By I wonder if anyone outside of vinyl junkies purchases physical copies of music anymore? While recently in a slowly dying mall, I happened across a regional pop-culture store that my daughter wanted to browse. Of course they had vinyl, but also CDs and a small collection of new cassette tapes. This store, which also stocked a copious amount of pickle-flavored candy, also had available for purchase a portable cassette player complete with wired on-ear headphones. These sights begged the question: Why can’t everyone just rent and stream their music like the rest of us?
Don’t get me wrong, I still bolster my physical media collection now and again when a must-have appears, and I enjoy the vinyl experience, but the reality is a majority of my listening these days is streaming through Qobuz. HiFi Streamers with built-in DACs, networking, Bluetooth, and even HDMI for home theater integration is a fast-growing segment in our hobby. When done properly, a HiFi streamer allows all the fidelity and control of a front end composed of separate electronics, with the convenience of one piece of equipment that has ultimate control. Imagine, then, how excited I was to find I would be receiving the HiFi Rose Master Fidelity Network Streamer RS451 (buy at Crutchfield) for evaluation. South Korea has been injecting quality brands into the world economy for some time, and when it comes to audio, HiFi Rose has made its global mark. It’s time to give this streamer a solid audiophile test.
What Makes the HiFi Rose Master Fidelity Network Streamer RS451 So Special?
- The HiFi Rose RS451 is overflowing with exciting audiophile technology. The nervous system of the HiFi Rose RS451 consists of an ESS ES9027 PRO DAC that allows for playback of native DSD512, and PCM up to 32-bit/768 kHz resolution with selectable DAC filters. The RS451 even supports MQA playback. The heart of the RS451 power supply pumps dual-mono, noise-free electricity to each audio channel, which improves channel separation to guarantee a true HiFi experience. HiFi Rose pairs this forward-thinking electronics setup, normally reserved strictly for exotic standalone DACs like the Bricasti Design M1 series II (read my review), with a sizable brain. Dual quad-core processors, eight GB of memory, and a port for a 2.5-inch solid state hard drive makes for one fast-acting, smooth-operating system in the HiFi Rose RS451.
- I can see the 8.8-inch LCD touchscreen in the HiFi Rose RS451 from my listening position nearly 12 feet away. This is a BIG deal for me. So many pieces of electronics have fancy displays but are rendered useless when you get more than six feet from them. One can tell when a HiFi company has passion for their product and sorts out the finer details through use, not simply on an engineering bench. The small detail of a highly visible display on the RS451 demonstrates the attention HiFi Rose brings to their products. The important information I wanted was dominant on the display, while the touchscreen features were small and out of the way, yet still easily selectable. Sounds silly until you have to fumble through a less elegant display that is hard to see and to navigate, when all you really want to do is set up for listening success.
- The HiFi Rose RS451’s specifications are described thoroughly in their manual. I enjoy transparency. No audio company should have to hide anything regarding the measured performance of their gear but, sadly, some do. HiFi Rose dedicates two complete pages in the manual for the RS451 to publish its technical performance specifications. The best part? The performance specifications of the RS451 deserve to be on display, as HiFi Rose should be rightly proud of them. I will not regurgitate all of them here, but some highlights include a total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) of 0.00025 percent, frequency response of 10 Hz to 80 KHz, a 129-dB signal-to-noise ratio, a slew rate of 1,300 volts per microsecond, and details of all supported formats. I would eat my hat if a system exists that defies easy integration with the HiFi Rose RS451.
- The HiFi Rose RS451 offers a high-performance headphone connection. The RS451 has a headphone section that provides accommodations for both balanced and unbalanced headphone setups and measurably performs with the same high fidelity as when the RS451 is used as a component in a HiFi rig.
- The HiFi Rose RS451 is a handsome-looking audiophile component. From the moment I began unboxing the RS451, it felt rich. It is weighty, embellished with HiFi Rose’s mark, sleek and finished well on all surfaces. Even the included remote did not feel like an afterthought. Certainly, the HiFi Rose RS451 is a piece of equipment that will make an owner feel proud to have on display.
Why Should You Care About the HiFi Rose Master Fidelity Network Streamer RS451?
Streamers have become a bit like preamplifiers. Companies are packing what can border on excessive features into them as a selling point, which at times causes some potential sacrifice of fidelity. Let’s face it: rarely has anything in this hobby been done for the sake of fidelity, as opposed to for convenience at the sacrifice of fidelity to make things smaller, faster, or enhance how many features one box can have.
That is not as bitter as it sounds, since in the meta-scape of audio, companies like HiFi Rose are providing products like the RS451 that do not cut corners and seamlessly blend high-fidelity, integration, and interface. There are only so many ways to preserve fidelity, and doing so requires no shortcuts. That is what struck me most when using the HiFi Rose RS451. Not only did its fidelity exceed its $3,295 selling price, every feature that I tested was seamless and easy to use. No delays, no hiccups, just easy and intuitive operation with lightning-fast response. Any advanced streamer requires some level of interaction versus something like a standalone DAC that is set and forget. I found the HiFi Rose RS451 an absolute pleasure to interface with and an example for all electronics companies to follow in both fidelity and interface.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the HiFi Rose Master Fidelity Network Streamer RS451
- The HiFi Rose RS451 has a weird WiFi antenna attached. The WiFi antenna of the HiFi Rose RS451 is essentially a separate component that comes with the RS451 as a dongle. It also has a screw-in shield that helps capture the WiFi dongle, which is just strange. It was the only thing that distracted from the overall elegance of the RS451.
