Rose Technics RT-5000

Rose Technics

Do you know Rose Technics? The truth is that I didn't know them until HiFiGo contacted to suggest a review of their latest creation, the RT5000, an all-in-one unit combining a DAC, a headphone amplifier and a preamp under the same hood. Visiting their website we can learn that Rose Technics is a Chi-Fi brand that was established back in 2012 with the goal to deliver unparalleled original sound reproduction through intelligent technology and meticulous manufacturing. Sounds familiar? Their catalog consists of audiophile in-ear monitors, TWS wireless earphones, a couple of cables, a portable USB DAC and a full sized headphone. You can visit their website and learn more here.

Rose Technics RT-5000

Rose Technics are now expanding their business to include an all-in-one DAC/amp, the RT5000. The RT5000 might be their first such product but they are aiming high because it features a flagship-level configuration.

Audio decoding is assigned to two pieces of the flagship ES9038PRO DAC chip by ESS in a fully balanced configuration. Eight OPA1612 are implemented for the I/V conversion circuit and two OPA1612 for the LPF. No surprises so far, this is the standard circuitry that is used by almost all Chi-Fi brands, like SMSL and Topping, that usually design by the book.

The surprises are saved for the last as Rose Technics has equipped the RT5000 with dual JRC MUSES01 J-FET input op-amps, one per channel. Moreover they have opted for a fully discrete headphone amplifier that is realized by using two B772 and two B882 transistors per channel. A very promising configuration! The surprises don't stop here as the MUSES op-amps are dip-mounted so you can exercise the op-amp rolling sport, that is if you are skilful enough to open the chassis which is not designed with this purpose in mind.

Rose Technics is well aware that clean power is essential if you want to achieve high quality audio, so they have designed a power supply with large filtering capacitance split into small value capacitors to keep ESR as low as possible.

What they have not included though is a separate XMOS USB receiver so decoding is limited to 32bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 while USB latency might not be that suitable for gaming

The RT5000 is also equipped with the QCC5125 Bluetooth 5.1 chip which supports LDAC, aptX HD, aptX LL and aptX adaptive reception.



Non Audio stuff

The Rose Technics RT5000 is an all-in-one, balanced DAC and headphone amplifier combo that also includes a preamplifier output with both balanced XLR and single ended RCA plugs. The line output is variable and can't be set as a fixed DAC out. The three headphone outputs (6.35mm, 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm) are located at the left side of the front face.

The digital inputs include full size USB, optical and coaxial connectors that are positioned at the back together with the 15V/3A DC input, the Bluetooth antenna, the power on/off switch and an input selector. Switch this one up to select the USB input or down for the coaxial/optical inputs and enable the Bluetooth reception mode which has priority over them.

At the front face you can see three small buttons that are used to perform various operations and four notification LEDs. Single pressing the first one will cycle through the four gain levels of the headphone amplifier. There is no visible indication of the selected setting so you must be careful not to fry your sensitive earphones.

Long pressing and releasing the same button will cycle through the seven digital filters of the DAC. After releasing the switch a white LED will flash with the number of flashes indicating the selected filter as follows; (1. fast linear, 2. slow linear, 3. fast minimum, 4. slow minimum, 5. apodizing, 6. fast hybrid and 7. brickwall). Not practical at all as there is no way to know the selected filter at a glance and must rely on your memory skills.

The second button is only used to mute the sound. Long press the third one to enter Bluetooth pairing mode. A blue LED will start flashing and become solid blue after a successful connection. Long press again to disable Bluetooth and use the optical/coaxial inputs. There is also a third LED that will light only during DSD decoding and a fourth LED that will turn red when the power switch is on. A very strange and confusing decision since the norm is to have a red light for the standby or power off mode.

The Rose Technics RT5000 is a compact sized unit that can fit virtually anywhere. Despite its compact dimensions (191x144.5x40mm), the RT5000 is a solid and sturdy device that weighs 822g.

The Rose Technics RT5000 has a unique and intriguing appearance that combines both retro and modern design elements. The chassis is made from CNC, high rigidity, aluminum alloy which minimizes vibrations and shields the internal components against EMI. The front panel is made from a single piece, solid wood that is engraved and hand polished. The natural brown color of the wood panel is beautifully combined with gold-plated volume control knob and buttons. Furthermore, the top and the bottom parts of the chassis are covered with real leather that is available in two dyes, back and green. The RT5000 is a well made and luxurious looking device with its own personality that reminds of handmade, boutique audio gear.

The package includes a universal, switching power adapter, two high quality USB cables and the operation manual.

