I simply don’t like FLAC files; I prefer PCM WAV without any conversion; and I’m not worried about disk space.
Regarding the sound differences, with the same files, I noticed a difference. As some of us have been saying, the update did more damage than it did anything.
Precisely because I don’t want CDs or vinyl records taking up space in my life, my music is in the aforementioned formats (32-bit Vinyl Rip or DSD-SACD ISO format, uncompressed WAVs extracted from original CDs).
Absolutely every cable in my system is from Audioquest, including the USB cable that runs from the hard drive to the RS151.
I’ll say it again.
They destroyed the RS151’s sound with that crappy upgrade, and they know it perfectly well, but they’re acting stupid.
I have no doubt that is what you believe, but if you have no way of troubleshooting, it is hard for others including Rosehan to identify and solve your problem. Since you have no other sources I still recommend checking the cable connections and trying a different input on your amp. Probably won’t change anything but it is worth a try, otherwise you have to wait for another software update or buy another streamer DAC.
But there is no conversion, you just get a working metadata container and error checking, with optional space savings. For all we know, your WAV files might be corrupt, and you will have no way of ever knowing it.
It’s exactly this kind of irrational thinking (and I am not even trying to be offensive on purpose here, for a change) that makes one totally believe that they are hearing some differences where there are none whatsoever.
Maybe try some real cables? AQ cables may be many things, but certified, compliant USB (or Ethernet etc.) cables they are not.
Trying a known working cable(s) is the most basic troubleshooting step, and Rose can’t do it for you. Surely there might be something analogous to Office Depot in Argentina, where you can pick up a definitely working, spec-conformant USB and network cables (i.e. guaranteed to be better than anything AQ had ever produced) for a few bucks.
I completely understand what you’re saying and I see your point.
I have three hard drives with the same information, one for use with the RS151 and the other two for backups. I know exactly how a FLAC audio file works and that they’re lossless, as long as they’re set up correctly. I can assure you that my audio files aren’t corrupted in the slightest. After the countless updates I performed on my RS250A, I used a Direstraits disc in SACD ISO format to see if anything changed after the update, something I did again when updating the RS151, otherwise I wouldn’t be complaining.
My ears are all I need to know that something about the RS151’s audio has changed since the update. Before the update, it was wonderful; after the update, it’s crap.
But you can’t even set up FLAC to be lossy… If you are backing those WAVs up from your main to backup drives, how do you know that they are uncorrupted though? If you had generated checksums in advance it could work, but otherwise there’s no way to know.
Boris.
I understand your point and know where you’re going. I have all three hard drives in perfect condition and working. The data is intact because I regularly check the status of all three hard drives with Easy US Partition Master. All three drives are defragmented and error-free. The music is fine; the problem was the update.
Regarding FLAC files, I don’t like them, I don’t trust them (knowing how they work and that they take up less space). I prefer to download a full CD with Exact Audio Copy in WAV format rather than FLAC. The same goes for my SACDs. I prefer to make an ISO and play it from the RS151.
It’s like asking someone if they hear Laurel, or Yanny, from that old meme, then claiming anyone whom says the opposite of what you hear is wrong. Human hearing doesn’t work like that. It’s subjective due to a variety of factors, including things you can’t control like aging.
We know now that part of the distinction involves how high of a frequency you can hear. Those that hear yanny have higher frequencies of hearing still, but if you go listen to music a bit too loud for a bit, those frequencies are temporarily diminished due the protective mechanisms in our ear. Even someone whom started off before the listening session hearing yanny will hear Laurel if the listening session was loud enough.
This maybe what causes people to think solid state amps or other equipment may “warm up” when others will say the equipment doesn’t. Hard to know for certain.
As for them just changing the names, there are now seven filters, before hand there were six. So they definitely did more than change the names. Also, a simple Google search will tell you the “alternate” names of the Super Slow Roll Off, and it isn’t listed. The names we do have are also well accounted for filter names.
Everyone likes to oversimplify everything and assume too much. I was posting to add concrete evidence to the discussion that Rose could use. That someone “noticed” what they did, and would like for them to prioritize fixing it.
Not debate physiology with people that clearly don’t know my field of medicine and how much about the human body,and its workings I know, and specialize in knowing. So arrogantly assuming they knew more than me, resorting to derogatory remarks towards me and mocking my preference in music, which music preferences are entirely subjective. I’m ashamed of the people in here, and Rose’s lack of monitoring unhelpful behavior. When some people are here to find help, not bullies.
EaseUS makes great tools, but it won’t actually tell you that the file is intact.
