Hello, it’s good to respond, hoping that these kind words are followed by real actions. And that they aren’t just polite communication to temporarily extinguish the disappointment and irritation of your customers. It’s a shame that for many of them, it’s too late. Your reputation is unfortunately tarnished in the high-end HiFi microcosm. As for me, you were too evasive, with a desire to evade and sidestep the issue. I’ve proven to you, through multiple observations, a real major problem with playing audio files with supporting videos, and each time, it’s always easy to blame the DAC or half-heartedly acknowledge that the issue was difficult to resolve…
Not to mention that you released the RS130 without it being Roon-validated, and it took four months for it to be validated, frustrating first-time buyers.
This is commercially unacceptable. Then, after my analysis, the hardware of this one was already completely obsolete upon its release. For a premium streamer, it’s shameful. Just compare it to the RS151. The file transfer and processing speeds are absolutely catastrophic, as is the software responsiveness.
Internalize the software and firmware, don’t leave it to your incompetent subcontractor who apparently doesn’t use your products on a daily basis.
Also, don’t make fun of customers by initially using high-end components and advertising them extensively (RD160) and then switching back to ultra-common components using the excuse of a supply problem. Which, in my opinion, is a shameful lie, because the Muse 02 is everywhere. And it’s not the sales volume of the RD160 that will put pressure on AOP production at JRC. Like saying that the LM that replaces it is as good as the Muse 02—yet another lie. I have tested the Muse 01 and 02 as replacements in various devices, they are certainly better in terms of audio reproduction as long as their implementation and the peripheral electronics are of good quality.
Even firmware breaks the RS130: Its official - software update did break some RS130 units
Definitely too late for me. I sold my unit almost 4 months ago. With the recent price increase of the RS130 to $5895 USD, you better believe there will NEVER be another Rose product in my audio rack!
Thank you for this announcement. While the words are welcome, HiFi Rose must understand that customer trust won’t be rebuilt by general statements — only by transparency and accountability.
On hardware specifically, your message frames recent failures as “variances in specific components in a limited number of units.” That downplays the scope of what many of us have experienced. The reality is that widespread failures have occurred, and they point to systemic gaps in quality control and testing, not just rare variances. Customers deserve a clear and public accounting of:
• The actual failure rates by product line.
• Which components or suppliers were responsible.
• What corrective actions are being taken to ensure these defects don’t continue.
Equally important: since HiFi Rose has now acknowledged quality lapses, the brand should publicly commit to covering all post-sales hardware failures — regardless of warranty timelines — when they are clearly tied to these issues. Anything less shifts the burden back to loyal customers who paid premium prices and had every right to expect durability.
Without this kind of transparency and a meaningful coverage policy, promises of “pre-shipment inspections” and “after-sales support” read as vague assurances. If HiFi Rose truly values its customers, it should own past mistakes, disclose the full scope of the hardware problems, and guarantee that no user is left stranded with a defective unit.
That is the level of accountability it will take to restore confidence in this brand.
Lastly, why now? Poor customer support has defined the HiFi Rose experience for years. What suddenly changed — and is this just damage control to protect future sales rather than a real commitment to your existing customers?
-Duffer5
Dear HiFi Rose users,
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support and trust in HiFi Rose. Your feedback and experiences with our products are extremely important to us, and we are committed to using them as the foundation to provide better products and services.
In this announcement, we would like to share with you the key improvements we are working on — including software stability and update policies, product quality management and after-sales support, and enhanced customer communication. These initiatives are part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen HiFi Rose as a brand you can trust.
1. Software Stability & Update Policy
HiFi Rose provides regular software updates to deliver new features and greater convenience. However, we recognize that some users have raised concerns about stability and completeness during the update process. We take these concerns very seriously and will place greater emphasis on stability alongside feature expansion and convenience in future updates.
1.1 Strengthening Software Stability
- Enhanced Pre-Verification Process: Thorough multi-stage testing before release to minimize unexpected errors or performance degradation.
- Function Continuity: Ensuring that the key features available at the time of purchase remain reliably supported, so customers can update with confidence.
1.2 Clearer Update Information
- Transparent Change Logs: We will explain not only new or improved features but also any changes or adjustments, including the reasons behind them.
