RS130 Reliability Escalation: Field Failures, Root Cause, and Customer Protection Policy Required

#1

Hi HiFi Rose Team, @moderators

This message is directed to HiFi Rose leadership and support, and it is intended to represent a broader group of RS130 owners who are increasingly concerned about an apparent rise in RS130 failures — and, just as importantly, the ongoing lack of clear explanation or direct engagement from HiFi Rose.

To be blunt: we are seeing too many reports of serious RS130 failures for this to be treated as isolated incidents, and the absence of a transparent response from HiFi Rose is becoming as damaging as the failures themselves. These are expensive, flagship-class products. Owners deserve more than silence, vague ETAs, or distributor-only relays.

What we are asking you to address (clearly, and in writing)

1) Acknowledge the pattern

Do you acknowledge that there is a meaningful number of RS130 failures being reported by owners (including repeated failures requiring major service actions like mainboard replacement)?

  • If your answer is “no,” explain how you are tracking field reliability and why owner reports do not align with your internal data.
  • If your answer is “yes,” state that plainly and move to root cause and remediation.

2) Root cause, failure modes, and scope

Owners need a technical, high-level root-cause explanation that answers:

  • What are the primary failure modes you are seeing in RS130 units (e.g., power regulation, mainboard instability, boot/OS corruption, display/control failures, storage/cache subsystem issues, network interface issues, etc.)?
  • Are failures correlated to specific manufacturing windows, batches, serial ranges, board revisions, suppliers, or regions ?
  • What diagnostics determine when a unit is repaired versus when a major component is replaced?

We are not demanding proprietary schematics. We are demanding a responsible explanation appropriate for a premium product and a concerned installed base.

3) What has changed in production and service parts

If failures are being addressed via service actions (such as component swaps), then the obvious question is:

What has been changed to prevent the same failure from recurring?

Please clarify:

  • Are replacement mainboards the same revision, or a revised/updated design?
  • Has anything changed in manufacturing QA/QC, burn-in testing, supplier qualification, thermal/power validation, or firmware/hardware integration testing?
  • If there are “updated” modules/parts being used in repairs, what does “updated” mean in concrete terms?

4) Firmware and update risk

Owners need clarity on whether firmware plays any role in instability or failures.

  • Are there known firmware versions that increase risk or correlate with specific failures?
  • Is there a best-practice update process owners should follow (or avoid) to reduce risk?
  • If there is any known interaction between updates and device stability, it is your responsibility to disclose it.

5) Customer protection: repairs vs replacement vs warranty

Repeated, high-impact failures on expensive products raise real consumer-protection questions.

We need a policy answer to:

  • Under what conditions do you authorize a replacement unit instead of repeated repairs?
  • What is your policy on warranty extension when a customer experiences major failures or repeated repairs?
  • Will you implement a defined protection policy for RS130 owners (e.g., warranty extension from the date of major repair, or a “repair threshold” after which replacement is offered)?

Even if you believe failure rates are “within expectations,” the owner experience is not. The remedy needs to reflect that.

6) Communication and accountability

The current state of communication is unacceptable for a premium brand:

  • Owners report prolonged periods with no direct response from HiFi Rose.
  • Distributors often become the only conduit, and even they can be left without concrete information.
  • Updates like “soon” or “shortly” without dates or tracking do not meet basic standards.

We need you to state:

  • Who owns RS130 escalations within HiFi Rose (team/function — not personal names if you prefer),
  • What the expected response time is for escalations,
  • And how owners can obtain written, trackable status updates during service events.

What we are requesting you do next

Please provide a written response that includes:

  1. Acknowledgement of the owner concerns and whether you recognize a broader RS130 reliability pattern.
  2. A high-level technical explanation of the main failure modes and what you believe is driving them.
  3. A statement of corrective actions taken in manufacturing and service parts to prevent recurrence.
  4. A customer-protection policy for repairs/replacements and warranty treatment where major failures occur.
  5. A support-communication commitment with defined timelines and an escalation path.

A direct request you should not ignore

This is a request for HiFi Rose to respond not only to an individual, but to the RS130 owner community that is actively discussing these failures and making purchasing decisions based on what they see. Silence will be interpreted as avoidance — and owners will increasingly protect themselves by exiting the platform and warning others.

Please reply in writing with the requested information.

Thank you.

