Fosi ZH3 Balanced Headphone Amp & DAC Review

[TerryTown]

Also a new member as well, great to be here! I found you folks in a search about the ZH3 and this looks like the place to be.

I did a quick search here for the topic or info I'm about to mention and I didn't find anything so here goes:

There are a few things about this preamp that no one talks about or mentions anywhere. Before buying make sure you read the user manual and don't rely on youtubes etc. because no one mentions it. What I found was that I'm having to return this preamp for a specific set of limitations that some may or may not be aware of before you buy one of these, and the issues are:

1. If you intend to use the USB input from a PC or Mac as your source and the XLR outputs to an amp and want to use the front knob for it's volume control feature, you're forced to use it in AUX mode. In AUX mode UAC switching, EQ, Bypass and Gain are not supported.

2. If you're intention is to hook it up to an Xbox, Playstation or Nintendo Switch then you're golden. If, however, you intend to use it as the "audiophile" device that it's advertised as and are still willing to forego using the ZH3 EQ, Bypass and Gain bear in mind that as you can't access UAC 2.0 you're limited to 16bit/48k resolution.

Basically if you want to use the volume knob to separate external amps it's best use if for gaming etc. not audiophile use. If you want it specifically for the headphone preamp and external amps don't matter it's still ok.

In my use case I intended to offload as much conversion as possible to the preamp expecting higher quality audio processing from it than a Mac is capable of.

If I'm wrong I'd love to know what I got wrong though as most of this info came from Fosi customer service reps.

 

[tangledfeet]

1. If you intend to use the USB input from a PC or Mac as your source and the XLR outputs to an amp and want to use the front knob for it's volume control feature, you're forced to use it in AUX mode. In AUX mode UAC switching, EQ, Bypass and Gain are not supported.

Thank you! Glad I didn't go for the ZH3 then; I went for the SMSL D200 and all those features are fine.

 

[TerryTown]

Not really sure why they don't clearly present this info anywhere. Reading the manual is: do this to get that, but it doesn't work here and there and depending on the output it may or not work. This may be the way people think these days but for us older folks it's more helpful if they just tell you what it can and can't do.

From what I can tell if you're using XLR outputs you can't get high bit rate files resolved correctly rather it seems only through the headphone outputs does any EQ of Filter work while getting higher bit rates.

In my case the majority of music files I play are 24 bit and it looks like using XLR outputs in any way means you can't get the benefit of 24 bit audio files.

I guess when they refer to audiophile quality they mean only at the headphone outputs.

 

[tuhlaajapoika]

In AUX mode UAC switching, EQ, Bypass and Gain are not supported.

Hi, I saw your other "XLR in AUX mode" thread. Regarding UAC switching, as discussed in that thread, one can plug in headphones, switch UAC and change back to AUX. I just wanted to add it here for other readers.

From what I can tell if you're using XLR outputs you can't get high bit rate files resolved correctly rather it seems only through the headphone outputs does any EQ of Filter work while getting higher bit rates.

In my case the majority of music files I play are 24 bit and it looks like using XLR outputs in any way means you can't get the benefit of 24 bit audio files.

I guess when they refer to audiophile quality they mean only at the headphone outputs.

I think this is incorrect (as you've too stated in the other thread). Nothing personal, I'm just clearing things out if someone is skimming this thread only, like I did before I got the device few days ago. The DAC sounds amazing, btw!

 

[TerryTown]

Been through the device now for a while. I think most of these mfg. selling direct expect their customers to already know the technical features of all these devices so they don't put some information in their user guides. For someone who doesn't know better, going to the user guides or website and not finding an answer or worse, answers that appear contradictory doesn't inform a potential customer it just frustrates them into having to ask non-employee enthusiasts how things work.

I agree it sounds great, when it's working. As I posted in another thread I have issues with mine. The most concerning is what sounds like "bogging down" of the DAC somehow when plugging in 300ohm HP into the 1/4" output jack. The sound "collapses" into an odd mix of missing vocals to just plain stereo separation collapse into nothing but "center" sounding signals. Either way it becomes unlistenable. If you reseat the plug it sometimes comes back to normal but eventually happens again without touching the hardware. What I did find though was that the issue doesn't seem to happen when using the balanced output, so now we just use the balanced output.

 

[tuhlaajapoika]

I agree with you on the mfg./information aspect. Before buying I had to dig up information if the device has some quirks, but there's nothing affecting my usage.

Does "bogging down" happen with another cable or headphones? It sounds like a faulty device to me. Did you or are you going to RMA it?

Btw, I can switch UAC when I have AUX mode selected. So switching seems to work in both PO and AUX modes, maybe newer firmware out of the box? Though, nothing is connected to RCA or XLR outputs as I use only headphones. DAC is connected to a Linux host via USB and playing music (hi-res playback stops in 1.0 mode as it accepts only 16 bit 48 kHz).

 

[Ste_S]

I was reading about the issues with EQ on the Fosi S3 thread, where they actually measured at half the db they were supposed to be (although I believe this has been fixed). Is this the same with the ZH3? I've ended up cranking the Bass up way more than I usually would.

 

[HalSF]

Following these qualms and problems but for now I'm still planning to buy this amp next month after we move and I set up my gear in the new place.

It will strictly be a headphone amp for me — I don't intend to use it as a general DAC or preamp or for setting EQ. Not sure I'm seeing much that scares me about this product at this point given my intended use. My Fosi ZA3 speaker amp has been flawless.

Plan to purchase on Amazon for easy return if the unit if broken as seems to be the case with @TerryTown 's experience described above.

 

[formdissolve]

Following these qualms and problems but for now I'm still planning to buy this amp next month after we move and I set up my gear in the new place.

It will strictly be a headphone amp for me — I don't intend to use it as a general DAC or preamp or for setting EQ. Not sure I'm seeing much that scares me about this product at this point given my intended use. My Fosi ZA3 speaker amp has been flawless.

Plan to purchase on Amazon for easy return if the unit if broken as seems to be the case with @TerryTown 's experience described above.

I use it exclusively as a headphone amp with no EQ and love it. Plays everything I own or stream with no problems, the volume works well, and the sound quality is excellent to my ears. Running Dan Clark Aeon Open X single-ended.

 

[Ste_S]

Following these qualms and problems but for now I'm still planning to buy this amp next month after we move and I set up my gear in the new place.

It will strictly be a headphone amp for me — I don't intend to use it as a general DAC or preamp or for setting EQ. Not sure I'm seeing much that scares me about this product at this point given my intended use. My Fosi ZA3 speaker amp has been flawless.

Plan to purchase on Amazon for easy return if the unit if broken as seems to be the case with @TerryTown 's experience described above.

I do like mine, and definitely worth it. I have my phone via usb, and SACD player via rca and optical, using Hifiman Ananda Stealth

 

[onethreetwowaitthatswrong]

I use it exclusively as a headphone amp with no EQ and love it. Plays everything I own or stream with no problems, the volume works well, and the sound quality is excellent to my ears. Running Dan Clark Aeon Open X single-ended.

Same here. (on probably less demanding headphones - Denon D9200)