Rose RS130

The Rose RS130 is a fully digital network transport designed to serve as a source for a hi-fi or home cinema system. It has no analogue amplification stage: it captures, decodes and transmits the digital signal to a DAC or external electronics via its various outputs. It acts as a central hub for networked music, local playback and even video.

The RS130 runs on Rose OS, a system based on Android 7.1 paired with a Rockchip RK3399 processor, which drives an integrated touchscreen and the full range of streaming services. It supports AirPlay, Spotify Connect, DLNA and Tidal Connect, with extended compatibility for high-resolution formats: PCM up to 32-bit/784 kHz, DSD512 and MQA. On the digital connectivity side, it offers a Toslink optical output, an RCA SPDIF output, an XLR AES/EBU output, an I2S interface over HDMI, an HDMI video output and a USB DAC output, allowing it to be paired with almost all digital converters and amplifiers on the market. Two USB-A inputs allow direct playback of files from a USB stick, and internal storage is provided by a 256 GB NVMe SSD. For network connection, the unit features an optical/copper SFP interface and an optical USB 3.0 port with a dedicated module for SFP operation, while WiFi and Bluetooth are handled via a USB dongle with antenna. Two 10 MHz clock outputs, at 50 ohms and 70 ohms, allow the unit to be synchronised with an external reference clock.

This transport is aimed at a user already equipped with a DAC or an amplifier with a built-in converter, who is looking for a network source able to cover a wide range: multi-platform streaming, playback of Hi-Res files stored locally or on a USB stick, or even video output via its HDMI output. Its connectivity versatility also makes it a natural candidate for systems where several digital components need to be synchronised via a shared clock.