Hifi Rose are a premium audio company from South Korea. Dedicated to making your music experience as visual and tactile as it is rewarding to listen too. The Hifi Rose RS250A Audio streamer builds on the success of the RS150 in a smaller package. As well as being Roon certified, it has Airplay, customizable front touch screen, built in Apps for Tidal, Quboz and Spotify connect. Digital inputs make use of the Audiophile Flagship ESS DAC and supports up to PCM 32 bit / 768kHz and Native DSD512 (22.5792MHz). You can also stream video content to it and display it on the rich colour screen, or output vai HDMI to a Screen. An absolute joy to use and listen too, but the most important thing is the VU meter display with various modern and retro options.
The RS250A takes the same base structure of the original RS250 but replaces the internal layout to produce a higher-performance sound than ever before. And it also now comes in a black finish option!
Key Features:
- 8.8” wide multi-touch touchscreen
- Support for digital audio playback up-to 32-bit / 768KHz (PCM) and DSD512 (Native DSD)
- New ES9028 PRO DAC chip and 100MHz Femto oscillator
- New HiFi Rose Discrete OPAMP-based output stage
- Stream music from your network or attached devices through the built-in Rose OS MUSIC app
- Airplay, Roon Ready and Spotify Connect streaming included
- Integrated apps for Qobuz, Apple Music and Tidal services
- MQA certified device (full decoding)
- Bespoke Rose OS apps give access to video services, podcasts, and radio playback
- Playback or rip CDs from external optical drives, connected by USB (drive not included)
- Manually adjust output settings to suit the RS250A to your needs
- Special linear power supply configuration minimises electrical noise
- HDMI output for 4K video output to a connected TV (via Tidal, Rose Tube or Video apps)
- Wi-Fi, ethernet and Bluetooth 4.0 (AD2DP SINK, AVRCP v1.3) connectivity
- Bluetooth remote control included, and free Android/iOS apps available
The RS250A is a high-performance network streamer, DAC, and pre-amplifier with an output stage optimised for true audiophile performance. Thanks to the coveted Rose OS operating system, intuitive touch-screen control and its extensive list of features, the RS250A opens up a wide world of high-quality digital music.
The RS250A is built around a first-class digital stage. Starting with the superior ES9028 PRO DAC chip and utilising an ultra-low phase noise oscillator, the streamer can support and convey the true quality of music formats up-to PCM 32 bit / 768kHz and Native DSD512 (22.5792MHz).
In the output stage HiFi Rose have made use of their new discrete op-amp technology which, alongside other premium technologies and materials such as the full linear power circuit, results in a sound performance that is full of character and benefitting from very low noise and distortion.
At the heart of the RS250A is ROSE OS, HiFi Rose’s Android-based operating system, which opens a world of music and video to your streamer.
Rose OS allows users to play music and video files from a local storage device (USB or SATA), or access files elsewhere on your home network with a DLNA connection to any NAS drives or other storage devices. The Music app gives a clean presentation of all your connected music sources and is easy to navigate and use. Rose OS also features built-in apps for Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music - giving complete access to their extensive streaming libraries. The Tidal app even gives access to the service’s music video streaming content for playback on the RS250A screen or via the HDMI output. On top of this already impressive feature set, the RS250A is also an MQA decoder, for full playback of Tidal Masters tracks.
Elsewhere, the CD and CD Ripping apps allow you to attach any standard external CD-ROM drive for convenient CD playback, or to rip CDs in highest-quality to any local storage device in a quick and intuitive way, all through the touch-screen interface. The Radio and Podcast apps give you access to extensive live radio and podcast databases, while Rose Tube gives you access to YouTube for music and video playback. Rose OS also offers support for Roon Ready, Spotify Connect and AirPlay, effectively bringing your entire digital audio experience into one elegant system.
But in addition to offering extensive music access, Rose OS is also engineered for high-performance sound. The Rose Audio Architecture within Rose OS can deliver pure audio data to a DAC without loss, thanks to the Rose Audio Server, developed in-house by HiFi Rose to utilise various signal processing technologies. These technologies effectively involve separating the audio data from all other processes required to run the operating system, meaning the audio signal is never affected when you are controlling other aspects of the RS250A.
The RS250A functions as a complete digital hub and pre-amplifier, for a fully customised system set-up. With an extensive array of hardware inputs and outputs, including a high-quality headphone output, most of which can be customised or adjusted to suit the user’s exact requirements, you can achieve greater control over your whole system than ever before.
There is also the option to connect to the network by ethernet (preferred) or by Wi-Fi. The supplied Bluetooth remote gives seamless control over most of the Rose OS system.
The RS250A design, in combination with Rose OS, gives you complete control of your listening experience, optimising it for the very best performance. The compact design and high-quality 8.8" IPS multi-touch screen with its wide viewing angle provide an intuitive and convenient interface where your music library shines like never before.
Housed within a premium aluminium enclosure and boasting a truly enviable feature set and control mechanism, the RS250A really is a complete hi-fi network streamer, and is a must-consider option for anyone who wants the latest technology presented in an intuitive way.
