HiFi Rose RD 160 DAC Review. The Overachiever.
By Steve Huff
My Video Review of the RD160 DAC!
Yes I am speaking about a digital to analog converter for a two channel audio HiFi system. A box that takes the digital music and converts it to pure analog before it sends it to your amplifier and speakers. Sure, you can buy a basic generic 24/192 DAC for as little as $10 on Amazon but not all DACs are the same nor are they created equal. A $10 DAC will not in any way give you the same experience as a $5k DAC within a well setup system. It’s just not going go happen.
They all sound different and in some cases vastly different but these differences usually lie within three price ranges. The $500-$1000 DACs will sound more similar than different. When I tested DACs within this price rage the main differences were in the design and looks rather than sound. What happens when moving past the $1000 price bracket?
The $1,000 to 3,000 DACs usually sound more refined, musical and sweet vs the lower tier. This is where most audio fans price range lies for a DAC. This level of DAC is for those who have taken their time to build a system and have carefully chosen the components for best synergy. Most DACs in this range will sound great.
Once you get into the $3,000-$10,000 range there are some DACs that can really help an already well set up system shine. These pieces usually are a big step up in build quality and parts used are usually top tier. Here we will get the black backgrounds which will help to bring out more of the music. These DACs are usually reserved for very well setup systems that house very upper level gear.
After the $10k price it gets really crazy and DACs that sit here at this level are for the true enthusiast, music lover or crazy person only. Lol, that would be me as I currently have a DAC here that retails for $70k and yea, I will compare it to this $5k HiFi Rose DAC a bit further down on this page.
Big Money DACs
The Nagra Tube DAC ($48k) and the Nagra HD DAC X ($70k) are the two most expensive DACs I have had in my room. Those prices sound insane because well…they are. In my world, $70k is in no way an acceptable price for a DAC but I am a middle class guy who shakes in the knees anytime I spend more than $5k in audio. For me, $5k is a boat load of serious money so when I see a $70k DAC I shake my head but also get curious as to why a DAC would cost so much. Then I have to find a way to hear it.
I will never be a millionaire in this lifetime. It’s not something I ever even wanted in life but somehow, someway I managed to buy the Nagra HD DAC X (used). It sits in my system now next to this new HiFi Rose DAC that sells for $5300 or $65k LESS than the Nagra’s new retail price. No they should not be compared but me being me, I had to know just how close the Rose could get to the Nagra. Why not?!?! In my old camera reviews from decades past I would sometimes do these “Crazy Comparisons” and well, this would fit right into that category.
But hold on! This is not a review of a Nagra DAC or my stupidity for going broke buying a Nagra setup. The words on this page will be about my experience with the new HiFi Rose RD 160 over the last two months of using it within my system. I will refer to other DACs for the sake of comparison but make no mistake, this new HiFi Rose DAC is pretty incredible for the price it sits at which is $5300.
The Modwright Analog Bridge working in tandem with the RD160 to bring a tube kind of flow to the sound. I talk more about this in my video review of the RD160 above!
But First: THE DAC, WHY DO WE NEED ONE?
The DAC is very important within a serious digital music streaming HiFi system. Yes, we can grab a $20 DAC or just use the one built within our phones if all we want is background party music. I used to do this a long time ago when I could not even afford a new dedicated DAC. I just connected my phone to the system with a special cable. Bam, instant music and I loved it.
This is OK for some systems, but for those systems that creep into a very serious setup or even a high end setup then a dedicated DAC can do wonders for your music and sound quality. If you spent big on the speakers, preamp or integrated amp but skimped on the DAC then I believe your system can be improved.
A great DAC will sound refined, smooth, three dimensional and will bring details out into the room through your speakers while being transparent and yet solid in sound and foundation. Gone will be the traces of digital noise and grayness.
In fact, a good DAC can purify the music in a way that it is delivered beautifully, spatially and touches the heart. Of course the whole system needs to be up to par so good speakers, good cables, good amp along with a good source or streamer. I have learned that everything matters within a system when we are trying to build one that reproduces the music in a way that brings us within it and immerses us within the beats.
In my opinion, when the listening gets serious a dedicated DAC can make or break an entire system but it all depends on the sound vibe you are after.
When evaluating a piece of gear or system I go for feeling, emotion, purity and warmth without sacrificing details. I want a system that can dig out the soul of the music. Yes, a well made DAC can bring these things to the experience and some just do not. In fact, the DAC for me has been one of the things that has transformed my system the most, above all other electronics, even the Amplifier or speakers. Yes, just having a really great DAC can bring wonderful things to an audio system.
