They’re morons who can’t even be found with radar. Who the hell cares about certification if the product’s audio is garbage!
I shit on the PIN-Code.
Again, assuming that the difference is actually present (alas, “flat and lifeless” is a rather meaningless description that says nothing of what the DAC is actually doing) it could be lots of things, simplest being that they are trying to configure the chip as if it were the other model or something like that… Should be a simple fix either way, most likely, but with the disregard for good software engineering practices they show, who knows if they even have the old code saved in source control…
PS The DAC chip only has differential analog outputs either way, and both balanced and unbalanced outputs are fed from those, so disabling one or the other wouldn’t really do that much.
[dtp]
When I listened in the audio salon, I didn’t have to press the shift button, I just entered 8 digits, then again and confirmed it, and it clicked.
[JMBARG]
I understand you’re upset because you spent money and the sound quality deteriorated after the update, but if you had a Rose before, like I did, both of us had the RS 250, you remember that there were occasional glitches, and then they fixed them. The difference now is that the RS 151 is a more expensive device, so it hurts even more. But wait, I think Rose will respond to these posts and make a fix.
The strange thing is that not everyone is reporting sound degradation. Those who haven’t updated yet will wait until the next one is released, while those who decide to buy will also wait until the update is released. It’s hard for me to say whether what I heard is what you’re hearing, as I don’t remember the sound from before the update. In my opinion, it wasn’t particularly sharp, dry, or flat. This was my first time listening to the Elac speakers, so it’s hard for me to say for sure whether the sound was degraded compared to what I heard earlier when I listened to the Rose RS 151 in audio stores, using the previous firmware.
Be patient; if they messed it up, they have to fix it.
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Cougar2025,
I’ve done all the updates to the RS250A, and it’s never, ever, ever caused me a single problem, and I’ve never experienced any change in audio quality. I can tell you with absolute certainty, it’s a workhorse! I regret upgrading to the RS151.
Boris.
What I was trying to tell you is that the new software garbage doesn’t allow you to disable the balanced outputs, as you could before the update. As you can see, instead of improving things, they make them worse. Why would a user want a certain type of output enabled if their amp doesn’t have it? They did something about what the software tells the DAC. Basically, they shot themselves in the foot and screwed up the RS151’s audio quality.
In my case, I need an XLR, but I dare say that when I listened to audio in stores, with the previous firmware, all outputs were active, even though they were connected to XLRs. I wondered why this was, but the indicators were definitely active on both RCA and XLR. But this certainly doesn’t cause sound degradation; something must be different, something that happened with the new firmware.
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JMBarg
I almost hate to ask you , but are you using XLR cables
If so check polarity… US setting or European
Please don’t be rude
Obviously you are sensitive… 
Just trying to help with the experience.
In one breath you claim to not know but in another your an expert…
Steve_H,
My PrimaLuna amp doesn’t have XLR cable connections. Before the software update, you could enable or disable the RS151 outputs depending on your cables and connectors; now you can’t; if you disable one of the outputs, everything is disabled.
Right now, I’m playing an SACD ISO, and I’m wondering where the hell the bass went? The same SACD ISO with the previous version offered incredible audio: bass, midrange, presence, and soundstage.
I’ve been cursing and screaming out loud since August 13th because the audio changed, and it’s simply crap.
That is definitely a bug, and they broke some existing functionality.
What I am saying though is that the DAC only has differential (AKA balanced) output anyway and that’s routed to both balanced and unbalanced output. Whatever that setting was doing (if it were doing anything at all…) would have been after the DAC stage. Could it affect the sound? Possibly, but with a correct design (and they do allow for enabling both outputs, so it’s a supported configuration) it really should not…
2 Likes
Boris.
From my perspective, and as a simple end user, I see that you perfectly understand what I’m talking about. Thanks!
For those who complain to you try to install the Early Access version
I explained it last night and it worked perfectly with the Rs130
Thank you, Gilles.
Your solution worked. I also switched back to EA 5.8. The RS130 sounds good again (warm timbres, depth of soundstage, and smoothness are back).
And no need for that damn 8-digit code
Good evening Patrice
This version 5.8 released in April 2025 corresponds to the official version 5.9 released in June 2025, it includes Qubuz Connect.
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Finally, I managed to install version 5.8, the problem is that it wouldn’t work over Wi-Fi, so I had to use a network cable. Everything was installed, but the problem I have now is that it DOESN’T RECOGNIZE THE EXTERNAL USB HARD DRIVE, and when the RS151 boots with the drive connected as usual, the screen flickers and gives an application error. Unfortunately, I’m going back to the RUBBISH version 5.9.
VIK.
Finally, I managed to install version 5.8, the problem is that it wouldn’t work over Wi-Fi, so I had to use a network cable. Everything was installed, but the problem I have now is that it DOESN’T RECOGNIZE THE EXTERNAL USB HARD DRIVE, and when the RS151 boots with the drive connected as usual, the screen flickers and gives an application error. Unfortunately, I’m going back to the RUBBISH version 5.9.
y/w. If they have messed with how the analog output is configured, that could affect the sound in interesting ways.
What I am concerned about right now is that my cat had managed to put the 520 into Android recovery mode. That’s not something you want a cat to be able to do! At least he didn’t wipe it.
Good news though is that there is a recovery mode that’s accessible. It should be possible to flash anything in then, including previous versions of the firmware. I am of half a mind to do it just to get rid of the PIN requirement. As far as I can read the EU RED Cybersecurity requirements (and it is in EU legalese, so don’t take it as any kind of legal advice 
) it requires that credentials and personal data be encrypted and not displayed to just anyone who asks for it. There’s no requirement for an annoying PIN code just to get into the system menu (which doesn’t even display any personal info unless you really start digging. Interestingly, none of my Bluesound devices (which I am sure are legal for sale within EU) needs any annoying PINs…
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After installing version 5.8 and causing another DISASTER, it didn’t recognize the USB external hard drive, I had to go back to the current shitty version and reconfigure the entire RS151 again and happily it recognizes the USB 3.0 external hard drive - HIFI ROSE, I SHIT ON YOU
It is now Monday after lunch time in South Korea, no response from them at all. Even not any „ we are looking into it!“.
Does anyone got a feedback via mail up to now?
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I was brave too and went back to 5.8 using the early access version.
Sound is partly back, but I am missing the MINIMUM PHASE SLOW ROLL-OFF Filter.
Any idea what to choose now?
Thanks