Yes, been going on for years. I was promised a fix by Hifi Rose almost 3 years ago. I attempted to follow-up with them on numerous occasions to get an update and not a single reply. When they are faced with a defect in their hardware or hardware they typically ignore and hope the customers just goes away. For example there has been no official comment or status update on the debacle of a rollout of the most recent firmware. Shameful.
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That’s unfortunate to hear. I guess that answers my question of if I have to use a seperate preamp or not.
Hard to believe they would let this problem persist when its promoted to be used as a preamp/dac/streamer.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I wish I had a technical reply as to what the root cause is of the issue. If you comb through the forums you will see there are a plethora of unsolved technical issues that Hifi Rose has yet to resolve resulting in some users giving up and moving to another brand.
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Just curious…
What are you using for an amp?
Also what happens if you’re touching the RS250A while you’re switching the input source?
Or touching your amp?
Hello,
I understand that you are experiencing a pop noise when switching inputs under RS250 > IN/OUT Settings. Please let me know if I have misunderstood anything.
- Which devices are connected to the inputs of your RS250A, and what types of cables are you using for them?
- With your preamp currently disconnected from the system, what equipment is connected to the outputs of the RS250A, and via what cables?
- Does the pop noise occur every time you switch, regardless of which input or output you select? Or does it only happen during specific transitions?
Thank you.
Just a real world example of how Hifi Rose ignores the problems of the past and acts like they are learning of these recurring problems for the first time. Predictable.
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Hi,
Thats correct, more accurately its pop pop, while disengaging source, pop pop while re-engaging source.
- tv via optical cable, cd transport via digital cable,
- while pre is removed, rca cables directly to PS Audio BHK Signature 250 power amp.
- yes, every time regardless of input or output. Further to that, I’ve tried disconnecting all inputs, and leaving only the power amp connected, still persists. And, both plugged into same source for line voltage.
I’m using a PS Audio BHK Signature 250 power amp.
I’ve tried changing input source from the screen manually, but can’t say I’ve tried touching the case of either while changing source. Tbh I try to avoid changing source while power amp is on (now) to avoid damaging my speakers.
Well I guess I won’t get my hopes up for a solution to the problem.
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Ok,
So there could be a couple of reasons.
I wanted to first rule out any grounding issues.
You said you’re using XLR? ( I don’t recall seeing this on an RS250A or in the manual)
So I’m assuming you’re using RCA to the amp.
On the RS520 you can set the voltage levels on the pre-out.
The RS250A has the ability too.
See page 47 (2-2-4-1 Pre Out Level Settings )
This should let you set the voltage level out.
You may want to google for the correct voltage output your amp wants.
Note: You could always drop to the lowest voltage and see if that stops the popping.
Just to follow up…
You never did say what amp you are using. (This would help to know what to set the output to…)
See this post by @ROSELOA in a different thread a while back…
Sorry, I replied but apparently it failed.
Ok so I am using a PS Audio BHK Signature 250 power amp.
As far as grounding issues, I dont think thats the issue. Both RS250A and BHK are plugged into the same source for line voltage. (?)
Also, as I was using it as a pre amp, it happened regardless of volume control, even at zero the pops were the same level. For that matter, I even disconnected everything connected to the RS250A’s inputs, it still happened.
As far as the xlr connectors, I was trying to say, that while the BHK pre amp is in use, there is absolutely no popping from changing the RS250A inputs, but the pre to power is xlr, I dont know how or if that changes anything. But with the BHK pre removed and using the RS250A as a pre amp, it happens. It definitely coincides with the relay switching internally, its more of a pop pop, while it disengages and another pop pop when it re engages to the new source. Regardless of what source is selected. And regardless if ANY source is even plugged in to it. I am not comfortable doing it on purpose, as I’m worried it will damage the speakers, definitely sounds like a dc voltage spike, so I’ve been resorting to turning off the power amp to change sources for now, but that’s not very handy. I am considering going to a second hand store and buying some cheap sacrificial speakers to experiment with.
Hi,
You actually just hit the nail on the head, and it explains exactly why the popping only happens when you bypass the BHK preamp.
Since the Rose RS250A only has RCA (unbalanced) outputs, you are forced to use an RCA connection (or an RCA-to-XLR adapter cable) when connecting it directly to your BHK 250 power amp.
And that makes all the difference:
- Your BHK Pre-to-Power setup was True XLR: When you used the BHK preamp, it was connected to the power amp via real, balanced XLR cables. Balanced connections use differential signaling, which automatically cancels out DC offsets and switching noises (common-mode rejection). Furthermore, the BHK preamp likely filtered out any DC voltage coming from the Rose right at its input stage.
- The Direct Rose Setup is RCA (Unbalanced): When you remove the BHK preamp and go directly from the Rose to the power amp, you lose that balanced protection. Even if you use an RCA-to-XLR adapter cable, it remains an unbalanced signal because the ground and negative pins are simply jumped together. No noise or DC cancellation takes place.
