A couple of things many are ignoring about the RS150 vs other options like Cambridge and NAD. The DAC is the RS150 is substantially better than the DACs in other devices and is also better than the DAC in the RS250! The Rose products do a lot of ‘tricks’ but in the case of the RS150, it is first a truly highend audio device, and then a good value for those wanting a fuller experience beyond sound quality. If you aren’t able to hear the difference, it’s the rest of your system that needs attention. 😉
My thoughts on the HiFi Rose 150B
Well, after the honeymoon wore off I ended sending the HiFiRose 150 back. It boiled down to how I’d use it and it just wasn’t 3k better than my Auralic Aries G1. The Rose is a great piece with tons of features and it sounded great. The video features (RoseTube, Tidal music videos) is certainly cool along with the display and all the other things it can do but streaming Qobuz and Tidal it did one thing noticeably better and that was MQA which I figured it would. My Anthem isn’t MQA certified so using my Auralic USB into it doesn’t give me the full MQA experience but listening to Tidal SD and Qobuz HD/SD it was pretty close. I could have added a TV to my music room to fully enjoy what the Rose does but I have a great movie/video system so it’s not something I was ultimately willing to do. So in the end, I don’t have anything bad to say about the 150, it’s built really well, sounds great and has tons of features but it doesn’t fit my needs.
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@boostedis completely agree. Streamer capabilities....RS250 = RS150b Audio performance from the 150b is definitely better. I have had both... |
I demoed the 150 for about a week a couple of months back. I think that some of the assertions that the sound quality is on a par with cheaper options (that don't have all the bells and whistles) is just not true. I thought the 150 sounded a lot better than most of the cheaper options I heard and is actually a screaming bargain. Lots of folks rave about the Matrix audio units, but I head for the HiFi Rose RS150 every day over those. Sound quality+fit and finish+feature set is really hard to beat. If those features are not important to you, then try other things but this is a really nice unit. |
In-Shore. Thanks for that info. We enjoy streaming movies of concerts and then watching on TV and listening. Glad to hear the Rose can do that as well. Right now we use a computer and it may not be ideal. There are some great older content and concerts out there. Led Z, Fleetwood, some of the early england stuff and punk scene - Fun to go back and watch it and hear it now. |
Just for some detailed comments , I wrote this up on the Audio Enthusiasts FB Page. My System Anthem STR Preamp Anthem STR Amp Aurum Cantus V7F SVS 3000Micro (pr in stereo) Transparent Audio Ultra Cabling Dedicated 11.5 x 14 treated room iPad control Auralic Aries G1 vs HiFi Rose 150B Aries USB to STR Preamp Rose XLR to STR Preamp Testing using Tidal/Qobuz
GUI/APP: Auralic This is more of a personal preference but the Aries app is, by default, simpler and easier to navigate. In fairness I have to spend time to figure out the 150s app more but the G1 was easy from the start. Features: 150B all day There are so many cool things the 150 does with music and video it's not even a contest. I have an old computer monitor hooked up which makes that experience better and I may wall mount a TV in the front of the room instead of looking off my right to see the video. Aesthetics: 150B Again, this is a personal preference. The display of the 150 is superior but if you are a simplistic type of person the G1 will work too. The Aries has a nice display which gives you the now playing and album artwork. Sound quality in SD (CD Quality): Tie More on this below but I was surprised as well. There was many songs I played in SD and nothing stood out as better using the 150B Sound quality in HD/MQA: 150B Regarding MQA this was a little unfair because my Anthem isn't MQA compliant and the 150 is so I wasn't surprised. However, using Qobuz, it was close. On both formats my first observation I thought to myself was the sound stage is so much clearer, defined and more clear. Sonically, the midrange is a bit more clear (both male and female vocal), high frequencies are a bit softer (shockingly with my experience with ESS DACs) and there no change in the low range. STR vs 150B (as a preamp): STR by a lot ARC is a great tool when used properly, even then the 150 isn't close.
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