Fosi Audio ZD3 Desktop DAC Preamp, Fully Balanced Digital to Analog Audio Converter with ES9039Q2M for Home Stereo Amplifier, Bluetooth/USB/Optical/Coax/TV HDMI ARC Input, XLR/RCA Output with Remote

I bought this Fosi DAC for my gaming PC for use with a set of PreSonus Eris speakers and sub, which I bought because my previous speaker set died. I don't know if I'd call myself an audiophile but I am a musician and I do care about quality sound with minimal noise. The new speakers sounded good but are much more sensitive than the crappy set I had before and I ran into a dilemma: my computer's built-in audio had low noise but only mediocre sound quality, and the cheap external DAC I was using instead sounded good overall but was also adding a lot of electrical noise to the signal, which I never noticed before but was suddenly very noticeable with the new speakers. Further, the new speakers are very sensitive and the basic included cables were picking up a lot of RF noise from nearby wifi. This led me to do some homework where I learned about the magic of balanced cable connections, which eliminate noise created by the cables unintentionally acting as antennae, for which I bought this DAC. This Fosi DAC solved all of my problems in the most amazing (and possibly overkill) way! It provides balanced cable output to the speakers, eliminating RF noise, and also allows for the use of the higher lossless quality settings in music streaming apps. I got everything connected and powered on, loaded up some music at the higher quality settings, and it nearly knocked me out of my chair! It sounds INCREDIBLE! The sound is flawless with no unwanted noise. I think what I love most about this DAC is that it's so easy, just plug-and-play. I hate clutter and I was kind of dreading having another box with a whole set of features and issues to learn, but it turns out setup couldn't be easier. It's got multiple inputs and switching between them is easy, though I'll likely only ever use the USB connection. I was worried about using USB due to the noise issues I was having with my last DAC (I was prepared to use optical) but this Fosi has a separate power supply rather than using USB power, which my homework led me to learn is often the issue with sound equipment, and it works great. The ONLY thing I don't love about this unit is that there doesn't seem to be any sort of power standby feature, which means I have to turn it off manually when I shut down my PC if I want to save energy. I read that it can do HDMI ARC and so maybe if I connect it with HDMI it'll power itself down; I might try that soon and see what happens. Idle power use seems to only be around 1 watt though (I have a watt meter), so that's not so bad. This little box is incredible, and I wish I'd done this a long time ago.

Great DAC and preamp in one! I have been using this for 5 months and have nothing but praise for how well this is designed and functions. I am using USB connection to my MacBook Pro, optical input from my TV, and Bluetooth to connect my iPhone or iPad. HDMI is not eArc compatible so I am not able to use that to get audio from my TV but optical is working fine. The remote has just the necessary functionality and nothing more. It gets the job done. The XLR outputs are a plus and I use them with an Aiyima A20. I have also used them with 3E Audio A7. I don't have a Fosi amp yet but I am sure it will work just as well with that too. The output is clean and has great SNR. At the Black Friday price, this is a steal.

To begin with, let me get the sound out of the way up front. This ZD3 sounds wonderful! In my system, the addition of the ZD3 (and I have 8 other DAC's by the way) introduced a much more "airy" sound quality to the music. It's as if one more sonic veil had been lifted, allowing me to hear right through to the music. As for the bass response with the stock op-amps, I noticed a bit less heft with regard to the lower bass and dynamic capabilities. It's nice to see that in this case, Fosi steered away from using the typical NE5532 stock op amps used in 95% of ChiFi audio components, and used the LME49720 version. I've had good experiences with that particular IC-based op amp. However, based on other experiences, I've come to prefer the discrete versions from either Burson or Sparkos Labs. In this case, I inserted the Sparkos Labs SS3602's and I found the bass to be tighter and deeper. I believe the ZD3 is in a class of its own. I've read a few articles now (and some videos) where the reviewers stated that hearing differences between DAC's is ridiculous - that they basically all sound very similar. I'm sorry, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The very first thing I noticed with the ZD3, was it's increased openness (meaning much more "air" around and between the instrumentation), its superb midrange and treble capabilities (smooth and textured), and a greatly expanded sound-stage. In addition, the overall body of musical performances had a fuller feel to them. The problem with some reviewers is that they rely purely on measurements alone - that is, the "tangible" areas that can be measured. However, for audiophiles, there is so much more involved with good music reproduction. There are the "intangible" areas, meaning those variables that cannot be measured (i.e. how do you measure "immersive"), yet make a huge difference in how we perceive our involvement with sound reproduction. So yes, this is a wonderful DAC unit, along with a very nice preamp section. SUGGESTION TO FOSI: As an aside, just recently, Douk Audio released their diminutive A5 amplifier that features a revolutionary, simple lift-up glass top case/lid that makes changing op amps very convenient. I was wondering why other manufacturers haven't followed with similar designs? Changing op-amps in that Douk A5 took only seconds - and what a convenience that was. Why do manufacturers advertise having op-amp swap-out capabilities when the user has to jump through hoops unscrewing cases, pulling off knobs - and in the case of the ZD3, having to also disconnect wires also? Fosi - why don't you make access to the op-amps a simple solution? Although the ZD3 costs a bit more than most budget oriented DAC/Head-amp units, it's well worth the cost for such a quality-made, and excellent performing unit.

