RS130 Connection: for best streaming audio quality & best file playback audio quality

ROSE Products RS130
#1

  • According to the RS130 User manual,

    1. Page 28: Can select only HDMI, or USB DAC’s OVO or “1 to all” 2-channel ports (“Digital Coaxial, Digital Optical, AES/EBU and i²s”) ← in the community forum, it states I can select HDMI and only one 2-channel port (digital coaxial, digital optical, AES/EBU or i²s)?

    2. @ROSEHAN Which is correct?

    3. If only one port can be active at any time, can I pre-connect cables to both the HDMI port & one 2-channel port? ← this will permit me to use IO settings in order to change from HDMI audio (multi-channel passthrough) to 2-channel audio (and vice versa)

BTW, I read on the community forum that the Passthrough Option doesn’t do anything.

P.S., See 2024 Wishlist for request regarding a software “Multi-Channel Toggle” ON/OFF.

#2

@joyofmvid

  1. You can select either 1- USB or 2-HDMI or 3 -I2S + COAX + SPDIF (OPT) + AES/EBU (see below)
    image
    image2732×2048 424 KB
    Check means active.
  2. You can pre-connect your cables and for your “best audio” change between HDMI and COAX or AES/EBU or I2S or have COAX and I2S devices (AVM90 via COAX and Holo May KTE via I2S)

Frankly, if you are looking for the best 2-channel audio you may want to consider a better DAC that can plug into your AVM. I have tried many ESS DACs and prefer the AKM or Ladder DACs (like Holo May). This would plug into the AVM 90 Analog IN.

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RS130 User Interface
#3

Edited June 27/24: Added AVM 90 port specifications provided by Anthem

@HMANAZ Thank you so much. Your info & suggestions are greatly appreciated, especially with RS130’s port specifications as follows

  1. RS130’s I2S¹: ← best SQ, I’ll use in future: w/ seperate DAC RCA > AVM 90

    • 2 channel, 32-bit 768kHz
    • 2 channel, supports up to DSD512

  2. Digital Coaxial:

    • 2 channel, 32-bit 384kHz
    • 2 channel, supports DSD to DOP/PCM up to DSD128 ← in a future update, DSD to PCM will support DSD256 & DSD512
    • AVM 90: 2 channel, 24-bit 192kHz
    • AVM 90: multi-channel 5.1 compressed DD/DTS
    • AVM 90: PCM shown as 2-channel PCM88 or PCM176

  3. HDMI 2.0² ← I’ll use this for both music & music videos!

    • multichannel, 24-bit 192kHz
    • multichannel, supports DSD to PCM up to DSD128 ← in a future update, DSD to PCM will support DSD256 & DSD512
    • AVM 90: multichannel, 24-bit 192kHz
    • AVM 90: Native DSD supported
    • AVM 90: 2-channel, Native DSD64/DSD128
    • AVM 90: 2-channel, PCM DSD256
    • AVM 90: multichannel, Native DSD64
    • AVM 90: multichannel, PCM DSD128

¹ i2s protocol includes a shared clock signal for synchronize audio accuracy
² Source Direct Video, up to 4K video stream (3840x2160p, 60Hz)

#4

@joyofmvid

Remember, in my case, (RS130 > Holo MAY KTE) I went into this with the assumption that I2S was going to have the “best” SQ. I felt that it did sound better than the USB output from RS130.

However, I was not able to get DSD 512 or any Native DSD from Roon, my preffered way of streaming. Also, the PLL was slow… I then added a Fiber USB connection to the RSA720 fiber hub and connected my Holo May via USB to the hub. Now I can do Native DSD, no delays in PLL. More importantly the SQ was improved over both I2S and USB from the 130. Some people will say that bits are just bits, cables don’t make a difference, etc. But I was born with magic pixie dust in my ears :wink: No, seriously it sounded better to me in my system. Not night and day difference, but better. For me this is the best way to connect to an RS 130 for the best possible SQ:
RS130 → Fiber USB port → Fiber Hub → USB 2.0 to your DAC

In order for all of this to work you will need to upgrade the firmware on the Fiber hub.

I am going to test the addition of an external clock to see if this is better, noticeable, or does nothing.

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#5

Thanks again.

The RS130 sure permits many scenarios for many different DACs and for many different receivers (me it’s currently an AVM 90 prepro & you it’s currently a HoloAudio DAC). Wow! Well designed RS130.

