuming I watch the same video you suggested, Audio Masterclass doesn’t explain anything: yes, there are spec differences between these opamps… But how do these differences relate to actual, measurable, audible characteristics and how do they create “signature” differences? And in the end, what is the basis to recommend opamp A for genre X?

The title of the video gives it away. The calculations say the rest. But my take is maybe not yours. It's just an explanation on differences. For more "oomph" and "slam" this isn't the youtuber you want to follow.

 

[CT Man]

We need basic smoke testing of the HDMI, not just from an audio quality perspective but to confirm its basic functionality with the TV.
Many of these devices have bugs in these simple features.

The following three questions should serve as a checklist:

- Does the device turn on and off automatically?
- Can the volume be adjusted (CEC)?
- Are there any noticeable sound issues?

FYI here's the user manual: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2251/7913/files/ZD3_User_Manual.pdf

If the input mode is set to "HDMI" then CEC can turn the ZD3 on/off. If set to another input it will only turn on/off automatically through the 12v trigger.

My questions and Fosi's replies are below. Hats off to them for a timely and meaningful response.

Questions:
*** Will the ZD3 turn on/off and switch to the HDMI input through CEC controlled by a television?
*** Can the ZD3 be set to switch automatically to any input with an active signal?
*** Can the ZD3 remember separate volume levels for each input?
*** Does the ZD3 have signal sensing both for turning on and for entering Standby mode?

1. Only in HDMI (ARC) Input Mode: Synchronized power control can only be initiated by the device sending the signal. The ZD3 cannot control the power of the output device synchronously.
2. You will need to switch modes either using the unit itself or the remote control.
3. It does not have a volume memory function for each input.
4. No, you can use the trigger output from an external device to turn on the ZD3 automatically.

 

[Bleib]

Thinking about Fosi opamps genre-based recommendations… The ZD3 is actually a terribly bad design: if my next track is a different musical genre, I have to stop listening, get my toolbox, open up the ZD3, swap the opamps, re-assemble and re-connect everything before starting the next track…!!!???

I also have a few Chinese traditional music tracks for which there is no opamp recommendations: I can’t play these on the ZD3…???

Really, I shall buy a DAC that can play every musical genre with no issue and no opamp swap, rather than this very inconvenient (staying polite) ZD3… I changed my rating to “Poor”.

Since we have DACs which can simulate transistor and valve why not DACs which can simulate different opamps?

 

[CedarX]

The title of the video gives it away. The calculations say the rest. But my take is maybe not yours. It's just an explanation on differences. For more "oomph" and "slam" this isn't the youtuber you want to follow.

I’m surprised he didn’t talk about the size & weight of these opamps: these are obvious differences, and who knows… they may contribute as much to audible differences than the other spec characteristics he mentioned…

 

[Kimbrough Xu]

But in order to "hear" those differences, audiophiles first have to be told what those differences are!

After all, if audiophiles only believed in their own personal perception, we wouldn't have the "AKM velvet-y sound" or the "ESS harshness" or the "Analog feel of R2R DACs".

Maybe a DAC with both ESS and AKM chips is a good idea, you can switch between ESS and AKM when hearing different music.

 

[WalterW]

It looks like Topping and SMSL have a new rival.

 

[Ropeburn]

I’m surprised he didn’t talk about the size & weight of these opamps: these are obvious differences, and who knows… they may contribute as much to audible differences than the other spec characteristics he mentioned…

That's an actual concern with the "rolling" crowd, believe it or not.

"How tall is the case? Will my 7cm tall 100$ discrete opamps with gigantic heatsinks fit in there?"

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Keep those “stocking stuffers” coming

 

[Hipster Doofus]

My stocking that is

 

[CedarX]

That's an actual concern with the "rolling" crowd, believe it or not.

"How tall is the case? Will my 7cm tall 100$ discrete opamps with gigantic heatsinks fit in there?"

Sure, but isn't it a case where the 7cm height was carefully devised to elevate the sound of music to new levels? That's another bad point for ZD3: it can't accommodate these tall opamsp, and users would have to accept the flat sound of all these low-profile opamps !!!