8 Likes
#2

I had a lot of issues with my RS130 like black screens, flikkering screen, very slow response etc.
6 months ago i bought a little voltage regulator which keeps the output voltage at 220 volt regardless of the input voltage which can be between 220 and 270 volt.
It can be a coincidence but after the moment I put this regulator between the mains output and the RS130 I don’t have any problems anymore.
And I use it a lot, mostly for more than 8 hours a day.
I think the RS130 is very sensitive concerning the input voltage.
Just a guess…

Screenshot_2026-01-31-10-49-23-10_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12
Screenshot_2026-01-31-10-49-23-10_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b121272×1170 98 KB

2 Likes
#3

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.

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#4

My RS130 also had a flickering display problem. I sent it for repair, but they couldn’t duplicate the problem. So far, so good, with no issues.

#5

Having worked in field service before, I know how failure rates can feel disproportionately large when you’re in the middle of service cases. Without global installed-base statistics, it’s difficult to assess whether we’re seeing isolated incidents or a broader reliability concern.

I haven’t experienced issues with my RS130 so far. A brief high-level statement from Rose regarding field reliability and any production revisions would likely help bring perspective to the discussion.

#6

@moderators

Any comment from HiFi Rose?

At this point, the lack of any reply is difficult to ignore. A non-response to escalating, widely reported RS130 reliability concerns is itself meaningful—and frankly, it’s not a good look for a premium brand.

Owners aren’t asking for marketing statements; we’re asking for a straightforward acknowledgement and a clear explanation of what you’re seeing in the field, what’s been changed to address it, and what your customer-protection policy is for repeat failures.

Please respond. Silence only increases concern and erodes trust.

1 Like
#7

“A brief high-level statement from Rose regarding field reliability and any production revisions would likely help bring perspective to the discussion.”

I can’t think of one company that would make that information public.

2 Likes
#8

I hear you — most companies won’t publish a full “failure rate by serial range” report, and I’m not expecting HiFi Rose to hand out proprietary QA data or a recall-style bulletin unless regulators are involved.

But I do think there’s a meaningful middle ground between “publish everything” and “say nothing,” and plenty of companies do offer it—especially when there’s visible community concern around repeated failures of a premium product.

What I (and others) are asking for isn’t sensitive detail. It’s a basic, high-level accountability statement, like:
• Acknowledgement: “We’re aware of an increase in reports of X symptom / Y failures.” (or “we’ve investigated and do not see an elevated rate.”)
• Scope (at a high level): “Affected units are primarily from early production / a specific timeframe,” if that’s true.
• Remediation: “We’ve implemented a production revision / updated service part / updated test procedure” — without disclosing the supplier or circuit design.
• Owner guidance: “If you experience A/B/C symptoms, contact support; here’s the escalation path; here’s what service will do.”
• Customer protection: what happens with repeat failures (repair vs replacement, warranty treatment, etc.).

That’s not radical transparency — it’s baseline trust-building. Right now the vacuum gets filled by forum anecdotes, and that’s the worst possible outcome for both owners and Rose.

Also, even if most companies avoid this, some absolutely do communicate at this level when reliability concerns start circulating—automotive, consumer electronics, and plenty of high-end audio brands included. You don’t need to publish internal data to show you’re paying attention and taking corrective action.

So I agree they may not release the kind of detail we’d all love. But a brief, high-level statement is still reasonable — and the absence of one is exactly why the speculation grows.

1 Like
#9

Following up for the record, since there has still been no response from HiFi Rose or the moderators to the questions raised above.

To be clear, the request remains unchanged: RS130 owners are asking for a written, high-level statement on field reliability and support policy—nothing proprietary, nothing unreasonable. The continued silence is unfortunately meaningful, because it leaves owners and prospective buyers to assume one of two things:

  1. HiFi Rose is either not tracking these failures in a way they’re willing to stand behind publicly, or
  2. they are tracking them and are choosing not to engage with the owner community about it.

Neither conclusion inspires confidence in a premium, flagship-priced product line.

For anyone reading this thread who is a current or prospective RS130 owner: take note that the only “answer” provided so far is a non-answer. That tells you something about what level of transparency and engagement you can expect when serious concerns are raised publicly.

