SMSL / Fosi amps - anyone any experience?

[danb79]

I'm having a change around of my office and sold my ADAM monitors on (I didn't gel with them as well as I thought I would; a little bit too clinical at times)

I'm contemplating on going back to hifi separates; but one thing I'd like to stick to as best as I can is small footprint

So I'm considering the SMSL or Fosi amps such as:

- SMSL: https://www.amazon.co.uk/AO300-PRO-Amplifier-2-1Ch...
- Fosi: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fosi-Audio-Integrated-Amp...

And a few similar others; to pair with the likes of KEF R100s - music via my Mac Mini/Apple Music and potentially opening up to a vinyl set up too (turntable with a built in phono amp for simple connection etc)

Has anyone got any experience of these amps or similar; if so, how do you find them sound wise & power wise?

I'm also considering the usual suspects like the NAD D3020 V2 / D3045 or D7050 amps too

I did think re the Cyrus and Rega offerings, but they're still big lumps really!

[v8notbrave]

Son has a wee fosi in his bedroom, amazing sound quality for the price with half decent bookshelf speakers. It does run out of juice but is tiny and does what it's supposed to. Few years old very reliable

[ManicMunky]

I'm using a Fosi Audio BT20A on my PC, sounds very good!

[danb79]

Been reading more into the Wiim amps too; this one ticks a lot of boxes:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WiiM-Streaming-Amplifier-...

[heisthegaffer]

I have a Rega Brio, previous generation and it is superb.

Had a Rega IO before and both of these are quite small albiet larger than the SMSL or Fosi id say.

I use Dali Zensor 1s with them fed from my laptop via Dragonfly black USB DAC.

Really happy with the sound.

[gregs656]

I've had a bunch of these in various formats for at least the last decade (currently have a Loxjie A30), used for all kinds of applications from desktop speakers to TV audio and I think they are fantastic. I am just partial to the kind of sound they produce.

At the moment my A30 is running a pair of bookshelf speakers and a small sub. It is connected to my TV, a record player and sometimes used wirelessly over bluetooth.

[danb79]

Cheers for the feedback; TBH I'm leaning more towards the Wiim amp currently, but I haven't ruled out the SMSL amp (I've had quite a few of the smaller SMSL and Topping amps in the past and always been impressed by them)

Having done more reading re the Fosi amps; they're at the bottom of my list now, more so reading about how flat they can sound, dull even etc

But I know that will also be very speaker dependent

[dxg]

danb79 said:

Been reading more into the Wiim amps too; this one ticks a lot of boxes:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WiiM-Streaming-Amplifier-...

I have a Fosi V3 amp connected to a Wiim Pro Plus in bedroom with some 30-odd year old Denon bookshelf speakers. Sounds great!

I have a small SMSL SA-36A amp connected to a non-Plus Wiim Pro powering the ceiling speakers in the kitchen. Sounds almost great! Well, they are ceiling speakers...

This very moment, via an SMSL PO100 optical connection to my Mac Mini, I'm listening to a Wiim Ultra and Wiim Vibelink Amp combo with a pair of Q Acoustics 3010i speakers. Sounds awesome!

[ManicMunky]

danb79 said:

Cheers for the feedback; TBH I'm leaning more towards the Wiim amp currently, but I haven't ruled out the SMSL amp (I've had quite a few of the smaller SMSL and Topping amps in the past and always been impressed by them)

Having done more reading re the Fosi amps; they're at the bottom of my list now, more so reading about how flat they can sound, dull even etc

But I know that will also be very speaker dependent

There are ranges - the one I've is more mid, they do similar ones to these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0932B6VX6?th=1

Which do sound a bit flat.

The one I'm using has been used with decent speakers and sounds great!

[danb79]

Just to update this; I've settled on this system:

Speakers / monitors: https://www.amazon.co.uk/JBL-Powered-Active-Refere...
DAC: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fosi-Audio-ZH3-AKM4493SEQ...

Source will be Apple Music / Internet Radio etc via my M4 Mac Mini > USB > Fosi DAC and Van Damme XLR cables to the JBLs

The Fosi DAC ticks one huge box and that it has an RCA line in; perfect for my future thoughts on a turntable (which one I'm not sure yet; but the Audio Technica LP120XUSB and Rega Planar One Plus tick a lot of boxes for me - plug n play (built in amp) and simple enough to just enjoy without too much faff

Having had the JBLs bigger brothers (308P Mk II monitors) before; I know their sound and how much I liked it; so they tick the boxes in that sense also

[v8notbrave]

I'm intrigued and a little old fashioned as I didn't know you could get quality wooden active speakers. In my limited experience £100 passive bookshelf speaker sound can be variable so these I'd be curious to hear

Given cost of the fosi (which looks lovely) wondering why you didn't just get a conventional amp and speakers? Is it size/neatness??

[danb79]

v8notbrave said:

I'm intrigued and a little old fashioned as I didn't know you could get quality wooden active speakers. In my limited experience £100 passive bookshelf speaker sound can be variable so these I'd be curious to hear

Given cost of the fosi (which looks lovely) wondering why you didn't just get a conventional amp and speakers? Is it size/neatness??

I've had active studio monitors for my desktop system for years now; they're much better near-field and nor do they colour the music, which is my preference