Fosi Audio is a brand that specializes in designing various Hi-Fi audio products. Their product range includes a variety of items such as preamplifiers, DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters), and amplifiers. The brand is focused on delivering better sound quality, easy accessibility, and efficient energy consumption in its products. Fosi Audio’s offerings are tailored to fit budget-conscious audiophiles who are looking for quality audio equipment without breaking the bank. Some of their popular products include the Fosi Audio BT30D Bluetooth 5.0 Stereo Audio Receiver and the Fosi Audio Q4 Headphone Amplifier Mini Stereo DAC 24-bit. These products highlight the company’s commitment to combining modern technology like Bluetooth 5.0 with high-quality audio performance, making them a notable player in the budget Hi-Fi audio market.
Now we are here with the newly released Fosi Audio N3 mini. I will be neutral and transparent.
- Input: 3.5mm AUX and Bluetooth
- Output: 3.5mm headphone jack
- Max Power Output: RMS 138mW@32Ω
- Terminating Impedance: 16-300Ω
Fosi Audio N3 Body
Clad in black aluminum and have a slit of transparent opening carrying the logo of the brand. This feature gives it a stylish outlook. And the case has clever design details, such as making the buttons free from accidental pushes or scrolls. And smoothing the edges of the case, so it could be more user friendly.
There are buttons for bass boost and gain levels, pairing, and a well protected knob for adjusting the volume. Plus 3.5mm and AUX are stationed above the body. It is based on the refined sound of the OPA1656 op-amp, adeptly supporting earphones and headphones up to 300 Ohms. And with the experience and know-how of Fosi Audio, it offers a listening experience that’s both rich and full of detail, just like the stories I love to tell.
Fosi Audio N3 Sound
I chose to write down my real life observations based on various earphones so you, the reader, can see Fosi Audio N3 mini’s performance better.
The Letshuoer DZ4 produced significantly less hiss than the Gumiho when the volume knob was turned to its maximum of 25%, the bass switch was turned off, and the gain was set to 0, but the hiss must still be acknowledged. After all, not every single one of the iems that you will hear will have to be carefully selected on the basis of their sensitivities. In any case, the playback quality of this combo is outstanding. I am able to pick up on technicalities that are below Kara’s level but above Gumiho’s.Â
To put it simply, the BASS 1 brought back everything I cherished about the DZ4. This time I went to Skrillex and listened to the exploding basses; even though GAIN is 0, they were incredible. When it comes to the gain, having bass 1 and gain 1 makes it compatible with dubstep and other electronic genres that require a certain amount of bass.
Crackling sound is produced during playback of smooth jazz when the volume knob is turned all the way to the right, the bass switch is turned off, and the gain setting is at zero. This can be heard during quieter moments. On the other hand, the playback is now very similar to the one with Tanchim Zero. When you turn on the bass switch, you will notice a slight increase in the meatiness as well as a rise in the SPL of about 10%.Â
And setting the gain to one made the smooth jazz playback on the Gumiho and N3 sound inappropriate, which led to an increase in inconsistencies with the original recording that I had used countless times. However, utilizing Skrillex with the bass ON setting resulted in an increased emphasis on the bass along with increased sibilances and jagged edges.
After adjusting the volume knob to its maximum of 75%, turning off the bass switch, and setting the gain to 0 at Tanchjim Kara, there is virtually no chronic hissing or crackling in any second of my smooth jazz reference track. In addition, turning on the bass switch added almost no additional bass to Kara’s playback, which was already magnificent, and this did not compromise anything about the device’s technical capabilities. However, using gain level 1 rather than 0 and maintaining the same setting for the bass resulted in a sound that was not Kara-like and that I could not stand.
The answer is… After resetting the bass boost to zero, the sound was nothing more than a slightly amplified version of Tanchjim Zero. This resulted in intolerable high frequencies after a volume equivalent to 75 percent of N3 and 100 percent of i14pmx. However, making use of Skrillex as a reference did not result in any issues with any of the switches. And they ended up producing basses that were less explosive than DZ4’s. And you are aware of what? The gain switch performs a function similar to that of the IEM switches that we have been using recently. This switch is providing the IEM with a steady boost that is greater than 1K.
Pros_
Lightweight, yet sturdy build
Having the tinkering options
Power is more than enough for daily earphones
Nicely protected volume scroll
Cons_
Undeniable but variable hiss sound during the BT playback
The charge lasts for 12 hours
Addition of a slightly metallic tonality
Fosi Audio N3 Review Conclusions
Even though I hadn’t experienced the LO modes yet, the result is satisfying for a budget bluetooth / desktop dac amplifier. I can score it with a B- to C+. Hence, it appears that they had set a just MSRP for it. Running based on only one opamp is not a big deal, as the world saw and loved the portable dac / amp OPA4881-based PA2V2 (I still keep that amp for two decades, and it carries the tag of #9955.
Places to buy: Amazon US –https://amzn.to/40iGItk
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oCGnHJ1
Fosi Audio Official – https://fosiaudio.com/products/fosi-audio-n3-portable-bluetooth-headphone-amplifier-receiver
