FOSI BOX X1 Ultracheap Phono Stage Review

[amirm]

This is a review and measurements of the Fosi BOX X1 budget moving magnet phono preamplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $36.

Hey, this is nto a bad looking box! This being a simple MM phono stage, there is not much to it:

FOSI BOX X1 Phono Preamplifier Measurements
Let's start with our usual dashboard:

Bit of distortion degrades performance but for the price, it is quite good, delivering average performance of all phono amps tested:

Hopes were dashed though with frequency response measurement:

We have some 5.2 dB of error from 20 to 20 kHz. The final roll off in bass may be desirable but not above it. Didn't see any point in testing the BOX X1 further, but ran the headroom test as well:

Conclusions
We are spoiled with our performant brands delivering excellent performance at even budget prices. Here though, we don't have that with BOX X1 clearly delivering colored response that is treble heavy and bass/mid-range shy. We could argue over audibility of noise and distortion but not frequency response.

I can't recommend the FOSI BOX X1. Fortunately, the company makes an excellent one in the form of BOX X5. Skimp on a restaurant meal and get that one instead.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

 

[welwynnick]

Thanks Amir. The gain + SINAD is OK, but the equalisation isn't, that would be a cheap fix. Here's the updated phono table:

 

[DanielT]

Thanks for the test Amir.

That FOSI BOX X1 may be ultracheep but with.. some 5.2 dB of error from 20 to 20 kHz it doesn't even pass the level of what is considered Hifi.

Do it again and do it right Fosi.

Edit:
I now see the comments after my post about it being an old product. According to the comments, BOX X1 was created before Fosi focused on measurements (for sensible FR for example). For that reason, I'm giving my criticism a pass.

 

[Count Arthur]

Is this an older product from their range?

Many of these Chinese brands seem to take great pride in producing products with performance that is, at worst, very competent, all the way through to state of the art.

But they appear to have dropped the ball on this one.

 

[JSmith]

Fosi BOX X1

A shame this didn't measure better, thanks for doing so. It appears this may be a legacy product of Fosi's, before they started focusing more on better designed products with decent measurements. There's a version number and date on this pic;

Basic spec's;

JSmith

 

[amirm]

Is this an older product from their range?

I think it is their "pre asr" product line as the owner bought it in a thrift store for just $5!

 

[renaudrenaud]

Yes and the X5 has nice measurements and is really cheap, 70$ here in China.

 

[Nick_Sukhov]

What type is OPAMP U1 ? 5532/34 ?

 

[AudioSceptic]

This is a review and measurements of the Fosi BOX X1 budget moving magnet phono preamplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $36.
View attachment 451745
Hey, this is nto a bad looking box! This being a simple MM phono stage, there is not much to it:
View attachment 451746

FOSI BOX X1 Phono Preamplifier Measurements
Let's start with our usual dashboard:
View attachment 451748
Bit of distortion degrades performance but for the price, it is quite good, delivering average performance of all phono amps tested:
View attachment 451749

Hopes were dashed though with frequency response measurement:
View attachment 451750
We have some 5.2 dB of error from 20 to 20 kHz. The final roll off in bass may be desirable but not above it. Didn't see any point in testing the BOX X1 further, but ran the headroom test as well:

View attachment 451751

Conclusions
We are spoiled with our performant brands delivering excellent performance at even budget prices. Here though, we don't have that with BOX X1 clearly delivering colored response that is treble heavy and bass/mid-range shy. We could argue over audibility of noise and distortion but not frequency response.

I can't recommend the FOSI BOX X1. Fortunately, the company makes an excellent one in the form of BOX X5. Skimp on a restaurant meal and get that one instead.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

Just something that made me chuckle: the title of this review includes "Ultracheap" as if it's actually in the product name. As it happens, the performance *is* ultracheap ;-)

 

[phoenixdogfan]

If you're a basketball player you better be able to shoot, a football player better be able to block and tackle, an attorney better be able to write a brief, a model needs to look good while making that pouty face, and royalty better be good at convincing everybody they're better than them purely by the circumstances of their birth.

Likewise, an audio component needs to get the frequency respose right above everything else, and this one doesn't.

Thanks for the very fine review, Amir.

 

[Kremmen]

Given the wide deviation in the frequency response of this preamp (5.2 dB as measured by Amir), should Fosi be stating that this preamp's frequency response is "Standard RIAA" as seen in post #5?

 

[morillon]

in the family of small boxes...it seems that on the contrary the two minidsp adc... pocketadc and the adept.... could be interesting ;-)

 

[Curupira]

Hopes were dashed though with frequency response measurement:

This is what I expect to see when I see golden eared people talking about bright source equipment. Alas, I've only seen this type of behavior in very cheap implementations, like this one, or on poorly designed "summit"-fi gear like the Pagoda DAC

 

[PristineSound]

This thing is $36 folks, the cost of a lunch, and two cups of coffee in a day at work.

It's absolutely unreasonable and absurd to expect anything more than what you are getting. Hence golfing panther for me.

In fact, I failed to understand which market segment this product is aimed for. It's not for any serious vinyl customers, I doubt anyone would have a garage vinyl system, younger customers with less disposable income will probably get a turn table with a build in phono stage. Who is this aimed for?

 

[amirm]

Just checked and this box has a whopping 1,500 reviews on Amazon, averaging 4.4! Must be quite popular due to its cost and looks.

 

[PristineSound]

Just checked and this box has a whopping 1,500 reviews on Amazon, averaging 4.4! Must be quite popular due to its cost and looks.

4.4 is definitely got to be for the cost. But 1,500 reviews? Fosi must have the market figured out for sure. I would never though that this would have 1,500 people buying it.

 

[Curupira]

4.4 is definitely got to be for the cost. But 1,500 reviews? Fosi must have the market figured out for sure. I would never though that this would have 1,500 people buying it.

DJing turntables are usually vintage DirectDrives that need an external phono preamp. The technics mk2, for instance, still reigns supreme, even though the later models have integrated better technologies like better AS and fluid damping inside the tonearm axis.

Even inside the hifi crowd, before the Schiit Mani and the ifi zen phono, people defaulted to the ART DJ Pre II for their phono needs.

 

[Ropeburn]

Voted not terrible instead of poor, because with so many units sold, it certainly paved the way to and paid for Fosi's actually useful preamps.

 

[milosz]

It's sad, because getting RIAA equalization close to correct isn't rocket science.

 

[JeremyFife]

Cheap box, but riaa performance stops it from being cheerful.

I just hope that this older product doesn't affect people's views on Fosi's more recent items: which are generally excellent.

Many thanks for the review.