HiFi Rose / @moderators: This is still an open request. Please reply in writing and address, at minimum:

  • whether you acknowledge a broader RS130 reliability concern,
  • what high-level failure modes you’re seeing,
  • what has changed in production/service parts to prevent repeat failures,
  • your repair vs replacement / warranty approach for repeat failures, and
  • the escalation and communication expectations owners can rely on.

Until then, this thread stands as documentation of both the concerns and the lack of manufacturer engagement.

1 Like
#10

@duffer5

Hello,

First of all, we sincerely appreciate you sharing your concerns regarding the RS130, and we fully understand the worries and frustration you may be experiencing as an owner. Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed feedback. Below is our official response based on the information currently available.

  1. Awareness of reported issues

We acknowledge that some RS130 owners have reported issues. The main service requests we receive can generally be categorized into three areas:

A. No-power condition
This issue mainly occurred during the early release stage of the RS130. It was identified and corrected during the initial production phase.
B. LCD vibration or flickering
LCD vibration can occasionally occur not only on Rose devices but also on other electronic products that use LCD panels. While a few cases may appear more visible in online communities, please consider that a very large number of RS130 units are being used worldwide. When compared to the overall population of devices using LCD panels, the occurrence rate remains extremely low. We kindly ask that you consider the global installed base rather than only the posts seen online.
C. Audio interface message
This message typically appears when there is a mainboard defect. Similar to the LCD cases, the failure rate is very small compared to the total number of RS130 units sold worldwide.

  1. Failure patterns and scope

We would like to clarify that the main issues identified in RS130 units are not correlated with specific production periods, batches, serial ranges, board revisions, suppliers, or regions.
During service, internal diagnostic procedures are performed to confirm the symptoms, after which a decision is made whether firmware reinstallation or component replacement is necessary. Major component replacement is carried out only when required by the diagnostic results.

  1. Service parts and replacement policy

We do not share detailed circuit schematics with distributors. Instead, service is performed by replacing entire boards such as the audio board, mainboard, or CPU board when needed. After service, we inform customers which board was replaced, but we do not provide detailed descriptions of specific design changes or internal updates to the parts used.

  1. Firmware and updates

There is currently no official confirmation that any specific firmware version increases the risk of hardware failure.
When performing updates, we strongly recommend not turning off the power until the update is fully completed. This warning message is also displayed on the LCD during the update process. If an update appears to stop for more than 30 minutes, we recommend unplugging the power cable, waiting about five minutes, reconnecting it, checking the network condition, and then attempting the update again.

  1. Repair, replacement, and warranty policy

If repeated repairs occur and you wish to request a replacement or refund, you will need to consult the distributor in the country where you purchased the device. Policies may vary by region, so this must be discussed directly with your local distributor.
Based on our internal data, we consider the failure rate to be within the normal range. The standard warranty period is two years from the date of purchase, and there is currently no announced global warranty extension policy for the RS130.

  1. Communication during service

If your unit is currently under repair, please contact the distributor in the country where you submitted the device to check the repair status. If you feel the response is insufficient or the process is excessively delayed, you may also contact us directly at the email address below:

eunseong96@citech.kr

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

2 Likes
#11

Hi HiFi Rose Team, @moderators —

Thank you for responding. This is materially better than silence, and I appreciate the effort to categorize the service cases.

That said, your reply leaves the core owner concern unresolved: confidence. A premium flagship product can’t rely on “the rate is low vs the global installed base” as the primary reassurance—especially when owners are seeing repeat major board replacements and unclear protection policies. If you want to restore trust, we need a few clarifications that are high-level, non-proprietary, and completely reasonable for an installed base to ask.

  1. Service parts: are replacement boards revised or identical?

You state that some failures (e.g., “audio interface message”) are mainboard defects and that service is performed by swapping boards, but you also say you do not provide details on “internal updates.”

No one is asking for schematics. We are asking for revision accountability:
• When you replace an RS130 mainboard/audio board/CPU board, is the replacement the same revision/part number as the original, or a newer revision/part number?
• If newer revisions exist, can you confirm which board(s) have revised part numbers and when those revisions entered service inventory?

Even a simple “same PN vs revised PN” answer would go a long way.

  1. “No correlation” to batches/serial ranges — what does that mean in practice?

