Fostex HP-A3
Short review
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Fostex HP-A3 specifications
Yandex.Market data
| General characteristics | |
| A type | headphone amplifier, stereo |
| Number of channels | 2 |
| Circuit design | semiconductor |
| Amplifier parameters | |
| Front channel power | 0.1W (32 ohm) |
| Reproducible frequency range | 20 - 20,000 Hz |
| Harmonic coefficient | 0.01 % |
| Digital audio processing | |
| DAC | yes, 96 kHz / 24 bit |
| Interfaces | |
| Inputs | optical x1 |
| Outputs | headphone x1, optical x1, line x1 |
| Interfaces | USB Type B |
| Front panel connectors | headphones |
| Headphone jack | 6.3 mm |
| Gold plated connectors | there is |
| Food | |
| Power consumption | 2.5W |
| Design | |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 108x36x140 mm |
| Weight | 0.45 kg |
| Additional Information | |
| Features: | output power 100 mW (32 Ohm); powered by USB; DAC: AK4390 |
Fostex HP-A3 reviews
Yandex.Market data
Advantages:
Sound! Component and build quality. Made in Japan.
Disadvantages:
There are no network gadgets. The amplifier could be more powerful. Although personally, I do not have headphones so tight to crush this device. I think it will pull out 250 OM, and therefore you can take something like the Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO to it. But here I would advise you to listen to before buying.
Comment:
A small explanation for those who do not really understand what it is and why. So what is it? - This is an external DAC (digital to analogue converter) with headphone power amplifier. It can also be called an external sound card that connects to a PC via USB or s / pdif (digital interface). What is this for? -In order to connect to any PC, laptop instead of a regular sound card and receive high quality sound. The sound can be output to headphones, speakers (speakers), or to another amp using the DAC as a preamplifier. Who needs it? - Everyone who has decent headphones or speakers has a desire to listen to music in high quality, but there is no money for cool DACs and amplifiers for a quarter of a million. Another nuance, even in not the cheapest integral amplifiers, the headphone output is purely chob. Therefore, even owners of good integrated amplifiers with a built-in DAC will find this thing useful for headphones. There are older models with a steeper amp.
February 25, 2018, Moscow
Advantages:
- As it turned out, enough power even for isodynamic Fostex. - Item 1 + power supply - no extra cables / adapters in the outlet. - Excellent sound quality. - Incredibly convenient Phones / RCA switch - allows you to switch the output to an external sink without having to pull out the headphone jack each time. - Appearance ;)
Disadvantages:
Not seen
Comment:
This was the first experience of getting into the near-hi-fi theme, and it turned out to be very successful. At first I listened through it with the Sennheiser HD 518 and after switching from the built-in audio PC it seemed just amazing sound. Then I found out about isodynamic headphones from the same manufacturer and, thinking about whether this amplifier is enough for them, I decided to take it. And again he stepped up a big step in terms of quality. Although it has to be twisted higher, the values in the region of 5-6 (out of 10) are already maximum for comfortable listening, and no distortions are noticed.
May 25, 2017, Moscow
Advantages:
Good resolution of instruments, picture wide enough, chic amplifier for its size, Japan build
Disadvantages:
For this price no
Comment:
I chose an entry-level amplifier with a decent DAC, listened to many others - Fiio, Ibasso, Oppo. Only on this I got what I wanted (ATH-M50 headphones) - a very good sound picture, good detail in the entire frequency response spectrum, without hints of sibilants and other parasites, sufficient power. High-impedance headphones, in particular, the Beyerdynamics DT-990 250 Ohm swing with difficulty, the detail suffers, but, in principle, you can listen, but you need a good external amplifier, not for the entry-level ears. In general, I advise everyone who is just starting the path to good sound, the built-in cards, even on a MacBook, are in a completely different league compared to it.
May 14, 2016, Dzerzhinsky
Advantages:
1. Mobility. The DAC is quite compact, and it is quite a real task to take it with you. It's still a bad idea to listen to something on the road, but it's not hard to endure. 2. I love how easy it is to change the source and sound output. I pressed the button - changed the output from the headphones to the speakers, pressed another - it plays not from the computer, but from the CD. It's more convenient than constantly poking the cords. 3. Convenient indication of what is connected and what is not. 4. Well, the sound in the end. If you have low-impedance headphones, including something up to 150 ohms, then one of them should be enough. Something heavier, I would recommend pumping a separate amplifier. So the sound. It is quite voluminous, I would say "in moderation". There is no such feeling that you are in another space, the feeling that everything is playing as it should, as if the band is performing right in front of you. I really like the sound, I didn't really notice any additional character of the DAC.
Disadvantages:
1. Appearance for an amateur. It doesn't bother me, but many people don't like it. 2. If you plug in the headphones and direct the sound output to the disconnected speakers, then music is barely audible in the headphones at maximum volume, and I have only the right one. I don't know how critical it is, but there are obviously some insulation defects. It does not seem to affect normal listening.
