Fosi Audio ZD3 Desktop DAC Preamp, Fully Balanced Digital to Analog Audio Converter with ES9039Q2M for Home Stereo Amplifier, Bluetooth/USB/Optical/Coax/TV HDMI ARC Input, XLR/RCA Output with Remote

I bought this Fosi DAC for my gaming PC for use with a set of PreSonus Eris speakers and sub, which I bought because my previous speaker set died. I don't know if I'd call myself an audiophile but I am a musician and I do care about quality sound with minimal noise. The new speakers sounded good but are much more sensitive than the crappy set I had before and I ran into a dilemma: my computer's built-in audio had low noise but only mediocre sound quality, and the cheap external DAC I was using instead sounded good overall but was also adding a lot of electrical noise to the signal, which I never noticed before but was suddenly very noticeable with the new speakers. Further, the new speakers are very sensitive and the basic included cables were picking up a lot of RF noise from nearby wifi. This led me to do some homework where I learned about the magic of balanced cable connections, which eliminate noise created by the cables unintentionally acting as antennae, for which I bought this DAC. This Fosi DAC solved all of my problems in the most amazing (and possibly overkill) way! It provides balanced cable output to the speakers, eliminating RF noise, and also allows for the use of the higher lossless quality settings in music streaming apps. I got everything connected and powered on, loaded up some music at the higher quality settings, and it nearly knocked me out of my chair! It sounds INCREDIBLE! The sound is flawless with no unwanted noise. I think what I love most about this DAC is that it's so easy, just plug-and-play. I hate clutter and I was kind of dreading having another box with a whole set of features and issues to learn, but it turns out setup couldn't be easier. It's got multiple inputs and switching between them is easy, though I'll likely only ever use the USB connection. I was worried about using USB due to the noise issues I was having with my last DAC (I was prepared to use optical) but this Fosi has a separate power supply rather than using USB power, which my homework led me to learn is often the issue with sound equipment, and it works great. The ONLY thing I don't love about this unit is that there doesn't seem to be any sort of power standby feature, which means I have to turn it off manually when I shut down my PC if I want to save energy. I read that it can do HDMI ARC and so maybe if I connect it with HDMI it'll power itself down; I might try that soon and see what happens. Idle power use seems to only be around 1 watt though (I have a watt meter), so that's not so bad. This little box is incredible, and I wish I'd done this a long time ago.

Great DAC and preamp in one! I have been using this for 5 months and have nothing but praise for how well this is designed and functions. I am using USB connection to my MacBook Pro, optical input from my TV, and Bluetooth to connect my iPhone or iPad. HDMI is not eArc compatible so I am not able to use that to get audio from my TV but optical is working fine. The remote has just the necessary functionality and nothing more. It gets the job done. The XLR outputs are a plus and I use them with an Aiyima A20. I have also used them with 3E Audio A7. I don't have a Fosi amp yet but I am sure it will work just as well with that too. The output is clean and has great SNR. At the Black Friday price, this is a steal.

To begin with, let me get the sound out of the way up front. This ZD3 sounds wonderful! In my system, the addition of the ZD3 (and I have 8 other DAC's by the way) introduced a much more "airy" sound quality to the music. It's as if one more sonic veil had been lifted, allowing me to hear right through to the music. As for the bass response with the stock op-amps, I noticed a bit less heft with regard to the lower bass and dynamic capabilities. It's nice to see that in this case, Fosi steered away from using the typical NE5532 stock op amps used in 95% of ChiFi audio components, and used the LME49720 version. I've had good experiences with that particular IC-based op amp. However, based on other experiences, I've come to prefer the discrete versions from either Burson or Sparkos Labs. In this case, I inserted the Sparkos Labs SS3602's and I found the bass to be tighter and deeper. I believe the ZD3 is in a class of its own. I've read a few articles now (and some videos) where the reviewers stated that hearing differences between DAC's is ridiculous - that they basically all sound very similar. I'm sorry, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The very first thing I noticed with the ZD3, was it's increased openness (meaning much more "air" around and between the instrumentation), its superb midrange and treble capabilities (smooth and textured), and a greatly expanded sound-stage. In addition, the overall body of musical performances had a fuller feel to them. The problem with some reviewers is that they rely purely on measurements alone - that is, the "tangible" areas that can be measured. However, for audiophiles, there is so much more involved with good music reproduction. There are the "intangible" areas, meaning those variables that cannot be measured (i.e. how do you measure "immersive"), yet make a huge difference in how we perceive our involvement with sound reproduction. So yes, this is a wonderful DAC unit, along with a very nice preamp section. SUGGESTION TO FOSI: As an aside, just recently, Douk Audio released their diminutive A5 amplifier that features a revolutionary, simple lift-up glass top case/lid that makes changing op amps very convenient. I was wondering why other manufacturers haven't followed with similar designs? Changing op-amps in that Douk A5 took only seconds - and what a convenience that was. Why do manufacturers advertise having op-amp swap-out capabilities when the user has to jump through hoops unscrewing cases, pulling off knobs - and in the case of the ZD3, having to also disconnect wires also? Fosi - why don't you make access to the op-amps a simple solution? Although the ZD3 costs a bit more than most budget oriented DAC/Head-amp units, it's well worth the cost for such a quality-made, and excellent performing unit.

Really happy with this. I purchased to use with a pair of Genelec 8030s and it works seamlessly. Sound is great. Controls are simple and intuitive. Both USB from my iPhone and Bluetooth work exactly as they should. I actually don’t hear a difference in my living room so the BT quality is impressive.

This Dac is on another level The sound level and the clarity are awesome, and every time you listen, you will feel it Very good song detailing, and if you use it with ZA 3, it's amazing.

Excellent, with very open and natural soundstage! The remote-controlled volume is a bonus. The Bluetooth playback is good but nowhere near the excellent USB playback. My fully balanced setup was missing the volume control, which is why I opted for it, but I had not imagined that it would be a day-and-night difference compared with my Creative Soundblaster X4.

Excelente calidad. Un DAC con un sonido excepcional como viene de fábrica. La habilidad de poder cambiar los op-amps me permite configurar este DAC de la forma que me gusta la reproducción de la música.

Un DAC sorprendente para su precio, la posibilidad de cambiar los Op-Amps por unos más avanzados en una característica que me decidió a comprarlo. Lo uso para escuchar Apple Music on Losless audio a 24bits/192kHz, peor la unidad soporta hasta 32bit/768kHz sin problema

Excellent and refined sounding analogue pre amp