Grimnir
New member
What got me interested, the fact that it had multiple inputs, tone controls with bypass and a remote with the added nostalgic touch of the motorised volume control and all this in a compact unit, something very pleasing about that.
The challenge, could it replace my (somewhat older) Cambridge Audio Topaz AM5? Quite simply, yes. The Fosi P4 is testament to how tech and engineering have moved along over the years. Moving from a standard sized separate to a unit that’s probably 1/6 the size and getting credible clarity in the trebles and richness through the mid and bass.
Testing the unit out with a couple of different setups. First of I ran the Fosi P4 with some powered, pre-amped speakers with RCA connections and a basic Bluetooth unit for input. The combination worked very nicely, only really limited by the cable lengths and the range of the speakers. The Fosi P4 definitely had more to give than my Majority D40-X speakers wanted to handle, especially in the bass.
The second test was running the Fosi P4 with the tone bypass on, through my Cambridge Audio Topaz AM5, with the input being my Bang & Olufsen Beogram 1800 turntable (MM amped by a Fosi Box X1 and yes, I bought this after running the Fosi P4 for a while and being thoroughly impressed with it.) Sadly, I only got a short run of Architects For Those Who Wish to Exist live at Abbey Road Studios (an album with full range and an excellent test for amps and speakers) before my turntable decided it needed a service and ground to a halt. The short play was good and offered a good feel to the playback. The tone was set on my AM5, which is a little richer than the Fosi P4, and playback was through my Q Acoustic 2010i speakers.
All in all, I’m very impressed by the look, design and feel of the Fosi P4, its price point sets it apart from comparable named brands with the same offering. I like that there is a little “rest point” as you get halfway through the tone dials. Its flexibility of having 3 inputs, tone controls and bypass, a sub pre-out, along with gain control, cracking unit.
Things I didn’t like, the small tic as you change source inputs/modes, the marking of which input is which. RCA’s are a common pairing, marking the input number above and below the RCA’s and maybe put the “L” and “R” symbols at either end, inline with the points would make for easier management. No batteries for the remote, a small thing but anything else I’ve purchased with a remote comes with the batteries for it.
Would it encourage me to buy more or recommend Fosi products? Well, I’ve already bought a Fosi Box X-1 off the back of running the Fosi P4, and yes, I’d happily recommend the brand to friends and family.
The challenge, could it replace my (somewhat older) Cambridge Audio Topaz AM5? Quite simply, yes. The Fosi P4 is testament to how tech and engineering have moved along over the years. Moving from a standard sized separate to a unit that’s probably 1/6 the size and getting credible clarity in the trebles and richness through the mid and bass.
Testing the unit out with a couple of different setups. First of I ran the Fosi P4 with some powered, pre-amped speakers with RCA connections and a basic Bluetooth unit for input. The combination worked very nicely, only really limited by the cable lengths and the range of the speakers. The Fosi P4 definitely had more to give than my Majority D40-X speakers wanted to handle, especially in the bass.
The second test was running the Fosi P4 with the tone bypass on, through my Cambridge Audio Topaz AM5, with the input being my Bang & Olufsen Beogram 1800 turntable (MM amped by a Fosi Box X1 and yes, I bought this after running the Fosi P4 for a while and being thoroughly impressed with it.) Sadly, I only got a short run of Architects For Those Who Wish to Exist live at Abbey Road Studios (an album with full range and an excellent test for amps and speakers) before my turntable decided it needed a service and ground to a halt. The short play was good and offered a good feel to the playback. The tone was set on my AM5, which is a little richer than the Fosi P4, and playback was through my Q Acoustic 2010i speakers.
All in all, I’m very impressed by the look, design and feel of the Fosi P4, its price point sets it apart from comparable named brands with the same offering. I like that there is a little “rest point” as you get halfway through the tone dials. Its flexibility of having 3 inputs, tone controls and bypass, a sub pre-out, along with gain control, cracking unit.
Things I didn’t like, the small tic as you change source inputs/modes, the marking of which input is which. RCA’s are a common pairing, marking the input number above and below the RCA’s and maybe put the “L” and “R” symbols at either end, inline with the points would make for easier management. No batteries for the remote, a small thing but anything else I’ve purchased with a remote comes with the batteries for it.
Would it encourage me to buy more or recommend Fosi products? Well, I’ve already bought a Fosi Box X-1 off the back of running the Fosi P4, and yes, I’d happily recommend the brand to friends and family.
