They do (and with new bugs, too). So, what would be easier, faster, and less error-prone for Rose, shipping new binaries for whatever library was found to have vulnerabilities, or rewriting the entire custom audio stack and custom UI?
I think we all just would like the updated quality from Spotify within the existing premium streamers.
Not by adding an additional “afterthought” box. If you put the following statement on your website :
“HiFi Rose makes the world’s best audiophile network streamers. With over 50 years in touch interface technology, Rose products are designed to deliver the steaming experience you were always promised.”
… knowing that some of the competitors did make the effort to support Spotify lossless… that’s when a company should put its money where its mouth is… ( just IMHO, no flaming, otherwise I wouldn’t have purchased my Hifi Rose setup 3 weeks ago, I still like what I bought, but it does not mean we can’t be critical about it )
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Personally, I could not care less about Spotify (or Tidal), but as a matter of both marketability and keeping customers satisfied, of course they should support it. And pretty much all competitors, at all price ranges, managed to do it, without requiring any external dongles, ages ago.
One does have to wonder, what does experience in “touch interfaces” (and while Citech does have great experience in making large-scale LCD screens, Rose isn’t exactly at the forefront of UX design; actually, it seems unlikely that there is a single person at the company with any useful experience at designing good UI/UX) have to do with music streaming.
Of course this is also a company that outright refuses to add even PEQ to their “high-end” products. While at the time first RS-series devices appeared they had good sound quality AND a rather unique design and appearance going for them, it seems that the company had decided that their primary market is mostly deaf audiophiles interested in fiddling with power cables, fuses, and arguing sonic differences between different brands of optic fiber rather than anyone interested in listening to music on an easy to use and well-sounding system.
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I have the RS151 brand new and still have the option to return the device and switch to the Eversolo DMP-A10, for example. However, it currently does not support Spotify Connect lossless, but it does support Tidal Connect. I am undecided, not only because of Spotify lossless Connect, but also because, from what I have read here, the OS and the RS151 appear to be outdated. I also have a Bluesound Node Icon, which makes a good impression, but it does not have the sound quality of the RS151 or its outstanding display. What do you recommend?
What is more important to you? EverSolo can be shoehorned to do Spotify Lossless (and if it does not yet, is likely to have it officially soon). Icon supports more streaming services than Rose ever will.
Both EverSolo and Icon have proper bass management. Icon’s DRC is more mature than EverSolo’s, but in a real room with real speakers either can be made to sound significantly better than RS151.
For looks alone – Rose. For comparable looks and better streaming support – EverSolo. For best in class streaming service support, better sound, and upgrading speakers with the money you save – Icon.
The number of streaming services is not that relevant to me, because the most important ones are also supported by HiFi Rose – except for Tidal Connect and Spotify lossless at the moment. I would even accept an external device if the integration were perfect, such as in combination with the display.
I use aktivspeakers with their own DSP and room control, so the moderate room correction of the Eversolo and the good Dirac of the Node Icon are not that important to me in my current setup. At the beginning of the Eversolo hype, I had an A6 and found the software poor at the time – constant crashes. That’s why I still have certain doubts, although I’m sure things are very different today. I also think the large display of the RS151 is great. I also think that the RS151 is still the highest quality device overall. The problem for me is rather that at some point HiFi Rose will switch to something else and then the RS151 may quickly become obsolete. Why exactly does the Android-based Eversolo DMP-A10 not have this problem of the RS151?
I’ve four Hifi Rose devices and also two from Eversolo.
And what should I say: I like the Hifi Rose ones much more in design and sound.
Eversolo has a lot of services integrated, but switching e.g. from LMS to Roon or local play, it stops working and a reboot is needed. Also Qobuz connect stops playing after some hours (all my devices are in the lan).
Also in the case of using the device as PreAmp I prefer Hifi Rose much more.
What I also very dislike in Eversolo devices: They don’t have a standby mode like the Rose devices.
By the way: All current streamers will become more or less obsolete in the future (no firmware updates anymore and changed APIs from streaming services).
But I’m using primarily Roon, sometimes Qobuz or Lyrion (LMS) and so I’m focused to a nice and stable Roon endpoint and this you’ll get more with Hifi Rose than Eversolo.
Otherwise: If you need all current streaming services and you’re uncomfortable with the RS151 → refund it now.
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Hello, how will I connect this module to my Rose device (RS150B) ? And what about the display? Can I see cover art, title, track etc.?
