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You commonly hear tales of audiophile life being exorbitantly costly, nevertheless it doesn’t should be. For $60, you may get a well-manufactured, well-equipped DAC/Amp within the Fosi Audio DS2 2024 and have loads of cash to spend on a high quality headphone or IEM buy.
Fosi Audio DS2: Value and availability
You should purchase the Fosi Audio DS2 2024 instantly from Fosiaudio.com or Amazon for $59.99. At that value level, you gained’t discover many moveable DACs/Amps with each a 3.5mm and 4.4mm port. The closest competitors is round $80.
Fosi Audio DS2: Construct and match
Coming in at 3.2 ounces, the DS2 2024 feels effortlessly mild. However don’t let that idiot ya, oh no! It’s CNC machined from strong metallic, and Fosi claims it’s shock-resistant. I’m guessing they’re fairly assured as a result of in contrast to a lot of the DACs I’ve examined lately, this one comes with a two-year guarantee, versus one yr.
Externally, you’ll get a pattern price LED indicator on one aspect. The three.5mm and 4.4mm ports are on the underside, and reverse these on the highest is the USB-C port. Left aspect, you get unbiased 60-step quantity controls, which give a satisfyingly clicky suggestions when pressed.
Internally twin Cirrus Log CS43131 DAC chips are powering these 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs.
Mannequin Audio DS2: Options
The DS2 2024 isn’t a powerhouse of options, however most of what it does, it does effectively. It helps as much as DSD256 and PCM 32-BIT/385kHz decoding, pushing 510mw at 32ohms out of the 4.4mm, and a considerably anemic 130mw at 32ohms out of the three.5mm connection.
The highest face of the DS2 2024 has an LED subsequent to the Fosi Audio branding that tells you what you’re decoding. For PCM, something lower than 48kHz = Pink, 48-96kHz = Inexperienced, 96-384kHz = Yellow. For DSD, all pattern charges get the blue mild.
My solely quibble is that the three.5mm port is a bit underpowered. My Campfire Audio Mammoths needed to be cranked up larger than with every other DAC I’ve used so far. Normally, I’ve to maintain my quantity slider round 10% of max to keep away from damaging my listening to with the Mammoths, that are fairly delicate. With the DS2 2024, I actually pushed the amount, and that doesn’t bode effectively for power-hungry IEMs.
Fosi Audio DS2: Sound high quality
This $60 DAC/Amp has spectacular sound for its value level! I’d characterize the DS2 2024 as a heat DAC/Amp that doesn’t sacrifice readability or element for that bump within the lows and mids.
I listened to a number of completely different playlists by way of Sennheiser’s HD660S2s and their chic IE900 IEMs. I additionally linked Campfire Audio’s Mammoth IEMs and HiFiMan HE-4XX planar magnetic headphones. Charles Mingus’ “Moanin’” is an intricately detailed and blended massive band jazz romp that shines a lightweight on the DS2’s element and musicality. It reproduces that monitor with virtually analytic precision, permitting you to bask within the separation of the devices and the way they’re layered within the stereo picture.
The bass and mids aren’t earth-shattering, however they’re entertaining. On that very same Mingus monitor, the upright bass is current and assertive with out stepping on the horns or hi-hat. Skrillex’s “Mumbai Energy” and Huge Ok.R.I.T.’s “My Sub” growl and rumble with aplomb.
In listening to Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Sneakers” and the Get Out OST monitor “Shikilinga Kwa XXXX,” you’ll uncover the closed-back headphone-like soundstage. To be clear, the vocals are vivid. On good headphones and with DACs that don’t easy out the mids and highs, Paul Simon’s vocals are only a hair shy of sibilant, as was the case with the DS2. The shrill horns I commonly reference in Artwork Blakey’s “Moanin’” are expectedly shrill with the DS2.
General, this can be a nice listening expertise for $60, and it’ll develop with you due to its inclusion of the 4.4mm balanced connection that ought to have ample energy to drive all however essentially the most extraordinarily demanding headphones and IEMs.
Fosi Audio DS2: Competitors
The competitors at $60 is nearly non-existent. There’s competitors in {hardware} from the HiBy FC4, Fiio KA13, and Fiio Ka3. All three share related options and have each single-ended and balanced outputs, however you’re going to pay $20 extra for them with no vital distinction in sound high quality.
Then there’s the iFi GO hyperlink, which is able to run you an identical $60 however gained’t get you an identical options. You’ll get the three.5mm single-ended port however no 4.4mm, or 2.5mm balanced output and no on-device quantity controls.
Fosi Audio DS2: Must you purchase it?
You should purchase the Fosi Audio DS2 if…
- You’re on a funds
- You might have good headphones/IEMs with 4.4mm cables
- You’re simply moving into Apple Lossless
You should not purchase the Fosi Audio DS2 if…
- You might have energy hungry 3.5mm cabled IEMs
At this value level, you gained’t discover many choices with a 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced audio jack. For $59.99, the readability and element of the Fosi Audio DS2 2024 make this a superb selection for these simply diving into audiophile territory. It even supplies sufficient bass and sub-bass to fulfill the bass heads amongst us.
With a strong construct high quality and a 24-month guarantee, the DS2 is a strong funding in having fun with hi-resolution audio.
Low value entry to audiophile-land!
For these simply moving into Apple Lossless and Hello-Res Audio, the Fosi Audio DS2 is a superb funding with no fear of getting “purchaser’s regret.”
