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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
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 

mkreg OP
19 posts
 

I agree with you about the sounds coming out of the HiFi Rose stuff... I listened to the 451 and the dealer I was working with had a 150b on the shelf and I was leaning towards that when he said... we will be getting the upgraded 150b the 151 soon... you should hear that... it is pretty darn good.  I waited and when I heard the 151 I had to agree with the dealer... the 151 was kinda hard on my wallet but I made the jump and just went for it. The McIntosh DS200 I previously had did not work well in WiFi, at least I could not get it to perform in that mode and I had placed the DS200 in the exact same spot my Cambridge CXNV2 had been which performed nearly flawlessly utilizing nothing more than a dongle for an antenna and the DS200 had three of them... I was very disappointed in the DS200 and I am very partial to McIntosh stuff and have been since the early 1960s... I am 80 years old. 

mapman's avatar
mapman
23,585 posts
 

Lots of good display options with Roon including using smart TVs. 
Also packed with functionality and runs on most common home and mobile platforms.   
 

I do not feel the need to have a proprietary hifi streamer at all these days though I do have a Cambridge Evo150 which is a very nice unit that sounds great and does it all.  

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