My review of the Fosi Audio V3 Mono

[Dave B]

Mono et Mono
My Experience with the Fosi Audio V3 Monoblock Amplifier
By David Berti ​

Fosi Audio sent me a pair of V3 monoblocks to test as part of a grass roots effort to improve their product and increase exposure. The V3’s arrived securely packed, each nestled in its own handsome container. The boxes had a nice heft to them. Removing the units revealed that the boxes, sturdy foam inserts, and sizeable power supplies accounted for much of the weight. The V3’s are definitively compact! My scale weighs each amp at 1 pound, and each power supply at 1.4 pounds (compare that with my Schiit Vidar 2 monoblocks, each weighing in at 17 pounds…and $800!). The finish on the V3, let’s call it satin, has a nice feel. Vent holes on the sides reveal an attractive orange mesh. Overall, there is a pleasing sense of “fit and finish.” The simple switches on the front have a solid feel. One switch allows the user to toggle between on/auto/off modes. The second switch is to change input signals from XLR to RCA. I appreciate the relatively long input and output cords on the power supplies. This allows for a fair amount of installation flexibility. Turning the unit over, I found a “Designed by Fosi Audio” logo carved into the V3’s tiny rubber feet. Insignificant? Maybe. To me, it is a nice touch and a sign that somebody cares. Another refreshing detail that I noticed involved the V3’s instructions. Having read quite a few instruction booklets for Chinese-made products, the verbiage is often choppy and difficult to understand. Conversely, care has obviously been taken to provide the V3’s instructions in grammatically correct English. Due to my own lingual limitations, I can only assume that the same care has been given to other translations!
Installation
I experienced a challenge regarding the V3’s rather small binding posts. Notice a “standard” binding post (below left), compared with the V3. If you are simply using banana plugs, the V3’s posts function as they should. A situation I ran into, however, was my desire to run subwoofers. My preamplifier does not have a line level subwoofer output, so I must connect my subs at the speaker level. The binding posts on the V3 are too small to accommodate the wires from my sub AND my speaker cable’s banana plugs. There are workarounds, however. One solution is to use screw-type banana plugs that accommodate large gauge wire. Another option is a binding post extender. This allows you to insert a banana plug into the amp’s binding post, secure the subwoofer wires to the extender’s post, then plug your speaker bananas into the extender’s standard size binding posts.
Listening Impressions
I was immediately pleased by the sound of the V3’s. The vocal imaging was very solid, and the bass was powerful and punchy. When playing a well-recorded live session, the instrument separation was crisp, and the soundstage was deep. I then switched to my Vidar 2 monoblocks. I found the texture, clarity, and separation was essentially identical. The bottom end and overall presentation was a little fuller with the Vidar’s, but I’m not sure I necessarily enjoyed it any more than the V3’s…it was just different. When running a single Vidar 2 as a stereo amp (100W/Ch), it was no contest. The V3’s were my winner by a fair margin. They sounded great with both setups I tried. The first included an Eversolo DMP-A8 preamp/streamer, NAD universal player, and Wharfedale 85th Anniversary Edition Linton speakers. The second included the DMP-A8, Oppo universal player, Revel Performa 3 F206 speakers, and dual REL T5x subwoofers.
Final Thoughts
It’s not hard to like the V3’s. Their build quality appears solid, and they provide big performance in a very small package. Audio “giant-killers” are generally mythical. Even when they do appear, they often don’t last. That said, even if the Fosi Audio V3 Monos were to last only one day past their 2-year warranty period, I think they would be worth it for many people. They provide a solid glimpse into the world of fairly high-end separates. They may not be your last pair of monoblocks, but for less than $300 a pair, I don’t see how anyone could go wrong.