I currently use a pair of L5s for the front left and right channels in a 5.1 system and another pair of L5s in a 2.0 system that is used more for music. Also, I use a pair of Fosi ZD3s in the 2.0 system where a Windows 11 computer is used as a source for 99% of the time. It is connected to a Fosi ZD3 DAC via a USB connection. I am VERY pleased with the sound quality of this system. The Fosi V3 Mono and ZA3 amps have very similar sound quality with some thinking that the ZA3 is a little warmer than the V3 Mono. If I were choosing between them today then I would go for the V3 Mono since it has PFFB circuitry and are dedicated mono amps where the ZA3 can work as a mono or stereo amp. I think the newer small class D amps will work well with about any speaker that isn't highly inefficient. I haven't personally listened to any of the Fosi pre-amps so I can't say if they are as good as the reviews have been for them. From what I have seen, the general consensus is they are completely transparent and do their job well.
Let us know how it comes out. I have to admit, that the main thing that keeps me from trying the Fosi stuff, is that I don't care for the style of marketing they do. But it may be really good. I was really impressed with the Wiim amp. It could not match the medium bog dollar stuff I have, but it easily performed as well as my best vintage Pioneer or Sansui gear. It has it's own wound. Very similar to my Bel Canto Ice powered integrated. It's warm and the mids are very musical. I also love the small form factor.
The newer class D dedicated amps using the TPA3255 chips have only one job to do and that is to amplify a signal. There is nothing inside them to get in the way of their mission. The ZA3s I use are dead silent, very transparent along with good imaging, soundstage, etc. IMO, I think there are compromises to sound quality when numerous functions are jammed into a small area. Speaking in regard to Fosi, I think one reason they sound so good together is because of the amps, DAC, pre-amp etc. being dedicated units. Then add in things like XLR connections between units, individual power supplies, easily swapped op-amps, etc. makes for a very clean, dynamic, transparent and configurable sound.
Being dead silent at full volume seems to give a boost to the overall sound quality for amps like this. I think the reason is the dead silence in the music adds a dimension to the sound that is hard to describe. When I first took the ZA3s apart to swap op-amps I was sort of shocked at how simple the circuitry was in it. I'm not an electronics guru by any stretch but to get this much sound quality out of such a simple device left me scratching my head. I would say that they should be very simple to repair but in the event one goes bad it is far cheaper to buy a replacement than to pay for a repair. Plus, this would be a reason to upgrade to the latest and greatest model.
IMO, Emotiva makes some nice products at competitive price points.
Personally I believe this is the key to a good sounding system regardless of how much one spends on their big amplifier, garbage in gets garbage out.
The QSC 1400 is an older, early 90s amp, maybe late 60s. It was very well regarded in it's time and a value leader. It's still a great amp with lots of headroom and drive. It was not made for home use, but at least one recording studio owner I knew used it for their main monitors. They are also pretty bullet proof.
I always wanted to try one of those.
You're really not missing much. I had one set up with small speakers (mini 7's if I remember correctly) and a cd walkman. I had all that mounted on a paddleboat with a trolling motor. There's no comparison to the great sounding chip amps of today but it was the best contraption I could come up with at the time for a little music out on the water.
Granted, there are a lot of Chinese made amps, DACs, pre-amps etc. that are terrible. However, over the past two years some very, very good high value audio separates have come to market. These components are competing with gear costing 2-4 times their price point. Also, the companies producing these components are being very aggressive with developing newer and better products at a fast pace. If they keep advancing their products at the current rate, in 4-5 years they will be competing with what are now solid mid teer audio components at lower teer price points. I have been into audio since the mid 1980s and I have never seen a time where so much value, quality and performance can be bought for so little money. To think that this is only the beginning of this era of high value components makes me anxious to see it play out.