- The HiFi Rose RS451 may have too many features for some. As easy as it is to interface, set up, and use the RS451, I would imagine most people will settle upon a setup that utilizes only a handful of the RS451’s capabilities that work best for their listening habits in their system. I am a big fan of keeping my audio as simple as possible, so I found myself not needing all the capabilities embedded in the RS451. What would be interesting is a standalone DAC with the RS451’s performance, with all the networking and streaming removed to lower its selling price. A DAC like this would be a devilishly good addition to the HiFi Rose lineup, which currently has only one DAC, the RD160, which sits at $5,995.
- The rear panel print on the HiFi Rose RS451 is difficult to read. In a component with as much integration as the RS451, a cleaner layout with larger print would make setup a little easier.
Listening to the HiFi Rose Master Fidelity Network Streamer RS451
I am currently providing to the Quad Platina integrated amplifier and have found it to be a very nice fidelity match with my Sonus faber Lumina V (read the review). Given the price point of all components involved, I found it a logical choice to inject the HiFi Rose RS451 into this listening picture. I tinkered for several tracks with the DAC filters until I settled on the minimum phase fast roll-off setting for my listening preferences. While I left everything else on default, the RS451 allows extensive customization for all critical processing settings of all formats.
Not long after I found myself forgetting the HiFi Rose RS451 was in my system, I found myself getting lost in the music. I was touched by the track “Fell on Black Days” from Chris Cornell’s album Songbook. I think Songbook may be one of the few recordings that captures Cornell’s haunting voice with the fidelity it deserves. I found the RS451 to deliver the dynamics of this live recording well, with neutral timbre and strong resolving power that brought out the rasp, throat, and vocal subtleties delivering Cornell’s passion. The soundstage was wide, lively, and focused. The guitar never lost its spot on the stage, and the complex finger work during the bridge/solo was captured perfectly with the small details that made it feel in-room. I was very pleased with what the HiFi Rose RS451 did with “Fell on Black Days,” and was left with the feeling I was listening to a DAC/streamer that was at least one price point higher.
As the world began to pull out of the pandemic in 2021, Billy Strings dropped a great bluegrass album called Renewal. “Love and Regret” is a melancholy but well-paced piece that somehow finds its joy. The song busts out of the gate with Strings’ intricate guitar work that the HiFi Rose captured with dynamics and harmonic texture. Everything was preserved, including the pick off the strings. As the other instruments began to layer in, they decorated the soundstage, locked into their positions well. The individual qualities of the banjo and fiddle bodies were apparent without being forward. Strings’ vocals were spot-on as he belted out this longing tune. I did feel that the HiFi Rose RS451 was a tick toward warm instead of neutral on this track, but it was not distracting or sonically off-putting at all. The hint of warmth, combined with an airy top end and resolved midrange, really made this track shine.
I have found some of the best tracks to come from EPs. EPs, or extended play albums, are not long enough to be full albums, but are more than a single. They usually come to life when an artist feels they have some awesome music to get out there but does not have a full album’s worth yet. The track“Oats in the Water” from Ben Howard comes off his EP Burgh Island. This track has such an expansive musical picture it has been a favorite of mine since I happened upon it. The HiFi Rose RS451 again seem to outclass its selling price here with extended airy highs, a solid midrange that untangled Howard’s vocals, and dynamics that brought through subtle dynamic changes in the drums. Bass was strong, resolved, and fast. I think the depth of the soundstage was just a hair more limited than what I am used to hearing, but the width was well beyond the loudspeakers. In the scope of what the HiFi Rose RS451 is and its selling price, it was a stellar listen!
Will the HiFi Rose Master Fidelity Network Streamer RS451 Hold Its Value?
It seems audiophile music streaming standard formats have thankfully slowed a bit. Thanks to this stability, I would not worry much about the HiFi Rose RS451 becoming outdated any time in the immediate future. Further, with its advanced DAC and excellent fidelity, it should stay relevant for some time and hold its value well in the used market if the upgrade bug causes an itch. HiFi Rose gear is gorgeous, great-sounding, well-distributed and well-marketed. These are all positive signs for good resale value in the future, even if audiophile digital components, as a whole, tend to lose more value than other less bleeding-edge component categories.
What is the Competition for the HiFi Rose Master Fidelity Network Streamer RS451?
$3,850 will get you into the Aurender A1000 music server/streamer. While it has the ability to have an onboard library via SSD like the HiFi Rose RS451, it lacks balanced outputs and a headphone stage. Aurender’s reputation for fidelity is strong, however, making the A1000 a consideration for those who may need a few less features while maximizing fidelity, though the A1000 still may be a tough sell over the RS451 for nearly $600 more.
Another well-decorated streamer is the $3,499 Audiolab 9000N. You will get balanced outputs and a whole lot of usable interface features. However, the display on the 9000N is smaller and you lose the excellent headphone section, along with the ability to fine-tune the processing parameters as you can on the HiFi Rose RS451.
Final Thoughts on the HIFI Rose Master Fidelity Network Streamer RS451
$3,295 is not trivial when it comes to the world of audio streamers. However, the HiFi Rose RS451 (buy at Crutchfield) packs a nearly endless list of features, ranging from compatibility to processing to system integration. Even more important: The HiFi Rose RS451 is a high-fidelity piece of equipment that delivers effortless musical resolution, neutral timbre, and a very desirable ownership experience.
Many of the HiFi Rose RS451’s competitors have less features in lieu of more robust electronics. However, the biggest competitive advantages the RS451 has are a build quality and fidelity that easily rivals more expensive peers, and its thoughtful industrial design just works. I have seen too many very expensive pieces of equipment in my time, and nearly all of them have quirks. This is blasphemy for the prices of high-end gear and something I think is glazed over a little too often in the HiFi community. Thanks to its excellence in every aspect, the HiFi Rose RS451 gets my highest recommendation, and I will be throwing it into the pool of contenders for Gear of the Year in 2026when I get the call from my publisher.