- Swift Communication of Issues: Should problems arise, we will share the cause, current status, and our resolution plan with clear timelines.
1.3 Sustainable Service
- Rollback & Recovery Support: Where necessary, we will prepare rollback mechanisms and provide guidance to ensure a stable user environment.
- Expanded After-Sales Support: Alongside software improvements, we will continue to provide clear guidelines for warranty, repair, and replacement processes.
2. After-Sales Support for Hardware Issues Reported in the Community
We are aware that some customers have experienced hardware issues. After careful investigation of returned units, we confirmed that these were not caused by design or circuit defects, but rather by variances in specific components in a limited number of units.
Our actions include:
- Stronger Pre-Shipment Inspections: More rigorous testing before distribution to minimize potential issues.
- Proactive After-Sales Support: Strengthened service network to ensure quick inspection, repair, or replacement through our global distributors and service centers.
Our goal is to give every customer peace of mind when using HiFi Rose products by continuously refining our quality management system and providing responsible, timely support whenever issues occur.
3. Enhanced Customer Support & Communication
We recognize that at times, technical requests have not been addressed as fully as they should. To improve this, we are reinforcing specialized support channels so both new and experienced users can get the help they need.
- Expanded Partner Support: Dealers and distributors will receive greater resources including stable parts supply, enhanced training, and updated technical documentation.
- Faster, Solution-Focused Responses: We will set clear response time goals (SLA) and ensure transparent tracking from inquiry to resolution, moving beyond simple replies to real solutions.
- Clearer Communication in the Community: Some customers perceived unanswered posts in the community. In most cases, responses were given via direct messages, or customers resolved issues without posting follow-ups. To avoid such misunderstandings, we will actively reply to community threads and clearly share resolutions so that everyone can see the outcomes.
Our Promise
HiFi Rose will continue to listen closely to the voices of our customers, uphold the commitments we make, and place customer satisfaction at the heart of everything we do.
We deeply appreciate your unwavering trust and support, and we look forward to rewarding you with even more advanced products and services.
[/quote]
It reads like standard procedures if a new version of software is published.
Interesting could be a ‘mantis’ https://mantisbt.org/ server were interested parties could have a detailed look into what software developers do and why.
Now what i am missing is a more flexible plug and play like function for different sorts of wifi adapters. The reason is that i had to wait weeks to get a new wifi dongle.
Otherwise i am listing to my music and it is fine as it is.
Thank you for such a lovely and strategically worded message!
All I can say is that I spent thousands of dollars to buy an RS151, and after the first software update, the audio quality went from being audiophile-grade to a complete disaster! I expressed this via email to HiFi Rose support. Please don’t ask me what version I have installed, since I installed the August 2025 version, which you stated as the latest. Added to that, a few days ago you announced a new version for RS151, and you had to come out and say that you were wrong and that it wasn’t an update for RS151.
Dear HiFi Rose geniuses, please take care of your customers and be respectful of other people’s money, because it doesn’t grow on trees and it’s the money that pays for your lavish lifestyles. Try to be humble and acknowledge that the latest software version damaged the audio quality of the RS151.
Please consider the following recommendation:
I have decided to wait before buying the RS130 & RD160. My primary concerns are regarding the RS130. (see Before I buy RS130 - #2 by joyofmvid)
Note: Increase RS130 price only if the hardware is upgraded ← see It's Time to create a HiFi Rose RS130 Plus ← also, add the original components as promised (see the above posts).
