New RA280 Review

ROSE Products
#1

While this is a review for the RA280… which has been around for a while, its a new review out of Portugal. (In English) You can see the video HERE

Its a pretty good review overall albeit the conversation is a bit dated for 2026.

One topic was the speed that GaN offers.
This is why the amp pairs nicely to my Mon Mini s and why it would pair nice to speakers that have AMT drivers and ‘fast’ mids and subwoofers.

While he described the look as ‘retro’ IMHO I think is a pull back from the RA180 which was a bit over the top and not to everyone’s taste.

The point is that Rose does listen and it looks like they are reaching out more to better market their products outside of Korea.

#2

:yawning_face:

Significant Difference Between a Well-Made Class D Amplifier and a GaN-FET Amplifier!

No, you won’t hear a significant difference between a GaN-FET amplifier and a sophisticated, classically designed silicon Class D amplifier in a direct blind test! My skepticism regarding psychoacoustics is entirely justified. Many reports on the internet are based on the classic “buyer bias” (those who spend more money hear more). Looking at the topic purely from a technical and sonically neutral perspective, it can be summarized as follows:
Why there is no audible difference. Both are already “perfect” in terms of measurements: Modern, well-designed silicon Class D amplifiers (like modules from Hypex NCORE/EVAL or Purifi Eigentakt) already reduce distortion (THD+N) and noise so far below the human hearing threshold that they sound absolutely transparent. While a GaN FET can technically reduce these values ​​even further, our hearing cannot distinguish between “inaudibly distorted” and “even more inaudibly distorted.” The switching frequency is too high anyway:

GaN transistors switch at approximately 400 kHz to 800 kHz. A well-designed classic Class-D amplifier also switches well above the human hearing range (up to 20 kHz). The output filter smooths this signal into a clean analog waveform in both systems.

So why do manufacturers use GaN at all?

The advantage of GaN lies primarily at the engineering level, not in the soundstage:

Simpler circuit design: Because GaN transistors have no reverse recovery charge, they inherently generate fewer switching errors. Developers need to use fewer workarounds (e.g., complex negative feedback loops) to obtain a clean signal.

Even less heat:
GaN operates extremely efficiently. You can pack an enormous amount of power into the smallest space without the chassis getting hot.

The bottom line:

If you already own a well-made Class-D amplifier (for example, with Purifi or newer Hypex modules), switching to a GaN amplifier won’t offer any real sonic improvement.

The “GaN sound” in this direct comparison is primarily excellent marketing.

The sound of both systems is largely determined by the quality of the input stage (op-amps) and the stability of the power supply, not by the transistor material.

Who told you that a thousand times???

Boris and I. But keep living in your YouTube matrix and believe everything you read on YouTube from supposed “experts.” :laughing:

You in connection with social media (like YouTube):

In network culture, such people are often referred to as “armchair psychologists,” “hobby experts,” or “internet theorists.”

This means they acquire half the knowledge they read or see in videos and act as if they’re all there is to it. When they try to distort other people’s reality or manipulatively impose their own views, psychology sometimes refers to this as gaslighting, a milder form of invalid communication.

:arrow_up: Who kept posting this?

Boris, who wanted to open your eyes.

Cheers

#3

Bonte, there you go again.
Free clue, you can hear a difference between class D amps.

I tried a Douk Audio A5 Pro vs the Rose.
Yes there was a difference.

And then there’s the ARCAM SOLO UNO vs Rose.
Here tested using an RCA in source. (Bypass the DAC)

Again a difference in sound.

So please give it a rest.

#4

Yes and no. Possibly, Bonte meant three identical amplifiers, for example from the same manufacturer, ideally the same model and built in the same way, but with three different circuit designs inside: Hypex, Purifi and GaN. In that case, hearing a difference may be impossible, just as with many other amplifiers.

But if the models are different, the difference can be so striking that even a Chukchi from the tundra would hear it.

That was the case with my Marantz PM-10 and Marantz Model 10. The PM-10 reproduced sound very sharply, with insane dynamics, and it always made you want to turn the volume up a little. It had very weak microdynamics. It did not get warm and barely consumed any electricity.

The Model 10, on the other hand, has much softer transients, absolutely crazy microdynamics, sounds almost tube-like, gets hot like mad, and consumes four times more power than its older brother.

When I first started comparing them at home, I thought the PM-10 was faulty, but the second one behaved exactly the same. I had two of them and used them as power amplifiers.

So that is how it was. And yet some people listen to them and like them. The sound was completely different.

#5

:rofl: :joy: :sweat_smile: :man_facepalming:t2: 20 characters

#6

Hi VIK,

That’s exactly what I meant!
I knew it. VIK, you don’t just watch YouTube videos with avoidable experts.

