South Korea’s HiFi Rose burst! onto the hifi scene with their RS150b Reference Network Streamer back in 2001 which I reviewed and had this to say, If you looked at the HiFi Rose RS150b and thought — I need that — you may want to go with your first instincts this time around.
Unlike the RS150b, the new RS130 does not contain a DAC so it’s a pure streamer/network transport, through and through.
There’s also something new, connectivity-wise, up the RS130’s sleeve—Fiber Optic USB. We all know, don’t we, that a fiber connection does not allow electrical noise to flow, thereby removing one potential performance-robbing problem fo4m this piece of the digital playback chain.
Visually oriented peoples will appreciate the RS103’s 15.4” wide full-color touchscreen with 1920 x 32 pixel resolution. I know I do.
The HiFi ROSE RS130 Ultimate Network Transport is available now! with an MSRP of $5,195.
Here’s the full press release from MoFi:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Chicago, IL – August 4, 2023
MoFi Distribution introduces the HiFi ROSE RS130 Ultimate Network Transport, the first stand alone Network Transport device from HiFi ROSE. Being a flagship product, the RS130 exudes both luxury and technological advancement at the highest possible degree for audio in the digital domain while incorporating a user-friendly interface, based on highly successful and innovative streaming devices already sporting the HiFi ROSE badge.
The RS130 leverages Fiber Optic Ethernet to isolate network digital noise, effectively blocking physical noise sources caused by various network equipment. Similarly, the Fiber Optic USB employs optical conversion to separate pure data from driving noise, ensuring only flawless sound reaches your DAC. To take full advantage of these connections a SFP Ethernet to Fiber Optic module and receiver, and SFP USB to Fibre Optic modules are needed. (Sold separately)
An overbuilt linear power supply that uses high capacity supercapacitors; and finally a specially processed all aluminum chassis to virtually eliminate all vibrations. Furthering these advancements, the RS130 uses an ultra-high-precision OCXO(Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillators) clock – with performance that is immune to temperature changes – for an exceptionally precise digital audio signal across all digital output connections, resulting in an accurate musical signal that was previously considered unachievable. An internal NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express protocol) SSD memory caching system for stable playback is used to eliminate issues associated with network instabilities such as brief signal dropouts. Finally, there is support for external master clock inputs – both 50Ω and 70Ω – to ensure maximum compatibility between devices operating in different environments, as well as to achieve maximum sound quality.
The RS130’s unrivaled noise suppression circuitry ensures the blackest background for all digitally sourced music!
The RS130’s numerous ease-of-use features include a 15.4” wide full-color touchscreen with 1920 x 32 pixel resolution that runs the entire width of the RS130’s front panel. Whatever appears on this touchscreen can be easily displayed on an external monitor in 4K HD via an HDMI output, thanks to the ROSE OS (a heavily customized Android 7.1 OS) with the RoseTube App. Streaming protocols include AirPlay, DNLA and Bluetooth, as well as support for Spotify Connect and finally the RS130 is Roon Ready. On board apps include Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify. Functionality is accessible via the ROSE Connect controller app, an included IR/Bluetooth remote control and 4 ergonomic crystal control buttons located on the top panel for easy access to basic playback functionality. Finally, all relevant digital output connectors are available on the RS130’s rear panel to feed the noise-free digital signal to an external DAC.
HiFi ROSE RS130 Technical highlights:
Supported sampling rates:
PCM : 8kHz~768kHz (8/16/24/32-bit per Sample)
DSD : DSD64 (2.8MHz) / DSD128(5.6MHz) / DSD256 (11.2MHz) / DSD512 (22.5792MHz)
Inputs:
USB Type-A 2.0(Isolated)
HDMI 2.0 x 1 (up to 3840×2160 / 60Hz)
USB3.0 x 2, USB3.0 SFP x 1, USB2.0 x 1
SATA 3.0, SSD x 1
Network Connectivity:
Bluetooth: V4.2 (USB Dongle)
WiFi: 802.11ac Dualband USB Wireless LAN Card (Dongle)
Ethernet: 10/100/1000 BASE-T x 1 (SFP COPPER Type)
Digital outputs: OPT x 1, COAX x 1, AES/EBU x 1, I2S-HDMI x 1
Storage Limitations: SSD = 4TB / USB = 10TB (file formats NTFS / exFAT / FAT32)
Hardware:
CPU: Dual-core Cortex-A72 up to 1.8GHz and Quad-core Cortex-A53 up to 1.4GHz with separate NEON coprocessor
Cache: 8GB High-Speed eMMC, Cache Memory: M.2 NVMe 256GB SSD
GPU: ARM Mali-T860 MP4 Quad-Core GPU
Memory: LPDDR4 4GB
Finish: Black or Silver
Dimensions: 430 (W) x 317 (D) x 125 (H) mm
Weight: 11.7kg
The HiFi ROSE RS130 Ultimate Digital Transport offers an immense feature set, exceptional sound quality and first rate product support; A premium quality product with a level of performance that genuinely defies price point!
Company Website: HiFi Rose
US Distributor Website: MoFi Distribution