Can a $5300 DAC sound as good as a $12k DAC? What’s the diff?
Sure there have been many DACs I have loved. The DCS Lina was and still is phenomenal but I sold that to try another DAC I had to hear as you guys know how it goes at times. The Chord Dave showed me what a DAC could do when it comes to impact and detail retrieval. The Nagra Tube DAC was just perfect for my tastes (immersive listening experience) and the HD DAC X gave a little more (15-20%) of what the Tube DAC did with a much better build over the already amazing Tube DAC build. These DACs are all very expensive but with and out of this world performance. There is one pricey DAC though that really reminds me of the HiFi Rose RD160.
I also loved and truly enjoyed the Weiss 501 MKI and MKII that sit in the $12k range and honestly, the RD160 reminds me most of this DACs in the sound quality dept.
One thing these DACs listed above all have in common is that they all have engrained a special memory in my brain from listening to them.
Being a fan of the HiFi Rose RS130 Streamer and owning one for the last 15 months I knew the RD160 would be a great DAC. Little did I know just how good this box would be and not only in the DAC department. In fact the RD 160 houses a volume control so it can be used as a preamp of sorts direct to a power amp and it does very well in this area, excellent really. It was besting some dedicated preamps I have had here that come in at $5k alone so me and the RD160 were off to a great start.
The RD160 has a very unique display as well, hosted within the sleek all metal and meticulously crafted chassis. When on, we have two choices for a display and a third which is sort of a screen saver of sorts that shows us the music.
BEFORE I START LET ME APOLOGIZE
I thought I would be getting this DAC in for review about a month before I actually did get it (was supposed to be the fall of 2024) and there was a time when I thought I may not get one at all as it seemed to have delays. Before this DAC was sent I discovered the Nagra Streamer and fell in love with it as a perfect simple streamer for my needs. I had promised a family member a great “Xmas Gift” this year and was to send them off my old RS130 because they just loved that piece so so much and they could not afford one so I wanted to gift it to them. Yes, it made their Christmas and flowed some good Karma my way as well.
I assumed I would have the RD160 well before Christmas 2024 so I didn’t worry much about gifting this. The RD160 was way late getting to me so I literally had the RS130 with the RD160 for only two days before I had to send it off in time for Christmas. Yes I did get to try it with the fiber USB connection so that’s really all I needed but I wish I had more time with the combo itself.
The good news is I did get to compare it to the Nagra Streamer as well, into the RD160. I will say now though that anyone who owns the RS130 and are looking for a perfect DAC to mate with it, this is the one you want, the RD160. Yes, you can get better but it will cost you dearly. This duo is made to synergize and that it does. This HIFi Rose $10k+ digital streaming front end will be end game for most who are into high end audio. Yea, it’s that good.
The RD160 Flagship DAC from HiFi Rose
I want to thank John over at Lone Crow Audio who sent this to me to check out. He is a HiFi Rose Dealer and was excited for me to hear this one. When he sent it he said it reminded him a little of the Weiss 501 MKII in sound himself. Lone Crow offers some pretty special audio gear so do check out Lone Crow Audio! Thanks John!
This DAC is quite unique and I applaud HiFi Rose for taking their time designing this one. I first heard about this DAC over a year ago and had high hopes but I also created an idea in my head of how I thought it would sound. I figured it would sound like a more refined 150B (or the DAC inside of the 150B) so nothing “magical” or that “exotic” kind of special (like we can hear in the exotic DACs). I assumed superb performance nonetheless. The 150B sounds great but does not reach the heights of the Weiss, Nagra or big time DACs. I assumed this would be the same with the RD160. I mean, we should always get what we pay for in audio and sometimes we get more, which is like a bonus..a gift…a surprise at times. Would the RD160 bring this “extra”?
The Sound
First let me say that this DAC does not sound like most typical $5k DACs. This is because of the way HiFi Rose designed this DAC and how they implemented the power supplies.
In fact, the way the power supplies were done (one for digital side, two for analog R+L) reminded me somewhat of how Nagra did things with the power supply in their Tube DAC. Separating the analog and digital power sections can bring more refinement due to less noise and interference. While not to the extreme level of the Nagra and its 37 power supplies for each powered part inside, this is good to see in a DAC that sits in the $5k bracket. I haven’t seen this before within this price tier and yes, it does make a difference. The power supply implementation is very important when it comes to a DAC. HiFi Rose DID it right with the RD160.
VELVET SOUND
The RD160 uses a set of AKM DAC chips that are quite unique as well. Each chip has a job to do for getting the music decoded and out to your amp. Velvet Sound is what AKM calls this tech, and yes, there is a velvet quality to the sound with this DAC in use so they did come up with a great name here for this. Velvet…yep. Everolo has used this Velvet Sound AKM chip as well but as we know, implantation is key. This Rose RD160 sounds quite different from the Eversolo boxes.