And otherwise?
How are things with you? Health-wise, family-wise, and musically?

Best regards,
Tom…:v:t2:

#7

@Bonte , @VIK

The only person talking about identical amplifiers is you.

You can have amps based on the same chip and depending on the circuit, they can sound different.

Not all GaNFET amps sound the same. Depending on the circuit and yes, including the op-amps they will sound differently. BTW, remember that Amir from ASR claims that all op amps sound the same because they test nearly the same.

So what exactly is your beef?

#8

VIK

In my opinion, the Marantz PM10 is a weak device, quite loud in both the upper midrange and vocals, and lacking dynamics. It’s an amplifier that can only handle highly efficient speakers. All high-end speakers from manufacturers like Sonus Faber, Dunaudio, B&W, etc., were unable to cope, and I couldn’t understand how, on paper, this amplifier could deliver 2x400W into 4 ohms.

The 10, on the other hand, is a much better device, but considering the price, I would also choose other devices from companies like Accuphase, Esoteric, or Mac. Firstly, they’re better quality, and secondly, they’re less expensive to sell than the Marantz.

#9

Blah blah blah…and more blah, blah, blah.

You’re a real know-it-all!

But that’s what happens when they acquire half-baked knowledge from videos and act like they know everything. When they try to distort other people’s reality or manipulatively impose their own views, psychology sometimes refers to this as “gaslighting” or—in a milder form—“invalidating communication.”

It would be much better for you to take a closer look at your own psyche instead of constantly rambling on about gan-fets and external clocks. You always want to be right, so there’s no way to reach a consensus with you; on the contrary, you only cause dissent!

And since I’m a tolerant person, I’m ending this conversation,
according to the motto:

The wiser and more tolerant person gives in!

Cheers

#10

@Cougar2025
The loudspeakers you listed would never have played particularly well with the PM-10 in the first place, simply because of its inherent brightness in the upper midrange and treble area.

In my system, the PM-10 worked reasonably well with the Epicon 8, but there was never any real synergy.

Regarding the Model 10: yes, I actually went through a very long selection process back then. I listened to the Accuphase E-5000, but with the Epikores it sounded too soft, woolly and stretched out. And considering that it costs roughly the same, plus that 1970s design, I simply cannot look at it.

I also listened to the Esoteric F-02, and it was very good. But at that time there was no possibility to trade in my power amplifiers, and its original price was significantly higher than the Model 10. The F-02 is a great amplifier, no doubt.

But in the end, all of this is more or less dancing around the same arena.

The best integrated amplifier, in my opinion, is the Gryphon Diablo 333. But the price is insane, and I also have no realistic way to place it properly in my setup.

#11

VIK

When it comes to looks, it’s obviously a matter of taste. I love the look of Accuphase, and their sound is brilliant. I also tested the Esoterica you mentioned, as well as the Gryphon Diablo 300, and of all the ones I’ve owned, I liked the Gryphon the least. The Gryphon 333 is outrageously priced and doesn’t sell very well here; they simply overpriced it. For me, the Accuphase E 800 and DP 570 cd won, and so far I’m very happy. The Accuphase is connected to the Sonus Faber Serafino Tradition, and I’m just enjoying the music. The Rose RS 151 also plays a role.

#12

You wrote:

If you already own a well-made Class-D amplifier (for example, with Purifi or newer Hypex modules), switching to a GaN amplifier won’t offer any real sonic improvement.

The reality is that there will be a sonic difference. What you prefer will be your taste.

I currently have the Arcam Solo Uno which is a very simple AIO that is based around an Infineon Class D chip and IIRC a CS DAC. A very clean and good sound, albeit only 25wpc @8 ohms. 50wpc @4 ohms.

Totally different from the RS520 when using the same source and bypassing the DAC.

Others here have talked about different experiences and synergy of their class D amps.

#13

Salut Tom,

thanks a lot for your message.

Otherwise, everything is more or less fine on my side. I was recently in Vienna, in that very listening room with the HiFi ROSE monoblocks. I sat there for quite a while, listened to some beautiful music and tried very seriously to understand the PIEGA sound.

In the end, I have to admit: I still didn’t fully get it. Maybe I am not Swiss enough for it. For my taste, it sounded a bit too sharp and too direct. Interesting, but not really my direction.

Apart from that, nothing dramatically exciting has happened.

Best regards,
VIK

1 Like
#14

@VIK
Yes its you when it comes to the Piega sound. :wink:
(That’s a joke BTW, knowing that @Bonte wouldn’t agree. )

Seriously though I do get it. Synergy is real, and of course individual preference.
If you watched the entire video, he did cover this in that he had some expectations and bias going into the review.