- support Multi-Channel (including Dolby Atmos,…) Bitstream on HDMI port
- see hardware problem: Internal SSD not readable in File Manager
- ensure no digital stream interruptions every time you change tracks or search within the track played via the AES/SPDIF/I2S inputs
Regarding the RS130 software, I’m waiting for the User Interface to be greatly improved & stable; for example, provide the following:
- Preserve: Benefits of RS130 User Interface Software
- Default sort to “alphabetically” for: Albums, Album Artists, Artists, Playlists, Songs, Folders
- Support “Virtual Albums” for Cassettes, CD-Rs, Vinyl Records (Side A & Side B), Boxsets (multiple discs)
- Add “Playlists” support equivalent to that provided for Albums
- Develop an improved intuitive User Interface complete with 0nline HELP
- Stablize hardware including support for UPNP/DLNA & SMB2, SMB3 protocol support
- Add “Amazon Prime” streaming service support
- Create “Genre” selection ← when user selects a genre, make the outcome screens equivalent to “Rose Classic” screens
- Make “Rose Classic” & “Genre” available in the Rose UIF for user library media item files/folders (as oppose for a specific streaming service’s media) ← note: Rose Classis is the genre named “Classical”
- Remove need for a user to enter a "pin code’
- In addition, see:
- Language suggestion - #15 by ROSEHAN
- Focus RS130's "2025 & early-2026 software enhancements"
- RS130 User Inferface - Inconsistent Issues - #2 by joyofmvid
- RS130 User Interface - Simplify & Make UIF More Intuitive
- For additional future updates, include:
- How to play RS130 music in my car? - #3 by joyofmvid ← prompt to get the RS130 IP Address
- FYC: Ideas for future User Interface Upgrades - #2 by joyofmvid ← consider the “re-order capability” suggestion to be made available with the 1st UIF Firmware Update
Gentlemen at HiFi Rose:
Please fix the damage the latest software update did to the RS151.
Version 5.9
Rose 5.9.07
Rose Main 5.9.07.1
Rose Service 5.9.07.1
The DAC isn’t working the same as before… Please be a gentleman and acknowledge the error and simply fix it.
It basically ruined my audio quality. It’s gone from being a top-of-the-line product to sounding like something you buy off the shelf at the supermarket. Also, fix the interface for playing ISOs from SACDs. There’s no back arrow.
Please review this YouTube video which is a record of a visit by reviewer Jay Iyagi to Eversolo’s manufacturing facility. What struck me the most is that Eversolo has a special team of engineers to monitor their bulletin boards for problems and user issues. The team then works on fixing them immediately and thus has frequent meaningful updates of the software. Secondly they have a heavy emphasis on user flexibility which permits user modifications of the user interface.
HiFi Rose please emulate.
StandardModel
Surely Eversolo saw HiFi Rose’s weakness and will exploit it to the fullest. A satisfied customer with a good product in their hands is a customer they recommend to friends, family, and acquaintances. I will continue with the RS151 until I find a better product, and then I will simply stop being a Rose customer. What surprises me most is that a company doesn’t take seriously the fact that its flagship 2025 product, like the RS151 in this case, is being embarrassed by what they did with the latest software update. If I were a HiFi Rose shareholder, I would have sold all my shares by now.
Flash,
I have seen no reviews of Shanling’s SMT 1.3. I’d love to see a review of it.
Shanling seems to have previously been more in the personal audio space rather than audiophile but with the SMT 1.3 they’re jumping into it with both feet and following Eversolo’s success. For certain they will both give HiFi Rose some real competition.
I have the RD 160 Dac and it has the AK Velvet Sound pair of chips as well. For the first time I really like a Delta Sigma Dac.
Do you know of any reviews of the SMT 1.3?
StandardModel
I remember the first time I went on the Rose app and added an album folder to the play queue. I thought I did something wrong as when I went and browsed the play queue they were in the wrong order! I did find a workaround to get them in the right order by going into the folder and highlight the first one and play from that point forward. A basic function of adding an album to the queue is add it from the folder level. Eversolo is the market disrupter for streamers. Look what happend with Auralic!
Yes, for that kind of money people don’t want to spend their life debugging something that should have been resolved before going to market.
True that McIntosh is higher quality than Rotel. Moon by Simaudio is better than McIntosh.
I understand exactly why @BorisM speaks his mind the way he does. He’s not wrong.
Flash,
For sure there are people who will buy on a “name” alone to brag to their friends (“Bose”) without regard to actual quality. There are people who will pay extravagant amounts for a “jewel” on top of a button. However, that won’t sustain a brand if there’s no real substance behind the bling. Real audiophiles want quality underneath the bling, even if making it costs more in that different higher end market.
Why would an audiophile pay 2X or 3x for a product that doesn’t measure OR sound better and on top of that has clumsy software. High end audiophiles want a responsive connected company that listens carefully to its users.
For years I have stated this without success.
