FOSI S3 Balanced Streamer Review

[natna]

HDMI measurements?
And what about hires sound over hdmi? Perhaps using it with SACDs and 4k Bluray players, like Sony X700 or X800M2...
I believe the internal DAC - AKM 4493se is capable of dsd.

I really don't mind even if DSD is converted to PCM (at least 96khz)...

 

[SoySalsaPicante]

HDMI measurements?
And what about hires sound over hdmi? Perhaps using it with SACDs and 4k Bluray players, like Sony X700 or X800M2...
I believe the internal DAC - AKM 4493se is capable of dsd.

I really don't mind even if DSD is converted to PCM (at least 96khz)...

That's not a standard HDMI input; it's ARC.

 

[Laserjock]

That's not a standard HDMI input; it's ARC.

eARC

 

[Multicore]

With Qobuz and Spotify it's basically the same. Each has its mobile apps for iOS and Android and also apps for Windows and MacOS. In these apps I select the music to play and control the playlist, etc. Each such app also has a button to select the audio output. For example the list of choices on my MacBook might be: headphones, built-in speakers, Bose Bluetooth speaker. When the WiiM is turned on (and I'm on the home network) it appears in the list too. Magic!

@mglobe On the Mac it's like this. Afaict playback is gapless with "Qobuz Connect". And I can take my MacBook (or phone if I'm using that) off the network or shut it down and the playlist continues to play.

On the phone it looks like this

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

I would have liked to see a USB input, but otherwise it's a very nice piece of gear. In the early '70s the selling price would have been under $30. Back then a mid-fi 30wpc receiver cost around $300. I still can't get over how much cheaper electronics stuff has gotten.

 

[Multicore]

I mostly use the Wiim app and like it a lot, very rarely do I use the Tidal app to send to my Wiim. So use cases vary a lot.

What sources/services do you play using the WiiM app? I'd address the question to anyone who primarily controls playback on their WiiM using the app.

---

For myself, I tried to get used to playing my ripped CDs and purchased audio files from UPnP but couldn't hack it with a couple of thousand albums on the server. Lyrion otoh is fine.

For accessing a cloud streaming service, the quality and sophistication of the UX is paramount. Spotify is by far the best that I have used and WiiM didn't come close. But Spotify can eff off (discussed elsewhere). Amazon Music was pretty bad. Qobuz is acceptable.

For playing a few internet radio stations the WiiM app seemed ok.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

What sources/services do you play using the WiiM app? I'd address the question to anyone who primarily controls playback on their WiiM using the app.

---

For myself, I tried to get used to playing my ripped CDs and purchased audio files from UPnP but couldn't hack it with a couple of thousand albums on the server. Lyrion otoh is fine.

For accessing a cloud streaming service, the quality and sophistication of the UX is paramount. Spotify is by far the best that I have used and WiiM didn't come close. But Spotify can eff off (discussed elsewhere). Amazon Music was pretty bad. Qobuz is acceptable.

For playing a few internet radio stations the WiiM app seemed ok.

Lately I've found LMS to be my most reliable all purpose streaming source. I play Qobuz and my 80+ K of audio files. Bubbleupnp was the front end I used most often, but recently they had some problems with network stuff at the mother ship and sending Qobuz to my Raspberry Pis became difficult. Squeezer on Android will talk to Moode Audio although the LMS plugin on Moode is imperialistic and you need to reboot the Pi if you want to use Moode by itself or a different UPNP control point.

 

[OrangeWalrus]

I really don't mind even if DSD is converted to PCM (at least 96khz)...

I've been able to play DSD files via DLNA.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Happy to see another great performing, affordable and Roon Ready (Roon Ready certification in progress) streamer. If you are like me that uses Roon as music streaming/manager platform, between WiiM and FOSI, you have everything you would need. The days of needing expensive streamers like from Lumin, HiFi Rose and even Matrix Audio, are in the past, at least for me. Thanks @amirm for another great review.

 

[morillon]

WiiM Ultra Streamer Preamp Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the WiiM Ultra network streamer, DAC, phono stage and preamplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $329. Physical attribute are modern and attractive enough. Alas, I can't say the same thing about the graphical interface. Icons seem...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The FOSI view is very brief compared to this one... (or even the Wiim Pro Plus).

Would it be possible to expand on it by drawing inspiration from it?
Especially regarding the unbalanced output, which is relevant to most users...
but also its analog input... ? Bluetooth...? (Sub?)
Thank you...

