We’ve seen plenty of previews and first glimpses of new products at High End in Munich set to officially launch later this year, but one of the most quirky comes from South Korean audio manufacturer HiFi Rose. The company is showing off its all-new flagship streamer, the RS130, which it confidently claims to be the “ultimate digital audio source for any high-end hi-fi system.”
There are new technologies and, despite the appearance similar to the existing RS150B network streamer, a new chassis for the RS130. The RS130’s “highly accurate” OCXO clock is designed to block out digital noise, which is important as this is very much a digital product.
There’s no DAC in the streamer, so an external DAC or DAC-toting amp is needed to work, but there’s a dedicated SSD for audio caching built-in, providing clean signal generation and low latency.
On the rear panel you will find coaxial, optical, AES/EBU and HDMI outputs, multiple USB ports and a 12S output for connecting digital audio devices. We don’t have full details and specs yet, but we do know that it will support music streaming services like Tidal, Apple Music, Qobuz, and Spotify thanks to its dedicated Rose OS platform. It is also Roon Ready.
On the design front, the sleek rectangular unit has a large 40cm LCD touchscreen on the front panel, while the chassis is made of aluminum with built-in ventilation in the company’s Rose logo. You can get the RS130 in black or silver finishes.
HiFi Rose has sparked interest since it first launched onto the hi-fi scene just a few years ago (it made its UK debut in 2021 with distributor Henley Audio), with its stunningly designed casework and media-focused, user-heavy, all – in-one products like the neat RS520 network streaming that brings sleek style to a modern hi-fi system. So this RS130 could certainly be one to keep an eye on in the coming months.
There’s no word yet on official pricing, but the HiFi Rose RS130 will officially launch this summer, so we expect to get final pricing and more information closer to that time. Stay tuned.
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