Comments on this setup including Fosi Audio ZA3

[barxman]

I'm building a simple system for a small room which we use as our main sitting area with telly. It'll be used for a mix of music and video (no vinyl and no CDs).

Here's the proposed setup:

• WiiM Pro Plus Streamer £219
• 48V Fosi Audio ZA3 Amp (just one) £150
• Q Acoustics 3030i Speakers (on their stands) £249 (+£165)

That's £793 sans cabling. I particularly like a wide and tall, detailed soundstage. I heard John Lee Hooker's 'Never get out of these blues alive' through a pair of well set up ProAc Tablette speakers 40 years ago and have never forgotten that experience.

I figure that I can add a subwoofer in the future if necessary (though I doubt it), and can buy a second ZA3 and use them as mono-blocks if I get to the stage where I would benefit sufficiently from that.

I've pre-ordered the ZA3 already, the others are in my basket until the ZA3 arrives.

 

[Revolutions]

I’d be looking to up the speaker budget if I were you.

B&W 607 S3 (£599) caught my attention- want to do and listen to them for fun at some point

You can probably save a few £££ and just go for WiiM pro?

 

[Gray]

I particularly like a wide and tall, detailed soundstage. I heard John Lee Hooker's 'Never get out of these blues alive' through a pair of well set up ProAc Tablette speakers 40 years ago and have never forgotten that experience.

Coincidentally, I've never before (or since) heard imaging like I once did from a demo of Proac Ref 8 Tablette speakers.
I bought them - but they didn't sound anything like as good in my room - and were quickly swapped.

Do yourself a favour and try any potential speakers with your ZA3 in your room - it might well prove essential, rather than just useful, for making your eventual decision.

 

[Fandango Andy]

I'm building a simple system for a small room which we use as our main sitting area with telly. It'll be used for a mix of music and video (no vinyl and no CDs).

Here's the proposed setup:

• WiiM Pro Plus Streamer £219
• 48V Fosi Audio ZA3 Amp (just one) £150
• Q Acoustics 3030i Speakers (on their stands) £249 (+£165)

That's £793 sans cabling. I particularly like a wide and tall, detailed soundstage. I heard John Lee Hooker's 'Never get out of these blues alive' through a pair of well set up ProAc Tablette speakers 40 years ago and have never forgotten that experience.

I figure that I can add a subwoofer in the future if necessary (though I doubt it), and can buy a second ZA3 and use them as mono-blocks if I get to the stage where I would benefit sufficiently from that.

I've pre-ordered the ZA3 already, the others are in my basket until the ZA3 arrives.

All the elements sound good, you just need to see how they sound together, and in your room.

A few questions to ask yourself:

Are there any features of the WiiM Pro+ that you will use that aren't on the WiiM Mini? If you go for the mini, you can always add an external DAC at a later date and still be below just the price of the Pro let alone the Pro+.

Do you think you will ever get a second ZA3? Of not would a WiiM Amp be a better option.

Do you have the space to fit the speakers? They are very deep, and are best a reasonable distance from the wall.

Have younlooked at the 3050i? Once you have paid £165 for the stands you aren't far off the price of the floorstanders.

 

[barxman]

All the elements sound good, you just need to see how they sound together, and in your room.

A few questions to ask yourself:

Are there any features of the WiiM Pro+ that you will use that aren't on the WiiM Mini? If you go for the mini, you can always add an external DAC at a later date and still be below just the price of the Pro let alone the Pro+.

Do you think you will ever get a second ZA3? Of not would a WiiM Amp be a better option.

Do you have the space to fit the speakers? They are very deep, and are best a reasonable distance from the wall.

Have younlooked at the 3050i? Once you have paid £165 for the stands you aren't far off the price of the floorstanders.

I like the options the ZA3 gives me to grow - plenty of power, moving to mono-blocks, upgrading the op-amps. The WiiM amp looks great as well, but I've paid for the ZA3 so I'll take a look at that first The suggestion above to start with a WiiM Mini is a though. (though the Pro/Pro Plus connectivity suits me better than the mini, and I thought the improved DAC on the Pro Plus would would be worth the extra (also took a look a Geshelli J2S, but that's an extra bump in price).

It's the speakers I'm not 100% convinced about. I prefer the aesthetics and practicality of stand-mounts vs. floorstanders and looking around the next bump money would lead me to something like the Triangle Borea BR03, or even the 5020 .

 

[Fandango Andy]

I like the options the ZA3 gives me to grow - plenty of power, moving to mono-blocks, upgrading the op-amps. The WiiM amp looks great as well, but I've paid for the ZA3 so I'll take a look at that first The suggestion above to start with a WiiM Mini is a though. (though the Pro/Pro Plus connectivity suits me better than the mini, and I thought the improved DAC on the Pro Plus would would be worth the extra (also took a look a Geshelli J2S, but that's an extra bump in price).

It's the speakers I'm not 100% convinced about. I prefer the aesthetics and practicality of stand-mounts vs. floorstanders and looking around the next bump money would lead me to something like the Triangle Borea BR03, or even the 5020 .

The pro plus is worrh looking at if the extra connectivity suits you. As for speakers, I have heard Triangle's briefly and they sounded fantastic. I am told they aren't very forgiving in their placement so you need to make sure you have space for them.

 

[njprrogers]

You definitely want the Pro + for the better DAC, right? Eliminates the need for an outboard DAC and not that much extra.