But math is not a matter of belief. And FLAC operation is pure math (including checksumming of the contained data). Do you turn off compression in your browser, in case this very forum is rendered wrong on your screen, too?
As I was saying (and again, not even trying to be insulting here) it doesn’t really matter, definitely not to me, whether you are using FLACs or naked WAV files, but “not trusting” them is irrational behavior, and it just makes it harder to take seriously claims about sonic difference after the update.
Sure, knowing Rose, it is possible that they have mucked something up very specifically for the 151, or maybe for 151s with a specific serial number that just happens to be yours, but with there having been no changes on at least 250 and 520, once output settings have been set back to where they were prior to update (because not mucking up saved settings is too much to ask of Rose developers), and making such a targeted change would likely require more work from them than they have ever appeared to be willing to perform, a rather likely scenario is that nothing had changed with the 151 either, and you are hearing the difference because you “don’t trust” the update…
Well, that’s something quite different, and sorry about your speakers.
Rose’s support is certainly lacking (you might have better luck with the local distributor). What you are describing definitely does not sound like a possible failure mode with Krell, it being a Class A analog device, and being built like a tank anyway. Does not sound like a DAC issue either, the DAC in 151 it totally off the shelf quality part.It outputs whatever it is given on input. Do we know that there weren’t a glitch with Qobuz at that time, or that specific file being corrupted on the particular CDN server that was used to send it to you?
Of course assuming that your volume was set to something reasonable even for full-scale passages, and assuming no EQ applied (which could lead to extended digitial clipping that does burn tweeters out very nicely) this seems like something electrical going bad in your 151, not the software upgrade.
I agree to be honest.
Someone made fun that I have APD. I didn’t claim to have golden ears, I claimed the opposite. APD, or Auditory Processing Disorder(a form of deafness/hearing loss) means my brain doesn’t have the ability to correctly process sounds. I stated that my APD might be why I can tell a difference in FIR, not because my ears are better, but for the opposite reason. Your brains are able to remove the variances because it’s super cool and does it. My brain is broken and can’t, so my brain may be trying to figure out what to do with the “ringing” variances in the FIR and some filters simply sound cleaner to me than others (which is why I can’t tell them apart in that I can name them, just that I can tell them apart in that they’re different, I also don’t know that I can tell each one apart from the other, just that some stand out to me as cleaner than some others).
I wasn’t bragging, I was doing the opposite. The “voltage” statement was me using an example that could also explain the reason, as not every album gets distorted from the extra voltage. I presented an idea, that maybe some albums are easier to hear FIR variances than others. I don’t know for certain, which I stated.
The reason I defended the “problem” while others said it was a “non issue” is because for me it isn’t a non issue. I’d like Rose to take it seriously and fix it. If people keep saying stuff like “it’s not real”, then you’re just doing Rose a favor in defending their terrible update as their free PR team. Please don’t help them, as I can’t find a FIR that is as clean sounding as the SSRO now, which again, maybe my broken brain.
Someone said I have a low IQ, yet I have a real disability, and it was very hurtful that you mocked me that way. You can spend $300 and get a sound I have to maybe spend $3000 to get, just to overcompensate for my brain.
You’re describing ADD/ADHD.
Your hearing itself is probably fine.
And in some w ADD/ADHD have a superior sense of touch or feeling. (Which can also be exhibited in hearing.)
Trying to explain a mental health issue to Boris is like trying to explain Diff EQs to a caveman.
This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.
I do have ADHD, and I’ve noticed that it seems to be tied to it although the official diagnosis of APD is separated from ADHD.
One of the chief symptoms is that if two people are talking in front of me, I can’t hear either of them. I hear sounds, but almost no individual words can be made out. Thats why it’s classified as hearing loss, because functionally I can’t hear them in any meaningful way.
I have a question, do you play any musical instruments?
On Saturday, I played around with all the filters in the Rose RS 151 (I don’t have the latest update), and honestly, the two of us listened, changed filter after filter, and the differences were truly very subtle.
I should point out that I play guitar, and I also do it by ear, so my hearing is fine, but to truly detect the huge differences between the individual filters, you have to be a master musician and play the violin, because, as we know, only people with the best hearing play such instruments.
I don’t think JMBARG ever attributed his SQ issues to changes in the filters, at least that I recall. But he won’t do any troubleshooting so we will never know what the problem is with his device.
Does anyone know if the early release software fixes anything? Kinda want to pull the trigger to find out 
Boris,
So far you’ve shown yourself to be ignorant of pretty much everything if you couldn’t find it using ChatGPT.
Please go hang out w Amir. You’re his kind of people.