Long-term streamer risk: Spotify HiFi/High-Res, TIDAL Connect, SDK churn — what’s the plan (and what if the company disappears)?

#1

Hifi Rose Community Forum members and Hifi Rose @moderators;

Posting this for the broader community (and obviously HiFi Rose if they’re watching).

A streamer’s value isn’t just hardware—it’s ongoing compatibility with third-party streaming services whose SDKs/APIs/auth/certification requirements change constantly. That’s where my concern is: feature parity today is one thing, but assurance of continued functionality is the real issue.

1) Features we can’t seem to get (or keep current)

At a minimum, a lot of owners want clear answers around things like:

  • Spotify HiFi / High-Res (if/when it becomes widely available)
  • TIDAL Connect feature parity / stability
  • Ongoing updates for other services as requirements evolve

Whether you personally care about Spotify/TIDAL specifically, the bigger point is: if HiFi Rose struggles to add/maintain major integrations, what does that mean for the long-term health of the platform?

2) SDK/API churn is relentless

Streaming services routinely change:

  • authentication/login flows
  • certification requirements (device approvals, security updates)
  • API endpoints and deprecations
  • DRM/security pipelines
  • “Connect” protocol behaviors
  • metadata / playback pipelines
  • minimum OS/firmware expectations

That’s not hypothetical—it’s normal. And when these changes happen, devices either get timely updates or they degrade quietly (logins break, playback becomes flaky, features disappear, etc.).

So the direct question is:

What assurance do we have that expensive devices like the RS130 will keep working reliably as the streaming services evolve?

3) What protections do owners have?

This is where I’d like clarity from HiFi Rose (and insight from other owners):

  • Is there a published support window for products like RS130 (e.g., “X years of service compatibility updates”)?
  • Do they have formal relationships/certification paths with the major services?
  • If a streaming service breaks compatibility, what is the expected time-to-fix?
  • Is there any owner protection if a key integration becomes unusable due to third-party changes (even if hardware is fine)?
  • Are updates “best effort,” or is there an actual commitment commensurate with premium pricing?

Right now, it feels like owners assume all of the platform risk.

4) The uncomfortable but real question: what if HiFi Rose goes out of business?

Not trying to be alarmist—this is a reasonable due-diligence question for any streamer ecosystem.

If the company ever disappeared or support essentially stopped, what happens to devices like RS130?

  • Do they remain fully functional as a local network bridge / endpoint?
  • Are any core functions dependent on Rose cloud services, app backends, or activation systems?
  • If app development stops, does the RS130 still operate cleanly via standard protocols (Roon, UPnP/DLNA, AirPlay, etc.)?
  • Is there a “local mode” or fallback path that keeps the device useful for years?
  • Is there any plan for documentation/APIs that would let the community keep devices usable if official support ends?

We’ve seen situations in high-end audio where a platform becomes fragile when the vendor is no longer actively maintaining it. In that scenario, owners can be left holding expensive hardware that’s functionally “frozen in time” while services move on.

Questions for the community

  • Have you experienced streaming features breaking over time on RS130 or other streamers due to service changes?
  • Do you now treat streamers as 3–5 year devices regardless of hardware quality because of software risk?
  • What do you think is a reasonable support commitment for a premium streamer?

Questions for HiFi Rose (if you’re reading)

  • What is your long-term support commitment for RS130 given third-party SDK/API churn?
  • What’s your stance on Spotify HiFi/High-Res and TIDAL Connect parity (and what’s realistically feasible)?
  • What protections do owners have when streaming services change requirements?
  • What happens to these devices if company support or cloud/app services ever stop?

I’m not trying to pile on—just asking for clarity. Premium pricing implies premium longevity. Streaming services are a moving target, and owners deserve a candid explanation of how that risk is being managed.

4 Likes
#2

I use my RS150 voor Roon streaming. Roon looks stable over the years, unlike other streamingservices mentioned here. So i am without fear audio atomic age…

So no worries for me, but when you dare into unstable terrein you better be prepared for disaster :wink:

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#3

No, I don’t. Because I refuse to rely on streaming services to supply my content. I have a hard drive with 1000+ artists, which is my primary, and nearly sole, source for media.

Reliance upon any software - at all - for your media content is asking to be disappointed at some point.

Signed,
Former Zune User
(Yes, I am serious.)

#4

By definition of a standard protocol, it will keep working with those. Roon still works on very old devices from out of business manufacturers. And Roon is rather proprietary at that.

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#5

Good to know, @BorisM — that’s reassuring, and I agree that Roon is likely the best “future-proof” layer here.

That said, my bigger concern isn’t just whether Roon can keep working in principle — it’s whether HiFi Rose’s own software or backend dependencies could accidentally (or by design) get in the way of basic device operation if the company ever goes defunct or significantly reduces support.

For example, the fact that some basic functions appear to require entering an 8-digit code to access core system settings gives me real pause. Any time a device’s baseline usability depends on:
• a vendor-controlled app or workflow,
• a cloud-based authentication step,
• a pairing/verification code,
• or a service that could disappear,

…it raises the question: what happens if that dependency goes away?

I’m not trying to be alarmist — I’m trying to think like a long-term owner of an expensive component. Even if Roon remains viable, I’d hate to see a scenario where the hardware is physically fine, but owners are effectively “locked out” of fundamental settings, configuration, or maintenance because a required code path or backend is no longer maintained.

So yes — Roon continuing to work is encouraging. But I’d still love clarity from Rose (or anyone who knows) on the broader question:
If Rose is gone someday, will the RS130 still be fully configurable and usable locally—without any vendor authentication or pairing steps?

#6

The PIN seems to be local to the device, so that probably should not be a problem. Now though, can you use a Rose device without registering it and setting up a Rose Id? Since quite a bit of functionality, from important (Rosetube, Radio) to trivial (Weather, because why use an existing pro-grade weather service supporting every location, when you can roll out your own, half-baked one, requiring users to be to have their locations added?!) depends on Rose’s servers, that would definitely be degraded/disabled, too. It should still work for local file playbavck, casting (airplay/DLNA/Roon) and as a DAC thnough.

1 Like