We've seen many previews and first glimpses of new products at Munich High End that will officially launch later in the year, but one of the quirkiest ones comes from South Korean audio manufacturer HiFi Rose. The company is showing off its all-new flagship streamer, the RS130, which it is confidently claiming to be the "ultimate digital audio source for any high-end hi-fi system".
There are new technologies and, despite it sharing looks with the existing RS150B network streamer, a new chassis for the RS130. The RS130's "high-precision" OCXO clock is designed to block digital noise, which is important as this is very much a digital product.
There's no DAC inside the streamer, so it requires an outboard DAC or DAC-toting amplifier to work, but there is a dedicated SSD for built-in audio caching, which offers clean signal generation and low latency.
On the back panel, you'll 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 specifications yet, but we know that it supports music streaming services such as Tidal, Apple Music, Qobuz and Spotify thanks to its dedicated Rose OS platform. It's also Roon Ready.
On the design front, the smooth rectangular unit has a large 40cm LCD touch-screen on the front panel, while the chassis is made of aluminium with ventilation built into the company's Rose logo. You can get the RS130 in black or silver finishes.
HiFi Rose has sparked interest ever since it first launched into the hi-fi scene only a few years back (it made its UK debut in 2021 with distributor Henley Audio), with its stunningly designed casework and media-centric, user-heavy, all-in-one products such as the dapper RS520 network streaming bringing streamlined style to a modern hi-fi system. This RS130, then, could certainly be one to watch in the coming months.
There's no word on official pricing yet, but the HiFi Rose RS130 will officially launch this summer, so we're expecting to receive final prices and more information closer to that time. Stay tuned.
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