Fosi Audio Sk02
Summary
The Fosi Audio SK02 is a desktop dac amp coming in at 99$. Some of its highlights are, solid build, pretty high power output, very low noise floor, ease of use, big bold knob, both BAL and SE outputs and decent sound, etc.
So is it any good? Yes, this checks ofd all the boxes when looking for a desktop dac amp. This has plenty good features and additionally what I find appealing is the form factor and versatility, this is a great source for both iems and headphones. I would say this is like a dongle dac on steroids lol.
Intro
Hey guys, Whats up
Today I am checking out the Fosi Audio SK02. This is a budget desktop dac & amp combo coming in at 89$. This has been getting a lot of positive attention lately, is it actually any good? Lets discuss…
About the brand
Fosi Audio is a fairly new company in the international audio scene. Fosi Audio is a Chinese brand famous for their affordable source gears and amps. They recently started focusing on portable sources as well. Although this is my first Fosi product, I did try their DS01 dongle and some of their other stuffs.
Disclaimer: thanks to Fosi Audio for providing this unit. But as usual my review is unbiased and my honest opinion.
Specs
| Model | SK02 |
| Input | USB Type C, Optical |
| Output | 3.5mm Headphone,4.4mm Headphone,3.5MM line out/Optical |
| Amp output maximum power | 3.5MM：
High Gain: 280mW@32Ω, 130mW@64Ω, 40mW@250Ω, 30mW@300Ω
Low Gain: 90mW@32Ω, 50mW@64Ω, 15mW@250Ω, 10mW@300Ω
4.4MM：
High Gain: 1100mW@32Ω, 550mW@64Ω, 150mW@250Ω, 120mW@300Ω
Low Gain: 350mW@32Ω, 180mW@64Ω, 50mW@250Ω, 40mW@300Ω |
| Frequency Range | 20Hz-20kHz (±0.02dB) |
| THD | ≤0.001% @ 1kHz |
| SNR | 3.5mm Headphone:
Low Gain:116dB
High Gain:120dB
4.4mm Headphone:
Low Gain:110dB
High Gain:115dB |
| Headphone matching impedance | 16-300Ω |
| PC-USB Sampling Rate | 32Bit/384KHz DSD256 |
| OPT Sampling Rate | 24Bit/192KHz |
| DAC Chip | ES9038Q2M |
| Device Dimension | 4.76*2*1.69inch (121*51*43mm) |
| Net Weight | 0.84lb/380g |
| Power Supply | 5V, USB Type |
Packaging
Starting off with the packaging of the SK02, it is simple and straight to the point. This comes a simple blue Fosi branded box. Inside you will find a instruction manual, usb cable and the device itself, all neatly nestled in foam. Honestly the minimal packaging is pretty fair for the price.
Build and Design
Moving on to the build and design of the SK02, this is very well made. The device is made from solid metal, CNC machined aluminum to be exact. Design wise it is different from most other desktop dac amp at this price. Fosi has gone for a vertical layout with the buttons, knob and LED indicators on top. The top is also slightly protruded, giving the device a bit of character. The front side has the outputs (3.5mm and 4.4mm) and the back side has the inputs (USB C and optical) and line out. All the front and back ports are of good quality. The left and right side are blank. All the sides have rounded off edges. The device has substantial weight, feels good in the hands, and there are rubber feet below to stop it from moving around. The knob and buttons also seem to be made of metal.
Functionality:
Buttons and Knob
There are two buttons on the top of the dac amp, one is to change between high and low gain, and the other is to change input mode between usb and line out. The volume knob is one of the best parts of the SK02. It is an infinite rotate type of knob, and the rotation is in very gradual tactile increments. As you would expect the knob controls the volume, but additionally single press does play/ pause and press and hold turns power on and off.
Inputs
For inputs we get a USB type C port for both data and power, and an optical port.
Outputs
For outputs we get a 3.5mm single ended and a 4.4mm balanced on the front of the device and a 3.5mm line out on the back side.
LED Indicators
There are a total of 14 LED indicators showing the setting you are in. The indicators show cases: gain setting, input mode, PCM or DSD file format and sample rate, power on/off, and volume indicator.
Power Output
One of the more significant features of the SK02 is its power output. The SK02 boasts a wapping 1100mW at 32ohms in balanced and 280mW at 32ohms in single ended. The full list of power output at different impedance level is mentioned the specs list section. The power output from such small usb powered seems crazy, maybe a bit too good? I dont know, I do not have proper gear or know how to measure it, but performance wise this seems fine.
User Experience
Pairing with my gear
I used and tested the SK02 with several of my gear, I will put the list of devices I used below. I specially loved it with my over ears, because of its crazy power output and good sound.
Ease of Use
One of the things I really like about this device is the simplicity. Basically its a dac dongle on steroids
. All you need is just ine cable for both power and data, and just plug and play. The form factor ie also really good. The big old knob is a huge added bonus.
Versatility
Another one of the most important things I love about the SK02 is its versatility. I mean, although this is marketed as a desktop unit, the form factor allows it time be portable. The high power output yet a very quite noise floor allows for a very acceptable listening experience both with sensitive iems to power hungry planar headphones (except for the crazy power hungry ones
).
The Cable
The included cable is good. This is unique that the C to C cable has an OTG adaptor built in with the cable. The cable is memory prone, but it is knit picking. Build wise the cable is average, maybe a bit above average when compared to the cables you get with other dac amps at this price.
Power consumption and heat management
I used the SK02 with my pc and my phone, mainly my phone though. With phone this sounds fine but this does drain the battery. With pc battery drainage is not an issue and due to the better power supply I feel like you get max power output. Heat management in this device is really good, it might get slightly warm when running for a while in high gain and high volume, but it never got hot.
Sound
Please note when it comes to sources the sound change are usually not that significant, this will not change the sound of your current gear, but rather will add flavor to it.
Now most importantly sound, is it any good? Yes it is plenty good I would say. Fosi has gone for a balanced, almost neutral sound, with a small touch if warmth. No matter what gear I throw at it, it holds up strong from sensitive iems to power hungry over ears.
Starting with bass, it has a very balanced presence. The quality of it is good, it goes fairly deep in the sub bass and the mid bass has nice punch. Bass texture and layering is good but nothing extra ordinary. Midrange of the SK02 is not exactly warm, but I would say has a touch of warmth. Vocals are pleasant with the right amount of crispness in female vocals and in upper mids in general. Treble is balanced yet natural. This handles bright sounding iems and headphones very well and makes it more pleasent. Soundstage is wide with decent depth. All in all this provides a great sound experience for the price.
Tested with:
IEMS: Simgot EA1000, Simgot EA500LM, Thie Audio Hype 4, Thie Audio Hype 2, Campfire Audio Andromeda
Headphones: Koss KPH30i, Sennheiser HD600, Aune AR5000, Hifiman Arya V2
Conclusion
To conclude the review, is this actually worth 99$? Yes, very much, this provides great value for the price with decent sound and many good features. Who is this for? If you are looking for a high power, small form factor desktop dac amp for headphones, look no further. But if you want to use only with iems and do not need high power output then I would go for dongles instead for the portability factor. So, do I recommend it? Yes, if the features meet your requirements. Anyways props to Fosi Audio, you have done a great job with this one. And big thanks to you all for sticking around, see yall in the next one
