Fosi Audio is at it again. Shortly after launching its first headphone (the i5, reviewed here), it has another company first – a loudspeaker. At US$399.99, this goes straight into a hotly contested price segment. Now there’s a challenge!

Design and Features

The new SP601 is a passive bass-reflex design, with a 165mm hybrid paper/aluminium cone mid/bass unit mated to a 39mm silk dome tweeter. Physically, the speaker is on the larger side for a budget 2-way, with dimensions of 353x210x290mm [HxWxD] and a weight of 7.7kg. Claimed sensitivity and impedance are 88dB and 6 ohms, respectively, which is pretty typical for a speaker of this type. The frequency response is said to be 44Hz-20kHz.

With its radiused-edge cabinets finished in white vinyl, the SP601 looks attractively modern – but the cabinet sounds underdamped when subjected to the knuckle tap test. The orange-coloured mid/bass driver cone (which matches the knobs on Fosi electronics) and the lack of visible screws on the front are both nice touches. The tweeter is mounted in the centre of a shallow waveguide, which is said to improve treble dispersion and sensitivity.

The rear-mounted bass port is ribbed on the inside, which should help to reduce port noise at high volumes. The speaker grille is quite thick and magnetically attaches to the baffle. Finding that it muddied the sound, I left it off during my listening sessions. The base of the speaker has an attached silicon damping pad, which is useful for placement on a desk or TV console. However, perched on speaker stands, the pad gets in the way, and the speaker is easily toppled.

Setup and Amplifier Matching

I placed my review pair of SP601s on Partington Super Dreadnought 24” stands, which brought the tweeter to approximately ear height. Being rear-ported, you can’t place these speakers too close against the wall, so I set them about 80cm out. I tried a variety of amplifiers with the Fosi, from the company’s own ZA3 to a Schitt Aegir and Keces E40. Ironically, the ZA3 failed to bring out the best of these speakers, with the less powerful Schitt and Keces proving better matches. Treble was too energetic for my taste when the speakers were pointed directly at me, so I settled for 15 degrees of toe-in. This provided a good compromise between soundstage width and tonal smoothness.

The Listening

The SP601 sounds pleasing from the get-go, with a warm and pretty even tone. Upper bass is noticeably fullsome, and this helps the speaker feel big. Midrange is clear and treble crisp and tidy. With Have You Ever Seen The Rain by Credence Clearwater Revival, the music sounded pacy and rhythmic with a firm bassline, open vocals and well defined guitars. The tambourines also sounded crisp and extended, with good separation between instruments and vocals.

Chloe Chua’s performance of the Allegro non Molto from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Concerto No. 2 “Summer” with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra was a great showcase of the Fosi’s strengths. It conjured up a wide soundstage with deep layering and height. The orchestra’s sections could be easily distinguished, with the violin taking centre stage. Strings were firm and clear without ever getting strident. I enjoyed the good recreation of air and space within the performance venue. Most speakers in this price range sound much flatter and smaller in comparison, so this is commendable.

Tracks like Darenimo Iwanai by Hikaru Utada sounded punchy and dynamic, thanks to the Fosi’s ample bass. However, his textured vocals were slightly smoothed over, and the saxophone solo came across as muted. During busy moments, there was also a tendency for music to congeal and lose some clarity. Further listening confirmed that Fosi could not reproduce the finest of detail and spatial clues, and this was most obvious in the low frequencies and midrange. Here, the music was somewhat lacking in articulation and texture. Tonally, the SP601’s slightly recessed midrange and lively treble are a matter of taste; you will either love or hate this voicing.

The Verdict

Overall, then, Fosi’s first loudspeaker is decent and commendable, albeit not so much of a bargain as some of this company’s other products. Imperfections aside, the SP601 brings more choice to budget-conscious audiophiles; its pleasingly large sound will appeal to many. Just so long as you don’t scrimp on the ancillary equipment, you will be amply rewarded.

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