When I first powered this RD160 up, it was already burned in some by John at Lone Crow Audio who listened to it for a few days before getting it to me. I had just taken out the Nagra Tube DAC after days of listening to it with the Nagra Streamer. Now the 10X less expensive HiFi Rose RD160 was in its place. I was, again, expecting the typical sound of DACs in the $3-$5k price range but what I heard coming from my speakers was quite different and this pleasantly surprised me.
The sound here was reminding me a little bit of the Weiss 501 sound, but not quite as refined or open, but maybe 90% there for less than half the cost of the Weiss. The RD160 brings its own style and personality and just a bit less of the fleshed out realism of the Weiss. The sound of the RD160 was refined, superbly refined. The background was black, dead black.
The music had body, warmth and was very clean at the same time. Details popped out in a similar fashion as the Weiss but they did not come out as far into the room as the more pricey Weiss. The body was similar, the top end similar. The Bass on the Weiss is more impressive though the RD160 does very well here indeed. The Weiss is a little richer and 3D in the midrange but the RD160 was really sounding like a much more expensive DAC here. It’s that refinement I hear in the really great product$ that lure me in deep into the night.
A complete lack of noise, grit, shine and glare and in its place we hear beautiful, soulful music. It fell short on the three dimensional thing when compared to the $48k Nagra, as expected, but there was still amazing purity of sound here, just without the added pizazz. I like comparing DACs that hit above their price to the more exotic designs. Just how close can we get? That’s what I want to find out every time. The RD160 does bring some of the Mega DAC traits such as refinement, zero noise, advanced power supply and even a killer preamp feature (though it can only be used with the built in DAC itself, not an external).
What about compared to a DAC that is closer in price?
Well, I can tell you that the Denafrips Pontus 15th sounds awesome for its $3k price tag and I would say it sounds more like a $5k DAC. Compared to the Rose RD160 the Denafrips was a little more exciting in the treble, and details “popped” more within a 3D space but at the same time, the Pontus 15th did not have the solidity, refinement or all out blackest of backgrounds of the RD160. It also doesn’t have the preamp function or the extensive features of the RD160.
The RD160 is now sitting in my personal system that gets use every single day.
Pure Audio Project Duet 15
Nagra Streamer
Nagra HD DAC X
Nagra HD PRE HV
Nagra Classic Amp
I have other amps on hand, other DACs on hand as well as two streamers on hand so I did listen to other setups with the RD160. I will talk about these below in more detail.
The Big Problem
Doing what I do here I get to hear some seriously cool stuff and I feel blessed to be able to do this. The problem for me is that my ears have been spoiled by some mighty fine DACs recently and when this happens it can be tough to “downgrade” to something lesser. After months of listening to a couple big time DACs like the Nagra and Weiss, and then moving to the RD 160 was nothing like that really. I mean, yes, I notice the differences quite easily but this doesn’t mean the RD160 is not a fantastic and/or a superb DAC. I was really enjoying it even though my ears have been treated to some of the worlds best DAC offerings.
The RD160 brings a fully fleshed out sound, some warmth, nice detail extraction and a decently wide soundstage with natural imaging. It’s a nice sound and one I enjoy more than almost any $5k and under DAC I have heard. Compared to a LAIV Harmony, the Rose is richer, deeper, and well it does sound more “velvet” like vs the more energetic LAIV. Pick your poison.
Btw, the RD160 is a sigma delta style of DAC and is not an R2R which seems to be the craze these days.
I used to really prefer R2R DACs above all others but these days I much prefer the FPGA DAC’s that use custom programming vs an off the shelf chip. DACs that use this tech are few but Nagra does, Chord does as does Playback Designs, PS audio and a fee others. A few of these brands make the finest sounding DACs on earth but they will also drain your bank accounts FAST.
So yes I have been spoiled by being able to experience some of the worlds greatest DACs but I can also recognize greatness in the mid tier DACs like the RD160. It’s a really great performer and sits with the performance of the RS130 Streamer, which is pretty awesome. Besides, who has $12-$50k or more to spend on a DAC? Who wants to go broke buying these things? Some do, but most do not and this is why the HiFi Rose RD160 is so special. It brings some of that high end performance to the mid tier level.
Wait! I now just heard someone in my ear reading this in their comfy chair saying “$5k is Mid Tier Now”?
Yes I feel the $5k price point is entering the mid tier. It has to be when we have DACs that go up to $150k for sale and being bought.
