Review: Fosi Audio E10 Amp, Sony SSCS5, Monoprice 102743 Coaxial, Viborg 10AWG PC, Jorzor
Budget Esoterica Review Magazine
May 2021 Issue
Fosi Audio E10 amp, Sony SSCS5 speakers, Monoprice 102743 coaxial , Jorzor 13AWG speaker cable
Today i will be reviewing a system centered around the Fosi Audio E10 integrated amp, an unassuming powerhouse with state of the art power in a small compact package. Fosi Audio is claiming 250 watts x 2 into 4 ohms. Audiophile brutes who like turning a volume knob will be disappointed to find that this amp uses push buttons for volume adjustments. Not a problem, however when you get used to the very fine volume adjustment available from the user friendly remote control. The E10 amp is excellent, but it might be the built in DAC that steals the show with a musical , muscular bright sound with good separation. As a baseline, vintage stereo collectors would find the Fosi Audio reminiscent of the Toshiba SA-2500 stereo receiver which came out in the 1970's. The price of the E10 amp is just under $200.
The Sony SSCS5 speakers piqued my interest when they were on sale for $75. I figured at that price and with all the good reviews it would be a solid purchase. I also like the fact that these are 3 way speakers rather than the usual two. They are not exactly luxury speakers when it comes to looks, but i sure like the way they sound. If you want to see what the super tweeters are capable of, be sure and use them with a high quality cd player and amp.
Monoprice has some good quality products in their catalog , and the 102743 entry level coaxial cable is an excellent value. Available at under $5 from Amazon.com this 75 ohm coaxial cable with gold plated connectors does the job and then some. I don't see inexpensive coaxial cables getting much better than this.
For a system as good as this you are going to need a high quality power cord like the Viborg 10AWG power cord available at Amazon.com for under $50. This cable is made from super pure red solid copper with high density black braided expandable sleeving. This cable was built with high current and low noise in mind to effectively increase dynamics. I tried it with several different amps and that is exactly what i heard.
The Jorzor 13AWG speaker cable is available from Amazon.com for just under $30 for a ten foot pair. I don't have much to say about these speaker cables, as most cables i have tried in this price range do not have any characteristics of sound other than passing a clean and clear signal. They might be slightly less muddy than a comparable pair i tried that were a little cheaper. Nonetheless, a good deal considering the high construction level and quality of the banana plugs.
The first thing i did was hook this system up to a an entry level Yamaha T-15 tuner. I was surprised by the powerful, dynamic presentation. I then hooked up my Geoyeao dvd player to the coaxial connection using the Monoprice cable.
Again, the dynamics and bass performance were very good. Listening to the song, "Is There A Difference", by Howard Jones i noticed a strong and dense bass and crisp highs. The song "You Are So Beautiful", sung by Norah Jones from the Charles Lloyd , I long to see you album had a slight natural sweetness and warmth. I consider jazz to be a good measure for musicality and i heard a good dose of that while listening to Jackie Mclean Prestige Profiles Volume 6. The highs were crisp without being overly harsh and bass was generous and of high quality.
I can safely recommend all 5 of these inexpensive products to the beginner audiophile. I used the Fosi Amp for several months without any problems. There is a slightly annoying loud fan that comes on every once and a while, but it didn't really bother me, and maybe it will help the longevity of the product. The Viborg power cord is an excellent cable that adds a little more dynamics and seems to deliver a little more current to the amp, giving the impression that it is a little more powerful than you first thought. A big thumbs up for the Monoprice coaxial cable also, which is somewhat of a bargain and maybe all you need. The Sony speakers, of course are what makes the sound and they do that very well and are recommended as well. Overall, a very decent system for the audiophile on a budget!
May 2021 Issue
Fosi Audio E10 amp, Sony SSCS5 speakers, Monoprice 102743 coaxial , Jorzor 13AWG speaker cable
Today i will be reviewing a system centered around the Fosi Audio E10 integrated amp, an unassuming powerhouse with state of the art power in a small compact package. Fosi Audio is claiming 250 watts x 2 into 4 ohms. Audiophile brutes who like turning a volume knob will be disappointed to find that this amp uses push buttons for volume adjustments. Not a problem, however when you get used to the very fine volume adjustment available from the user friendly remote control. The E10 amp is excellent, but it might be the built in DAC that steals the show with a musical , muscular bright sound with good separation. As a baseline, vintage stereo collectors would find the Fosi Audio reminiscent of the Toshiba SA-2500 stereo receiver which came out in the 1970's. The price of the E10 amp is just under $200.
The Sony SSCS5 speakers piqued my interest when they were on sale for $75. I figured at that price and with all the good reviews it would be a solid purchase. I also like the fact that these are 3 way speakers rather than the usual two. They are not exactly luxury speakers when it comes to looks, but i sure like the way they sound. If you want to see what the super tweeters are capable of, be sure and use them with a high quality cd player and amp.
Monoprice has some good quality products in their catalog , and the 102743 entry level coaxial cable is an excellent value. Available at under $5 from Amazon.com this 75 ohm coaxial cable with gold plated connectors does the job and then some. I don't see inexpensive coaxial cables getting much better than this.
For a system as good as this you are going to need a high quality power cord like the Viborg 10AWG power cord available at Amazon.com for under $50. This cable is made from super pure red solid copper with high density black braided expandable sleeving. This cable was built with high current and low noise in mind to effectively increase dynamics. I tried it with several different amps and that is exactly what i heard.
The Jorzor 13AWG speaker cable is available from Amazon.com for just under $30 for a ten foot pair. I don't have much to say about these speaker cables, as most cables i have tried in this price range do not have any characteristics of sound other than passing a clean and clear signal. They might be slightly less muddy than a comparable pair i tried that were a little cheaper. Nonetheless, a good deal considering the high construction level and quality of the banana plugs.
The first thing i did was hook this system up to a an entry level Yamaha T-15 tuner. I was surprised by the powerful, dynamic presentation. I then hooked up my Geoyeao dvd player to the coaxial connection using the Monoprice cable.
Again, the dynamics and bass performance were very good. Listening to the song, "Is There A Difference", by Howard Jones i noticed a strong and dense bass and crisp highs. The song "You Are So Beautiful", sung by Norah Jones from the Charles Lloyd , I long to see you album had a slight natural sweetness and warmth. I consider jazz to be a good measure for musicality and i heard a good dose of that while listening to Jackie Mclean Prestige Profiles Volume 6. The highs were crisp without being overly harsh and bass was generous and of high quality.
I can safely recommend all 5 of these inexpensive products to the beginner audiophile. I used the Fosi Amp for several months without any problems. There is a slightly annoying loud fan that comes on every once and a while, but it didn't really bother me, and maybe it will help the longevity of the product. The Viborg power cord is an excellent cable that adds a little more dynamics and seems to deliver a little more current to the amp, giving the impression that it is a little more powerful than you first thought. A big thumbs up for the Monoprice coaxial cable also, which is somewhat of a bargain and maybe all you need. The Sony speakers, of course are what makes the sound and they do that very well and are recommended as well. Overall, a very decent system for the audiophile on a budget!
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