Fosi Audio V3

It’s a marvelous very cheap class D amplifier based on the TPA3255 chip, with a great finish, good components (genuine Nichicon, NCC, and Wima caps, Japanese Sumico inductors, NE5532 op-amps in sockets - Fosi Audio recommends you to swap for the better op-amp of your taste) in a lovely, understated and "serious" casing that receives a special attention to cooling.

I purchased two, because I’m actively tri-amping (the subs having their own amps); I’m driving super efficient horns (even the bass section is 104dB sensitive) so the little Fosi with its 48V PSU should just be cruising along.

Currently I’m using a TPA3116 on the bass, and a Tripath TA2024 on the mids/highs. And it sounds amazing. Part of the reason it sounds amazing is that the TA2024 amp is fed by a very nice low noise linear PSU with ample power.

I’m not sure the Fosi V3 will be able to sound as good, let alone better, especially on the high pass; it will probably sound great on the bass. But having two identical amps for the high pass and low pass is in theory ideal; headroom should be even more, and also my TA2024 amp is sensitive to external perturbations and, in my current house, it picks up some radio signals and sometimes modulates weird noises in the system.

Now I wonder if I should later on feed the high-pass V3 with a linear PSU (I can find some nice 24V) or just keep on using the SMPS bric. Or maybe a better SMPS like a Mean Well?...

I’ve also ordered four Oracle 02 "discrete" op-amps (in fact they are, I believe, hybrids) to replace the 5532.

I’ve said it before: I like my system to be left ON 24/7, and tiny class D amps are PERFECT for that, of course. I’m aware class A would sound much better, but it’s not something I want to deal with at this point of my life.

Class AB on the other hand is a mixed bag: to me it doesn’t necessarily sound better than a good class D, so the higher size / cost / consumption isn’t necessarily worth it. YMMV, of course.

I should receive the two amps soon, I will post my impressions.

Source is a Gustard X26Pro DAC; preamp is a DIY Pass B1, and active crossover is a Sublime Acoustic K231.