No, I mean comparison between the budget amps t9, fosi v3 and SMSL DA9
SQ straight out of the box in this order - T9>Fosi V3>SMSL DA9.
in terms of usability, features, and design - DA9>T9>V3
In terms of power - DA9>V3>T9.
VFM - Fosi V3>T9>DA9
Some things of note - while the T9 has the best SQ, it's a crude product that lacks finesse, both in operation and design. It's a great starter kit for (i) newbies getting into the hobby, and/or (ii) want an all in one solution that'll not only give good sound but a full digital connectivity suite, and/or (iii) don't want to go the separates route - it has usb, coax, Optical, sub out, bluetooth - that's better connectivity than most integrated amps below 50k! Due to the lack of power with the factory brick
(24v), speakers with sensitivity of 87db and above would be necessary to play at very loud volumes.
The Fosi V3 necessarily relegates you to "separates" but it has the most potential if you're willing to invest in other parts of the chain. Straight out of the box, it can sound dry, thin and lifeless. A bit of EQ magic
(i use an RME ADI-2 DAC FS) and it roars into life. Therefore, while it offers stupid VFM on the amplification stage, the cost of a decent DAC, EQ (
if the dac doesn't have one - which most dacs don't except Chord MOJO and RME ADI-2 that i know of), preamp etc would increase the cost substantially over the T9. I'd say it's for those who already have a good preamp but want to add some quality amplification for a second/ alternate system or to add more channels of amplification to AVRs that have preouts for additional channels (
most 11.2 channel AVRs have 9 on tap and offer preouts for the remaining 2)
The SMSL DA9 has the best balance of SQ, features and design. All in all, it's a much more polished product than the others with a smart blend of digital and analog connectivity and an excellent design language. It's the amp that has the pride of place on my living room TV shelf as I wouldn't be caught dead with the others.
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