Power output

The discrete headphone amplifier of the RT5000 is able to produce 800mW/32Ω from the single ended and 1.6W/32Ω from the balanced output. Plenty of power to run most of the headphones on the market, like the Sennheiser HD660S2, the HIFIMAN Arya Organic and the iBasso SR3 that I have used for the review. The low gain setting is suitable for sensitive earphones as it is dead silent and doesn't get loud too early. As per usual practice the Rose Technics RT5000 was left playing music for about 100 hours before listening evaluation.



Audio stuff

I must confess that the Rose Technics RT5000 took me by surprise because I was never expecting it to sound so good. The sonic performance is of such a high quality that it can easily compete with similar products carefully designed by well established brands. The sound quality is so exceptional that you are not going to believe your ears.

It seems that these guys at Rose Technics know their trade well as they have managed to combine the excellent technicalities of the DAC chip with a sound full of substance and essence. Rarely has the ES9038PRO sounded that musical and engaging with so minimal digital glare and artificiality. I must have written hundreds of times that clever engineering always pays off. Designers who dare to become creative and depart from the beaten track by taking the time and effort to finely tune their devices, rather than throw them in the APx500 and just be happy with the measurements, will always end with something special at their hands.

The Rose Technics RT5000 has tons of musicality on tap and a deep level of engagement rarely found at this price segment, especially when dealing with mass produced, Chi-Fi audio devices. The sound is warm and organic but not mellow or dark, the timbre is natural and full of realism and overflows with colorful harmonies. You will have to search a lot in order to spot any signs of digital glare, if any at all, the RT5000 actually reminds a lot of a good analogue set-up. This is audio at its best, the music sounds like real music as when it is performed by the artists and not like simple sounds emanating from the headphones.

At the same time technical performance is at the highest grade as someone would expect from a dual ES9038PRO configuration. The bass is fast, controlled, precise and accurate with excellent definition and layering. The transistor amplifier makes for a low-end that is powerful, punchy and dynamic with a weighty, full bodied and visceral texture. The texture retains these physical characteristics both in the mid-range and the treble, making for a very cohesive and realistic sound presentation.

The RT5000 has fast transient response and excellent detail retrieval but it doesn't sound clinical or boring. The mid-range is crystal clear, present and well defined, with excellent articulation while the treble is full of energy and luminosity but not sharp or bright. The use of the Muses op-amps is beneficial to the sound as it successfully mitigates the sharpness and the sterility of the ES9038PRO, fortifying the overall sense of realism.

The soundstage is truly where the Rose Technics leaps ahead from most of the competition as it is considerably more holographic and immersive, with an exceptional and resonating ambience atmosphere, separation is amazing and positioning accuracy is class leading.

The Rose Technics RT5000 is one of the rare examples of an audio device that is so engaging that you can't stop listening to your music. It pairs well with all kinds of headphones and it has all the skills to make justice to headphones that are much more expensive than it. Listening to classical music with the Rose Technics and the Arya Organic is a mesmerizing sonic experience, especially if you value timbre realism where the RT5000 really excels.

The sonic performance of the RT5000 greatly benefits from the use of a high quality, external power supply. I have substituted the generic power brick with the FiiO PL50, linear power supply and the sound became cleaner, the background gained in blackness and separation improved by a fair margin.

The competition

The sound signature of the Rose Technics RT5000 compares with audio devices that are designed with the same creative thinking behind them. In this regard the sound of RT5000 reminds of audio products like the Aune X1s GT, Yulong Aurora, Burson Playmate 2 or the Aune S9C Pro and not the likes of SMSL, Topping or other brands that are focused on measurements. The RT5000 is actually very good and can outperform some of the devices mentioned above. Sound differences are not night and day of course and I am having a hard time deciding which one I prefer. As always, functionality and appearance should be also considered before making your final judgment.

Conclusion

The Rose Technics is an audio device by a virtually unknown brand with a sonic performance that easily competes (and sometimes outperforms) with all the mainstream competition. The RT5000 is so good that if it had a little better functionality and a famous brand name it could easily sell for double the price. Yes, that good is the Rose Technics RT5000, this is a hell of a surprise, an unexpected finding, an all-in-one DAC/amp with exceptional sound quality that deserves your attention. Trust me and you are not going to regret it as it is very difficult to find such a combination of musicality and technicalities at this price point.

The Rose Technics RT-5000 was kindly provided free of charge.

You can buy the Rose Technics RT-5000 from HiFiGo and AliExpress. (Non affiliate links)

The deluxe version of this review is available in my website.