Fosi V4 & V5 Mono - Fosi goes Hypex

[PristineSound]

I think Fiio has the best industrial designers of the bigger Chinese brands.

I would beg to differ. I don't like desktop form factors that these Chinese brands produce.

As an American living in an American home, we do not typically have the space constraints of Asian consumers. In my "small" home now, I have a media stand that can fit 3x2 44cm form factor electronics and that space will soon be upgraded when I move. Having these miniature form factors in a dedicated listening room is just too soft spoken and lacks presence.

But if I am forced to pick a Chinese brand for their industrial design, it would be Matrix Audio or Eversolo. They are by far the most refined when it comes to industrial design.

 

[Chanur]

I would beg to differ. I don't like desktop form factors that these Chinese brands produce.

As an American living in an American home, we do not typically have the space constraints of Asian consumers. In my "small" home now, I have a media stand that can fit 3x2 44cm form factor electronics and that space will soon be upgraded when I move. Having these miniature form factors in a dedicated listening room is just too soft spoken and lacks presence.

But if I am forced to pick a Chinese brand for their industrial design, it would be Matrix Audio or Eversolo. They are by far the most refined when it comes to industrial design.

That's why I don't buy desktop products for my HiFi stack. You buy them for your desktop.

 

[PristineSound]

That's why I don't buy desktop products for my HiFi stack. You buy them for your desktop.

^this^

Umm, how should I say it? I agree so much that I need to stand on the back of a pickup truck with a megaphone to parade me around town so I can repeat this every block.

I just wish these Chinese brands actually do some market research of Western taste and lifestyle. I feel like they design for their own domestic market and then expect other parts of the world to follow their domestic tastes.

Which is why I own a SMSL DAC for my desk and not my rack.

 

[Bleib]

As electronics have become better I don't see any need for full size stereo pieces. Why would a 2 channel class D need to full size enclosure for?
But it's a bit odd that companies like Fosi doesn't try to find a similar design "language" for all products, and that includes also size.
V4 and V5 are vastly different from previous releases. That makes no sense. The orange nose is missing as well.

 

[Transistor]

I just got one of Buckeye's Purifi 3 channel amps. It is in a cabinet with smoked glass front, all I see is the blue LED. Then there all those folks that have the rack mount versions sitting in an out of the way location. For a lot of people paying for a machined case that nobody ever sees it isn't worth it.

Aesthetics matter in this hobby. A beautiful amplifier with good specs sounds better than an ugly one with good specs))

 

[Paul7777x]

As electronics have become better I don't see any need for full size stereo pieces. Why would a E s2 channel class D need to full size enclosure for?
But it's a bit odd that companies like Fosi doesn't try to find a similar design "language" for all products, and that includes also size.
V4 and V5 are vastly different from previous releases. That makes no sense. The orange nose is missing as well.

They are upping the price significantly, and trying to get a profitable shot at a more lucrative market segment.

To have the more expensive bits look the same as the cheap ones would not help.

 

[PristineSound]

As electronics have become better I don't see any need for full size stereo pieces. Why would a 2 channel class D need to full size enclosure for?

I agree that the shrinking size is due to the miniaturization of electronics. And logically, it makes perfect sense to take advantage of that for compact sizing, after all we all enjoy smaller laptops.

I can only speak for myself why I prefer 44cm form factor for audio electronics that goes into a rack or media shelf. The reason is that it's bold and excessive with presence for no good reason.

 

[Transistor]

As electronics have become better I don't see any need for full size stereo pieces. Why would a 2 channel class D need to full size enclosure for?

This raises the question: are full-sized Class AB transistor amplifiers actually needed in the modern world? While tube amplifiers possess a distinctive sonic character that some might appreciate, what is the point of bulky transistor amplifiers that sound indistinguishable from compact Class D units?

 

[PristineSound]

This raises the question: are full-sized Class AB transistor amplifiers actually needed in the modern world? While tube amplifiers possess a distinctive sonic character that some might appreciate, what is the point of bulky transistor amplifiers that sound indistinguishable from compact Class D units?

Amplifer topology does not contribute significantly to real estate sizing. While class D is more efficient requiring less space for heatsinks for cooling, there are class AB that are fairly small. For instance, Benchmark AHB2.

A lot of the real estate space are taken by the power supply, LPS using these large transformers take up much more space than a SMPS. However, power supplies are mutually independent from the amplifier topology. There are many class AB amps using SMPS.

Here is something else, just because Hypex and Purifi are glorified by SINAD at 1kHhz at 5w on ASR, it does not mean we have gods walking among men, far from. They still have switching noise (albeit inaudible) and when compared with the best of AB, it's not close.