Over the last few years I have found that DACs are what sit as the heart of my system, at least for me. Some put the amp in this spot, others the speaker. Some the turntable and phono stage. I happen to hear the biggest changes in my system with some of these fantastic DACs.
I also like building systems that immerse me within the music. It’s been a hobby of mine to see just how immersive it can get and I just love a slightly warm leaning system that has layers, depth, realism, three dimensional imaging front to back side to side. I have found the DAC to play a huge role in this aspect and simply changing a DAC out can alter the sound of a system quite dramatically.
So yes, the DAC is an important part of a high end audio HiFi system for me and one area where I tend to want to spend the most cash on. OK, enough of my babbling, let’s get to the meat of this review.
LISTENING
When this DAC arrived I was happy to get it into the system. I wanted to see what a modern day $5k DAC design could do when compared to the $12k+ exotic boxes. I am always looking for magic that costs less and wondered if the RD160 could deliver.
Let me say that it was easy as pie to not only hear the differences between these DACs but I will explain the sound of each here to the best of my ability.
The HIFi Rose DAC has a solidified sound, similar in this way to the Weiss DAC 501 MKI or MKII.
It’s clean and without noise. The background is black, silent and well…gone. The imaging is natural vs etched and there really is a velvet like quality to the sound, especially in the midrange. There is a slight warmth here, maybe even ever so slightly dark when comparing to the all out best.
There is very little (almost non existent) digital hash. I mean, very little as in maybe 5%. I do not mean you will hear nasties but with the finest DACs I have heard they tend to sound very unlike digital, and way more analog. This is what I love and the RD160 does have refinement but with some tracks I can still hear just a bit of that digital nature. This is normal as almost all DACs do this. Sometimes the recordings stink as well and no DAC can save you there. Overall though the RD160 sounds mature, refined, smooth and the detail is all here without being offensive.
I hear the digital signature with 98% of DACs so this is not unique to the RD160. What is unique about the RD160 is that it has much less of this digital sound than most DACs in the $5k and under range. The Denafrips Pontus has some, the LAIV Harmony has some, etc. Once you step up to $10k and up DACs this seems to start to go away.
As it is the RD160 is sounding mighty fine for what it cost. The sound is confident, mature with a slight dark lean overall. This DAC is not bright or lean in any way. It’s more of the warm, beefy and dark variety but just a little of this shading is here and some may not ever even notice it. To most it will sound neutral with body.
USING AS A PREAMP. It’s pretty awesome.
When I set up the RD160 to a set of $1400 Singxer 90 WPC Class A/B mono amps I was BLOWN AWAY! In fact, the RD160 drove these better than the $58K Nagra Tube DAC stack did due to the fact that I can change the output voltage on the fly with the Rose, up to 9V output! The Nagra is pretty low output at 1.5v so makes it harder to drive amps direct from the Tube DAC volume control.
The RD160 had more energy, drive, sizzle and punch as a preamp to the amps vs the more organic, free flowing and immersive Nagra with its built in volume control. The RD160 sounded powerful and dramatic in this way. As a preamp for the DAC it was pretty awesome so one could go right into a power amp with this and not need a preamp. This is also how the new Eversolo DMP A10 does it at $3600 but the RD160 has a more refined solidified sound vs the A10, which is airier and more spatial but with less “meat” and impact vs the RD160.
The RD160 for me bested the volume control in the Nagra Tube DAC and Weiss 501 MKII for excitement, punch, drive and impact when driving a set of amps. Crazy, but yea, it’s fantastic as a one box source to an amp and this may be its big claim to fame after more users interact with it. A HiFi Rose RS130, RD160 and a stereo or mono amps can create a stunning digital music streaming system. Just add speakers. I also tested this with a Nagra Classic AMP and the RD160 sounded phenomenal with this downright beautiful amplifier.
This Features set it apart.
Usually the features are what I talk about first but I decided this time I would save them for the later part of the review. I care about build and sound the most so figured I would get that out of the way first.
The RD160 sets itself apart in another way vs other DAC’s with what you can do with it. This one allows you to set your voltage output from 1-9 volts. Says for example you are using a preamp or integrated that has low gain. A Pass Labs XP 22 for example has low gain and the volume must be turned up very high to get to the meat of the sound from most amps.
With the RD160 I can set the output to 5V or even 9V but some preamps can not handle such a hot signal, so staying under 5 is recommended for most. If set on 1, you will have to crank your volume knob on the preamp VERY high if you have a lower gain preamp. When set on 5, not so much as the volume comes quicker. Honestly though, if you can get away with 2 that is probably an all around best setting but go with what works for you.
