FostexHP-A3 32-Bit Digital to Analog Converter/Headphone Amplifier

Upgraded to this from a Fiio e10k because I wanted something that could drive T60RPs, would highly recommend.

When it comes to quality products I still remember the old "Made in Japan" logo. Try to find anything NOT made in China these days. Well, I found one - the Fostex HP-A3 DAC. My main reason for considering a DAC was to replace my computer's built-in sound card. At very high volumes I could detect 60 cycle hum, with a bit of static that would come and go -- like a bad connection. Using the output plugs at either end of the sound card offered no improvement. My only option was to bypass the built-in sound card entirely.Researching several DACs within my $350 price point, I kept coming back to the Fostex HP-A3. The HP-A3 implements the rare high-grade Japanese AKM AK4390 32-bit DAC chip, offering automatic up sampling of any USB audio signal to 96kHz, this is mirrored on the S/PDIF optical output.It is compatible with Windows XP (SP2 or later) / Vista / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 and Mac OSX (10.6 or later). No software is needed. No drivers required. It is strictly a plug and play device right out of the box. Another advantage - its power is derived from the USB. No external power supply necessary. The 5 volts from the USB is more than ample to run the DAC and power its headphone jack. It was only required to change my default setting from sound card to Fostex, and select the bit/sample rates. Done! My computer Hi-Fi is now completely quiet at full volume. No background noise issues.The Fostex HP-A3 DAC is old school design, very 80s, with its angular casing and multiple buttons. In other words, it doesn’t fit in with modern aesthetics, which was probably a conscious choice from Fostex. But I like a few lights, buttons and a knob or two on my components. A lot of the latest DACs look positively barren and home built for lack of a gew-gaw or two.The Fostex HP-A3 features an optional S/PDIF digital output, which allows the unit to act as a digital to digital converter from USB to optical. The input and output routing is selectable by front panel buttons. In my situation it was only necessary to plug the included shielded USB cable into the DAC and the computer's USB.When ordering the unit I had little interest in its optional headphone jack. But now I find it gives me the option of not operating my pre-amp and amplifier just to get sound. My amplifiers are tube type and generate a lot of heat, pulling 100 watts of extra power as well. The DAC and headphone jack has great low bass. A portion of the sound spectrum I never heard or felt from the sound card.How does the Fostex HP-A3 sound? The greatest improvement was with my considerable archive of .mp4 files. They now sound as good as my CDs did. And my CDs are also much improved but with little to quantify them. A friend sent me a few test high-res master files, but the downloaded player brought malware along with it which set me back a couple days. That killed that experiment! But my CDs sound just as good as his few high-res master samples.Using my Sony MDR-6 Studio Monitor headphones, the sound stage is very wide. I have heard a few instruments sitting on my shoulder, or a tad behind it, if that is possible -- a sound stage effect not easy with "closed" headphones. My tube amps are now fed a clean, high quality input which only improves their performance as well.Overall, the Fostex HP-A3 is a very strong performer, backed with the Fostex brand and "Made in Japan" logo. You can't lose on that one! The sound is very clean with zero grain. The sound stage is wide and deep. Tonality very natural. The mids nice and full bodied. The tonal balance is quite similar to the DACport HD, except that the Fostex has a wider and deeper sound stage. The Fostex tonality nips at the heels of the Bryston BDA-1 DAC, a $2,000 gadget for sound quality. The sound of this DAC is very impressive. It is smooth and not sharp, harsh or digital sounding. For gaming with headphones my sound system is absolutely at another level now.Addendum:It is being used with a Hewlett Packard tower gaming PC with Windows 7, a SUCA AUDIO two-tube pre-amp, a Nobsound 6p1 7-tube amplifier; a pair of Fluance SX6, high efficiency bookshelf speakers and Sony MDR-6 Studio Monitor headphones.It has been five months since its purchase. The Fostex HP-A3 has been a rock solid performer, and I am delighted with my choice.Addendum:I am shocked. My Fostex DAC is already a year old. Not a whimper of a problem. It is used probably 12 hours a day and is still as perfect as the day it was plugged in.Absolutely love my Fostex DAC. Don't be misled. This is a top notch quality - MADE IN JAPAN - audio product. It is a Rolls Royce DAC.

Only downside is this DAC/Amp forces 96kHz which causes audio issues when listening to not 96kHz sources (games, comms, YouTube, etc.). So, while I enjoyed this unit quite a bit, I would not recommend.

Bought it to power my TH900 after the last amp broke. Good performance for the price, it also took away a bit extra high end frequency that the TH900 is know for. Unfortunately instrumental separation is not as good as the more expensive amps.

I have a custom gaming PC along with a pair of Yamaha HS-5 studio monitors and a pair of Sennheiser HD-650 headphones. This DAC/Amp is perfect because anything connected to my PC with a grounded line tied to the tower provides a ridiculous amount of static feedback. I use this Fostex via the Toslink connection and then out to my monitors and headphones. The switch to go between the two works extremely well, isolating the one or the other. The volume knob is very robust and has good feedback, stays exactly in place, and the knob has a great notch for finding its place. I was skeptical that it would be able to drive my headphones to a decent level but that's not a concern now at all. I never take it above 1/2 and usually have it set to 1/3 for gaming/listening. It sounds amazing, an immediate night and day difference on all outputs versus the DAC I was previously using. It also sounds much better than my motherboard's abilities (Gigabyte Gaming 7 is no slouch either). The red and green lights are old school and a bit much, but function quite well, they're not too obnoxious but it's 2019 - we can do better. Overall well worth the cost, I love it and highly recommend it.