Really happy with this. I purchased to use with a pair of Genelec 8030s and it works seamlessly. Sound is great. Controls are simple and intuitive. Both USB from my iPhone and Bluetooth work exactly as they should. I actually don’t hear a difference in my living room so the BT quality is impressive.

I bought the ZD3 to replace an 8 year old NUCORE DAC that was starting to loose the left channel. WOW what a difference. The ZD3 installed easily and I love the blue tooth feature for my iPhone. I will note that I mostly bought this to use with my iPhone and iPad to play my stored music and Pandora. The sound is clear with good channel separation. The tone is warm and smooth much more like a record album than digital signals. I prefer it in bypass mode without the preamp when playing through my stereo speakers. Through headphones the preamp function with volume control is great. One note, make sure you have the volume on the iPhone or iPad turned up if you initially get no sound. I would have given it 5 stars but am just not a fan of the big orange volume knob and wish the bypass switch was also available via the remote control. In short this is a great DAC for the money and I love it.

The Fosi Audio ZD3 is a fantastic addition to my system. I use it to connect my TV via HDMI and my WiiM Pro Plus via Toslink, and it handles both flawlessly. The compact design is impressive—solid build quality with a clean, modern look. Despite its size, it packs great features that make it versatile for different setups. In my chain (WiiM Pro Plus → ZD3 → ZP3 → dual ZA3 amps → Polk Signature Elite ES20 speakers + SVS SB-2000 Pro sub), the ZD3 acts as the perfect digital hub, delivering clear, detailed audio without fuss. If you need a high-quality DAC/preamp with HDMI ARC and optical input in a small footprint, the ZD3 is hard to beat.

I got this unit because I really wanted an ESS chip DAC (but not a harsh one) to complement my R2R and AKM DAC collection. This unit is affordable and high quality and has all the digital ins and analogue outs I wanted. In addition it allows for op-amp rolling on both the RCA output (I used a single Dual-Sparkos S3602) and the XLR outputs (I used 2x Burson V7 Vivids). Out of the box the unit sounded great already and I only rolled the op-amps out of audiophile curiosity, not out of necessity. With the Sparkos and Burson op-amps the unit sounded even better (especially when used as a variable volume preamp), but unless you have a really resolving audio system, you don't really need to do it. I also added an upgraded power supply to the unit (12V) to see if an extra silent and/or linear power supply made a difference. Again, yes there was a slight improvement in my high end system, but the stock 12V wall-wart power supply was fine to begin with. Thus unit out of the box is very good and expensive upgrades in upgraded op-amps and power supplies made a difference but probably not worth the investment unless you're really into the hobby. I'd say that unless you plan to use the unit as both a DAC and a preamp as well there's no need to go through the trouble. Recommended!

I paired this with the ZA3 from fosi audio to trim down the sound system hooked up to my TV. This replaces a massive AVR with too many functions and does everything which is actually needed. Combined with my AppleTV and TCL screen (using ARC) my AppleTV remote controls power of the ZD3 and ZA3 and volume of the ZD3. Hit the power button on the AppleTV remote and AppleTV, TCL screen, ZD3 pre-amp, and ZA3 amp all turn on (connected via 12v trigger cable included). Adjust volume on the AppleTV remote and the volume and volume display changes on the ZD3 preamp. It’s so minimalist and flawless. It’s the exact opposite of the bloated AVR this replaces and everything works with the AppleTV remote now, no other remotes needed! The design of this equipment is deceptively ingenious and it is clear the goal was to provide a quality experience first which is why I absolutely love my fosi audio setup! Wow! Rarely have I had such a great - “it just works and works flawlessly” experience!