FOSI S3 Balanced Streamer Review

[anonyless]

(Wiim was clearly discovering the world of audio as it went along.)

i had a feeling the next reply would be yours. you're just proving my point - only here

 

[morillon]

i had a feeling the next reply would be yours. you're just proving my point - only here

However, having followed the very arduous development process, with all the obstacles encountered over 4 or 5 years, and seeing things sometimes still "in progress" at Wiim... I realize the enormous amount of work ahead at FOSI, enormous...
And yes, it's not just a small DAC "balanced output" + Roon... that's for sure...
;-)

 

[morillon]

i'm talking about the same several users who lost their objectivity xxxx messages ago, and feel the urge to reply in every single thread. some of them are even official curators

A joke?
Are you talking about me...?
Hehe
Yes, I'm comparing the S3 to similar Wiim consoles, which I honestly know quite well... and that the new S3 is in" the same market".

But I'm not a fanboy or a forum moderator... really not... hehe
(Didn't you notice that I didn't hesitate to point out the Wiim's weaknesses, like their ADC? And the Fosi does much better on that point.)
And how can I express myself with my written expression?!
Hehe

Having seen Wiim's progress over the last few years, I wish the developers of FOSi good luck. It doesn't seem easy, and the obstacles keep coming.

"Long live the CD!"
;-))

 

[morillon]

Thank you. As this involves hardware modifications, the S3 currently cannot support this feature. However, our upcoming streaming amplifier products already incorporate bass management, and we expect to launch these products in Q4.

Just a summation of the left/right channels, full band or just lfe ?

 

[OrangeWalrus]

@yuting I have a question I hope you can answer. Is the S3 designed to be able to drive the RCA outputs and XLR outputs at full voltage simultaneously?

 

[babadono]

OK I am a beginner at this.....ignorant but not stupid. I have a subscription to Qobuz and stream music from my laptop via USB to my SMSL DAC on my main 2 channel basement system. I am getting ready to add a garage/outdoor system. So I buy one of these to stream to the outdoor system hopefully over WiFi but if not it has a wired Ethernet connection also? And I will be able to use Qobuz? Control only via phone?

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

OK I am a beginner at this.....ignorant but not stupid. I have a subscription to Qobuz and stream music from my laptop via USB to my SMSL DAC on my main 2 channel basement system. I am getting ready to add a garage/outdoor system. So I buy one of these to stream to the outdoor system hopefully over WiFi but if not it has a wired Ethernet connection also? And I will be able to use Qobuz? Control only via phone?

It supports both, WiFi and Ethernet.

They're adding Qobuz Connect support as we speak. This means you'll be able to use your Qobuz app and choose the S3 as an output target and actually control playback in the same manner you would if you were listening to music on your phone, except the sound comes out of whatever speakers are attached to the S3.

With Qobuz Connect, you can use your phone to control it (even the volume, not just play/pause and track) or you can also use the included IR remote control.

 

[amirm]

@yuting I have a question I hope you can answer. Is the S3 designed to be able to drive the RCA outputs and XLR outputs at full voltage simultaneously?

Yes. That is how I tested it.

 

[OrangeWalrus]

Yes. That is how I tested it.

This opens up possibilities that are not possible on other streamers. For example:

• Drive a two-room setup
• Use the second output to drive a VU meter or spectrum analyzer (nudge, nudge @amirm )

 

[Laserjock]

It supports both, WiFi and Ethernet.

They're adding Qobuz Connect support as we speak. This means you'll be able to use your Qobuz app and choose the S3 as an output target and actually control playback in the same manner you would if you were listening to music on your phone, except the sound comes out of whatever speakers are attached to the S3.

With Qobuz Connect, you can use your phone to control it (even the volume, not just play/pause and track) or you can also use the included IR remote control.

Just to be clear, this is not a power amplifier, needs amplifier for speaker passive connection or powered (active) speaker/monitors

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

Just to be clear, this is not a power amplifier, needs amplifier for speaker passive connection or powered (active) speaker/monitors

When I say speakers, I mean either active ones or by way of amps. I’m not looking to write a full bible with every post, I expect that anyone looking at this device is already intelligent enough to know it doesn’t have integrated amplification.

 

[Juanfrt]

Good morning everyone,

I recently added the new Fosi Audio S3 streamer to my system and would like to share my first impressions with you:

Exterior:

• The unit comes in a neat, well-designed and well-packaged box containing: the S3 streamer, a 12V DC power supply, a Bluetooth remote control, a Toslink cable, and a quick-start guide.
• Dimensions: 17.3 x 17.3 x 4.7 cm, weight approximately 1 kg.
• Although it is made of plastic, it conveys a sense of sturdiness and quality finish. The exterior colour is best described as graphite grey, with the volume knob in metallic orange. Honestly, I would have preferred it in black, but for now that is the only option available.

The front panel features, in addition to the volume knob, the power button and indicator lights for each input: NET / BT / RCA / HDMI-OPT.

The rear panel includes:

• Balanced XLR output
• RCA input and output
• Dedicated RCA subwoofer output
• RJ45 LAN input
• HDMI eARC input
• Toslink optical input and output
• 12V Trigger connection
• 12V power input

Remote control: good looks, solidly built, and with sufficient range so you do not need to be right next to the streamer.

