ROSE RS250A

The ROSE RS250A is a media center and music server designed as a complete and versatile digital source, capable of delivering an exceptionally high-level audio and video experience within a modern Hi-Fi system. At the heart of its architecture lies the reference ESS SABRE ES9028PRO DAC, which enables playback of PCM files up to 32-bit/768 kHz, native DSD up to DSD512, and MQA content with full unfolding, ensuring an extremely detailed, natural, and dynamic sound reproduction. Musical accuracy is further enhanced by the use of a 100 MHz FEMTO clock with ultra-low phase noise, capable of reducing jitter to virtually unmeasurable levels and guaranteeing absolute signal timing precision.

The device is designed to integrate seamlessly into an existing Hi-Fi system, acting as a reference digital source for both audio and video. Thanks to its powerful video processor, the RS250A handles Ultra HD 4K content via HDMI output, allowing playback of local or streamed files with smooth, high-quality images. This multimedia capability is complemented by a large 8.8-inch front-panel IPS MultiTouch color display, which offers a wide viewing area, high resolution, and a wide viewing angle, enabling full control of all system functions, display of album artwork and information, and video playback up to 60 fps directly on the integrated screen.

The chassis is made from pure aluminum, finely milled from a single solid block. This solution improves thermal efficiency and drastically reduces unwanted vibrations and resonances, directly contributing to sound quality. Build quality is further reflected in the availability of Silver and Black finishes, allowing the device to blend elegantly into any environment. The audiophile-grade linear power supply is another key element of the design: a linear transformer with dedicated shielding provides clean and stable power to separate sections independently assigned to the CPU and the audio output stage, preventing electrical noise from interfering with the delicate operation of the DAC.

The proprietary ROSE OS operating system offers a modern and intuitive user environment, designed not only for the highest-quality music playback but also for access to a wide range of multimedia services. The RS250A allows music playback from local storage devices such as USB, microSD, and SSD, as well as from network folders, NAS systems, and DLNA and UPnP devices, organizing the music library by album, artist, genre, or folder. It also supports audio CD ripping by connecting an external USB CD drive, with the option to store content in WAV or FLAC format on internal or external storage. Major high-resolution streaming services such as Tidal, including HiFi and Master MQA content, and Qobuz Studio up to 24-bit/192 kHz are natively integrated, along with Roon Ready compatibility for immediate integration into advanced music management ecosystems.

On the video side, the ROSE RS250A plays a wide range of modern formats, including H.264, H.265, VP9, and MPEG, with support up to 4K UHD, enabling movie and multimedia playback on external displays via HDMI. The ROSE Tube application provides dedicated access to online video content without advertising, while podcast and internet radio services offer thousands of stations and programs from around the world. System control can be carried out directly from the touchscreen, via the proprietary ROSE Connect Premium app available for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS, or through the included Bluetooth remote control, ensuring convenient and precise operation.

The RoseAudioServer platform, developed in-house by HiFi ROSE, manages audio data flow in a process completely separated from other system activities, ensuring that the signal reaches the DAC in its purest form, unaffected by background processes or user interactions. This advanced architecture enables stable and consistent playback even with ultra-high-resolution files and very large music libraries. Thanks to extensive wired and wireless connectivity—including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optical and coaxial inputs and outputs, USB Audio output for external DACs, analog pre-out, line input, and HDMI output—the ROSE RS250A stands as a true multimedia control center, combining reference-grade audio quality, 4K video performance, and maximum operational flexibility in a single elegant and technologically advanced device.

Technical specifications:

• Operating system: ROSE OS 4.2 based on customized Android 7.1 (Nougat)
• Design and construction: high-quality anodized aluminum front and top panels machined from a single solid frame; Silver or Black finish
• Display: 8.8" Wide IPS color capacitive multitouch MIPI-DSI display; 1920 × 480 pixel resolution
• CPU: Hexa-core architecture; Dual-core Cortex-A72 up to 1.8 GHz; Quad-core Cortex-A53 up to 1.4 GHz
• GPU: Mali-T864; support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL, DX11
• Memory: 4 GB LPDDR4
• Pre-Out / DAC section: Sabre ES9028PRO (ESS) 8-channel DAC; 100 MHz Femto Ultra-Low Phase Noise oscillator; discrete HiFi ROSE OP AMP stage with 10 single OP AMPs; maximum output level 2.25 Vrms unbalanced
• Audio performance: THD 0.00028% (1 kHz, 2.25 Vrms); THD+N 0.0003% (1 kHz, 2.25 Vrms); IMD −102 dB (SMPTE 4:1); SNR 122 dB (A-wt); dynamic range up to 135 dB; crosstalk > −137 dB (20 Hz–20 kHz); frequency response 17 Hz–80 kHz (±0.5 dB); output impedance 150 Ω; input impedance 100 kΩ
• Wired and wireless networking: Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 BASE-T; Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/a/ac dual band 2.4/5 GHz; Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP Sink and AVRCP v1.3 profiles
• Streaming and protocols: AirPlay; DLNA; DIAL service
• Audio inputs: RCA analog line input; optical Toslink digital input; coaxial digital input; USB Audio IN
• Audio outputs: 3.5 mm headphone output (1 Vrms); pre-amp output for power amplifier or integrated amplifier (2.3 Vrms); optical S/PDIF Toslink output; 75-ohm coaxial output; USB Audio Out for external DACs
• Video outputs: HDMI 2.0 for TVs and projectors; HDMI passthrough for multichannel audio output to external DTS/Dolby decoders
• Connectable storage resources: 2 × USB 3.0 ports supporting NTFS/FAT32 up to 10 TB; 1 × SATA SSD bay supporting NTFS up to 4 TB
• Supported network protocols: SMB; FTP; WebDAV
• Supported audio codecs: WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, APE, DFF, DSF, AAC, CDA, AMR, EC3, E-EC3, MID, MPL, MP2, MPC, MPGA, M4A, AIFF, ALAC, ISO SACD
• PCM formats: 8 kHz to 768 kHz; 8/16/24/32-bit depth
• Native DSD: DSD64 (2.8 MHz); DSD128 (5.6 MHz); DSD256 (11.2 MHz); DSD512 (22.4 MHz)
• MQA: native MQA certification with full unfolding
• Supported video codecs: ASF, AVI, MKV, MP4, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 H.263, H.264, H.265, VC-1, VP9, VP8, MVC; H.264/AVC up to 4K@30 fps; H.265/HEVC up to 4K@60 fps
• Power supply: AC input 220–240 V, 50–60 Hz; power consumption 50 W; standby consumption < 0.5 W
• Updates: automatic firmware updates via internet; manual updates via USB
• Online streaming services: RoseTube (YouTube); Podcasts; Internet Radio; Tidal HiFi and Tidal MQA Master;
• Spotify Connect; Qobuz Studio up to 24-bit/192 kHz; Apple Music; Roon Ready Certified; Bugs; VLC
• Control systems: included Bluetooth remote control; ROSE Connect Premium HiFi app for Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS
• Included accessories: power cable; quick start guide; Bluetooth remote control; AAA batteries; SSD mounting screws
• Dimensions: 278 × 231 × 83 mm
• Weight: 3.2 kg