Comment:
I have owned this box for almost a year now, and I absolutely do not regret the money spent on it. There is no point in buying an hp-a4, the sound is absolutely the same (if you are not confused by the appearance). The gain here is relatively weak, so I bought JDS Labs Atom to drive the HD 650 and ATH r-70x. I think that in the middle price segment it makes no sense to buy something a little more expensive, because this pair gives a very decent sound quality, and until you have headphones for 100k +, you most likely will not run into any limits. But it is perfectly audible how the headphones are not taken out for 10-15k. M-50x, AD500X, AD700X, and a bunch of different plugs seem to "slow down". It's a very strange feeling, it's hard to describe how it sounds. In general, you definitely need good headphones for this DAC.
November 30, 2019, Dolgoprudny
Advantages:
- size - power consumption - mobility - sound ... lots of sound
Disadvantages:
There is no off / off button. It is very necessary, but it is not.
Comment:
She is very smooth. not even so VERY smooth. So much so that my main headphones were even ... too uninteresting with her. But it was taken exactly as a mobile kit for work with plans to buy ears for it. I highly recommend (if possible + only with your own headphones and familiar tracks) to listen to it before buying - perhaps your plans to use it with existing headphones will not justify themselves. The sound panorama fully justifies its cost. Everything is clear, clean, smooth. No interference, defects, artifacts. That gives a lot of room in the selection of speakers / headphones just for your preferences. In fact, we have a cool mobile DAC with an amplifier that can be connected to anywhere via a USB hub, even to a phone. It easily pulls 300 ohms, judging by the margin, it will fully open 450 ohms. But 600 will already be a lot. Power consumption is still above average.So it doesn't work with bad USB extenders. Good ones - it eats up completely (at the moment it works with a 2m extension cord).
August 29, 2019, Novosibirsk
Advantages:
Great sound. Great build. Analog volume control, high power
Disadvantages:
The appearance is somewhat clumsy, but this is not entirely important for an audiophile.
Comment:
I got it for listening to music from a computer. Nothing special, streaming audio from well-known music portals. I did not expect that there will be such an abyss in the sound! Music flows like a river, the sounds are juicy, delicious. Familiar melodies sounded in a new way. In general, whoever sits at work often with headphones at the computer is definitely a must have! Expensive? yes, it seems not very much, I have not regretted 15000r. I hope it will last a long time) For those who want to buy advice - first listen to the conditions in which you usually listen to music and you will understand everything)
23 February 2018, Moscow
Advantages:
Low harmonic content, practically distortion free, good price. The device itself is quite weighty - you immediately feel that the thing is good.
Disadvantages:
The design is very dated
Comment:
My husband and I bought at the beginning of September for the house. There was already a positive experience of buying Fostex headphones, so we decided to take the amplifier from them. We are satisfied with the result - its power is enough for our home very "tight" headphones.
28 September 2015
Advantages:
sounds bold, thick, velvety, and gorgeous in Kotovsky
Disadvantages:
they are not, neat !!!
Comment:
I bought it in a store, listened to a bunch of players, combines, tractors))) in general, a powerful sound and a fatty bass hypnotized me and I'm now a fan of fostex)))
7 January 2020, Nudol
Advantages:
First DAC. The defining choice was that there is an output switch, as silly as that sounds. Many other harvesters have a button to switch inputs, but everyone forgets about the outputs. Accordingly, I use this DAC both for an amplifier with speakers and for my ears, I constantly poke this Wonderful button, without pulling out the plugs. The second defining moment was that all my muses. equipment Europe, respectively, to take China just zapadlo. Japanese assembly with Japanese strapping of Japanese chips)
Disadvantages:
The amplifier itself is of high quality, judging by the rave reviews of various members of the forum, but low-power, something like 30mW at 300 ohms. 250 Ohm pumps, but distorts the sound at maximum. They say that you need to connect the sound via optics to the audio card, and power it separately via the YUSB with a 5-volt power supply, for example, from your smartphone.
Comment:
I use HP-A3 as a media solution for a computer, and for full multimedia you still need to buy an audio card with an optical output, if there is none, not only for a separate power supply via USB and to eliminate interference with optics, which I did not notice with USB connection, but also for gaming tasks. The card does not support positioning in games, all sorts of dolby, atmosphere from Windows cannot be installed, all this must be taken into account if you also play action movies. In general, it is spinning in my head that just buying a card of the Creative type and a separate, more serious one, and, importantly, a cheap amplifier for the ears, is a more balanced decision, but this is not certain. Well, and the most important thing about the sound, in comparison with the realtek)), the bass is velvety, the voice is richer in timbre, well, probably that's all, I'm not such an esthete in this and the system as a whole is modest, for a mowing of greenery, probably, so for the price it fits. 4 points - there is no delight, but I don't want to reproach him for anything.
17 November 2019, Moscow
Advantages:
Sound classssss!
Disadvantages:
not yet
Comment:
Great sound. Zenzukhers did start playing;)
November 1, 2016, Kovrov
