HiFi Rose components are known for their brilliant user interface, rock-solid connectivity, and exceptional sound and build quality. The RS130 network transport uses exacting technology to deliver the cleanest, clearest possible rendering of your digital music and 4K video files while maintaining HiFi Rose's super-intuitive and beautiful touchscreen control.
Unlike its cousin, the RS150B, this streamer is a network transport only and requires connection to an outboard digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or your favorite receiver, amp, or preamp with a built-in DAC. Using separate, dedicated components for streaming and digital-to-analog conversion can help you get the best possible sound quality.
From its milled aluminum chassis to the understated style of its beautiful one-piece glass touchscreen display, you can feel that the RS130 is built to dampen vibration — and to last.
Under the hood you'll find isolated circuitry and a linear, shielded power supply built around a toroidal transformer and a large-capacity super-capacitor — all working together to minimize unwanted noise.
It's always great when high-tech gear is easy for anyone to use, and this network transport's full-width front-panel touchscreen display will look and feel familiar to anyone who uses a smartphone or tablet. Free automatic updates make sure it keeps pace with evolving tech and its expanding capabilities.
You can also control the transport using the free RoseConnect Premium app for Apple® and Android™ devices, which I think is among the best out there — intuitive, fast, and stable. It gives you easy access to streaming services (including TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify®, and more) and music files stored in one of its onboard options or your NAS server.
You can also use Apple AirPlay® and Roon to control the streamer, or select sources and control playback with the included Bluetooth remote. Four top-mounted buttons also add simple tactile control of power, volume, and playback.
Endless video digressions await you, thanks to the RS130's 4K video decoding and HDMI 2.0 output. The RoseTube app lets you peruse and play YouTube videos that you can watch on the unit's full color screen or — even better — on your TV.
On the back panel you have ample digital outputs for connecting to your DAC of choice. They include coaxial, optical, AES/EBU, and an advanced, high-resolution audio-only I2S HDMI output.
The RS130's super-accurate built-in OCXO clock maintains a constant working temperature. That helps it keep timing errors that can smear musical detail to a very low level. You also get inputs for adding an external master clock generator for even cleaner, more precise, jitter-free digital audio signals.
The RS130 has a total of three USB-A ports for local access to digital music files. (You'll use one port for the included Wi-Fi/Bluetooth dongle.) It's even got 256GB of onboard caching memory that helps keep playback super-stable and delay-free.
And all HiFi Rose models include an internal bay on the bottom panel for adding optional SSD storage. The transport will recognize drives up to 4TB, which is much more than you'll probably ever use.