Thanks!
Why do you mean all current streamers will become more or less obsolete? Sure in a few yes, but a new device as the RS151 should work for 5 or more years.
I have a Roon licencse but to be honest, I don’t use my private music very often. I like to discover new music and the Roon recommandations are bad. Horrible automatic playlists.
Standby mode - good point! Wake on Lan or anything else which allows me to start the streamer from my iPad oder iPhone is necessary for me and a key point. Sadly the RS151 wakes up but it has problems to start my activespeakers (sometimes). But do I understand you right - it’s not possible to wake up the Eversolo streamers ? This would be a no go for me.
The display is Rose’s selling point. As for quality, that’s highly doubtful, really.
EverSolo actually has a proper software development team.
EverSolo uses a reasonably standard screen shape and size, and allows sideloading. They can just run official apps from the store. With Rose, even if you’d manage to sideload e.,g. the Spotify APK on it, it would be quite unusable. You get the advantage of a common UI with every service styled the same way, but you lose the flexibility of being able to use the latest official client.
Umm, but in that case you are not listening to the analog output of the Rose (or Icon, or anything else) so why would you waste money on any of them? For half the price of the Icon you can get a convertible touchscreen laptop with a real keyboard, an USB isolator if you believe in USB noise, and have enough money left over to get a lifetime Roon license. Or Audirvana. Or jPlay or whatever strikes your fancy. Far more flexible, future-proof, and will play anything you throw at it.
A computer solution is a terrible makeshift solution and also visually unacceptable. The speakers are connected analogously, but the signal is converted again, yes. But I always want to remain flexible and change devices frequently, and at some point the speakers will be removed again.
But technically it is the best.
Can’t argue esthetic preferences, although there are some reasonably good-looking ones.
So basically, the only thing the 151 is doing is having a nice display. I would just hang a tablet on the wall, and have an even better one…
Analog connection certainly works, but it’s rather like using a Porsche 911 to pull a trailer. Looks fancy but isn’t an optimal use of either the Porsche or a trailer.
Well, if you are ever considering a passive system, something that has at least PEQ, let alone bass management and stuff, would be superior, so not the 151. If you are looking to stay with actives that have their own DRC, a straight digital connection is better and more straightforward. A 151 would work fine. But then so would anything else. If you think the price premium over the cheapest Wiim with digital out just for the screen is worth it, it’s a pretty good looking option.
There is only one other connection option besides XLR, and that is Wisa. However, this is unstable and is no longer an option for me. Many people connect high-quality preamps/DACs/streamers via XLR and achieve the best results this way. The simple assumption that renewed digital-to-analog conversion in the speaker has a negative effect again falls short. Ultimately, there is no alternative except passive speakers. The only decisive question is whether Dirac (as with the Node Icon) achieves better results than a higher-quality DAC/preamp as a supplier.
XLR is a very good connection, although it is not necessarily audibly better than unbalanced RCA in most home environments.
Generally speaking, no, ADC/DAC quality of any decent active speaker is good enough that you do not heart any negative effect, unless you chain a few hundreds of them. The question is why overpay for an overpowered DAC at the source when it makes no difference whatsoever?
It does, unless one completely messes up the calibration. It’s also not at all obvious that 451 is a “higher quality” – Icon’s DAC has better specs per channel, and in any case they are at the level where noise or distortion is getting drowned out by brownian motion of air molecules anyway. Icon also has a much better headphone amp.
Today, I compared the Node Icon with Dirac against the RS151 without digital corrections.
And the result was actually that the RS151 is more enjoyable than the castrated Dirac result. In some cases, Dirac produced strange noises in the bass range. Very strange. Even without Dirac, I clearly prefer the RS151.
The Node Icon’s grounding problem is terrible, which was audible in this setup and was exacerbated by Ethernet. The RS151 was wonderfully quiet. This just makes the Node Icon seem cheap and spoils the impression.
The Node Icon’s display is useless. It only makes sense at a desk. The RS151’s display is still a dream even from 3 meters away.
The volume control on the RS151 is annoying, and the speakers often don’t respond or respond late. It was much better with the Node Icon.
Apple Music runs well on the RS151. Spotify Lossless on the Node Icon.
I’m still undecided. The Node Icon is okay as a second device. Maybe the NAD M66 is an upgrade. The M32 was already a great device and ran wonderfully.
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Please just stfu, you’re ruining a decent forum.
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Pathetic. truly pathetic.
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