You state issues are not correlated to production periods/batches/serial ranges/revisions/regions. That’s a very definitive claim.
• Can you confirm what level of tracking supports that statement (e.g., serial range clustering analysis, service database fields for board revision/production date)?
• If you’re confident there’s no clustering, can you at least confirm whether the early “no-power” correction changed a board revision/part (again, no design details required—just revision control confirmation)?

  1. Owner protections: repeated major repairs should have a clear policy

You state warranty is 2 years and there is no global extension; replacement/refund depends on distributors by region.

That is exactly what makes owners nervous: the remedy appears inconsistent and discretionary for a product in this tier.
• Do you have a defined threshold for when repeat major failures trigger a replacement unit recommendation (e.g., multiple mainboard replacements)?
• If not, will you publish a high-level policy (even if executed via distributors) so owners are not left guessing?
• At a minimum, will you issue guidance to distributors about warranty treatment after major board replacement(s) (extension from date of repair, or a repair threshold → replacement)?

  1. Firmware/update risk: please tighten the guidance

You state no firmware version is confirmed to increase risk, and provide update instructions including unplugging if stuck >30 minutes.
• Can you confirm whether an update “stall” is a known failure mode you track?
• Is there a recommended recovery procedure that avoids bricking (e.g., safe-mode, offline update, reinstall package), and can you publish it?

  1. Support + escalation: “contact your distributor” is not enough

Many of the community concerns stem from prolonged periods with no clear status updates.
• What is your expected response time when owners email the provided address for escalation?
• Can you commit to a basic communication standard (acknowledgement within X business days; status update every Y days while a unit is in service)?

  1. Long-term usability: local access to core settings if services change

A separate but related concern for long-term owners is whether any core functions depend on vendor-controlled workflows (pairing codes, cloud dependencies, etc.).
• Can you confirm whether RS130 requires any cloud/app-based authentication or codes for basic device configuration?
• If so, what is the contingency plan to ensure owners are not locked out of core functions if services/app support change in the future?

Again, none of the above requires disclosing proprietary circuit details. But it does require HiFi Rose to provide basic transparency and predictable customer protection—exactly what owners expect when purchasing a flagship streamer.

If you can answer these points clearly, it will materially reduce speculation and restore confidence.

1 Like
#12

@duffer5

Hello, this is HiFi Rose.

First of all, thank you for sharing your detailed feedback and concerns about the product. We fully understand that, as a flagship product owner, these are reasonable questions to raise, and we take your request for trust and transparency very seriously. Below are our responses within the scope we are able to share.

  1. Service parts and board revisions
    All mainboards, audio boards, and CPU boards used during service are officially approved boards that were originally used in Rose device production.

Each board has its own part number. When replacing an RS130 mainboard, audio board, or CPU board, the replacement may be the same revision as the original or a newer revision. When distributors request boards for repair, we supply boards according to the requested quantity. Because distributors in each country may keep inventory for a long period of time, a repair could be performed using an earlier revision board if that is what they have in stock. If they use boards that were recently supplied, the replacement may be a newer revision.

For this reason, we are not able to know exactly when a distributor replaces a unit with a revised board during service.

  1. “No correlation” to production batches or serial ranges
    As mentioned above, the symptoms you described are not correlated with production periods, batches, serial ranges, revisions, or regions.

We kindly ask for your understanding that internal analyses such as serial range clustering, service database records, or production date tracking cannot be shared with individual users. Each board includes its own revision marking, so we recommend contacting the distributor who performed your repair if you would like to confirm which revision was installed.

  1. Owner protection and repeated major repairs
    There is no fixed global threshold that automatically leads to a replacement recommendation when major failures are repeated. As mentioned previously, replacement or repair policies may vary slightly depending on the distributor in each country. Please contact the distributor in the country where you purchased your RS130 for further assistance.

  2. Firmware update and stall handling
    We have implemented software improvements to reduce the likelihood of update stalls. However, since such situations may still occasionally occur, we have added the following on-screen message:

“SOFTWARE UPDATE. Please wait. If it doesn’t restart, hold the power button for 5 seconds.”

  1. Support and escalation
    Our policy is to respond to escalation emails as quickly as possible within business days. We are also continuously working to improve communication standards with distributors to avoid long periods without status updates during service. Your feedback will be reviewed internally to help us establish clearer communication guidelines.

  2. Long-term usability and cloud dependency
    The RS130 is designed so that its basic device configuration and core functions do not require cloud authentication or pairing codes.

Thank you again for your thoughtful feedback.

