FOSI S3 Balanced Streamer Review

[Joe Smith]

New app has loaded automatically to my iPhone, there was also a firmware update for the S3 Lite that seems to have loaded fine.

Yeah, I still don't hear any difference at all when I apply EQ, even with higher bass levels etc. I had given Fosi that feedback before, also that I thought their selection of standard EQ curves could be improved. For those of us who don't use PEQ, these are nice to have, but alas they don't seem to change anything, at least for me.

That's really my only beef, everything else with the S3 and S3 Lite works very well...

 

[audioje]

New app has loaded automatically to my iPhone, there was also a firmware update for the S3 Lite that seems to have loaded fine.

Yeah, I still don't hear any difference at all when I apply EQ, even with higher bass levels etc. I had given Fosi that feedback before, also that I thought their selection of standard EQ curves could be improved. For those of us who don't use PEQ, these are nice to have, but alas they don't seem to change anything, at least for me.

That's really my only beef, everything else with the S3 and S3 Lite works very well...

S3 Lite, Topping E50ii, and B100s will be my choice for an affordable Hi-Fi system. Of course, I don't have any of these but it should work well in theory, especially with E50ii's gain setting that allows to use the low gain setting of B100s. If one needs PEQ, E50ii will handle it haha.

 

[babadono]

@Joe Smith ....strange the EQ does not work. Even if you pull all the sliders down to max attenuate you don't hear less volume? In my setup I turn the S3 volume up all the way and then run the balanced out through a -12dB pad into my balanced input of a Presonus mixer. I don't want to overdrive the input but I want the maximum output from the S3.
You already have an S3 Lite? Mines on the way they say.

 

[Joe Smith]

@Joe Smith ....strange the EQ does not work. Even if you pull all the sliders down to max attenuate you don't hear less volume? In my setup I turn the S3 volume up all the way and then run the balanced out through a -12dB pad into my balanced input of a Presonus mixer. I don't want to overdrive the input but I want the maximum output from the S3.
You already have an S3 Lite? Mines on the way they say.

Yeah, I have it early, I was a beta tester for Fosi. I will play more with the sliders. I have not tried an extreme change (all down full, for instance). When I use Easy Effects in Linux, I easily hear the change with a V-shaped curve (bass boost, upper mid boost). Can't hear that with a similar curve applied in the S3 app.

 

[babadono]

yes like I said we do not know what + and -10 mean...is it dB? or something arbitrary? Or how wide each filter is.
Plus we don't know if the sliders are linear or logarithmic.

 

[yuting]

yes like I said we do not know what + and -10 mean...is it dB? or something arbitrary? Or how wide each filter is.
Plus we don't know if the sliders are linear or logarithmic.

Thanks，YES，mean dB

 

[yuting]

Yeah, I have it early, I was a beta tester for Fosi. I will play more with the sliders. I have not tried an extreme change (all down full, for instance). When I use Easy Effects in Linux, I easily hear the change with a V-shaped curve (bass boost, upper mid boost). Can't hear that with a similar curve applied in the S3 app.


View attachment 552699

Thanks，You can try lowering the low frequencies, raising the high frequencies, then toggle the EQ on and off to have a listen. We've tested this internally and the adjustment works. Thank you!

 

[SanojS]

S3 Lite, Topping E50ii, and B100s will be my choice for an affordable Hi-Fi system. Of course, I don't have any of these but it should work well in theory, especially with E50ii's gain setting that allows to use the low gain setting of B100s. If one needs PEQ, E50ii will handle it haha.

The S3 Lite is overpriced, in Sweden price difference is about 50 USD. All these features are removed but price is near the S3... doesn't make sense... it needs to be at least 100 USD cheaper to be an interesting alternative for me.

• DAC section — gone
• Analog stage — gone
• HDMI eARC — gone
• Coax input — gone
• Analog inputs — gone

 

[SanojS]

For anyone in UK or EU who is considering buying the S3 lite (or any other Fosi item for that matter), be sure to purchase from fosiaudio.com in USD, rather than from eufosiaudio.com. This will make sure you avoid the regional price gouging that is becoming commonplace on items shipping direct from China. I assume Fosi will soon go like Topping (and AliExpress etc) and bake the price-gouging into the shipping address, but for the moment at least you can still order at the true price of $199 (and cover any taxes when it lands), rather than pay the inflated prices of £201 ($272) to the UK, or €230 ($266) to EU countries when using the eufosiaudio.com storefront.

Actually 230 Euro (or 2550 SEK) includes local taxes, which are 25% in Sweden, meaning the US price is more expensive after local tax and import fees have been added...

 

[Joe Smith]

Thanks，You can try lowering the low frequencies, raising the high frequencies, then toggle the EQ on and off to have a listen. We've tested this internally and the adjustment works. Thank you!

I will do more listening today...

 

[Nutul]

The S3 Lite is overpriced, in Sweden price difference is about 50 USD. All these features are removed but price is near the S3... doesn't make sense... it needs to be at least 100 USD cheaper to be an interesting alternative for me.

• DAC section — gone
• Analog stage — gone
• HDMI eARC — gone
• Coax input — gone
• Analog inputs — gone

maybe the retailer doesn't know, or care, just looked into the product and set its retail price without bothering that much...?

