The Hifi Rose RS250A Network Streamer. Hi Res Audio and 4K Video Network Streamer, DAC, Preamplifier w/ 8.8-inch Touchscreen, Built-in WIFI, Apple Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, MQA, DLNA, USB, Digital Inputs & Analog Inputs, plus Roon Ready.
RS250A is a complete network media playing solution that will combine hi-res audio & video collections with music streaming services. The chassis is made with high-quality aluminum that houses a linear power system, a high-performance DAC & a preamplifier for a modern look. RS250A offers elegant control over various multimedia services with high-quality sound and ultra-high-resolution 4K video from a very generous 8.8-inch wide touchscreen that is just super easy to use.
The HiFi Rose RS250A is a streamer and a preamp that comes with the same sized 8.8-inch touch capacitive display and the same dimensional form factor as the RS201E, but this model steps up the build quality inside and out for a greater emphasis on sound quality. For starters, stepping up to the RS250A will get you a higher-performance 32-bit ESS Sabre DAC chip.
The ES9038 Q2M DAC is ESS’s extremely quiet 2-channel DAC that features a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter with ultra-low noise for a smoother, more natural, resolute sound. In terms of audio file playback, the RS250A can handle more hi-res audio formats compared to the RS201E—up to 32-bit/768KHz (MQA, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, DFF, DSF, AAC, CDA, AMR, APE, EC3, E-EC3, MID, MPL, MP2, MPC, MPGA, M4A, AIFF, PCM, DSD).
The RS250A’s internal power supply uses a fully linear configuration rather than an external switch-mode system, which minimizes electrical noise and distortion from being transmitted to the high-performance DAC. A linear power supply can give you the best possible sound, since it shields the power system away from the audio signal, while also providing clean, reliable power to the CPU and the audio output circuits.
Doubling down on all the optimizations to the internal components and circuitry, the RS250A’s aluminum enclosure is also acoustically optimized. Its high-quality aluminum front-top plate was processed as an integral unit to maximize thermal efficiency and to reduce vibrations throughout the chassis, which also added an extra 2 lbs to the RS250A’s overall weight. Additionally, there is a very smooth rotary-style control right above the headphone jack for a premium feel that just looks fantastic with the RS250’s silver finish.
The rear panel has similar inputs & outputs as the RS201E for connecting devices and other gear, but in lieu of speaker outputs, there is a pair of single-ended analog outputs for connecting a power amp or a pair of active speakers, plus three digital audio outputs, including—coaxial, optical Toslink, one USB Type-A audio output, and one HDMI 2.0 port that will output video with a resolution up to 3840 × 2160 at 60Hz.
For connecting with sources, there’s a pair of single-ended RCA analog inputs plus all the digital inputs, including—coaxial, optical Toslink, one USB Type-B audio input that will let you connect a computer or a laptop, plus another USB 3.0 Type-A port for connecting USB storage devices, and an Ethernet port to connect it over WIFI. The RS250A will also do Airplay, DLNA, Roon, Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz, and more.
If you have a legacy DAC that you just love the sound of with only S/PDIF inputs, then the RS250A could act as a network bridge. Or, use the RS250A as a DAC/preamp with a variable output, which is ideal for a power amp. You could also connect a phono preamp to the RS250’s analog inputs and use it with a turntable.
If you don’t need a built-in integrated amp inside your streaming DAC, stepping up from the RS201E to the RS250A will give you ESS’s flagship single stereo DAC for the best sound reproduction on 2-channel music. As a streaming DAC, preamplifier, and Roon Endpoint, it’s designed to be an all-in-one hub for a high-end 2-channel audio system.
HiFi Rose OS system provides an innovative musical experience. In addition to playing and streaming ultra-high-quality music, it offers a variety of services including 4K high-definition video playback, music-oriented YouTube listening, Podcasts, various radio broadcasts around the world, CD playback, and ripping.
MUSIC & VIDEO: Play music and video files on a local storage device (USB / SSD). Also, you can build your home network library with a NAS connection. You can play music categorized by recent albums, albums, artists, genres, composers, and songs.
SPOTIFY CONNECT: Spotify Connect allows you to play and wirelessly control Spotify music on your ROSE OS over a network. With the Spotify Connect function, you can enjoy a variety of music with hi-fi sound quality on your ROSE device.
TIDAL: Built-in Tidal App for high-performance streaming service. Easily integrate all existing features, such as sign-in, playlist, and playback. Supports MQA Full Decoder, so you can enjoy high-resolution music.
QOBUZ: Enjoy music streaming with Qobuz’s various functions. Support for hi-res audio (24 bit/192 kHz) means you can enjoy high-resolution music.
ROON READY: Roon is an incredibly rich and engaging way to browse and organize your music. It runs on most Mac, Windows, and Linux PCs, or on other products which include Roon Core. Being Roon Ready means that HiFi rose network players transparently discover and connect to Roon without any configuration, and bit-perfect audio is delivered from Roon to your network player. It complies with all requirements of Roon Labs to meet Roon Ready certification, fully compatible with Roon Core. You can enjoy high-fidelity sound on your ROSE device by taking advantage of the powerful sound management features of Roon.
CD-RIPPING: By connecting an external CD-Rom Drive via USB, spontaneous CD playback is possible. You can extract music files stored on a CD and save them to SSD, or USB.
INTERNET RADIO & PODCASTS: Listen to more than 9,900 Internet radio stations from around the world. Register and listen to your favorite channel. It also offers podcast channels, provided by Apple iTunes.
BUILT-IN ROSE APP STORE: You can simply update these applications to the latest version from the RoseStore App. 
