HiFi Rose RS130 Network Transport

The HiFi Rose RS130 Network Transport is the ultimate network streaming transport. From its crystal-topped control buttons and intuitive touch-screen interface, through to its complex, performance-optimised inner workings; this is a flagship device suited to any audiophile looking for the best possible way to get a whole world of digital audio content to their DAC.

The principle technical ambition when developing the HiFi Rose RS130 was to produce a totally clean digital signal for any connected DAC, allowing for a very low noise floor and a vivid, detailed sonic image. This has been achieved with a variety of new technologies including optical network connectivity, optical USB connection options and a high-precision OCXO clock. The result is evidenced in the stunning technical measurements achieved by the RS130 under laboratory conditions.

Optical fibre data transfers are noise-resistant, fast and reliable, even over longer distances. Therefore the RS130 supports sending and receiving data using Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) transceivers over ethernet. Similarly, fibre USB technology is more immune to electromagnetic noise and achieves greater signal stability, which is why the RS130 boasts a fibre USB 3.0 input. Further, HiFi Rose will also soon offer the RSA720 USB Hub with fibre output, to allow this still-developing technology to upgrade the performance of any local, USB attached music storage.

The HiFi Rose RS130 maximises the accuracy of its digital output signal by using a high-precision OCXO 10MHz clock. This type of clock is amongst the most accurate and stable on the current market, regardless of temperature changes, and is purpose-designed to suppress jitter generation. The result is  perfect musical timing in the end-performance, allowing listeners to travel deeper into the sound-field. There’s also an external master clock input, for synchronising the clock signal between various devices.

Throughout the HiFi Rose RS130 signal path, the design team have selected premium components and technologies to ensure no part of the transport process is compromised. This logic even transfers to the actual board layout, where the AC power supply, DC power supply and audio-signal processing circuits are physically isolated from each other.

The entire circuitry is then fed by a newly designed 15V DC / 6.67A power supply section, featuring high-capacity supercapacitors and a shielded linear power supply. This innovative design provides excellent power delivery to the main audio circuitry, with sufficient headroom to ensure the power supply is never under stress and the performance is never compromised. The end result is dramatically reduced power noise and a sound performance from the RS130 that is entirely natural and faithful to the original.

Externally, the HiFi Rose RS130 is identifiable as a piece of luxury industrial design. The solid aluminium construction is complemented by functional heat-management aspects, such as the heat-sinks on the side of the chassis, and the ventilation built-in to the HiFi Rose logo on the top. It is also highlighted by striking visual elements, such as the crystal-topped control buttons on top of the unit, and the wide-angle 15.4” 1920 x 382 resolution LCD capacitive touch-screen, making the device a true joy to use every day.

The RS130 is designed to be at the front of your digital audio system, and as such it boasts a variety of inputs and outputs. There are more traditional Coaxial, Optical and AES/EBU outputs, alongside an Audio USB output and a selectable I2S output. The HDMI video output allows you to play video or music information to a connected screen. The EXT Clock BNC inputs allow for clock synchronisation and the USB inputs allow for local music storage attachment. The USB 3.0 Fibre port can only be used by connecting an SFP module and using an external USB 3.0 Fibre Hub, like the RSA720, and an optical cable. The 10/100/1000 BASE-T Ethernet port can be used with SFP Fibre and Copper modules for appropriate network connectivity.

The HiFi Rose RS130 has been designed from the ground up to function as the ultimate network transport device. With innovative technologies and industrial design characteristics throughout, it’s capable of delivering perfect digital audio to any connected DAC, resulting in a sound that is natural, free of unwanted noise, and complemented only by the influence of your chosen DAC.

Specifications

Supported Streaming Services: Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz, Apple Music, RoseTube and Rose Podcast Supported
Internet Radio Support: HiFi Rose Internet Radio App
Apple Airplay Support: Yes
MQA Compatibility: MQA Renderer
Roon Support: Roon Ready
Media Connection Options: USB + SATA
Network Connectivity: Wi-Fi (with dongle) & Ethernet (with SFP module)
Audio Codecs Supported: WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, DFF, DSF, AAC, CDA, AMR, APE, EC3, E-EC3, MID, MPL, MP2, MPC, MPGA, M4A Supported
CPU Specifications: Hexa Core: Dual-core Cortex-A72 up to 1.8GHz / Quad-core Cortex-A53 up to 1.4GHz with separate NEON coprocessor
GPU: ARM Mali-T860 MP4 Quad-Core GPU
Memory: LPDDR4 4GB
Cache Storage: NVMe SSD 256 0
Display: 15.4″ TFT LCD & Capacitive Touch Screen (eDP)
Oscillator: High Precision OCXO Clock
Bluetooth Version: V4.2 (USB Dongle)
Master Clock Connection: 50Ω + 75Ω Input (10MHz input frequency)
Digital Outputs: Coaxial, Optical, AES-EBU (XLR), USB, I2S
HDMI Outputs: 1
Video Output: ASF, AVI, MKV, MP4, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 H.263, H.264, H.265, VC-1, VP9, VP8, MVC,H.264/AVC (Base/Main/High/ High10 profi le @ level5.1 upto 4Kx2K @ 30fps) H.265/HEVC (Main/Main10 profi le @ level 5.1 High-tier up to 4Kx2K @ 60fps) Supported
Dimensions (W x D x H): 430 x 125 x 317 mm
Weight: 12Kg