 

[Joe Smith]

@yuting

Just tried a few things. With all sliders down in EQ, the sound attenuates. It is...quieter. So the EQ does "something."

But in comparing my above custom curve in Fosi EQ "Jazz with More Bass," playing via Spotify Connet to the S3 to Q6 Optical in DAC (set to FLAT in Spotify settings) VERSUS playing via the PC Spotify app going into Linux Easy Effects to the Q6 USB in DAC with an equally-modest change in bass and midrange levels, there is no comparison. i HEAR the change in Easy Effects, where I do not hear a change in the Fosi playback.

Can you verify what the numbers in the new Fosi EQ correspond to - are they dB levels? If not, what are they? I continue to feel that the EQ function in the new app is off, the adjustment levels do not seem to be similar to other EQ programs such as Easy Effects for Linux or the Equalizer APO/Peace GUI I used to use in Windows.

There may need to be more thought given to level changes for the different music presets you present to provide more listenable differences between the curves?

ADDING

This was the note I sent in on August 2 to my contact at Fosi re the S3 pre-launch testing:

One other thought...

After playing with it a bit more, I am not sure the EQ feature is working. When I toggle that on and off with a significant bass boost applied, I can't really hear it doing anything. You might refer that back to the team and see if that is working in the 1.3.7 release.

Also, some of the EQ curve options seem odd to me. The names are not especially helpful in knowing what the pre-sets will be like. A lot of them seem to have very extreme bass/treble changes. This might need a bit more work. I think the curves in Spotify are pretty good and I can hear them when they are applied.

 

[Joe Smith]

I'm interested in others' impressions who are using the latest version of the S3 app. Do you find you can make noticeable EQ adjustments easily for some of the standard-type EQ changes - e.g., jazz, rock, bass boost, treble boost, midrange boost?

 

[Multiway]

Does the S3 lite have true Qobuz Connect?
I don't want to have to use DLNA apps like BubbleUPnP or mConnect etc.

 

[formdissolve]

Does the S3 lite have true Qobuz Connect?
I don't want to have to use DLNA apps like BubbleUPnP or mConnect etc.

If it's the same streaming apps as S3, then yes. I see no reason why it wouldn't have that.

 

[audioje]

The S3 Lite is overpriced, in Sweden price difference is about 50 USD. All these features are removed but price is near the S3... doesn't make sense... it needs to be at least 100 USD cheaper to be an interesting alternative for me.

• DAC section — gone
• Analog stage — gone
• HDMI eARC — gone
• Coax input — gone
• Analog inputs — gone

To me, S3 lite is for those people who really want to use their own DAC for some reason (and I don't know why I get to be one of them). If it is not the case, S3 has so much more value.

 

[davmol]

Actually 230 Euro (or 2550 SEK) includes local taxes, which are 25% in Sweden, meaning the US price is more expensive after local tax and import fees have been added...

If you buy from the og Fosi global store you'll pay 1907SEK, and then applicable taxes when it lands. If you buy from the new fosi European store front then you'll pay 2539SEK (an extra 33%). In your case the 8% premium (over the base price +25% vat) might be worth paying, if you also have high admin fees and additional duties to pay on hifi gear from China

 

[yuting]

Does the S3 lite have true Qobuz Connect?
I don't want to have to use DLNA apps like BubbleUPnP or mConnect etc.

Thanks，it have Qobuz Connect

 

[yuting]

To me, S3 lite is for those people who really want to use their own DAC for some reason (and I don't know why I get to be one of them). If it is not the case, S3 has so much more value.

Yes ，This product was originally designed for users who already have a DAC at home, and the addition of the S3 lite enables the entire system to support Streaming Media functionality.

 

[yuting]

@yuting

Just tried a few things. With all sliders down in EQ, the sound attenuates. It is...quieter. So the EQ does "something."

But in comparing my above custom curve in Fosi EQ "Jazz with More Bass," playing via Spotify Connet to the S3 to Q6 Optical in DAC (set to FLAT in Spotify settings) VERSUS playing via the PC Spotify app going into Linux Easy Effects to the Q6 USB in DAC with an equally-modest change in bass and midrange levels, there is no comparison. i HEAR the change in Easy Effects, where I do not hear a change in the Fosi playback.

Can you verify what the numbers in the new Fosi EQ correspond to - are they dB levels? If not, what are they? I continue to feel that the EQ function in the new app is off, the adjustment levels do not seem to be similar to other EQ programs such as Easy Effects for Linux or the Equalizer APO/Peace GUI I used to use in Windows.

There may need to be more thought given to level changes for the different music presets you present to provide more listenable differences between the curves?

ADDING

This was the note I sent in on August 2 to my contact at Fosi re the S3 pre-launch testing:

One other thought...

After playing with it a bit more, I am not sure the EQ feature is working. When I toggle that on and off with a significant bass boost applied, I can't really hear it doing anything. You might refer that back to the team and see if that is working in the 1.3.7 release.

Also, some of the EQ curve options seem odd to me. The names are not especially helpful in knowing what the pre-sets will be like. A lot of them seem to have very extreme bass/treble changes. This might need a bit more work. I think the curves in Spotify are pretty good and I can hear them when they are applied.

Thanks，Thank you for your sincere feedback. I have already forwarded it to our R&D team, and we will conduct internal tests. If any adjustments are needed, we will optimize this detail via OTA;