StandardModel
Rose may want to belong to different market segment (not that it mean anything anyway) but the only things they add above what EverSolo has is a bigger screen and a beefier price tag. Sound-wise it’s at best as good as EverSolo, and often inferior due to the lack of proper bass integration, PEQ, and other things that should be a given in 2025.
Dear HiFi Rose users
Official HiFi Rose Response
-
Concerns about Update Quality & Stability
At this time, we cannot provide a general rollback function for software updates. Our policy remains that we always recommend users to operate on the latest version of Rose OS for stability and compatibility. However, if a user wishes to return to a previous version, we may provide an individual update package upon request. -
Hardware Quality and Reliability
Some users may feel that hardware failures are frequent or systemic, largely because individual cases are shared and discussed openly in community spaces. In reality, Rose devices are used by a much larger number of customers worldwide, and the actual failure rate is very low relative to the total number of units sold.
Additionally, we must clarify that sound quality cannot be negatively affected—or positively altered—by software updates on RS130, RS151, or any other models. Updates may improve stability or add functionality, but they do not change the audio quality. -
Customer Support and Communication
We fully agree that restoring customer trust requires more than promises. Transparency and accountability are essential, and we are committed to continuously improving our communication and support practices. -
Concerns about Feature Changes or Removals
In rare cases, certain features may need to be adjusted, removed, or behave differently after a firmware update. In such situations, we will make every effort to provide advance notice to users in order to minimize inconvenience and dissatisfaction. -
Feature Suggestions and Improvement Requests
Regarding requests for expanded network dongle compatibility, we recommend users continue to use the officially verified Wi-Fi dongles that have been tested with HiFi Rose devices. At this time, we do not have plans to expand compatibility to other third-party dongles.
We are, however, continuously improving our user interface and overall system to ensure smoother usability and to avoid issues in future updates.
So where is the apology for your product damaging my speakers
Nothing I get nothing no RMA nothing
No response of any kind!
I’ve reached out to Mo Fi… nothing
You can’t call anyone!
The good here is Sean At Upscale is helping…
But still No RMA.
Yep my unit has been broken for over three months now and I’ve been playing around with Mr KiHoon for this entire time!
Nothing no RMA.!
Brought it up to ROSEHAN on this site nothing!!
Some one needs to be accountable!
Nothing
Anyway my RS151 is sitting in it’s original box waiting to go out for repair…
Nothing!
Yep 3 months nothing!
Took two months to get a replacement dongle.
So it took Majico two days to send a replacement tweeter
From California to Maine. And because the speakers are a custom they have to make the correct ones at a cost of over 3 grand… Not just one pair but two pairs were affected!
Where’s that apology !
So I put back in play my original steamer that works flawlessly for over 4 years…
It’s run continuously for two days wireless! No drops no mysterious white noises.
KiHoon asked about my equipment more or less insinuating it my fault …
So FYI the same Amp is working just fine on other equipment!
Where is my RMA!!!
As usual, lots of promises and zero action. The truth is that your devices are among the most expensive, and their support lags even among the cheapest devices from the competition. You can only promise things like Tidal Connect, and you probably won’t be able to access Spotify in lossless quality through Spotify Connect either.
Hifi Rose,
This announcement does not address the core issues customers face. It’s full of polished language, but there are no real answers. HiFi Rose keeps recycling the same promises about stability, inspections, and “customer satisfaction,” yet the problems persist: unstable software, buggy updates, hardware failures, and customer support that is almost non-existent.
Let’s be clear: blaming “component variances” for hardware failures is not an explanation, it’s an excuse. Customers have seen widespread issues across multiple models, not just a handful of outliers. If your quality control had been adequate in the first place, these problems would not be so common. And if you truly stand behind your products, you should be covering all post-sales failures regardless of warranty timelines, because they stem from your admitted lapses in quality management — not from customer misuse or bad luck. Anything less is shifting responsibility back onto your customers.
As for support, let’s stop pretending there is a functioning network. The reality is that this forum is the only meaningful support channel. Most distributors are either untrained, unresponsive, or completely unprepared to handle the technical problems that keep coming with HiFi Rose products. That means customers who pay thousands for premium gear are left troubleshooting on their own or relying on other users for fixes. That is unacceptable for a brand trying to position itself at the high end of the audio market.