#6

AFAIK The RS130 community said, for best Media Library file audio playback:

  1. Best sound is Media Library HDDs accessible via RS130’s USB Fiber input

    • In this case, USB 3.0 Mobile HDDs would be connected to USB Hub (e.g., HiFi Rose’s RSA720), the hub’s SFP USB Port would be connected to RS130’s USB Fiber

  2. 2d best sound is Media Library on RS130’s internal SDD (maximum 4TB)

  3. 3rd best sound is Media Library on NAS accessible via RS130’s SFP Fiber Optic

I plan to connect my Router using Fiber Optic to RS130’s SFP Ethernet Fiber port.

@HAMANZ For noticeably better audio playback sound, should I buy an RSA720 hub, copy my Music Library files to USB 3.0 Mobile HDDs, connect these HDDs to the hub and connect the hub to the RS130’s USB Fiber port. Or, keep it simple: just get the RS130 to access my NAS Media Library files via the Ethernet Fiber Optic connection.

#7

I would stat with the latter and see how happy you are with SQ. Don’t chase perfection as it doesn’t exist. I have tired both (USB drive on Fiber hub and over the network) and I am happy streaming my files from my Roon Core over Ethernet to the Fiber network connection on the RS130. I was thinking of adding a drive on the RS130 for caching, but I’m not sure it will make a difference or a positive one based on what I read. The room, the speakers, the Amp, DAC, are all more important decisions.

RE: your AVM 90 Processor
No doubt this is an amazing processor for Home Theater. Given it has an “ok” ESS DAC and lacks USB, Roon Ready, or I2S, you may want to consider a proper DAC for 2 channel listening. Find a dealer nearby that will let you test some different things. I’m lucky I have one that has let me try DACs costing way more than I am willing to spend.

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#8

Nope. Coax S/PDIF will not do that.

#9

While AVM90 is not an ideal device for stereo listening, the suggestion that one needs “DACs costing way more than I am willing to spend.” to achieve a sound any better (or even different) from a very good ESS in the Anthem is not based on anything but dealer’s desire to sell something with ridiculously high margin. In the real world, while there are exceptions, a stand-alone DAC that costs as much as the AVM90 (or more!) will have more noise and distortion.

#10

@BorisM
ESS in AVM might be great. I know how you feel about Coax and SPDIF interfaces. AVM lacks USB… lacks Roon Ready. Seems like a weak link in an expensive system.

I don’t believe price = performance but demoing a 25K DAC in my system was a good experience. I ended up with a Holo May KTE and RS130 and spent less than 1/2 for what I believe is “better” for me in my room vs. a much more expensive setup. Must be that Audioquest cables I plugged in :rofl: RIGHT?

#11

Lack of USB and Roon Readyness (despite many years of promises) are the big things. I was mostly referring to a simple fact that coax interface (which while not as good as USB is perfectly fine), no matter how many upgrades happen, will never support 32/384. It is well above the maximum bitrate suported by any S/PDIF connection.

Hole is a fine DAC, but rather in the same way that Omega (let’s reserve really high-end analogies like IWC or Pathek for something like a Burmester) is a nice watch. It looks good, has quite a bit of cachet to it, and is an impressive sample of mechanical watchmaking. But you do not buy it for telling time better than a $30 Casio. Casio is better at telling the time accurately.

By the same token, ESS (or AKM, if you wish) is as accurate at doing the D to A conversion as it gets. You do not buy a Holo (or Laiv, or a Wadax) for doing the conversion better – they do not. Quite likely they do it worse. You buy them for other reasons.

#12

I never suggested this. Only that demoing an expensive DAC is instructive in learning what/how ‘cost is no object’ compares to the AVM90 in this case. Could it sound better? Personally, I would be hard pressed to justify the need for an RS130 streamer when the AVM with a Roon Core does everything minus the Display…

Good DACs are about a lot more than Digital to Analog conversions. Power supply, Output stage, etc. Point being one should try a few things to see if one finds they make a difference and does that difference justify spending 2X,3X, or 100X…

#13

Yeah. I heard them. Obviously, the dealer was very keen on selling me something more expensive. But at best, you are getting a better-looking, better built unit with better ergonomics (which are quite good with a Rose; or Anthem). Most of the time you are just getting inferior performance and a cool story about mystical neutrino discombobulators that make it sound “different.”

AVM90, alas, despite Anthem’s years of promises, is not Roon Ready, so it does need something to feed it signal. With the only full resolution input it has being HDMI, you need an HDMI-equipped Roon server or endpoint. A mini-PC with built-in display would work quite well…

These are by definition parts of the D to A conversion process. As above, spending 100x more might give you a better built device. Just as likely it will give you something like a BS Audio DAC that is incapable of outputting a sinewave from a sinewave input.

Although it will be entertaining to see the contortions Uncle Paul will have to go through now that BS Audio is using ESS chips themselves…