Here is another YT video that you may appreciate. Eric is a good guy and you may find some of his videos entertaining and educational. This is his latest and goes into some of the discussion. LINK to the Video

Assuming a good amp circuit design, the faster the switching frequency in a GaN should result in a cleaner, and crisper sound. Note that these devices may not be everyone’s cup of tea and may also not pair well with some speakers. (To a point.)

Again, your personal preference is the most important thing when you are spending your money.

There are some interesting articles on this topic about the dead / dwell time in the audio space.

#15

@Bonte
The reason I started this thread was that this was a new review of a HiFi Rose product.

It was positive news.

Too many posts here talk about how people hate the OS and the App and how it sucks.
And how they warned others away from the brand.

We should be applauding Rose for getting some kit out to reviewers and are getting positive feedback.
Here in the states, Rose’s distributor is MoFi which has a large showing at AXPONA and you can routinely see Rose products in their stacks yet never in the forefront.

I wish that would change. I would really love to walk into a local store which is showcasing a powered ATC SCM50 ASLT being fed by an Eversolo A6 would instead use a Rose RS451. (The speakers are 30K USD if memory serves.)

Can you hear a difference? Don’t know. That’s because there’s no Rose products on the floor even though the store is a MoFi dealer. (Carries products where MoFi is the distributor.)

Even without Rose out on the floor, I could get Rose components thru them if I asked.
(In fact, he was willing to sell an RS520 for a good price that he had in back… but I already own one.)

So yes, lets be a bit positive here. OK?

#16

:arrow_up: That’s not a video; that’s just rambling!

:arrow_down: Here, facts are presented, along with tests you can replicate yourself. It is one of the best videos in Europe that delves so deeply into this topic.

Key terms:
Confirmation bias, psychoacoustics, tritone paradox, Risset rhythm, Shepard scale, auditory attention, temporal induction, multisensory integration, McGurk effect, cocktail party effect

Measurement faction or voodoo?
Question after question. …and hits the scientific nail right on the head. The examples and audio tests within it perfectly demonstrate—on an equal footing with the viewer—how our brain functions as an interpreter (16:44). Here is my honest opinion on the examples from the video and what they mean to me:

  1. The brilliant guitar trick (confirmation bias): In the test involving two supposedly different microphones (a cheap one for €49 and an expensive studio mic for €2,000), almost every viewer falls straight into the trap (20:01).
    What happens in the video?
    The creator plays the exact same recording twice (21:19). However, because he tells the viewer beforehand that the microphones belong to different price categories, the brain immediately begins to fabricate differences in the high frequencies or the spatial characteristics (20:11). This is confirmation bias in its purest form (21:19). Without a genuine blind test, any comparison of sound is scientifically worthless (21:54). 2. The illusions:
    Tritone paradox and Shepard scale: The video impressively demonstrates that human hearing is not a precise measuring instrument (12:09): Tritone paradox:
    Two identical tones are played, yet some people hear them as ascending while others hear them as descending (22:58).
    This shows that fundamental auditory characteristics are processed by the brain in a highly subjective manner (16:44). Shepard scale & Risset rhythm:
    Here, the distribution of volume tricks the brain into hearing an endless ascending scale or a rhythm that accelerates infinitely—even though the underlying pulse remains physically constant (25:27).
  2. What you see influences what you hear (McGurk effect). In the test involving… …with the syllables “ba” and “fa” (the McGurk effect), things get really extreme (37:24). Even though the audio track is exactly the same every time, you hear a completely different sound as soon as you look at a different face (37:58). Our senses work together in a multisensory way (36:25). In real life, there is simply no such thing as pure listening devoid of external influences (39:55). Why this video is so important to me! The speaker in the video sums it up beautifully at the end:
    Music is far more than just physics; it is emotion, memory, and passion (42:20). It is perfectly legitimate and okay for people to buy expensive accessories because they love their audio system (41:55). When you love a system, it automatically sounds better in your mind, and that is precisely what matters for the enjoyment of the hobby (42:03). It confirms my view that, in the world of Hi-Fi, one must be very careful about what one convinces oneself of—or what others try to sell as the truth.
#17
#18

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#19
#20

Hahaha, for the first 5 minutes I thought he’d completely lost his mind…

In reality, polarity is probably one of the last things I’d expect to make any meaningful difference, simply because of how the whole electrical system is fundamentally designed. But hey, it’s still better when the electrons know the correct direction and don’t get confused on their way to the speakers. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

After all, even audiophile electrons deserve proper phase alignment. :wink: