This is my review of the new DAC Headphone Amplifier Fosi Audio SK02
I recently had the good fortune to try the new Fosi SK02 DAC.
A device that surprised me a lot in terms of quality, sound, size and versatility. And with pleasure I share its positive aspects especially considering its professional quality equal and in some respects superior to many products with a considerably higher price produced by more famous companies.
https://fosiaudio.com/products/fosi-audio-sk02-desktop-dac- headphone-amp
I am a music fan. In addition to playing a few instruments (piano - first instrument, guitar, sax and harmonica), I like to listen to it well.
This is why I am always at the best value for money.
The right compromise that allows me to get closer to the Hi-fi world without giving up the highest quality without spending exaggerated amounts.
For about a year I discovered the manufacturer Fosi Audio.
A company known to me and I must confess that it is underestimated because sometimes we tend to take it for granted that products from emblazoned companies are the first choice.
As a consumer the impact with Fosi Audio was surprising, not only for the availability of the operators but above all for the after-sales service.
It is probably not directly connected to the review of the single DAC in the subject but after having purchased a small and compact bluetooth amplifier of the same company a BT20A PRO upgraded with a pair of Sparkos SS3602 operational amplifiers and a 48V enhanced power supply I found myself with an absolutely lower cost than that of products of analog or lower final quality with a real gem that, alongside a V3 + P3 and this DAC, allows me to differentiate listening in a way previously unthinkable in a ridiculous space, obtained next to my desk, with An excellent 'D' class quality. This system now makes me forget that main class “A” much more expensive but which requires me to leave my small corner used as a music studio to move to another room.
Just to give you an idea of what I managed to achieve with zero background noise, and excellent quality I describe what I did:
1 - Stream music with incredibly crystal clear professional quality from my computer or iPad through the SK02 connected with the USB - C to the SK02 without loss of quality:
2 - Listen to streaming music with my cell phone or iPad in bluetooth with a lower quality than the connection with the SK02 but always pleasant:
* Computer connected with SK02 to BT20APRO:
* Mobile phone or iPad connected to the P3
It does not need any power such as on the my iPad Pro 12.9. I think it also applies to other laptops of course as long as it has adequate output power.
For technical data I refer directly to the Fosi Audio web page https://fosiaudio.com/pages/desktop-dac-headphone-amp-sk02
The Sk02 DAC comes in its practical Fosi Audio package inside which are located:
The dac consists of a comfortable device in solid metal, pleasant to the touch, compact, essential in its controls, light enough to be defined as portable;
A small and understandable manual;
N. 1 usbc cable with integrated usb adapter (convenient and impossibl
to lose) of about mt. 1.
The device is equipped with optical input + usb-C and aux-optical-headphone outputs
In particular, there are two headphone outputs: one 3.5 mm of 280 mW and the other balanced of 4.4 mm of 1100 mW that distribute enough power.
I tried the SK02 as a headphone amplifier with 3 of my headphones: an AKG K612 pro; a Sennheiser HD 650 and finally with my ultimate ears professional headphones and I must say that I was very surprised by the answer in terms of sound quality and cleanliness. With the first two I preferred to set the gain to H by adjusting the volume from the knob with the ultimate ears the gain L was more than satisfactory.
Above the led strip there are two small buttons one is the gain that low selection and high gain the other that allows the selection between the various inputs.
The setting of the gain is very simple just press on the relative button and alternately the relative H or L light is turned on.
Same with the mode button to select the input
In addition to the headphones, I also tested the SK02 dac as a preamplifier to decode and listen to streaming songs.
For this purpose I used the small and excellent Fosi audio set ( BT20APRO + P3 + V3) both with my macbook pro i9 with OS Ventura system, and with a PC with windows 10 and even with my ipad Pro 12.9.
RESULTS:
Stunning sound.
Clean music.
Transparency without unnecessary digital weighing down.
A result in terms of quality of music reproduction well above expectations and above all equal to
instrumentation with absolutely higher
costs.
Everything worked immediately and Well.
No need for drivers. No latency. No disturbance. No power. Crystal clear and well-defined sound.
Two things to pay attention to:
The first that the supplied cable is unidirectional the part with the adapter must be connected to the sourcee.
The second that The device allows a PCM adjustment up to 32 bits and from 44.1 to 384 KHz so if it is connected to a computer the
standard value is the initial value of 44.1 for maximum quality (up to 384kHz) this adjustment must be set depending on the operating system used.
For windows:
Go to the output devices set Fosi Audio SK02 – Go to properties - headphones – navigate to Advanced and from this window select the sampling rate and bit depth to be used when playing music.
For mac:
Go to the finder, at the top select Go – utility – midi audio configuration – Select Fosi Audio SK02 and then choose the desired format.
Once the desired format is set on the device, the corresponding light will automatically turn on.
At the top beyond the various lights there is an infinite click knob with pleasant gradual increment with excellent feedback.
This knob also works as a power button.
Above the knob are the Leds that signal the output used, DSD, ignition and operation.
NOT ONLY THAT.
A pleasant discovery related to the blue indicator light above the ignition one present in the DSD column (direct- stream Digital: by increasing the volume this flashing blue LED becomes brighter and brighter and vice versa. An idea that I consider brilliant (instead of Led volume) to maintain the compactness of the device without giving up anything.
I recently had the good fortune to try the new Fosi SK02 DAC.
A device that surprised me a lot in terms of quality, sound, size and versatility. And with pleasure I share its positive aspects especially considering its professional quality equal and in some respects superior to many products with a considerably higher price produced by more famous companies.
https://fosiaudio.com/products/fosi-audio-sk02-desktop-dac- headphone-amp
I am a music fan. In addition to playing a few instruments (piano - first instrument, guitar, sax and harmonica), I like to listen to it well.
This is why I am always at the best value for money.
The right compromise that allows me to get closer to the Hi-fi world without giving up the highest quality without spending exaggerated amounts.
For about a year I discovered the manufacturer Fosi Audio.
A company known to me and I must confess that it is underestimated because sometimes we tend to take it for granted that products from emblazoned companies are the first choice.
As a consumer the impact with Fosi Audio was surprising, not only for the availability of the operators but above all for the after-sales service.
It is probably not directly connected to the review of the single DAC in the subject but after having purchased a small and compact bluetooth amplifier of the same company a BT20A PRO upgraded with a pair of Sparkos SS3602 operational amplifiers and a 48V enhanced power supply I found myself with an absolutely lower cost than that of products of analog or lower final quality with a real gem that, alongside a V3 + P3 and this DAC, allows me to differentiate listening in a way previously unthinkable in a ridiculous space, obtained next to my desk, with An excellent 'D' class quality. This system now makes me forget that main class “A” much more expensive but which requires me to leave my small corner used as a music studio to move to another room.
Just to give you an idea of what I managed to achieve with zero background noise, and excellent quality I describe what I did:
- I connected my Macbook pro to the SK02 DAC through the USB-C socket setting pcm output to 384 khz;
- The SK02 is connected to the BT20A PRO (with two Bower & Wilkins front shelf speakers) - upgraded with 2 Sparkos SS3602 operational amplifiers - through the RCA input by means of a small -rca jack cable;
- From the PRE-OUT output of the BT20APRO comes out a jack that I connected to the RCA IN socket of the P3 valve preamplifier and then from the RCA OUT of the P3 to the V3 connected directly to a pair of KEF column speakers that I positioned at the rear. I'm going to try to insert a velodyn subwoofer as well but in the end for the type of listening I thought it was not necessary.
1 - Stream music with incredibly crystal clear professional quality from my computer or iPad through the SK02 connected with the USB - C to the SK02 without loss of quality:
- With only the front speakers B&W turning on the only BT20A PRO;
- With all four speakers also turning on P3 and V3 adjusting the rear ones;
2 - Listen to streaming music with my cell phone or iPad in bluetooth with a lower quality than the connection with the SK02 but always pleasant:
- With only the front speakers by turning on the only BT20APRO connected in bluetooth;
- With only the rear speakers turning on only P3 And V3 by connecting the P3 in bluetooth;
* Computer connected with SK02 to BT20APRO:
* Mobile phone or iPad connected to the P3
Let's go to the review.
SK02 is a dac that allows not only to pilot important headphones by amplifying their sound and exalting their details but also to connect your stereo to a computer and/or ipad or other device. It does not need any power such as on the my iPad Pro 12.9. I think it also applies to other laptops of course as long as it has adequate output power.
For technical data I refer directly to the Fosi Audio web page https://fosiaudio.com/pages/desktop-dac-headphone-amp-sk02
The Sk02 DAC comes in its practical Fosi Audio package inside which are located:
The dac consists of a comfortable device in solid metal, pleasant to the touch, compact, essential in its controls, light enough to be defined as portable;
A small and understandable manual;
N. 1 usbc cable with integrated usb adapter (convenient and impossibl
to lose) of about mt. 1.
The device is equipped with optical input + usb-C and aux-optical-headphone outputs
In particular, there are two headphone outputs: one 3.5 mm of 280 mW and the other balanced of 4.4 mm of 1100 mW that distribute enough power.
I tried the SK02 as a headphone amplifier with 3 of my headphones: an AKG K612 pro; a Sennheiser HD 650 and finally with my ultimate ears professional headphones and I must say that I was very surprised by the answer in terms of sound quality and cleanliness. With the first two I preferred to set the gain to H by adjusting the volume from the knob with the ultimate ears the gain L was more than satisfactory.
Above the led strip there are two small buttons one is the gain that low selection and high gain the other that allows the selection between the various inputs.
The setting of the gain is very simple just press on the relative button and alternately the relative H or L light is turned on.
Same with the mode button to select the input
In addition to the headphones, I also tested the SK02 dac as a preamplifier to decode and listen to streaming songs.
For this purpose I used the small and excellent Fosi audio set ( BT20APRO + P3 + V3) both with my macbook pro i9 with OS Ventura system, and with a PC with windows 10 and even with my ipad Pro 12.9.
RESULTS:
Stunning sound.
Clean music.
Transparency without unnecessary digital weighing down.
A result in terms of quality of music reproduction well above expectations and above all equal to
instrumentation with absolutely higher
costs.
Everything worked immediately and Well.
No need for drivers. No latency. No disturbance. No power. Crystal clear and well-defined sound.
Two things to pay attention to:
The first that the supplied cable is unidirectional the part with the adapter must be connected to the sourcee.
The second that The device allows a PCM adjustment up to 32 bits and from 44.1 to 384 KHz so if it is connected to a computer the
standard value is the initial value of 44.1 for maximum quality (up to 384kHz) this adjustment must be set depending on the operating system used.
For windows:
Go to the output devices set Fosi Audio SK02 – Go to properties - headphones – navigate to Advanced and from this window select the sampling rate and bit depth to be used when playing music.
For mac:
Go to the finder, at the top select Go – utility – midi audio configuration – Select Fosi Audio SK02 and then choose the desired format.
Once the desired format is set on the device, the corresponding light will automatically turn on.
At the top beyond the various lights there is an infinite click knob with pleasant gradual increment with excellent feedback.
This knob also works as a power button.
Above the knob are the Leds that signal the output used, DSD, ignition and operation.
NOT ONLY THAT.
A pleasant discovery related to the blue indicator light above the ignition one present in the DSD column (direct- stream Digital: by increasing the volume this flashing blue LED becomes brighter and brighter and vice versa. An idea that I consider brilliant (instead of Led volume) to maintain the compactness of the device without giving up anything.
Conclusions
The DAC Fosi SK02 is a professional quality device with an excellent value for money absolutely competitive compared to more famous brands recommended not only for those who want to update their stereo system, connect their computer to the latter by acquiring musical transparency but also to those who want to get new and splendid sensations from listening to streaming music in headphones.