Sources and Connection Types

• Wi-Fi or LAN network
• DLNA, connected to a NAS server – in my case a Raspberry Pi, as I will describe below
• Google Cast
• Apple AirPlay
• Bluetooth 5.3
• HDMI eARC
• Direct integration with Spotify and Tidal
• Although Roon connectivity is listed, it is still pending certification. There is no direct Qobuz connection, though it has been announced for upcoming updates – something I am very much looking forward to.

Operating Modes
This unit can function as a standalone streamer, send the digital signal to an external DAC, or act as a DAC itself via its digital inputs. It also works as a preamplifier.

Listening Tests
I tested the unit with Google Cast, Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify, and Tidal without encountering any issues.

My primary interest is playing back my music collection stored on a hard drive connected to a Raspberry Pi, which acts as a NAS/DLNA server feeding the streamer. My listening preferences are mainly jazz, rock, blues, and Americana.

My system:

• DLNA server: Raspberry Pi 4 · 2 GB
• Hard drive: WD Elements 1 TB
• Streamer / DAC: Fosi Audio S3
• Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
• 2× Fosi Audio V3 Mono amplifiers, each with an independent 48V/5A power supply

Connection via the streamer’s own app is seamless, browsing through the folder tree of my hard drive. Files are FLAC and DSD. LAN and RCA connections were used; I have not yet tested the XLR output.

I was previously using Lyrion Music Server paired with a Topping E30 II Lite DAC. The improvement has been significant and clearly for the better.

To my ears, this has been a clear step forward. Without any equalisation, my impression is that the S3 is a transparent streamer. If I had to rank the frequency ranges, I would say the midrange is the most notable improvement, followed by the treble, and then the bass. The mids now feel cleaner and more present; as for the bass, it is not that it disappoints me, but the improvement relative to my previous setup has not been as striking as with the mids and highs.

In my opinion, the S3 streamer and V3 Mono amplifier combination delivers fantastic results, especially considering the value for money and the very compact footprint.

Summary
Overall, I think this is an excellent streamer in terms of sound quality; however, the companion app still has quite a way to go. Combined with the absence of a USB input, those are the only two shortcomings I can find.

Fosi typically keeps its ears open to user feedback, as evidenced by how this product has evolved over time. I hope future updates will continue to address these areas.

Best regards

 

[RandomEar]

I was previously using Lyrion Music Server paired with a Topping E30 II Lite DAC. The improvement has been significant and clearly for the better.

To my ears, this has been a clear step forward. Without any equalisation, my impression is that the S3 is a transparent streamer. If I had to rank the frequency ranges, I would say the midrange is the most notable improvement, followed by the treble, and then the bass. The mids now feel cleaner and more present; as for the bass, it is not that it disappoints me, but the improvement relative to my previous setup has not been as striking as with the mids and highs.

I think most members here appreciate you sharing your experience with the S3 regarding setup, usability, connectivity and so on. But I can tell you here an now that grading the "midrange" of a DAC is not going to be received well around ASR - because it's not a real thing.

There are no audible differences (anymore) between competently engineered DACs. If you do sighted, non level-matched listening comparisons, all you get is your brain playing tricks on you. It is not possible to determine small audible differences without controlled, blind testing. Unless you altered some settings like a build-in EQ, there will be no audible difference here.

 

[F1Fan72]

It’s a shame there is no RC / Sub management (so far) ..

 

[Chanur]

I was going to pony up the extra cash over a WiiM Mini to give this a try. But my main purpose for it would be PEQ and Spotify. It being a 5 band EQ instead of a 10 band PEQ is a deal breaker for right now. I want to use the streamer to correct headphones. I could still see me getting one of these for the other bedroom since the Preamp there is XLR.

 

[bhrzg]

I was going to pony up the extra cash over a WiiM Mini to give this a try. But my main purpose for it would be PEQ and Spotify. It being a 5 band EQ instead of a 10 band PEQ is a deal breaker for right now. I want to use the streamer to correct headphones.

This is exactly my situation too. I have the ZH3 and would like to continue with the same brand, but the lack of a 10 band PEQ for headphone correction is a deal breaker for me too.

I'm sure Fosi will get there eventually, but it will take some time.

 

[Joe Smith]

I think 10-band EQ is coming pretty soon...

 

[staticV3]

I think 10-band EQ is coming pretty soon...

Graphic EQ, yes

 

[medioman69]

If you connect to your LMS server from a browser, does the S3 show up, and is it fully functional after you add the UPNP add-on? This seems pretty basic. Right now, I am using a Mini PC with Foobar2000 as my LMS Music Server renderer. Eventually I would like to replace the PC with something like the S3.

Yes, the S3 appears under players in LMS, but in the Fosi App there is no UPNP "server"

 

[yuting]

hello，everyone，According to S3’s publicly announced optimization plan, the following features were completed in April: Qobuz Connect integration, addition of a 10-band equalizer, and support for Chinese and Japanese languages. Internal and external testing has been completed, and the new version (v0.0.243.0xc4876da) has been released and deployed over-the-air (OTA). If no manual update is performed, devices powered on will automatically update to the latest version tomorrow. Thank you！