#13

Hi HiFi Rose Team, @moderators —

Thank you for the follow-up. This is materially more helpful than the earlier response, and I appreciate you addressing the specific questions.

Two points are genuinely reassuring:
1. Cloud dependency: confirming that RS130 core configuration/functions do not require cloud authentication or pairing codes is important and appreciated.
2. Board revisions: acknowledging that boards have part numbers and revisions, and that replacement boards may be newer or the same revision, is also helpful.

That said, your reply also surfaces two structural issues that remain serious concerns for flagship owners:

  1. Flagship repairs using older-revision boards

You stated that distributors may use boards from long-held inventory, meaning an RS130 “repair” could be completed using an earlier revision board simply because that’s what a distributor has on the shelf — and that HiFi Rose may not know exactly which revision was installed.

Respectfully, that is not acceptable for a premium/flagship product. It creates the exact conditions that drive repeat failures and erodes confidence in the repair outcome.

Request: Will HiFi Rose implement a policy that RS130 service must use current revision boards (or at least “approved current revisions”) for key assemblies like mainboard/CPU/audio board — and require distributors to rotate/retire older revisions for RS130 repairs?

At minimum, can you require distributors to record and provide the revision/part number installed with every RS130 repair so owners aren’t left guessing?

  1. No defined replacement threshold for repeat major failures

You also confirmed there is no fixed global threshold for replacement recommendations after repeated major failures, and that policies vary by distributor.

Again, for a flagship-priced device, this is precisely what owners are asking HiFi Rose to improve. Without a published policy, outcomes feel discretionary and inconsistent, and owners have no predictable protection if they experience multiple major repairs.

Request: Please establish and publish a simple global guideline for RS130 owners, even if executed through distributors (e.g., “after X major board replacements within Y period, replacement is recommended” and “warranty treatment after major board replacement(s)”).

Communication / escalation

Finally, “as quickly as possible within business days” is appreciated but still vague. A basic commitment like “acknowledge escalations within X business days” would help set expectations and reduce frustration.

If HiFi Rose can commit to (1) current-revision boards for RS130 repairs + revision logging, and (2) a clear repeat-failure protection policy, it would go a long way toward restoring confidence.

Thank you again for engaging — please keep the dialogue going with concrete commitments, not just general assurances.

2 Likes
#14

@duffer5

Thank you for sharing your requests. However, these are not decisions that I can make personally. I will forward your suggestions for internal review.

Please understand that we cannot guarantee that all of your requests will be accepted. If, after internal evaluation, we determine that your proposals are reasonable and feasible, we will provide you with an appropriate response.

1 Like
#15

Thanks for the update and for forwarding internally — I appreciate that these may require leadership review.

To keep this constructive and avoid this drifting indefinitely, can you please provide:
1. A timeframe for when we should expect a follow-up response (e.g., by what date/week)?
2. Clarification on what you mean by “appropriate response” — will that be a written position on each proposal (current-revision board policy / revision logging / repeat-repair replacement guidance / escalation communication standard)?

Also, one item seems feasible without major policy changes: revision transparency.
Regardless of whether you mandate “latest revision only,” can HiFi Rose at least require that distributors provide owners a simple service record showing the board part number/revision installed for mainboard/CPU/audio board replacements? That alone would materially reduce uncertainty.

I’m asking because this thread is being read by current owners and prospective buyers, and the community needs clear, written guidance—not just “we’ll review.” I’ll keep the thread updated with any official response you provide. @moderators

Thank you.

2 Likes
#16

Wow, this is a very informative thread. My RS130 died also after a year. It would boot up, but then it would freeze. Since then. I bought a rs451, rs151, and a rd160. I do think the newer rs151 operating systems are smoother than rs130, and sound a little better too even used strictly as a transport. I think rs130 needs to be updated to rs151 internal spec or beyond. I would like to buy revised version of rs130 . Im using Antipodes streamer now too, and it outperforms Rs130 fairly easily, rs130 needs to be released again make more competitive .

1 Like
#17

Which one are you using?

#18

K22 streamer w Roon .

1 Like
#19

How about you? What do you use ?

#20

I’m still using the RS130. I hadn’t had any opportunity to try an Antipodes, although I’ve heard good things about them. I’ve been happy with how well the RS130 sounds in my system, but I use JPlay to control it.