I am not sure if they had ever really promised anything it did not come out of the box with, and there’s no reason to sell it if it does what one needs from it. It does make for a nice Roon endpoint, and while lack of bass management at that price point is disappointing , it can be made to sound in a real room pretty well. Almost as good as a Wiim 
Company excuses about things working just fine on even significantly cheaper gear being “difficult to implement” do grow old rather quick though.
Oh Boris… you’ve never run a Company, let alone a LoB.
So you haven’t done the math or considered the support required.
Please stick to things you know.
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Dear HiFi Rose users
We would like to provide an update regarding TIDAL Connect and Spotify Lossless support on HiFi ROSE products.
We have been actively working to add TIDAL Connect and Spotify Lossless playback to our existing devices.
However, due to technical limitations in integrating these services directly into the current hardware and platform architecture, we determined that implementing them internally would not provide the level of stability and performance that HiFi ROSE aims to deliver.
After careful consideration, we decided that the most reliable and future-proof solution would be to develop a dedicated external module capable of supporting these services, along with additional features.
As a result, we have developed RW800, a modular solution designed to support TIDAL Connect, Spotify Lossless, and other expanded functionalities.
The RW800 module is scheduled for release in March next year.
At this time, pricing has not yet been finalized.
Once pricing is determined, we will share the details with our customers through an official announcement.
We sincerely appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued support of HiFi ROSE. Our goal remains to deliver the best possible listening experience, both now and in the future.
Thank you.
ROSEHAN
The fact that you developed this is fine, but you have to understand that people buying, for example, the RS 130 or RS 151 didn’t know that they wouldn’t be able to play lossless music on Spotify or Tidal Connect. They might simply feel disappointed, or even cheated. It’s your fault that the devices can’t be updated to prevent errors. No one in stores mentioned this, saying there might be a problem. Please understand this, and maybe offer some kind of bonus for those who bought these devices, because it undoubtedly looks bad.
To be fair to Rose, when either of those were released, Spotify Lossless was not a thing, and neither were advertised as supporting Tidal Connect.
It is somewhat disappointing that adding this functionality is too difficult for Rose when all the competitors have added it long ago, but then we all know how great their software development team is. I’d much rather they don’t break what is currently working.
You’re absolutely right. Honestly, what difference does it make whether Spotify is there or not. Anyone who has understood what ROON is also understands what really matters. The most important thing is that they do not break the ROON connection protocol. That is the core of the whole system.
All the other apps can be skipped altogether if needed. Sometimes it is even better not to install or remember them at all. Just to be safe, I would also turn off that heavily advertised screen on the RS150 so it does not burn in before its time.
PS. Sound quality is still excellent though. That is what really counts.
Not everyone is willing to pay extra for a Roon subscription though, and apparently a lot of people do enjoy AI slop that Spotify pushes though.
Personally, I could not care less, but then it’s Rose who needs to sell their devices, not me.
If I weren’t using the screen, I might’ve as well gotten a Wiim (sounds better in real rooms anyway) or Lyngdorf though. Given that large-scale outdoor-rated screens are Citech’s specialty, I would expect that unless iyt comes broken out of the box, that part would last for quite a while. I do switch VU meters ever so often though.
As for sound… yes, it’s fine (well, except for 160), as good as what you’d get out of a Wiim or Bluesound if measured at the output. In a real room with real speakers, and if one knows what they are doing, something with proper bass management (let alone real DRC) would walk all over it though.
Sorry Hifi Rose, but without all the technical details, your story still sounds like a bad management decision covered in a commercial sauce. My wife’s ( my old ) Sony X2ZCompact Android 10 phone ( build nr 52.1.A.0.532 ), is working just fine with Spotify Connect 1gbps FLAC, the option is there and working. That OS/Phone is old AF, but still running the latest Spotify app from the app store. So why would Hifi Rose streamers not support this as an app ? Like you have the Tidal App currently installed from factory… I still have a feeling you’re misleading customers. Even if the addon box would for free, I would still not be happy with that solution ( speaking for myself here ). I hate the idea to have to add another tiny box next the my RS451 & RA280, visually it will just look crap/cheap. And that does not match with the price tags of your “premium” streamers. Additionally, you sell your products in the EU, and the EU has the " Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)". Meaning you should to support your devices for security patches for 5 years. Having Android 12, sold SDK etc… might become a problem… In this case we’re not talking about patching vulnerabilities, applies to all “products with digital elements”. I’m sure those old ladies ( referring to your Hifi Rose streamers in general now ) will have some vulnerabilities that will need to be addressed. Choosing for Android 12 could still be possible, if all vulnerable components have been patched, but wouldn’t it be wise to update all to a more recent Android build ?
It’s not a Tidal app from Tidal. Neither is Spotify on the Rose the Spotify app from Spotify. They need to write something else, that would work on Rose display and within the rest of Rose’s UI framework. That requires competent programmers and possibly spending some money. Why do that when you can repackage something (probably licensed from Linkplay or one of the other Spotify licensees) and sell it for 5x times the price of a Wiim? 
Not really, that’s not how embedded stuff works. And vulnerabilities in “Android” in general do not necessarily apply to devices that are not general purpose computers.
Hi BorisM,
They only need to write a new UI and package it, underneath not much will have changed audio wise, as I pointed out the app technically works on a very old OS ( audio wise ). So when Rose claims, it’s technically difficult and their testing showed it wasn’t running flawless… what exactly are they talking about ? Hifi Rose’s mothership is used to designing UI’s, don’t they ? So that is my point. They don’t want to, but claim it’s difficult, audio experience would be bad… bla bla
Regarding vulnerabilities, embedded or not, even enterprise OT environments have embedded software too, and do suffer from a lot of modern day vulnerabilities once connected to a network. ( Hence why everyone is segmentating/separating it from the rest of the network, beacause they are vulnerable and they are the most critical devices for production environment ( CNC machines as an example ). The moment a streamer uses libraries like openssh, glibc, running webservers, support Samba etc etc… they enter the world of modern day vulnerabilities ( like f.e. cross site scripting, authentication flaws, protocol vulnerabilities ). I don’t know all the details from what Rose is doing custom for Android on the streamers, but I’ve seen a lot of corporate environments, and vulnerability scans results, and you would be surprised. The time of designing a box, connect it to the network, and never update it ever again are over. Hence the measure EU took with the CRA, but I’m sure the US will have something similar or will have it in the near future. Not everyone is running the Roze streamer in a separate IOT VLAN and protects it with proper in and outbound L4 rules ( not to mention higher OSI layers, meaning more intelligent application protections, those advanced protection are mostly for enterprise with proper firewalls ). Before you know it, your streamer is running malware in a bot network. And if you think I’m exaggerating, Google for Botnets on IOT devices, IP camera’s, NAS devices, Dlink routers etc…
It’s easy… if you are Spotify and have the source. If you aren’t/don’t it’s nigh impossible. And Spotify sure isn’t making a custom version of their app for what is to them an extremely niche device.
Besides, both Spotify and Tidal much prefer to deal with a few licensees rather than supporting hundreds of manufacturers. So it is “difficult” for Rose to implement – they would have to pay someone to design proper integration, when they can’t even be bothered to pay someone to interpret the RED correctly.
Those do not require updating the OS itself though.
No, but newer OS’ses come with newer versions of everything.
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 )
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.
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.