HiFi Rose RS250

I had the RS 250 for about a month.  Great unit.  Decent build quality and loved the front panel look.  

Used it as a Roon endpoint and streamed Qobuz.   Utilized the internal DAC and had it also connected to our LG TV (toslink).  Feeding GaN based Class D Audio and older Hypex UcD 700s. 

Unfortunately, I experienced audio drop outs and unit lock ups.   It drove my wife nuts, so shipped it back to Music Direct.   I really don't know if it was network issues or the unit itself.  I did read a Rose forum post that they experienced the same problems.  

Contemplating if I should replace it or maybe move up to the 150.  Currently using a MiniDSP SHD and really want to keep the Dirac functionality.

@mbolek Hm, sorry to hear that.  With so few of them in use so far, it's probably hard to say if it was a faulty unit or a design flaw (or something else).  Were you using ethernet, or WiFi?

I’ve had a 150 for about a month now. I absolutely love it and was blown away by the sound quality of the DAC. I’ve gone back-and-forth between that and the DAC that comes in my Macintosh C8 preamp. I hate to say it but I like the DAC in the High Fidelity rose better.

@raysmtb1 Why hate to say it?  If you like it better than the DAC you were using, you can be twice as happy!  What's the DAC design in the 150?  I assume it has upgrades from the 250.  Different chips?  Balanced circuit?

Don't expect the system to sound considerably improved with the Pontus. I tried it with my Exemplar SACD player/ Van Alstine pre and couldn't hear a difference. The Pontus is a good DAC but there are better for around the same price and ultimately it depends on the rest of your equipment. The Pontus will not improve SQ much if you have all tube gear.