I enjoyed this CD player's sturdy build and solid sound in testing, but it
has a fatal flaw

Date:
Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Description:
If your system needs an affordable compact disc solution (or if you want to hear your CDs in private), the Fosi Audio Merak might just be the answer

FULL STORY ======================================================================Fosi Audio Merak: Review First things first: the Fosi Audio Merak is not as portable a CD player as you might think by looking at it. Obviously its small (28 x 150 x 150mm, HxWxD) and light (less than half a kilogram), but though easily picked up and moved around, it requires mains power to function. So theres no taking it out and about unless you also take a powerbank with you, of course. No, the Merak is designed for slotting into an external system or for private domestic listening via headphones.

It manages both of these things thanks to a selection of analog and digital outputs. On the device's front, along with some physical controls and a
rather small OLED display, theres a 3.5mm headphone socket powered by Texas Instruments TPA6120 amplification. But its on the rear of the machine where the bulk of the action is. As well as a 3.5mm line-level analog output,
theres a digital optical socket so you can connect the Fosi Audio to a
system either by letting the player do all the digital-to-analog conversion work, or by bypassing its Cirrus Logic CS4313 DAC chipset altogether. Theres also a USB-C slot for powering the player, a 12v trigger output for use in an appropriate system output, a slider to turn the electronic anti-shock protection on and off, and a USB-A slot. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

The USB-A connection functions in both directions. You can plug in an appropriate flash drive and play digital audio files of many types, including FLAC, MP3 and WAV. Or you can load in a CD, plug in a flash drive, let the player know what youre up to and then rip the CD as lossless 16bit/44.1kHz
WAV files. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Letting the player know what youre up to can be done in different ways. Six buttons on the front handle power on/off, play/pause and skip (or scroll) forwards or backwards. They
also allow you to scroll through your options for playback (repeat, shuffle
or sequential), output mode (digital, analog or headphones) and begin or end CD ripping.

Eventually youll commit the number and length of button presses required to access these functions or you could just use the little remote control handset thats supplied. Its slightly less convoluted than the button
controls, and has some numerical buttons for direct track access, too.

The volume control, though, is no kind of chore to operate. Its a big slider along the side of the player, finished in Fosi Audios customary orange, and its one of the more gratifying physical controls Ive encountered lately. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Loading a disc is a fully manual process. The lid, which has a nice clear porthole the exact size of a CD, lifts and then its just a question of
pushing the disc onto the central spindle securely. The lid's hinges feel robust, and the overall standard of build and finish is more than adequate in the context of the asking price.

With a disc of Fusa Riot by Bobby Hughes Experience loaded and playing, the Merak doesnt take long to establish its credentials as an energetic, positive and quite revealing listen. At the top of the frequency range, in fact, its about as positive as it dares to be theres a lot of bite and shine to treble sounds, but somehow the Fosi Audio manages to stop just short of hardness or edginess. The midrange communicates well, with the notable levels of detail retrieval making voices sound articulate and characterful. At the bottom of the frequency range theres a reasonable amount of body and substance, but where the Merak is very assertive at the top end, it plays things
fractionally safe where bass is concerned. Low frequencies could easily have
a little more impact and drive, but rhythms are nevertheless expressed well thanks to good control of bass attack.

It creates a nicely defined soundstage, and is open enough to allow emphasis for spaces as well as occurrences on the stage. Focus is good, too, no matter if youre listening through headphones or with the Fosi Audio plugged into a wider system, and theres sufficient dynamic headroom for a fairly full
account of the distance between the most and the least intense passages in a recording.

Take the digital-to-analog duties away from the Fosi Audio by plugging it
into an external DAC using its digital optical output and its possible to
calm the excitable treble response just a little, but the switch also emphasizes just how adept the Meraks Cirrus Logic circuitry is when it comes to identifying, revealing and contextualizing even the finer details
contained on a CD.

And its also pretty impressive when it comes to ripping CDs getting a 16bit/44.1kHz WAV file of your music onto an external USB drive is straightforward. I endured one or two false starts in the course of my testing, but ultimately the copies are faithful and of enjoyable high
quality. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Fosi Audio Merak review: Price and release date Released on April 10, 2026 $139 / 129 (approx.) / about AU$199 The Fosi Audio Merak CD player is on sale now, and in the the United States it sells for $129. It goes for around 139 in the United Kingdom, while in Australia it will set you back around AU$199. Fosi Audio Merak review: Value If youre after a truly portable listening experience then the Fosi
Audio Merak offers no kind of value whatsoever.

If, however, you want an affordable method of bringing CD-playing smarts to your existing audio system, or fancy being able to listen to your CD collection via headphones without having to plug into a full-size system, the Merak has plenty going for it before you even consider the quality of sound its capable of producing. (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) Should you buy the Fosi Audio Merak? Buy it if...

You have an existing system (or headphones) The Fosi has plenty of digital and analog outputs and offers an easy plug-in-and-play option to insert into your current system. And it's just as simple to listen to your CD collection at home via your headphones, without bothering with your existing stack.

You want to go lossless A USB-A connection that works both ways means you
can plug in a flash drive to play digital audio files of various types FLAC, MP3 and WAV included or even load a CD and rip as lossless 16bit/44.1kHz WAV files.

You enjoy an energetic listen There's real bite and shine to the top end of the frequency range, with detailed midrange, to deliver a positive and revealing sound. Don't buy it if...

You prize portability Unless you bring a powerbank with you, listening to
the Fosi Audio Merak on the go isn't possible. This is especially strange
when you consider its small size.

You like big bass The Fosi lacks impact and is a little lightweight in the low end, generally playing things just slightly too safe.

You don't like using remote controls First things first, the remote control here is not the issue it's easy to use and performs every function
perfectly. Compare it with the clunky user interface on the front panel, though, and the differences are stark. The latter is convoluted where the remote is relatively intuitive. Fosi Audio Merak review: How I tested (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas) I've been testing audio home entertainment for nearly two decades. Anything that makes a noise, I want to listen to it.

I sat down with the Fosi Audio Merak at home it needs mains power or a powerbank, remember and connected it up to my existing system and my market-leading Sennheiser IE 900 wired headphones . It had the best of the best.

Over more than two weeks' testing, I listened to music of various different genres via CDs (obviously) and lossless digital audio files through an external flash drive.

Read more about how we test First reviewed: August 2026 Fosi Audio Merak CD Player: Price Comparison No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/fosi-audio-merak-review


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