HiFi Rose RD160 DAC


Was starting to look for a new DAC to replace the Oppo UDP 205 that I have been using as a DAC, when I came across the HiFi Rose RD160. I am really interested because it uses a AKM chip rather than the same old ESS. Yeah, I know chip does not matter and implementation matters and yada yada....

But this along with the T+A DAC 200 and Bricasti M3 are interesting to me. Let’s keep this thread as a placeholder and report back when some folks demo it somewhere.

milpai

Thank you for the generous compliment! I read the suggested reviews on futureaudiophile which were well done - I really like the structure and formatting of their reviews over there. I’ve also been following that audiophilestyle sub on the DAC200 for a while which dives pretty deep into HQ Player and the various filters, which at times is a little over my head. It’s been a great thread to follow.

Steve Huff gets a lot of flack, and his other YT channel is rather “interesting.” Nonetheless, I always appreciated how he articulates characteristics of SQ and differences he hears within his system. I think he does a really good job in this department.

I suspect at this juncture I probably can’t go wrong with either of these DACs. It’s going to come down to subtle characteristics of system synergy, preferences, aesthetics, and feature set. Never know until I make a decision and I try, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later!

Congrats, @milpai  on your T+A 200 dac. 

Does it sound better direct or through your separate pre-amp?

Thanks in advance.

Jon

I own a rs130 and rd160 combination. I can tell you the SFP connection is superior to USB.  The overall sound quality is simply stunning.  I also have a Weiss dac and McIntosh Ma352 in my second system, and the Hifi Rose is leagues ahead, the technology is newer, better, and offers thrilling detail retrieval, dynamics, and effortless control that gives some of the best bass I’ve heard in my system .

my setup

rs130-rd160-ra180(biwired)

nova 2 - SR srx and Galileo power cords and looms

SR powercell 14 , SR tranquility base x 4 , solid tech sound of silence