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Fostex HP-A4

28 ratings

Headphone amplifier and D/A converter with USB interface

USB 2.0, with up to 24 bit / 192 kHz PCM audio
DSD with 2.8 / 5.6 MHz (DoP or ASIO)
Frequency range: 20 to 80,000 Hz +/- 3 dB (1 kHz, 32 ohm loaded, 100 mW, FS 192 kHz)
High-resolution audio playback via "FOSTEX Audio Player" software
USB bus-powered
Asynchronous data transfer via USB interface
Selectable digital filter
Headphone output with switchable amplifier gain
Analog RCA outputs and S/PDIF in- and output (optical) enable operation as a stand-alone converter and line preamplifier
MicroSD slot for future firmware updates
Dimensions: 113 x 34 x 155 mm
Weight approx. 500 g
For Windows XP SP2 (XP 64-bit is not supported), Vista, 7.8, and MacOS X 10.6.1 or later
Incl. USB cable and 4 rubber feet

Further Information

Amount Of Channels	2
AD Conversion	No
DA Conversion	Yes
Max. Resolution	24 bit
Max. sampling rate	192 kHz
S/PDIF Connecor	Yes
AES/EBU Connector	No
ADAT	No
Word clock	No
Number of analog inputs	0
Number of Analog Outputs	2
Headphone connection	Yes

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28 Customer Ratings

5

23 Customers

23 customers have given this product a 5-star rating.

Of these, 20 customers have written no texts or given their feedback in another language.
4

5 Customers

5 customers have given this product a 4-star rating.

Of these, 4 customers have written no texts or given their feedback in another language.
3
2
1

4.8 /5

handling
features
sound
quality

Hard pressed to find a better Dac in this price range!

S5690, 30.12.2014

A/B'd against: Dac Magic Plus (£350)
Xonar Essence One (£350)
Arcam IrDac (£400)
Running through the headphone amplifiers on each device using Sennheiser HD 600 headphones

By no means am I an audiophile: I appreciate clean, detailed sound and am drawn to a sonic balance (neutrality). This Dac really gives others in its price range a run for their money!

I bought the HP-A4 for around £200 and the only Dac that surpassed it was x2 the price (Arcam IrDac) which it does by a small margin... In my opinion, the Fostex trumps the Xonar in sound quality: it has punch in the bass, a clean mid-section, which, the Xonar seemed to become muddy and a bit too messy and too forward.
The Dac Magic Plus was very close in sonic quality! shockingly close. The only difference I could tell from the small amount of time I had with this device was the treble of the Dac Magic getting slightly lost in a Rage Against the Machine song (I do not recall) in the treble region; I believe this was because the Fostex has a brighter top end by a light notch, giving it the edge in detail, whereas the Dac Magic seemed very laid back and neutral; I had high expectations for the Dac Magic considering it cost £150 more; the difference was minimal and the HP-A4 was my winner here.

Describing the tone of the Fostex HP-A4 I'd say laid back with punch and edge; simply put: Tight-punchy bass, a cleverly revised mid section (extremely clean despite being subtly reduced), and detailed highs with a slight treble boost to give life to cymbals and such.

A side note: don't be alarmed by the reduced mids, what Fostex have done is make an awesome sounding unit while not making it dull and lacking in any way. My ears actually hear a reduction in the muddier frequencies to give recordings more space and a cleaner reproduction.
Definitely recommend this Dac/Pre-amp!

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Strong recommendation

Oxaile, 04.02.2020

Use: Driving my TR-X00, HD650 and DT-770 Pro

Sound: Insane detail with warm signature and punchy bass

Pros: The DAC is amazing. It can be powered from a laptop alone.

Cons: None really, even the low power output can be forgiven since it's USB powered.

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Newbie review

Foxboi, 23.11.2020

I'm new the the whole studio headphones instead of "Gaming".
So.. not really able to give a full review on highs, mids and so on.
All i can say is that it makes my DT-770 sound absolutely amazing, compared to just using my pc. The sound just feels clean, and layered. It has been an amazing upgrade. 10/10

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Actually Fostex HP-A4 5 star product.

Gintas, 17.04.2018

Fostex HP-A4 sound is just natural full scale and no draw back in this area 25 stars at least. But..... support is typical word to word translation from Japanese to English. So many people war confused because was unclear how to see as Fostex HP-A4 hardware was up to date , as Fostex
have to release an extra brochure on a mater.

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$333 €277.31

The shipping costs are calculated on the checkout page.

The price in USD is a guideline price only!

Available immediately

Available immediately

This item is in stock and can be dispatched immediately.

Standard Delivery Times

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sales rank in this product group	48
at thomann.de	28646

item number	331989
sales unit	1 piece
available since	February 2014

Total Rating
handling
features
sound
quality

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* The prices shown exclude VAT and are valid as long as stocks last. Please click here for international shipping rates. Goods subject to custom declaration; customer fees to be paid on delivery if applicable. We do not accept liability for typographical errors or inaccurate information of any kind. All invoices will be issued in EUR.

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	38% bought this exact product Fostex HP-A4 Available immediately Available immediately This item is in stock and can be dispatched immediately. Standard Delivery Times	$333 Add to Basket
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