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Does America Have Something That Will Beat the HiFi Rose RS151 Gen. 2?

I used to own a McIntosh DS200. I wanted it to replace my Cambridge CXNV2.  The DS200 really didn't replace it since it has a poor User Interface in my opinion, plus there were some things it should have done... interfacing with Qobuz for example, and didn't.  So... I looked for great sounds with a very good UI, in my opinion I found it in the HiFi Rose RS151 Gen. 2.  Build quality is excellent.  Sound reproduction is very resolving... and the UI is very accommodating, intuitive and performs as advertised.  Only thing is... I would have preferred purchasing an American streamer with all of the qualities and virtues of the RS151 and haven't been able to find anything even remotely close in performance and price.  We need to do better. Are there options?

mkreg
tmortsd's avatar
tmortsd
71 posts
 

Yes the Rose is from South Korea, I’ve had the RS151b for roughly a year, other than the occasional connection to app issue which is always resolved after a few minutes it’s a dynamite unit, the user interface is quite nice, the integration of video is brilliant and sound quality on my highly resolving system is excellent. 

jfrost27
97 posts
 

FYI the McIntosh DS200 now has the Qobuz Connect interface. Had you kept yours, you’d have had an automatic update download. That’s what happened with mine just two days after I got it. 

decathlon1991
229 posts
 

Ummm!  Yes, they do!  In a little small city in Raleigh, NC is a company called Cary Audio and their top of the line unit is the Cary Audio DMS800PV which is a dual mono designed with an Enhanced AKM AK4499EQ DACs, Crystek Oscillator Clock, dual DSP driver stages, and 14 groups of independent regulated power supplies.  I’ve compared with my friends Korean unit to Cary’s DMS700 and DMS800PV within my system and hands down the Cary wins.  The Cary starts to approach the Taiko Audio Extreme sound quality.  If you love lights and a digital screen then the HiFi Rose is the champion.  If you love sound quality and dependability with the app and great connection with Roon, Cary wins.

https://caryaudio.com/products/dms-800pv-network-audio-player/

 

mkreg OP
19 posts
 

Cary Audio... Yup... I see how that unit would sound better than the HiFi Rose, it should at 3 times the price... Do you happen to know of an American Product that can keep up with or best what the Korean's are doing at the same price... and their stuff is subject to Tariffs the last time I looked... hopefully the Tariffs are a relic of yesterday.  

groupracer
2 posts
 

I have a rose rs250a. Wonderful machine but lacks two things, a trigger port and better WiFi. It sounds great and the ability to use it as a preamp enhancements my system. I may upgrade to a 451 in the future but for me going to a 151 is unlikely 

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