I am planning to use an RSA 780 directly on my Intel NUC.
The RSA 780 seems much cooler than cheap plastic drives.
Application: play CD’s via JRiver or Foobar.
I cannot figure out, if there are any limintations, or if this drive behaves as a standard USB drive?
Yes, this will work, but take care about the small switch on the RSA-780 (set it to “normal mode”)
Another point is, that the RSA-780 doesn’t has a “regular” eject knob…
Hi Burki!
I plan to build a CD player with USB output, because I need to run a convoluton file on my computer.
I will, most likely, use Jriver, where I can create soft bottons for eject.
Believe me, “soft ejecting” not working in every case…
Hi Burki!
OK…when will this happen and how do you eject the CD then?
There are three ways to eject a CD from the RSA780E:
If the CD still cannot be ejected after trying the methods above, please contact your dealer or local distributor for further assistance.
Dear Eun-Seung.
Thank you for your reply, makes all clear.
Perhaps you can tell me, what is the big difference between the RSA780 and other “main stream” drives?
Does the RSA 780 have any correction systems/buffers built-in?
The truth about the Rose RSA780 CD drive
Hello Michael,
Since the HiFi Rose RSA780 is always discussed here, I would like to put a few facts on the table - apart from the marketing honey, which the manufacturers like to smear around our mouths. I have a Rose RS520 myself and know the misery with the Rose software (an update fixes one thing and shoots three others that ran before, as you read every day in the forum). That’s why I didn’t even do anything to rip via the internal Rose software.
Here is the naked, technical reality of the RSA780:
Anyone who believes that you can get a “master drive” exclusively developed by HiFi Rose for around 500 euros is very wrong. If you unscrew the thing, you will find a normal standard slot-in CD-ROM/RW drive, as it is installed in cheap PC burners or notebooks. There are hardly any manufacturers for optical pick-ups worldwide - a real miracle drive simply does not exist here.
You only pay for the “Drumherum” here:
Solid aluminum milled from the solid. The drive itself is mechanically decoupled inside by rubber buffers so that nothing vibrates in the rack.
Rose installs a USB isolation chip. It disconnects current and data electrically so that no high-frequency noise migrates from the drive motor into the streamer.
On the back there is a mechanical switch (“Isolation Mode” for pure, low-jitter playback / “Normal Mode” for the PC).
The enclosed USB cable (Rose RSA705) is of high quality and artificially drives the price up.
I do my rips on the MacBook Pro (M3 Pro) with a normal 30-euro drive and the software XLD (X Lossless Decoder) in “Secure Mode”.
If XLD compares with the AccurateRip database and reports that the rip is error-free, then the result is a bit-perfect, digital clone (FLAC/WAV). And now the truth: A bit-perfect rip from a 30-euro drive sounds exactly 100% identical to the rip from the 500-euro rose drive. Bits are bits. If the check sum is correct, there is absolutely no difference in sound. The Rose drive does not conjure up details that are not on the CD.
Conclusion:
The RSA780 is not a technical masterpiece, but a standard drive in a noble, mechanically calmed and electrically insulated guise. It is aimed exclusively at people who do not want to touch a PC or Mac in the living room and are looking for the convenience of controlling the CD directly via the touchscreen of the Rose Streamer. If you rip on the computer anyway, you can save the money completely.
Hi Bonte!
Thank you for your reply.
It seems clear to me as ell that Hifirose is not making their own drive. On top of this, the galvanic isolation only works as long as you use it with a Hifirose transport….right?
Just to be clear: I intend to use the drive as a CD player, not a CD ripper.
Today, all my CD’s have been ripped exactly as you explain, and for this purpose, I use a standard Mac CD drive.
But, as a CD player, requirements to the drive is higher, because error correction may be a topic.
Hello Michael,
Thank you for your feedback! Now I understand your project better: You want to use the RSA780 as a pure live player (CD player), since your rips are already perfectly on the hard drive anyway.
Since you use a MacBook Pro just like me: It’s best to just stick to your external Apple drive (the SuperDrive). Let’s look at the points - the galvanic separation and the topic of error correction during live playback - in a direct comparison:
1. The galvanic insulation:
Here is the green light. The electrical separation of current and data works purely via the hardware in the housing of the RSA780. It is not linked to the Rose operating system. As long as you have the switch on the back in the right mode, the drive filters out the electric noise of the motor at any USB port - whether it’s on a Rose Streamer, a Mac or an external DAC.
2. The myth of bug fixes during live playback:
That is the crucial point. Since you use the device as a real-time CD player, the RSA780 behaves fundamentally differently than when ripping with XLD:
When playing live, there is no repeated reading or matching with databases. The laser scans the CD at simple speed. If the CD has scratches, the standard C1/C2 error correction of the drive takes effect.
Exactly the same PC firmware as Apple: Since the RSA780 has a normal PC slot-in drive installed inside, it uses exactly the same mathematical correction algorithms as your Apple drive. It does not read data in live mode on a scratched CD magically better. It doesn’t have a specialized audio drive firmware like you used to find in sinfully expensive high-end CD players.
The only mechanical advantage:
What really helps the Rose drive in live operation is its high weight and excellent decoupling via the rubber buffers. When you listen to loud music in the living room, these buffers prevent the bass or footfall from physically making the laser jump. This minimizes reading errors caused by external vibrations - but does not solve errors caused by deep scratches on the CD itself.
My honest advice for you:
Stay with your Apple drive. The things are indestructible, technically absolutely solid and do exactly the same job when playing. In terms of sound and error correction, there is absolutely no difference to the Rose in live operation.
The RSA780 does not win a technical cup here, but is a pure design and comfort purchase. It undoubtedly looks fantastic - Rose has really built a piece of jewelry visually - and it can be operated seamlessly via the streamer’s touchscreen. If the design and operation are not worth 500 euros, you can save the money completely.
Addendum / Small practical tip still:
If you don’t want to constantly put the Apple drive back and forth between your MacBook to rip and the Rose Streamer for live listening, you basically have two reasonable options:
You buy for approx. 25–30 euros just a simple, solid standard USB drive. This will then stick firmly to the Rose Streamer for occasional live playback, while your Apple drive remains firmly wired to the Mac. Technically and in terms of sound, the Rose does exactly the same job as the Apple drive.
If you want the convenience of not putting the drive around and you care about the look, then take the RSA780. The mechanical switch on the back allows you to theoretically use it for both worlds via USB switch or manual switching. In the “Isolation Mode” on the Rose you then benefit at least from the galvanic separation (which filters the interference of the drive motor) - even if, as I said, that makes no difference in terms of sound with an error-free CD.
For pure live listening in the living room, the RSA780 is more a matter of comfort and aesthetics. If you are pragmatic, save yourself the money, leave the Rose-Ripp software on the left (we all know the well-known construction sites with the metadata here in the forum) and just get a cheap second drive to the streamer.
Best regards Bonte