If You Want It … You Want It
Those wondering why anyone would want to buy a box that features dancing needles and lets you customize your sound stage at the press of a button are probably not going buy into the Fosi Audio LC30. On the other hand, those that see it and immediately recall a favoured old amp that had a built in VU meter are probably already checking to see if Fosi has any stock left. This is a purely aesthetic addition to your audio setup, and frankly aimed in the most part at a slightly older crowd.
When setting it up, the centre dial determines the load received by the VU needles so you should start at the lowest level and slowly turn it up until you get the desired movement; remember that the instruments behind them were and remain rather delicate. Unfortunately, my preferred sources wouldn’t make the LC30 dance until the volume hit rather extreme levels and that remained the same regardless if bare wire or banana plugs were used. Your mileage may vary, especially if you have a power amp in the chain, however it is a common complaint from backers who have received their LC30 already and not unique to this particular sample.
That’s not enough to dissuade me, the comfortable amber glow and slight movements at the bottom of the VU meter are enough to put a smile on my face. It may disappoint those hoping to hit the red without the neighbours getting upset. The second amp channel in this case has been the BT20a Pro with it’s Bluetooth connection, as it makes it easy to quickly play audio from a phone.
On a more selfish note, it will also make reviewing future Fosi products much simpler, as all I need to do is swap the banana plugs instead of rewiring everything. It might inspire a round up, to see if there is much sound difference between the amps sent over the years and if some make the VU meter more excited than others. This will also apply to others that have a collection of different amps that they prefer to use in specific situations.
As always, it is a pleasure to see what Fosi has come up with and sharing it.
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