One more time, this is in the ZD3 features description by Fosi:

I am looking for a transparent DAC... so I should buy the ZD3 and swap the opamps to this Sparkos SS3602--that's the only one delivering a "Transparent Signature". But... but, I should only listen to Classical, Jazz, and Audiophiles Recordings? What the...???
And there is no recommendation for Country Music... ZD3 is not recommended for Country Music...??? OMG !!!
Oh and by the way, what is the definition of an "audiophile recording" that I shall play with the Sparkos SS36022? Where can I find those recordings? How are they labelled / tagged? What would make a recording not qualifying as "audiophile recording"?

I shall stop my ranting here, but I hope it is clear that these baseless, unproved, opamp "signatures" and genre "recommendations" are, IMO, damaging the whole Fosi brand credibility.
Unless Fosi comes up with its data/measurement supporting their claims & recommendations...

 

[hoverdonkey]

Single button input selection and trigger? Hurrah! It could be time to move my SMSL DL200 on.

Thanks @amirm

 

[Bleib]

Single button input selection and trigger? Hurrah! It could be time to move my SMSL DL200 on.

Thanks @amirm

Always wondered why not more remotes do this. They don't have that many inputs so the remote can still be small and produced at a very low cost

 

[HalSF]

This Fosi ZD3 DAC is an ugly duckling: it has an inferior design (both internally and externally) at about the same cost as the (arguably) best in class: SMSL D-6s

I’m awaiting delivery of a D-6s — if I have any issues with it (doubtful) this Fosi DAC might be worth an audition.

 

[Matt_Holland]

The holy grail: balanced output, signal sensing for source switching, signal sensing for on/standby, separate "last volume" memory for each source, trigger in/out, HDMI with CEC where the TV remote does everything.

The holy grail is a Wiim Ultra with balanced outputs. Or the standard Ultra is you don’t mint unbalanced as it does everything you listed.

 

[Matt_Holland]

I am still waiting for a DAC with HDMI arc with EQ presets (5bands+). I'm using a 42 oled TV as a PC monitor and sometimes I want to use the build-in TV apps. It would be very nice if I could set an EQ for the speakers for all my use cases.

Wiim Ultra?
Has per input EQ and HDMI arc with CEC

 

[phoenixsong]

Maybe a DAC with both ESS and AKM chips is a good idea, you can switch between ESS and AKM when hearing different music.

There is actually and from what I recall it received a rather harsh backlash (same thing about wasting money to pander to "audiophools" yada yada). I personally get weary of such discourses- as someone above has said, just vote with your wallet and by exercising your free will/choice. Sometimes having extra freedom in a product is not necessarily a bad thing, esp if it's something passive like "opamps can be swapped" and any further action is determined by the user themselves. It might be jumping the gun to assume the intentions of the company with only what has been let known to us as of now (such as "omg they are adopting the snake oil ways and therefore their company should immediately be blacklisted, regardless of everything they have done until now"). Personally, as someone who hasn't been educated in audio and electric circuits past what was learnt in high school (and I was pretty bad at it back then to boot), I find the mod-able aspect of such products rather interesting and might try doing so just for the fun of it (NOT for any potential benefits in sound quality etc).

 

[Bleib]

I personally get weary of such discourses

I think it's better they know why some of us don't want them. If both DACs had 2v output instead of one 1.8v I could see more of a point to it. Some love gear, settings etc

 

[Neftun]

Thinking about Fosi opamps genre-based recommendations… The ZD3 is actually a terribly bad design: if my next track is a different musical genre, I have to stop listening, get my toolbox, open up the ZD3, swap the opamps, re-assemble and re-connect everything before starting the next track…!!!???

I also have a few Chinese traditional music tracks for which there is no opamp recommendations: I can’t play these on the ZD3…???

Really, I shall buy a DAC that can play every musical genre with no issue and no opamp swap, rather than this very inconvenient (staying polite) ZD3… I changed my rating to “Poor”.

I got the unit the other day, with a set of «better» opamps than the stock ones included in a little box.

Swapping them was a fun little exercise, from the «warm» ones to the «neutral» ones. Have to look up which ones.

I felt like there was a difference, as in more perceived detail in the sound, but I’m fully open to it being purely placebo. If it is or not, doesn’t really matter to me. Sounds great now, feels good, which is why I listen to music anyway.

But I won’t be buying discreet Burson or Sparkos for too much money. Maybe check out some Muses or something else rather cheap, for the heck of it. Cause why not?

 

[hoverdonkey]

I crumbled. I saw the DAC going for £143.99 on Amazon UK.