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

This is my first review ever on Amazon after 10 years of purchasing on Amazon. This little box of wonders works perfectly. I’m a complete beginner with audio tech, and had these studio monitors that I wanted to make music with, but never had the equipment I needed to do so, so these great monitors were just collecting dust in my home. Did some research to see how I could get these home studio monitors to be the main audio source for my tv, and found this product. It took less than 5 minutes to hook it up, I didn’t think I would get it to work first try, then on my tv, and turned on the Fosi, and boom, best tv sound quality I have ever had on a tv, the sound is crisp and clear, no buzz or feedback even though my speakers are built for music production, not for TV’s. But now they work like they were built for my TV. It works perfectly every single time. The build of the device is so high quality, and its performance matches its aesthetic build. I’ve had it for months now and have never had even one issue. It’s perfect. The controller works perfectly as well, and it is so easy to change the volume on the remote or the beautiful metal orange knob that has a very satisfying feel when using. My favorite purchase on Amazon to date, and I’m sure I will use it for years to come.

Really impressed with the ZD3 so far. I bought this specifically to use as the DAC/preamp for my powered speaker and subwoofer setup, and it fits the system perfectly. The optical input works great from my PC, the RCA and XLR outputs give me a lot of flexibility, and having a remote for volume control is a huge convenience. The build quality is excellent, the OLED display is clean and easy to read, and everything feels very well thought out. I also really like having both balanced XLR and RCA outputs available, especially for running multiple pieces of equipment from the same DAC/preamp. The ZD3 has plenty of connectivity and gives me much more control over my setup than a basic DAC. I’m very happy with the purchase and would definitely recommend it to anyone building a quality desktop/home audio system. Great value, excellent features, and exactly what I was looking for! 5/5 ⭐️.

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.

ZD3 from Fosi Audio is a great DAC and preamp all in one ! Build quality is top notch , connectivity and ability to integrate with systems is awesome specially due to unique HDMI connection. I have used it thru Coax, Optical, USB and Bluetooth connections and ZD3 is producing great sound quality punching well above its price point , totally unthinkable just few years ago . I have it for 2 weeks now and after 50 hours of use it opened up to a really wide and deep soundstage with clean tonality and very musical presentation. Stock TI Op amps produce very clean and clear sound character while included NJR Opamps are more warm and lush in tonality . Both are great choices and picking one over the other maybe up to the rest of the system or room acoustics as deciding factors. Bass is almost sub sonic with TI op amps and NJR Opamps are more bloomed in mid bass making them a better match to some bookshelf speakers where mid bass is very important. Detail and resolution coming out of ZD3 is fantastic . I have to say that adding audio grade Linear Power Supply with 12V and at least 2amp of output really transforms ZD3 . I have Ali Express sourced 55usd LPS that allowed the soundstage to further open up , bass be more articulate and less bloated , highs have lost some shrill and are much cleaner and convincing as well , same for harmonics with all acoustic instruments that are even cleaner and better extended in timber and ring to them . I highly recommend Fosi ZD3 in it's stock form , further use of other dual op amps or discrete ones maybe the best way to tune it to your liking . Op Amp swap took me 5 minutes after watching the instructions on you tube , it is very easy , it really allows this DAC to be fine tuned to your system and sound type you like. Fosi Audio is highly praised for this design and unique ability to match up with your expectations . I look forward to listen and own more of their gear and will keep my eyes and ears wide open to their other products!!! Great job Fosi , keep it up .

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.

I bought the ZD3 to replace an 8 year old NUCORE DAC that was starting to loose the left channel. WOW what a difference. The ZD3 installed easily and I love the blue tooth feature for my iPhone. I will note that I mostly bought this to use with my iPhone and iPad to play my stored music and Pandora. The sound is clear with good channel separation. The tone is warm and smooth much more like a record album than digital signals. I prefer it in bypass mode without the preamp when playing through my stereo speakers. Through headphones the preamp function with volume control is great. One note, make sure you have the volume on the iPhone or iPad turned up if you initially get no sound. I would have given it 5 stars but am just not a fan of the big orange volume knob and wish the bypass switch was also available via the remote control. In short this is a great DAC for the money and I love it.

I'm very impressed so far. I've used the coax input (from CD player) and XLR outputs. Not tested the other inputs or RCA outputs. No intention to roll Op Amps. Likes: Lively/Revealing sound without being glassy or harsh. I'm hearing some additional subtle musical recording detail from my CDs and no perceivable noise. I also appreciate the variety of inputs should I need them in the future. Dislikes (minor): The volume only goes to a max of 80. I think this unnecessarily confusing (just use bars or Max). I also think Fosi could have used a little better switching power supply. As long as this unit proves reliable, it is an excellent value.

Extremely fast delivery! Did much research prior and this budget DAC had many great reviews. So far it has lived up to those great reviews. I have paired the DAC with a Studer 900 r-core design linear power supply that replaces the wall wart supplied with the Fosi. The wall wart works well but the linear power supply should do a better job of supplying noise free power. Have the DAC paired with an Onkyo DX-C390 multi disk cd player using the coax digital output on the Onkyo. Very good sound!

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.

El DAC perfecto que yo buscaba para conectar mi iPhone a mi equipo de alta fidelidad. Puedo conectar mi iPhone mediante bluetooth o mediante cable USB para mayor fidelidad. Ademas cuenta con salidad balanceadas XLR. La calidad de sonido es excelente. Tengo varios equipos Fosi y me parece la mejor marca de equipos de audio de alta calidad y precio accesible.

I've been using the Fosi ZD3 with a pair of Yamaha HS8 studio monitors and the Yamaha HS8S subwoofer, and the combination has exceeded my expectations. The ZD3 delivers a clean, transparent, and neutral signal that complements the honest character of the HS8 monitors beautifully. The soundstage is spacious, imaging is precise, and there's excellent separation between instruments, making long listening sessions both engaging and fatigue-free. The bass integrates seamlessly with the HS8S, remaining tight, controlled, and well-defined without sounding bloated. One of the ZD3's biggest strengths is its connectivity. It offers balanced XLR and RCA outputs, making it easy to integrate with both professional studio monitors and consumer audio systems. The wide range of digital inputs—including USB, optical, coaxial, HDMI ARC, and Bluetooth—makes switching between a PC, TV, streamer, gaming console, or smartphone effortless. Bluetooth pairing is quick and reliable, and the wireless connection remains stable with excellent sound quality, making it perfect for streaming music directly from a phone or tablet without sacrificing convenience. What impressed me most is the level of detail and clarity this DAC offers for its price. Whether listening to high-resolution music, watching movies, or editing audio, the presentation feels refined and accurate. The balanced outputs pair perfectly with active studio monitors, resulting in a silent background and excellent overall performance. If you're looking for an affordable DAC with outstanding sound quality, versatile connectivity, and dependable Bluetooth performance to partner with professional monitors like the Yamaha HS8 and HS8S, the Fosi ZD3 is an outstanding choice. It performs well above its price point and has become a permanent part of my desktop audio setup.

ヘッドフォン使用しないなら、モニタースピーカーに最適。

A BIT COSTLY 👍 Audio quality. Superior. USB C TYPE CONVERTER SHOULD BE GIVEN