Best amp under $100? Fosi Audio MC101 is Awesome at $85.
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
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Fosi Audio MC101 amzn.to/419ryHx (Amazon)
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0:00 Start
0:42 Intro
2:54 Sponsored Content Squarespace
4:54 MC101
6:35 On the Back
7:53 How it Sounds
11:05 Final Thoughts
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Fosi Audio MC101 amzn.to/419ryHx (Amazon)
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Thank you, Randy, for continuing to review affordable products for us Joe Average folk.😊❤
Pretty happy so far with the Fosi TB10D with the standard power supply.
What I love about the V3 that I can run it full tilt without any distortion, which is nice when connecting it to a preamp like the Arylic BP😊😊50.
YESSS, the cheap audio man did it again. Very helpfull, thnx
Been running my Fosi Bt 20as for 6 months now and it's still Awesome... And has moved from the garage to the living room 😊
I'm watching this video listening through an MC101. You've never sounded better to me, Randy! :)
I bought this for my desktop system at work, hence wanting BT. I'm using the V3 (48V) for my home desktop. They both sound great. I couldn't tell you which one sounds better, I can't do ABAB quick switch comparisons. Smile on face = good stuff.
I don't know Randy it might be time to do a shoot out of all the mini amps between $70 and $130 to rank each unit for the best sound, power output, and features for the money.
Great idea!!!! Miss the speaker shoot outs!
Really nice looking little amp
I'm starting to plan a "casual listening" setup in the bar area in my basement that I'm setting up. We have a monthly beer club and a monthly poker club that travels and a few times a year it's my turn. So, we're talking background music mostly and occasionally more of a "have you heard this song or this band" kind of thing. Letting guys connect from their phones as well as being able to connect a turntable would be great. I think this setup also translates, minus the phono, to a garage, or home office scenario. So far, we've been using those little Bluetooth portable speaker gadgets but I'd rather not. In the bar area as well as the garage I think wall mounted speakers would be better or I could put up small shelves to locate the speaker off the ground. Maybe you already have a video on this or would like to make ne if you think there's enough interest. So far 've been trying to glean bits and pieces from your existing videos. This one might be the amp for the non-phono setup.
Im using the Fosi P3 as a bluetooth reciever and it is quite good. Fosi does good bluetooth implementation if you just want an easy connection to your phone.
I bought one of these . They look great and sound fine . The VU meter only works at really high volume . I live in a flat so I couldn’t crank the volume. I sold it . Bought a BT20 A pro and a douk Vu meter . Sounds fantastic at low volume and the meters jump .
Always a good time spent on your videos....
have you heard of Dayton Audio? They have a few tube based amps I've been curious about after buying an aiyima T9 purely based on your review...would be good know your thoughts.
Great review! Nice to see items less than four digits again! This reminds me of the Aiyima 08 Pro which, I bought. It has the same front panel functions, including the meter. I am curious which sounds better. It would be cool if you did a comparison, but I think the next one I want to try is the Fosi V3.
I think this particular Fosi (MC101) would be a downgrade from the 08 Pro which has a better amp chip (3255 vs the older weaker TPA3116), and the power supply cannot be upgraded. However, the MC101 does look better and I generally prefer the Fosi product is of a better build quality. The V3 is pretty sweet. I have two and really like them.
Great review as usual, now just have to compare to Aiyima O7 Max
Great review
I been enjoying my Fosi V3, that thing is powerful for what it is. I have the 48v adapter and it drives my Elac Debut 5.2 wonderfully. Although I wish I had more tone controls.
look up fosi p1, rollable tube amp pre with tone controls basically made for the v3, and 40$
@@______4790Or the new P3 😊
Hi Randy, the device looks fine with that gorgeous VU-meter, bass and treble controls very well tuned and the volume pot, even if it's not that good about low level disalignment, works fine. What a pity it's so cramped about power output. It cannot drive my Elacs DBR even if pushed at its boundaries, so it's good enough to drive Miccas RB42 or similar nearing 85-86 dB. What to say? it's a joy for the eyes, a lot less for ears, but I love it anyway! Cheers!
Match Randy's tiny amps to one of his tiny DACs and rp600m or br03 or miniLore and you can't believe the volume of 3D sound filling your living room. Crazy quality and value. Tx Cheapaudioman
Nice. Thank you. Say have you ever reviewed the Dayton Audio HTA100? I looked but didn't find anything.
I agree
still bad for my usages lol
Oops, Randy said that the Wiim Mini can to Chromecast at around 6:20. The WiiM Pro does, but not the mini.
yes lejardin is real flat monitor, even more accurate than he-1, both sound similar
I’m really happy w RSL Amp
Nice, thanks Randy!🎉
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
I love your content by why don’t you ever do test audio? I have to go to other creators pages to hear them after I watch you describe them.
I like AC/DC as well
Hi randy when are you going to review the smsl ao300 amp?
I am glad to see it has a preamp out - is this controlled by the volume control, for sure? I am remembering that some amps that label the output a preamp out - it is actually a fixed out; so really a recording output.
Yes, controlled by the volume control
@@sensibox Thanks for confirming.
