Streamers — HiFi Rose RS250B

The HiFi Rose RS250B pairs a network player and its own DAC behind an 8.8-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen covering the whole front panel for choosing and controlling apps. Native Tidal and Qobuz, local network playback, podcasts, an internet radio tuner and the Rosetube video app run directly on the unit.

Key specs that matter

Decoding reaches PCM at 32 bit and 768 kHz as well as DSD512. Frequency response runs from 20 Hz to 40 kHz within 3 dB, signal-to-noise ratio is 116 dB and THD+N is 0.0003 percent. Single-ended output impedance is 100 ohms. The chassis measures 278 x 231 x 83 mm and weighs 3.2 kg.

Engineering and use context

Analogue output is one pair of RCA jacks plus a 3.5 mm headphone socket, with no balanced connection. Digital outputs cover USB, coaxial and optical S/PDIF for feeding an external converter. An HDMI 2.0 port sends video up to 3840 x 2160 at 60 Hz, though it does not support Audio Return Channel.

Alternatives

The HiFi Rose RS150B is the brand's higher-tier streamer with more inputs and outputs, including balanced connections.