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Rose RW800
One of the awkward realities of network audio is that streaming platforms can age much faster than the hardware built around them. A DAC, analog output stage or power supply may remain perfectly capable for years, while changes in licensing, operating systems and service APIs can leave an otherwise expensive streamer without the latest Connect protocols. HiFi Rose has decided to address that problem with a piece of hardware rather than another firmware update. RW800, also known as Rose Air Lite, is a tiny streaming module designed primarily to add current network functions to existing HiFi Rose components, but it can just as easily leave the Rose ecosystem altogether and operate as an inexpensive standalone streamer in almost any audio system.
The background to RW800 is unusually straightforward. HiFi Rose has acknowledged that adding functions such as TIDAL Connect and Spotify Lossless to some existing products presented technical and licensing difficulties that could not simply be solved with another software update. The company therefore developed a separate expansion module that handles the newer streaming environment while allowing the main component to remain in service. In other words, owners do not need to replace a perfectly good RS130, RS150B or RS520 merely because the network side of the equation has moved on.
That philosophy is reflected in RW800's two operating modes. In Expansion Mode, the little box works with compatible HiFi Rose components including RS151, RS130, RS250A, RS451, RS150B, RS201E and RS520. Connection is handled through USB, while RW800 takes care of access to newer streaming services and the existing Rose component remains responsible for the part of the signal chain for which it was originally purchased. The important point is that installing the module does not suddenly replace the DAC and analog circuitry of a much more expensive streamer with those of a small accessory.
Standalone Mode makes the concept considerably broader. RW800 can become a complete compact streaming source for an integrated amplifier, external DAC or pair of active speakers, with stereo RCA analog output and optical digital output providing the most obvious connection options. An optical input is included as well. This means the same device can begin its life as an upgrade for an older HiFi Rose component and later migrate into a second system, desktop setup or pair of powered speakers rather than becoming useless when the main system changes. HiFi Rose also lists its RD160 DAC and RA180 and RA280 integrated amplifiers as natural partners for standalone operation.
The streaming platform itself is thoroughly up to date. RW800 supports TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect and Spotify Connect, with HiFi Rose specifically developing the module to accommodate Spotify Lossless as well. Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast cover the major casting ecosystems, while Roon Ready certification allows RW800 to operate as an endpoint in a Roon installation. DLNA/UPnP support adds conventional local-network playback, so the box is not dependent entirely on commercial streaming services.
Hi-res support extends to PCM at up to 32-bit/384 kHz and DSD128, although the optical interface tops out at PCM 32-bit/192 kHz. Network connectivity includes dual-band Wi-Fi and wired Ethernet, while Bluetooth 5.2 provides another option for quick wireless playback. The analog output is specified at 2 V, with a quoted frequency response of 10 Hz-50 kHz, 119 dB signal-to-noise ratio, 120 dB dynamic range and THD+N of 0.0008%. Those figures make it clear that standalone use is not merely an emergency function added to what is fundamentally an adapter - RW800 was designed to operate as a proper compact network player in its own right.
Control is handled through the new Rose Air app for iOS and Android rather than requiring interaction with the large touchscreen interface associated with HiFi Rose's full-size streamers. The app handles automatic device discovery, Bluetooth-assisted Wi-Fi setup, playback, settings, over-the-air updates and factory reset functions. This is also one of the reasons RW800 makes sense outside the Rose ecosystem - there is no requirement to own another Rose component simply to configure or operate it.
Physically, there is very little to accommodate. RW800 measures just 110 x 27 x 115.5 mm and weighs 245 g, making it small enough to sit almost invisibly next to or even on top of a full-size streamer. Power comes from a 5 V/1.5 A USB supply and maximum consumption is specified at only 2.5 W. HiFi Rose also supplies more than just the bare module - depending on market, the package includes accessories such as a remote control, optical cable, USB cable and RCA interconnect, making standalone installation possible without immediately shopping for another handful of small parts.
There is an interesting broader point here as well. RW800 exists partly because some expensive network players cannot be updated indefinitely, which is hardly a flattering illustration of how quickly software-driven audio products can become technologically dated. On the other hand, producing a small and relatively inexpensive add-on is a much more reasonable response than expecting owners to replace the entire source component. HiFi Rose is effectively treating streaming functionality as a replaceable layer of the system - something that can evolve independently from the DAC, power supply, clock architecture and analog circuitry underneath it. For network audio, where a product can remain acoustically excellent long after one app or protocol becomes obsolete, that seems like a fairly sensible direction. RW800 is reaching dealers now. Pricing is $179/€179/£169. HiFi Rose says a separate introductory offer is also available to existing customers in some territories, with exact conditions determined by local authorized dealers. Info and pictures by HiFi Rose.