@@sensiboxis this like the V3 though in that if you want to use it as a proper preamp, you use the 3.5mm preamp as input and the RCA as output to your amp, (I know, it's weird) but then it acts (like the V3 does) as a proper preamp?
How would you rate these over the Aiyima A08 Pro that I bought last year after you named it Product Manager of the Year. Always looking to upgrade.
What I would really like. Is a small amp like these but with a RCA pre-out / sub out and not the headphone size output.
A remote
And if possible. XLR input.
They are listing it as Peak vs RMS. Bought the AIYIMA TPA3255 with dual Vu meter and they listed as 300w x 2 than in the description say over 200w x 2. Seem they couldn't make up their mind. Story short, when I check the voltage output it pump out around 10W - 20W RMS. If volume is crank up to max, yes it can hit 200w x 2 PEAK and all distortion of course.
The sound of Aiyima class D amp sounded just like ordinary class D should be, muffel and not as clear or clean as A/B.
Where Emotiva they clearly list their power output in RMS, so it a continuous power and not peak.
Hey Randy, can you please do a SMSL SU1 connected to SMSL DA1??? Looks like a cool stack setup
Did you level match all products 😮 13:32
Please consider getting an amp dyno and an oscope. I would love to see actual output and THD along with how you think something sounds.
Randy, as others have said, thank you for focusing on an affordable product. I bought one after watching your review - and that is after buying the V3. I have a particular use case for it, so I'm hoping it works in that context. Nothing that different from your review however. The great thing about my purchase was that there was a AU$20 coupon, making the amp AU$109. Which is a fraction below US$72. Hopefully an absolute bargain. It feels like Fosi Audio are consolidating their "affordable" reputation, and moving into the lower end of the SMSL gear.
Would ve interested in a review of the new GaN 48v power supply vs the original 48v.
Hi! Excuse me could you make a review of the douk audio eq? Te one with Bluetooth and VU meters
i picked up a BT30D pro for like 75 bucks and got to say it's pretty dang nice
What happens if we buy two Fosi's and the power supply only has to power one channel each? Using only one channel and the full use of the power supply, do we gain some headroom for peak waveforms before distortion? RMS power means almost nothing, peak power and fast recovery means everything. Usually, it takes some gigantic capacitors to achieve peak recoveries, not enough room in those tiny power supply boxes for that. Maybe Class D (assuming Fosi is) amps don't need those capacitors?
The Aiyima A07 Pro would be a better choice for me, fitted with the TPA 3255 chip, and supplied with a 36V 6A PSU, and also has tone controls.
Fosi do make the BT20A Pro which is similar to the Aiyima, but which performs better??
same chip in v3 except v3 has better components. And is much more op-amp compatible.
If you use the 3.5mm pre out for a SUB wont it fail to adjust the volume in tandem ?
You’re actually improving as a reviewer in particular how objective you are
Is Fosi Audio distributed in N. America? Darn things are catching my visual perceptions. I wonder about any warranty issues as in shipping them back to Asia etc, perhaps on a slow boat. Oh my, eye candy.
It’s cute
My cheap subwoofer has just L(FE) and R inputs. Will single 3.5mm to Rca do or should I use 3.5mm to 2x RCA to connect from amp to active subwoofer?
Man I miss square space guy!!
Woah! Is it Friday yet?
what ampli do you recommend for my sony ss-cs5?
The Wiim mini doesn't do Chromecast, but the pro does 6:23. Bummer.
Ever try this with say an Emotiva Preamp, with this powering the speakers? Would it hold up to more expensive amps, in this combo I mentioned, could be a killer setup with my 90db Boston accoustics?
I have it used with a Schiit preamp to power Kef q150s, sounded amazing. Used it to power some Emotiva speakers with a chifi preamp, sounded good as well, not as good with the schiit preamp but hey that is the difference. I also have read some people switch out the op amp to sparkos labs and it was a big upgrade, like day and night. The v3 definitely feels and sounds higher quality then the other chifi amps I have used.
I may give this a shot!
@@primalscream46 I also forgot to mention. I compared this to the Schiit Gjallarhorn. The Ghorn has a little bit more brighter sound and a bit more clarity but the V3 definitely made up with its power. It has a bit more warmer sound but the extra power did bring more life to my Kefs Q150s. So now I am in a pickle to either get another Ghorn or swap out the op amp on the v3 and see how that sounds. Honestly, I like to experiment so more then likely will do the op amp switch lmao. I like to tube roll so now time to roll some op amp chips. Great, another addiction to add to the audiophile list to tinker with haha I am hoping Randy compares the v3 to the ghorn and hear what he thinks as well.
@@gabrielgarza863 I was thinking of ordering a V3 and just get the chips on order also.
@@primalscream46 good choice. I am going to test it out a bit more and order the chips soon. Excited for you!
What speakers did you use ?????
I'm curious what would happen if you added a different power supply to the MC101. A new power supply running at 24v but with more amps. Voltage is really the speed at which the power is delivered not the amount of it. The amount of power is measured in amps. So if you increase the amps it's possible you could produce more watts from the amp.