If HiFi Rose is serious, then prove it.
- Publish the actual hardware failure data and what you’re doing to address it.
- Publicly commit to covering all failures tied to poor QC, regardless of warranty.
- Create a real support infrastructure that doesn’t abandon customers after the sale.
- Stop hiding behind vague language and direct messages — address problems openly in the community so everyone can see the resolution.
Until these steps happen, this isn’t a plan, it’s damage control. HiFi Rose customers don’t need more words — we need accountability, transparency, and real solutions.
-Duffer5
“Hifi Rose wrote:”
Dear HiFi Rose users,
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support and trust in HiFi Rose. Your feedback and experiences with our products are extremely important to us, and we are committed to using them as the foundation to provide better products and services.
In this announcement, we would like to share with you the key improvements we are working on — including software stability and update policies, product quality management and after-sales support, and enhanced customer communication. These initiatives are part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen HiFi Rose as a brand you can trust.
1. Software Stability & Update Policy
HiFi Rose provides regular software updates to deliver new features and greater convenience. However, we recognize that some users have raised concerns about stability and completeness during the update process. We take these concerns very seriously and will place greater emphasis on stability alongside feature expansion and convenience in future updates.
1.1 Strengthening Software Stability
- Enhanced Pre-Verification Process: Thorough multi-stage testing before release to minimize unexpected errors or performance degradation.
- Function Continuity: Ensuring that the key features available at the time of purchase remain reliably supported, so customers can update with confidence.
1.2 Clearer Update Information
- Transparent Change Logs: We will explain not only new or improved features but also any changes or adjustments, including the reasons behind them.
- Swift Communication of Issues: Should problems arise, we will share the cause, current status, and our resolution plan with clear timelines.
1.3 Sustainable Service
- Rollback & Recovery Support: Where necessary, we will prepare rollback mechanisms and provide guidance to ensure a stable user environment.
- Expanded After-Sales Support: Alongside software improvements, we will continue to provide clear guidelines for warranty, repair, and replacement processes.
2. After-Sales Support for Hardware Issues Reported in the Community
We are aware that some customers have experienced hardware issues. After careful investigation of returned units, we confirmed that these were not caused by design or circuit defects, but rather by variances in specific components in a limited number of units.
Our actions include:
- Stronger Pre-Shipment Inspections: More rigorous testing before distribution to minimize potential issues.
- Proactive After-Sales Support: Strengthened service network to ensure quick inspection, repair, or replacement through our global distributors and service centers.
Our goal is to give every customer peace of mind when using HiFi Rose products by continuously refining our quality management system and providing responsible, timely support whenever issues occur.
3. Enhanced Customer Support & Communication
We recognize that at times, technical requests have not been addressed as fully as they should. To improve this, we are reinforcing specialized support channels so both new and experienced users can get the help they need.
- Expanded Partner Support: Dealers and distributors will receive greater resources including stable parts supply, enhanced training, and updated technical documentation.
- Faster, Solution-Focused Responses: We will set clear response time goals (SLA) and ensure transparent tracking from inquiry to resolution, moving beyond simple replies to real solutions.
- Clearer Communication in the Community: Some customers perceived unanswered posts in the community. In most cases, responses were given via direct messages, or customers resolved issues without posting follow-ups. To avoid such misunderstandings, we will actively reply to community threads and clearly share resolutions so that everyone can see the outcomes.
Our Promise
HiFi Rose will continue to listen closely to the voices of our customers, uphold the commitments we make, and place customer satisfaction at the heart of everything we do.
We deeply appreciate your unwavering trust and support, and we look forward to rewarding you with even more advanced products and services.
[/quote]
Update.
Finally I got a Return authorization…Going to Nevada for evaluation…
But no one has made any effort to help , if it wasn’t for my nasty persistents then the darn thing would just sit in a box .
So I put back in play an old stand by streamer and it plays flawlessly, no drops , no network issues wireless, just sweet music!
KiHoon I believe was eluding my amp may be at fault, I say how. It loves my old PreAmp!
At any level …
Again people here ,ROSEHAN NO WORDS… 