When set higher, we are hearing more of the RD160 pre-amp sound and when set lower or midrange we hear more of our preamp or integrated amp pre in action. With the T+A PA 3100 HV which has tons of power and current I set the RD160 to 4V out on the balanced connections and it was perfect. I love that this is easily changed as most DACs do not allow for this. Some do but usually offer much less choice in this area.
The RD160 also has upsampling features and can leave it off for a true NOS experience or it can upsample to PCM or DSD. After testing all of these extensively, my pick was 100% without question the normal upsample mode. The DSD mode was smooth but lost a lot of volume (as we do with DSD) and the sound was a bit flat without any depth for some reason. I stuck with the upsample mode and it brought more energy, details, pop and spatial qualities.
There are also filters, five of them.
I could not hear one difference between these filters at all, no matter how much I focused.
The RD160 also ships with a remote that looks a lot like the one included with the RS130 streamer. It’s different though and works great for the RD160. It allows me to change the settings from my seat.
USING WITH THE HIFI ROSE RS 130 vs NAGRA STREAMER – Fiber.
It seems HiFi companies always have to try and re-invent audio. They have to come out with something new constantly to keep the orders flying in. I believe they sometimes create solutions to problems that do not exist ($5k ethernet switch boxes). The big thing with the RS130 and RD160 is the fiber connection. This is similar to the Nagra Tube DAC and Nagra Streamer that hook up via Fiber cable to eliminate any and all electrical connections. This means no interference or noise can get in. Without these detail robbing things the music is said to flow better, be more open and with a better sound.
I can say that using the fiber connection on the Nagra yielded a slight improvement over COAX. It wasn’t huge but I heard and preferred it. Using the fiber USB on the Rose RS130 to the RD160 yielded similar results. A slightly cleaner sound while being ever so slightly more open. Honestly though, wether I connected via COAX or Fiber the sound was gorgeous and I just gained a slight difference with the fiber connection. It’s nothing I would stress over but if I owned the RS130 and RD160 it is the connection I would use 100%.
Using the Nagra Streamer with its COAX out to the RD160 brought forth more bass heft in the mids and a slight reduction in treble shine but this made for a more natural sound vs the more incisive sound of the 130 and 160. The Nagra streamer focused more on the flow and the RS130 seemed slightly more dynamic and punchy in sound. I could live with either with the RD160 but again, the RS130 is the “ultimate” partner for the RD160 DAC and I highly recommend the combo for anyone looking for a killer digital front end.
ADDING IN A MODRIGHT ANALOG BRIDGE (TUBES)
While I was evaluating the RD160 a piece came in for review from Modright Instruments in the form of an Analog Bridge. This is a piece that uses Tubes to inject some tube flavor into the sound of your system. I installed it between the RD160 and my preamp to see if it could get even close to the Nagra Tube or HD DAC X DACs. Would be awesome if this was the case!
I installed the Analog Bridge and besides looking super cool it did indeed add some tube flavor into the system and the sound of the RD160 jumped up a bit in that immersive way that I love. The sound softened up a touch, the soundstage grew a little bit wider, deeper and those things we love like the 3D spatial effects were much more noticeable now.
It doesn’t sound quite like the Nagra Tube DAC but with the Analog Bridge in place there were some similarities. Pretty awesome as the duo of RD160 and Analog Bridge is a $8k investment vs a $56k investment. The speakers I was listening on are the Pure Audio Project Duet 15.
CONCLUSION
I really enjoyed my time with the RD160 DAC from HiF Rose. It performed to a level that was much better than I expedited and had a refinement and solidity that I normally hear more of in the very pricey DACs. HiFi Rose took their time and did this one right even using three power supplies separating the analog from the digital sections. This is similar to how the Nagra Tube DAC does it (similar but not quite the same) and that one comes in at $48k. This DAC has one of the most unique displays I have seen, and I dig it, a lot. It also has a fantastic build and while it doesn’t look like the RS130 it is supposed to be the perfect mate to, it’s a new look for HiFi Rose and one that is very easy to love.
The sound of this DAC is also quite unique and doesn’t sound like the traditional $5k DAC. Rather, I would say that the RD160 could have been priced at $7500 for what it offers and delivers on as it brings that refined sound I hear in the much more expensive DACs. It’s a winner and will work in any system with any streamer but its natural partner is the HiFi Rose RS130 Streamer.
WHERE TO BUY?
John at Lone Crow Audio sent this in for me to check out. Thanks John! Lone Crow is a HiFi Rose Dealer and carries the entire line. You can check out their website HERE or you can call John direct at 707-791-3237. Enjoy!
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