 

[ralph]

The big oversight is no visible way to see the volume on the device itself

Do you think it still qualifies as a preamp? Can someone owning this device comment?

Just wondering, the Fosi with an Audiophonics MPA-S250NCX XLR may be a great budget friendly choice...

 

[Bleib]

Do you think it still qualifies as a preamp? Can someone owning this device comment?

Just wondering, the Fosi with an Audiophonics MPA-S250NCX XLR may be a great budget friendly choice...

I'm more interested in Q8, but obviously it's not streaming focused, provides BT though

Fosi BT40A & Q8 - New Comers news from AXPONA2026

Fosi BT40A - Balanced Amplifier with front display and BT6.0 Fosi Q8 - DAC - HDMI ARC, Auto Source Switching Src: Someone posted on FB

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[morillon]

(Taking advantage of the time lag compared to its competitors...the absence of USB on this type of machine is truly astonishing ...many possible uses here...Anyway, here , we're not just talking about a "small DAC with a balanced output"...."with roon"or " not roon"...
it's complicated... ;-) )

 

[natna]

I've been able to play DSD files via DLNA.

I was asking about playing SACD discs with DSD content.
Unfortunately Sony 4k X series players only pass the DSD data over HDMI to some AVRs or expensive dacs with HDMI inputs.

(In general, if someone wants to just play dsd files it's easy with a pc/tablet/phone via usb --> DAC.
I already have a SMSL D-6s, a Fiio snowsky Melody usb dongle and a LG V40 phone, that support DSD reproduction... )

I'm not a purist, I don't even mind about dsd to PCM conversion.
But it's such a burden to take the maximum quality out of hires physical media.

Anyway, in my opinion there's a missed opportunity here.

 

[Bob101]

Given the need for a shorter and more condensed review than usual...

it would have been better to stick to asymmetrical configurations...a case shared by all machines...
(Even if, realistically, the values are only slightly better in symmetry... marginally... but for the principle...)

Focusing on the detail of the sym presence for such a machine...
is a good point from FOSI...
hehe
(Connectic like "ultra"..dac from "plus"...The problem is precisely what to do with this connectors.)

Just a free tip: decide what your point is and then post it, instead of spreading it over a dozen incoherent posts.

 

[morillon]

Just a free tip: decide what your point is and then post it, instead of spreading it over a dozen incoherent posts.

Post in thread 'FOSI S3 Balanced Streamer Review' https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...3-balanced-streamer-review.70970/post-2578381

 

[Bernd]

I understand that it’s important to you, but Roon isn’t really essential for a streamer’s basic setup. I think it’s an overreaction to downgrade a streamer just because Roon isn’t supported.

Sorry to disagree. But any decent streamer needs to have support for Room and HQPLAYER.

 

[Bob101]

Post in thread 'FOSI S3 Balanced Streamer Review' https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...3-balanced-streamer-review.70970/post-2578381

Have you considered a change of meds?

 

[KEFCarver]

Do you think it still qualifies as a preamp? Can someone owning this device comment?

Just wondering, the Fosi with an Audiophonics MPA-S250NCX XLR may be a great budget friendly choice...

Fosi also sent me the S3 to review, even though I told them I only use Amazon HD (which works fine for me with a Wiim Mini), which it does not yet support. I did some measurements using RCA inputs and outputs on the preamp, and with the volume set for 0dB gain (which is the maximum amount of gain it gives), and a 1khz, 2vrms input, and it measured a THD of 0.00085% with a 92dB SNR. The channels were balanced to 0.1dB. The 20hz-20khz freq response was only down 0.3dB at the band edges.

The EQ is only a 5band graphic one. There is an option to have the volume control, when turned on, to be at a fixed level, the last level used, or you can set a min and max level for it.

The biggest problem I have, which I have reported to them, is that when I look at my UPNP drive music files, it stops scrolling at a certain point, say 1/2 way through the "M" groups, which is really a show stopper as I would like to be able to use it just to stream my own FLAC/WAV file library.

 

[morillon]

Have you considered a change of meds?

No..
I don't mind being taken for a fool... and I'm perfectly fine with that...

But doesn't it bother you to be taken for fools with such smokescreens?
I have no vested interest in any of this... just the idea of issuing a warning...
so that's all for me.

;-)