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Fosi Audio MC331 Tube Amplifier with DAC and VU Meter

 | Headphone Amplifier | DAC | Speaker Amp | VU Meter | Bluetooth |

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Fosi Audio MC331 Tube Amplifier with DAC and VU Meter, the newest compact and affordable DAC and amp from Fosi Audio.

Fosi Audio keeps expanding their vast catalog of audio devices with the introduction of the Fosi Audio MC331, an all-arounder tube DAC and amp model with plenty of features but with a friendly price.

In the last decade, we have reviewed endless number of DAC and amps and Fosi Audio products have shown a sweet spot between specs, build and value for money.

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Fosi Audio MC331 Tube Amplifier with DAC and VU Meter Review

Tests & Scores

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A

Accessories & Packaging

The DAC/amp comes in the typical dark blue packaging used on most Fosi Audio devices, with plenty of thick protective foam.
With the Fosi Audio MC331 you will also get:
• 2x tubes
• 2x tube cover/protections
• 1x power supply
• 1x IR remote control
• Bluetooth antenna

^_4.5/5

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D

Design

The Fosi Audio MC331 is a tiny hybrid tube amp with a cute but stylish look with the 2 top sitting tubes, 2 transparent tube covers and an unique rounded VU meter on the front panel with a retro flavor, thanks to the design and true-mechanical build.

The front panel also sports a 5-light indicator that reflects and informs the input mode selected, a 3.5mm headphone jack and the IR sensor.

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The combination of black, golden-orange and tungsten styled illumination results in a gorgeous final aesthetical effect.

It can be clearly seen that the brand has taken quite some time to design this audio device as the overall result is a modern, seamless sensation with retro-touch and a premium feel to it.

We cannot highlight enough how nice the VU meter looks integrated in the Fosi Audio MC331 while offering a delightful detail but also a functional VU meter with real-time response and monitoring for details such as clipping.

^5_/5

 

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OC

Operation & Control

The dedicated and independent knobs for controlling bass and treble are features that we love seeing included with the Fosi Audio MC331 and which find to be always handy and fun to use.

These 2 knobs have a stepless, smooth but not loose rotational movement, allowing fine control.

The 3rd knob in orange-golden color is a volume control and multi-function button, which offers per-notch tactile but silent feedback.

The button press function of this knob/button is used to power on/off and to switch the mode of the device.

On top of that, the Fosi Audio M331 can be also operated wirelessly through the bundled IR remote. The remote offers plenty of buttons (14 in total) with well labeled writings and optimized usability with separate buttons for functions such as bass and treble, volume and playback. The only weak point was that the remote did not have the best reach and sensitivity that we have seen on a IR-enabled device.

^_4.5/5

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CB

Construction & Build

The Fosi Audio MC331 might be an affordable audio device but its cheap price might make buyers expect a cheap, plastic, flimsy build; instead, the MC331 is surprisingly well-built with a much more rugged, full metal construction than other more expensive DAC and/or amps that we have reviewed in the past (FiiO K11, SMSL PA40, FiiO K3, FX Audio 2.0 DAC-M1)

On top of that, the bottom of the case comes equipped with 4 extremely rubberized and grippy feet that keep the unit in place, even on glass or fabric desks)

^5_/5

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C

Connectivity

Similar to what we mentioned in the Build section, the low asking price of the MC331 can make some user think that the model will be lackluster in specs and features. Instead, this Fosi Audio device surprised the team with remarkable amount and variety of input/output connections.

The I/O available in the Fosi Audio MC331 are:
Inputs
• RCA input (for a DAC)
• USB (for PC DAC capability)
• Optical
• Coaxial
• Wireless Bluetooth (SBC, AAC)

Outputs
• 2 channel Stereo Banana plugs (for 2x passive speakers)
• 3.5mm stereo output for headphones
• Pre-out

The large quantity of I/O options allows the Fosi Audio MC331 to be used with extreme ease with either computers, mobile phones, tablets, TV, CD players, turntable and outputting your audio through passive speakers or headphones.

^_4.5/5

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S

Sound

Soundwise, the brand has nailed what we would had expected from this type of tube DAC/Amp, offering a nice, cozy warm sound and a richness that mostly lacks in analytical audio devices – the specific vacuum tubes bundled with the Fosi Audio MC331 are 5654W but users can replaceable with any other compatible one when desired (such as the 6AK5, 6AK5W, 6Zh1P, 6J1, 6J1P, WE-403A, 403B, EF95, etc.)

On top of that, the physical control of bass and treble (or wireless with the remote control) with the dedicated knobs provided a massive difference in bass/treble with complete customization and retuning of the sound style and profile.

Another remarkable detail from the Fosi Audio MC331 is that it is not only capable in the sound quality department with clean, interference-free sound but it is, also, sufficiently powerful for such a tiny device; reaching as much as 105Wx2 (4 ohm).

In fact, during our tests of the Fosi Audio MC331, the unit was more than capable of driving 2 mainstream passive bookshelf speakers without running short of juice – of course, there are much more powerful amps in the market.

While testing the Fosi Audio MC331 as a DAC+headphone amp, the same sound nature and inviting personality seen with speakers was also experienced with some of our editor’s choice IEM and full-sized over ear headphones.
The specific tech specs for the headphone’s amp driving capabilities and power are not explicitly listed by the manufacturer but we did not find any lack in performance nor insufficient output on highly popular over-ear headphones and upper-tier in-ear monitors.

^4.25_/5

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Fosi Audio MC331 Tube Amplifier with DAC and VU Meter Scores

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Fosi Audio MC331 Tube Amplifier with DAC and VU Meter Technical Specifications

• MAX Power Output: 105W×2@4Ω
• Input Mode: Bluetooth +RCA +USB +COA+OPT
• Output Mode: Passive Speakers Output, Pre-Out, 3.5mm Headphone Output
• THD: ≤0.03%
• SNR: ≥100dB
• Device Dimension: 10 x 2 x 2.7 inches
• Terminating Impedance: 4-8 Ohm
Power Supply: 24V/4.5A

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