Fosi Audio has been building a reputation for offering audio components designed to meet the expectations of sophisticated music lovers, at price points that appeal to more budget-conscious consumers. The brand is probably best known for its lineup of mini stereo amplifiers (including several models with tubes), but offers a growing range of products including DACs, phono preamps, bookshelf speakers and accessories. Earlier this year, the company introduced its first in-ear monitors and now Fosi Audio is preparing to tackle the seemingly ever-growing vinyl market. Its first turntable–the Luna3–is currently being offered as a Kickstarter campaign.
Like other products from this audio brand, the Luna3 aims to deliver premium sound without the extras. The company describes the turntable as being guided by a “less is more” principle, but what does that mean exactly? I had the opportunity to try out the Luna3, complete in its retail packaging, and here’s what you can expect from Fosi Audio’s first turntable.
Less Is More
This guiding design principle makes itself known as soon as you unpack the Luna3.
I believe that this is the first turntable I’ve unpacked that doesn’t include RCA cables in the box. Cost-saving, but arguably also leaving the buyer to choose the quality of cables they wish to invest in.
Also missing is an integrated phono preamplifier, a feature that is common in this price range. Fosi Audio’s reasoning for this omission is that fewer circuits makes for a cleaner sound. Fair enough and in my experience, the built-in preamplifier included with many turntables is a very basic version anyway–switching to a standalone preamplifier usually results in significantly better sound. However, this move does mean the turntable buyer must either invest in a preamp or connect to a system with a PHONO input in order to use the Luna3.
My review unit was finished in matte black and that’s the only color choice. The deck is a minimalist slab, with a speed switch on the front face.
That pretty much covers the “less is more” aspect of this turntable.
However, the Luna3 offers features that many “step up” turntables don’t, or charge extra for. This includes a heavy acrylic platter (with a glowing orange acrylic platter mat), an Audio Technica VM95E cartridge with an elliptical stylus, a CNC-machined headshell, servo-controlled motor and switchable auto-stop functionality.
Setup
The Luna3 is relatively straightforward to set up. The cartridge comes pre-mounted, so setting up this turntable is a matter of putting the platter on the spindle, looping the drive belt over the platter and motor pulley, then sliding the dustcover over the hinges. The most challenging step is balancing the tonearm, but this takes just a few moments and doesn’t require tools.
You don’t have to worry about the preamp settings because there is no preamp. You’ll need to either connect the Luna3 to an audio system with a PHONO input, or connect it to a phono preamplifier and then connect that to an AUX input of an audio system. To accomplish either of these, make certain you have a set of RCA cables handy and a grounding cable–these can cost $10 or less for basic versions.
Upgradability
The Fosi Audio team designed the Luna3 with upgradability in mind. Of course you can choose a preamplifier (my test system included the company’s own Box X5 with 4-level gain adjustment). The included AT VM95E cartridge is a good one that is known for delivering clarity and balanced sound, but you can upgrade the stylus with little fuss. If you’d rather go the route of replacing the entire cartridge, the Luna3 is equipped with a standard universal connector along with adjustable tone arm counterweight and antiskate (and a cartridge alignment tool).
Luna3 Key Specs:
- 2 speed, belt-drive turntable
- Copper core motor with servo control speed
- Removable CNC-machined headshell with universal connector
- Pre-installed Audio Technica VM95E elliptical MM cartridge
- Rigid, straight aluminum tonearm
- Adjustable counterweight and antiskate
- Acrylic platter and platter mat
- Downstream device control, switchable auto on/off
- Weighs 7.7lbs
- Unified plinth with matte black finish
- Orange highlights include CNC-machined headshell and speed switch, acrylic platter mat
- Includes clear dust guard and 45 adapter
- MSRP approx. $350
Competition At This Price Point Is a Good thing For Record Lovers
A growing number of record collectors have outgrown their first turntable or record player and are looking to the next level. That’s a turntable that delivers superior sound and the possibility of future upgrades through replacing components (instead of replacing the entire unit), but without requiring the upfront investment of a turntable aimed at the audiophile market. Still others are skipping the entry level altogether and starting with something more capable than a basic record player. The mid-range turntable market was once relatively limited, but the vinyl resurgence has driven growth in the number of turntables offered in the $250 to $500 range, with long-term players expanding their product offerings and newcomers like Fosi Audio making their debut.
The Luna3 from Fosi Audio joins other models like the Fluance RT81+ (reviewed here), Andover Audio’s SpinDeck 2, U-Turn Audio’s Orbit Plus and the Pro-Ject Essential III that are ensuring fans of listening to their music on records have more mid-range turntable choices than ever. The “less is more” approach employed by Fosi Audio in the Luna3 may or may not mesh with your new turntable checklist, but either way it’s another option to consider.
Disclosure: Fosi Audio provided a Luna3 turntable for evaluation purposes but had no input into this article.