Fosi AudioBox X2 Phono Preamp, Mini Stereo Audio Hi-Fi Preamplifier with Gain Gear, Pre-Amplifier for MM Turntable Phonograph and Record Player, with DC 12V Power Supply

I wanted to move my Audio-Technica AT-LP60X-BK turntable from my living room and its connection to a Denon AVR with a phono preamp to a separate room. Although the turntable had options to use either its built-in preamp or adding a phono preamp, and my amp in the new room didn't have a phono input, I decided to try out several inexpensive phono preamps (from $50 to $120). Initially, I purchased two of the more modest ones, this Fosi X2 and a Nobsound/Douk T3) to go with a system consisting of a Douk H7 Pro amp, Aiyima DAC-A2, and Elac speakers). I "a/b'd" the turntable's internal preamp vs. the Fosi, vs. the Nobsound. Immediately noticeable was that both preamps blew away the crappy internal preamp on the turntable.Nest, I put the Fosi and Nobsound head to head against each other. It was READILY apparent that the Fosi was significantly more alive than the Nobsound. In fact -- and I've been in music actively and passively for more than half a century -- it's hard for me to believe a record on a turntable (I used Journey's seminal debut album) could sound any better. I swear! There definitely seems to be more stereo separation where the lead guitar and vocals popped out of the mix, and the overall presence of the music was more robust and detailed (than the Nobsound). The completely negated my auditioning the other two $100+ preamps or any others I might try because the music was already beyond enjoyable already at under $70! I might also mention that the reviews of the Fosi X2, compared to another handful of turntable preamps in the same Fosi line were extremely strong (I look for a clear winner in the percentage of 5-star reviews). I can confidently say that the Fosi Audio Box X2 is simply the best phono preamplifier value for the money, and to my ears, doesn't scrimp at all on sound quality resulting in a profoundly WISE buy!!

I've had this for a couple of years now, and when I originally bought the device I gave it 3 stars because I thought it was kind of useless. Turns out USER ERROR was the main culprit along with a budget turntable (sub $150 Audio Technica model). A couple of months ago I purchased a Fluence RT83 turntable and instantly found out just how good quality the X2 really was! Adjusting the gain according to the vinyl makes a massive difference, some you need more and others (most) less. Tubes also matter! I was fortunate to have mine arrive with some incredible tubes (not sure which ones they are) but after purchasing replacement tubes and burning those in...I went back to the originals because the quality was insanely better. The key is getting GOOD vinyl (not all records are created equally, do your research), having a great turntable (the stylus on the Fluence RT83 alone is worth the purchase), and taking the time to tweak things to dial in your system for peak performance. Don't forget to ground ALL of your sources as well! I've got to say I've learned to LOVE the X2, it was just a matter of upgrading the proper aspects of my listening station and learning how to use everything PROPERLY.

Absolutely a phenomenal value. Easy setup and then I left in on for a couple of days to burn in, while waiting for my new Fluance RT82 turntable to arrive. I've only listened to parts of a few albums, but the sound is remarkable so far. A few notes:1) The Fosi/Fluance combo picks up EVERY detail, including scratches on older vinyl. Very accurate and unforgiving playback.2) You will want to use two ground wires. One from the Fosi to the turntable, and another from the Fosi to your amp/receiver. The Fosi will work fine without the second ground, but if you get some hum, it might try it?3) Mine came with the recommended upgraded Riverstone USA-Made tubes! I had ordered those recommended tubes to replace the Chinese tubes that I expected to come with it. I'll just keep them for spares? I don't know if this is Fosi's new policy to ship with these better tubes, but if so, BRAVO, as it'll save you $25.Overall I'm extremely happy with this purchase. Clean, clear, analog signal, great soundstage and clarity, at a budget price. Highly recommended over some of the cheaper phono-pre-amps.

not a "real" tube preamp but sure sounds good and looks great. For the money, I would buy it again.

So, I had to buy a set of interconnect cables, which I didn’t know about when I bought the X2. Big deal! Another $23 on top of the whopping $50 I paid for the X2 on a lightning special. It took some considerable time and gnashing of teeth to get the tubes in, finally got it hooked up between my Rega P3 with Exact 2 Cart and my 10 year old NAD C368. First record played through the X2 was Aja, from Steely Dan. Wow, I had no idea what I’d been missing. My Focal Chora 826s had always seemed excellent in the setup, but the addition of this little $49 piece took them to a higher level I hadn’t imagined with my modest setup! I’m not particularly good at describing the sound characteristics, but what I noticed included (but was not limited to) incredible instrument separation, a much bigger sound stage with great imaging, cleaner, better, more pronounced bass, crystal clear mids and warmer (but not diminished) treble. All in all, I was shocked at the difference the X2 made (for the better) to my listening experience. Best $50 spent on system extras to date. So much better than NAD’s internal phono stage on the 368. I took a leap on this one after seeing a great review on Cheap Audio Man and when, about the same time, there was a lightning special - why not! So glad I did. This little piece of Chinese crap isn’t crap at all. It’s great!