- The Result: Without the BHK preamp filtering the signal, and without a true balanced XLR connection to cancel out noises, the DC voltage spike caused by the RS250A’s internal switching relays hits your power amp completely unfiltered. The power amp then amplifies this spike at full power, resulting in that scary loud pop in your speakers.
Conclusion:
The issue is definitively a DC offset/leakage generated inside the RS250A during relay switching (likely due to a faulty muting circuit or a leaky coupling capacitor). Since the Rose lacks true XLR outputs to mask this issue, you cannot run it directly into the power amp safely right now – unless the Rose gets serviced or you keep the BHK preamp in the chain to absorb the spikes.
Testing with cheap sacrificial speakers is definitely the safest route for the time being!
On a side note regarding Rose hardware reliability in general:
Unfortunately, hardware issues and component degradation are becoming a very common topic in the audiophile community when it comes to these units. While they look absolutely stunning, their complex internal design seems to come with a few notable weak spots that frequently pop up in repair and user reports:
- Extreme Heat Development: These units pack a lot of high-performance computer hardware (Hexa-Core CPUs), a massive display, and an internal power supply into a relatively small, tightly packed enclosure. They get incredibly hot during operation.
- Component Aging due to Heat: This permanent thermal stress is a known enemy of electronic parts. Capacitors in the output or muting stages hate constant heat. Over time, they can dry out or degrade, which causes them to leak DC voltage—directly leading to the exact switching pops and relay issues described above.
- Network and Display Failures: The intense heat inside the chassis is also the primary suspect behind the frequently reported network card dropouts (Wi-Fi/LAN freezing) and display failures (freezing, pixel errors, or total blackouts).
It seems that while the visual design is top-tier, the thermal management and long-term component reliability often struggle to keep up with the high price tag.
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Thanks, that explanation seems to tic all the boxes.
Waiting on a response from @ROSELOA but from what I’m hearing, not expecting much of a resolution.
They will apologize “sorry for inconvenience,” but there won’t be any substantive resolution forward. They may even “act,” like they are taking your concern seriously by “troubleshooting,” with you but in 1 month, 6 months, 1 year you will be asking, “any updates @ROSEHAN ,” and they will either not reply or once again apologize with, “sorry for the inconvenience,” and end with “due to technical issues we are unable to resolve this issue.” This is a known pattern amongst dozens of issues they remain unresolved. They don’t have the technical capabilities to actual resolve issues and it appears they don’t have the inclination either. Lastly they will most likely burden you with the resolution to go back to the distributor to resolve. If you are in the USA that is Hifi Rose USA but they are even more clueless that Hifi Rose Korea. This is not conjecture this is based on dozens of real world examples that live on this very forum. Again sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
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@duffer5 thanks for the heads up of what to expect. Maybe time to switch to Eversolo, or maybe even Aurender?
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Ok,
So you really have two potential issues.
Per Google’s AI:
-
Ground Loops or Floating Grounds: Poor grounding between your source devices and the preamp can create potential differences. When you switch sources, the sudden change in reference ground can manifest as a thud or pop.
-
Upstream / Digital Signal Handshaking: If you are switching between digital sources (such as optical/coax feeds or HDMI/processor inputs), the preamp or DAC may be unmuting before it has fully locked onto the new digital stream or sample rate (PCM vs. Dolby/DTS).
I don’t think its the handshaking w a different digital device.
While Bonte will push towards the RS250A being defective… I have to wonder about a grounding issue.
If you had your pre-amp, if you replaced the XLR w the RCA connection, you would hear the popping. But since you don’t have the Pre-amp, you can’t test that theory.
What I am suggesting is you touching the RS250A or the RCA Cable to act as a ground.
Its a long shot, but hey, its your call.
Worst case… you want to switch the source… you power down your amp, switch the source on the RS250A, power down, power up the amp, then power up the RS250A.
Also something to try… what happens if you mute the system and then switch sources? do you still hear the pop?
@Smegel , I don’t think its a ground loop issue, but will confirm when back home and try what you’ve suggested, (which isn’t until Sunday). Muting it, did not work either, I have tried that. Keep in mind, I even tried it with no devices connected at all, just RS250A to power amp and it still happened.
And powering off amplifier is what I’ve been doing, but thats not a fix.
Not real happy, maybe time to flip brands…i do appreciate all the help and advice. I think the best thing about hifirose is the support through this network of owners.
There are some who say you need a pre-amp in front of an amp. I believe Paul from PS Audio falls into that corner.
That said… if you’re planning to go back to the pre-amp… then there is no issue.
The RS250A is a bit long in the tooth… If you had to pick a replacement for pre-amp and the streamer, I think the RS451 at its price works… although I don’t know if there are any QA issues or major complaints. In the states… you may be able to get a good value if places are trying to move them…
Outside of that… there are other options out there. PS makes a streaming dac pre-amp, although I don’t know much about it. (If you wanted to stay in the PS range.)
I’m going to assume that your RS250A has been in your hands for a couple of years. If so… do you know a local repair guy you trust? If you think its a bad relay… might be worth it to fix it.
@Smegel yes I’ve had it about 2 years. Agreed it may be worth having a look to see if its fixable, disheartening to have so early in the period of ownership.