Power = Voltage x Current, you don't get one without the other. :)
@@superspeeder Right but the point is you don't have to increase the voltage in order to deliver more power. The idea is how to feed the amp more power.
@@SkyNoris a higher current power supply would allow the amp to draw more current if it needed it. If the amp doesn’t need more current it won’t draw it. You can run an amp at a higher voltage, but you can’t run it at a higher current. You can simply have the current available if it’s needed.
I suspect a larger PS might increase this amp’s output, but I don’t know the specs of the amp chip so I don’t know what that would look like.
Which is better in your opinion? The Fosi V3 or Fosi Bt20a Pro?
actually did a video comparing those two
depends, bluetooth and tone controls arent good if you have something else doing processing. v3 is better though especially with a p1
@@cheapaudioman got a link to it? Because I don't see it.
I have what may be a simple issue but it has vexed me. My Denon receiver is having an issue. It will play audio but no video. I swapped HDMI wires and same result. Thought it might be the HDMI board but not sure. I know Denon doesn’t make replacement parts after so many years. Anyone have a suggestion? TIA
This is a price point I'd expect in 2023 for a stereo-only amp.
Is either one of these amps bridgable?
Has anyone had issues with crossfeed on their V3?
👍
Gunna keep commenting until he reviews the smsl ao300
Rather than getting this and a WiiM...... you might be better off with the Fosi T10 for $119 it has similar specs Wi-Fi and the WiiM functionality built in. It does have one flaw in that it goes from 0 sound output to too loud to sleep to in one click. Needed to get an L-pad to tame it.
Hey! Do you know a good tube-preamp that would not cost a fortune? Schiit Freya+ is obvious, but expensive answer :P
I got a Douk audio P6 and really like it, together with an Aiyima A07 as power amp
@@robx4162 have had many of those type of things over the years. But they have horrible noise floor and tubes don't affect the sound that much tbh. many Chinese brands who make similar looking things. I think mine was called FX-AUDIO stm.
Musical Paradise new tube pre-amp seems interesting
Correction....Wiim mini does not offer Chromecast... you'll have to get the pro or Pro Plus to get that
"it sounded like vintage 70's receiver" what you mean like yelling through a bunch of tin cans ? ill keep v3 2604 swapped, warmed up with a p1
So are Fosi and Aiyima really the same company?
Absolutely not
everyone just uses same chips
Have u heard/revired the a07 maX YET? nO.. sO.. OK.... time to get to that then..
There are sand people alright, I see one of em now...
There's a major problem in all of these Fosi Audio MC101 units, the Bluetooth chipsets are all defective and only have the SBC Codec enabled, the lowest quality codec. AAC codec in all of the Bluetooth chipsets has been misprogrammed, not included, and instead a second same SBC codec has been enabled instead. It would seem that this was done intentionally by Fosi, maybe they received a bad batch of these Bluetooth chips without AAC Bluetooth codec enabled but decided to use them in their MC101 units anyway.
Bad show from Fosi.
So ..
Randy doesn't believe in unicorns, claiming that they don't exist.
But!
Randy doesn't realise that unicorns can only be seen by virgins.
So, Randy has NEVER BEEN A VIRGIN!
Randy, I wonder if a bank of these amps would work good for a HT setup. It would be far cheaper than any multi channel amp.
Especially if they are bridgable???
I wish I had stopped before buying so much audio.
Buy land. Buy pew pews. Buy into YOUR nearby private school because it’s safer than the ones who cater to violent rabid ferals.
Do some nice audio- then quit and just enjoy it.😅
I wish they'd quit putting VU meters and funky colored knobs on so many of these amps. It just screams "cheap" to me and looks so tacky. One thing I appreciate about the Fosi V3 is that it doesn't look so cheap like most of these other Chinese components do. Now if only it had a true sub out... can't believe they dropped the ball on that.
Unicorns were in the bible.
Garbled
I don't understand why you get so exited about those cheap Chinese amp ??? Wow, 2 tone controls and wow copper volume knob and VU meter surround, but not more than . . . 1 input. Their speak doesn't follow worldwide specs and more.
I'm setting up my office computer speakers, Klipsch heritage 2.1, are plenty already, but just a little bit of amp and quality cables, I might justify the price and get to enjoy my music at work, without going kef, marantz, b&w, emotiva and Audioquest for the cables. Ya know?
Any product has a specific purpose. If you have a room where you want good sound quality but you don't have the space and/or the budget for a +3000$ big system, these small amps are crazy good. With less than 700$ you can get a very good solutions with a dual mono amplifier and decent speaker. 😉
Fun fact: this channel is not about cheap audio. It's about a man. He doesn't talk about anything cheap. He doesn't show much of the equipment that he is "reviewing". He only shows his drunken face.
You don’t think an $85 amp is cheap audio?!
Oh come now, you are just being mean and it isn't true, but granted, I have called Randy out on his recent streak of four figured prices on some speakers. While, I am fine with him doing that, I just feel that it doesn't belong here, but rather in another channel.
BTW I'm not drinking coffee.
Old Forester 1910
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