 

[Ultrasonic]

Allow me not to lose too much sleep over inaudible noise from my amplifiers...

 

[Transistor]

Amplifer topology does not contribute significantly to real estate sizing. While class D is more efficient requiring less space for heatsinks for cooling, there are class AB that are fairly small. For instance, Benchmark AHB2.

A lot of the real estate space are taken by the power supply, LPS using these large transformers take up much more space than a SMPS. However, power supplies are mutually independent from the amplifier topology. There are many class AB amps using SMPS.

Here is something else, just because Hypex and Purifi are glorified by SINAD at 1kHhz at 5w on ASR, it does not mean we have gods walking among men, far from. They still have switching noise (albeit inaudible) and when compared with the best of AB, it's not close.

All else being equal, a Class D amplifier will always be more compact, energy-efficient, and affordable than a Class AB one. There appear to be no objective reasons to choose such an amplifier, other than personal preference.

 

[PristineSound]

Allow me not to lose too much sleep over inaudible noise from my amplifiers...

Switching noise are inaudible with Hypex and Purifi, not with all class D.

All else being equal, a Class D amplifier will always be more compact, energy-efficient, and affordable than a Class AB one. There appear to be no objective reasons to choose such an amplifier, other than personal preference.

What about the Topping B200? Compact, affordable and better objective performance at every turn. Don't get me wrong, I own an Apollon, there is no way I could afford the kind of power I have on tap at the price I paid. I think power : price performance and power efficiency, it's unbeatable.

But the Benchmark AHB2, is still king for all around objective performance, which I also own. And the only small form factor electronics that I am willing to put on my rack for display. The only way I would part ways with the Benchmark is if I am selling it to fund a brand new one, as my AHB2 was acquired through the used market.

 

[Bleib]

This raises the question: are full-sized Class AB transistor amplifiers actually needed in the modern world? While tube amplifiers possess a distinctive sonic character that some might appreciate, what is the point of bulky transistor amplifiers that sound indistinguishable from compact Class D units?

I wouldn't mind class D inside my AVR as well. At least a lot less heat

 

[Bruce Morgen]

While class D is more efficient requiring less space for heatsinks for cooling, there are class AB that are fairly small. For instance, Benchmark AHB2.

That amp isn't a conventional Class AB design -- it has Class H "tracking rails" power circuitry that allow it to run cool enough to perform reliably in a much smaller package. A conventional Class AB amp with otherwise equivalent specs would have to be considerably larger to achieve adequate cooling, even with an SMPS in lieu of the traditional linear PSU.

 

[Ultrasonic]

Perhaps I'll just mention that one reason I went for the mono rather than stereo HD Nilai amps is that the half-width let them fit either side of a centre speaker under my TV. I've previously generally been against half-width units but this works for me here .

 

[PristineSound]

That amp isn't a conventional Class AB design -- it has Class H "tracking rails" power circuitry that allow it to run cool enough to perform reliably in a much smaller package. A conventional Class AB amp with otherwise equivalent specs would have to be considerably larger to achieve adequate cooling, even with an SMPS in lieu of the traditional linear PSU.

Also very true.

 

[PristineSound]

Perhaps I'll just mention that one reason I went for the mono rather than stereo HD Nilai amps is that the half-width let them fit either side of a centre speaker under my TV. I've previously generally been against half-width units but this works for me here .

View attachment 539299

That is a great use case for half width.

 

[Transistor]

Switching noise are inaudible with Hypex and Purifi, not with all class D.


What about the Topping B200? Compact, affordable and better objective performance at every turn. Don't get me wrong, I own an Apollon, there is no way I could afford the kind of power I have on tap at the price I paid. I think power : price performance and power efficiency, it's unbeatable.

But the Benchmark AHB2, is still king for all around objective performance, which I also own. And the only small form factor electronics that I am willing to put on my rack for display. The only way I would part ways with the Benchmark is if I am selling it to fund a brand new one, as my AHB2 was acquired through the used market.

Actually, I quite like many Class AB amplifiers myself for their more substantial, serious look. And I wanted to hear something said in their defense )

 

[Sokel]

Blanket statements is never a good idea.
Size is not only about aesthetics, at high power amps that can drive low loads is also about thermals if no fans are involved, no matter the class.

The best of class D amps for example have numerous warnings and design guides about it at their datasheets.
There's no way around it.

 

[girtab]

Actually, I quite like many Class AB amplifiers myself for their more substantial, serious look. And I wanted to hear something said in their defense )

Do you have any value oriented class A/B recommendations? Maybe sub 1k€?