Rose Technics RT-5000 Review

But, going back to the right Rose – at least the one that we’re talking about today – the brand present themselves as “a rising audio brand that has dedicated years to the pursuit of delivering unparalleled original sound reproduction through intelligent technology and meticulous manufacturing.”

And to do so, they seem to integrate various technological advancements from different fields into the research and development, such as miniaturized flat panel units, electrostatic technology, push-pull dual-diaphragm drivers, bone conduction low-frequency oscillators… A nice proposition on paper, that combines excellent sound performance and unique designs to seamlessly integrate music into every user’s everyday life

And so, when Hifigo offered me to test the new Rose RT-5000, advertised as the brand’s high-end-yet-affordable desktop DAC/AMP, I jumped right in.

Design and Build Quality

Casing

Introduced as the balanced of understatement and luxury, the Rose Technics RT-5000 exhibits one of the most interesting design I’ve seen this past years.

In complete opposite to the like of SMSL – my DO400 being the embodiment of temperance with its full-black aluminum chassis – the Rose blends different materials, textures and colors on one single device, for a result that can be… polarizing, to say the least.

I got the pine green variation and, frankly, I’m really fond of the end result. Sure, it always give that strange “knock-off” vibes due to the fact that everything seems “too much”, but all the little details hidden inside the golden contours really make up for that. What you get is:

• gold-plated control buttons, perfectly highlighted by a carved wood front panel,
• aluminum case with sculpted side panels and little handles at the back,
• green-toned leather upper panel topped with the model named printed with true gold leaves

What’s even more surprising is the size of the DAC. Fitting right between my DO400 and DO100, it’s almost as small as an RME desktop soundcard, measuring 191mm x 144,5mm x 40mm, a form factor that should suit most desktops and allows you to fit it under your screen for added convenience.

I really like that.

Build Quality

For a first amp, I’ve got to say that Rose Technics made a great job overall, in terms of construction.

All panels fit rights, the headphone outputs are well-aligned, the control buttons are both recessed and delightfully clicky, and the only issue I could spot, was the “on/off” trigger that is a few mm offset to the left. But, apart of that, everything looks and feels surprisingly well-made.

Again, gold is the main word here, and all of the screws were given the “Midas” treatment, reinforcing the luxury accent that Rose wants to push. It could have looked cranky or cheap, but thankfully that’s not the case here and the more you use the DAC, the more confident you get.

Look closer, and you’ll even discover that the front panel and volume wheel were discreetly engraved with polygonal patterns, and technical inscriptions like the button function, or the products name. It’s gimmick, but a clever one in my opinion.

The power supply came as a drawback though. If brands like SMSL managed to embed the AC/DC transformers directly inside their amp or DAC, the Rose comes with a separated power supply, much like iFi does with its Zen series. Some will prefer that kind of setup, as that might allow them to choose a better/audiophile after market power supply, but personally I prefer when the device comes with the classic IEC port, allowing me to chose the right cord length.

But, an external supply also comes with an handy feature: lesser weight. In hand, the TR-5000 only weighs 822,5g, which makes it quite easy on your desk and should allow you to put on all and every other devices, cluttering your table – I put mine over my LS50, and it feels just right.

Overall, a very nice device, waiting for us to check on its I/O. So let’s do that!

Layout

The Rose RT-5000 offers a comprehensive I/O, giving you almost every port you may ever need, in both ways.

Almost, because as a DAC/Amp, it doesn’t come with an analog input, something that could be handful if you already own a good DAC and just need a headphone amp that, sometimes, works as a DAC. Apart from that, it’s quite complete and in the back you get:

• 1x XLR (out) to connect a balanced amplifier / set of powered speakers
• 1x RCA (out) to connect an unbalanced amplifier / set of powered speakers
• 1x USB-B port (in), to connect your computer or a DAP (plus firmware upgrade now)
• 1x Coaxial port (in), a classic found on a wide lot of sources
• 1x SPDIF (in), same as above, you can find it on CD-Players or even your game console
• 1x Bluetooth antenna, thanks to its new BT chipset, the DAC supports Hi-Res Bluetooth decoding (LDAC, aptXHD, aptX Adaptive, SBC, AAC)

Then, upfront, you have:

• 1x Pentaconn 4.4mm, to plug a balanced headphone/IEM
• 1x 6.35 mm Jack, for your classic, unbalanced headphone
• 1x 3.5 mm Jack, for your classic, unbalanced headphone
• 3x control buttons used to activate gain/mute/Bluetooth
• the control wheel (yes the golden one)
• and last but not least, a small screen with a set of red led displaying some information regarding the EQ/Bluetooth/DSD/Power

In short, this DAC should cover almost every use you might ever need, so let’s set it up and see how it goes.

The review continues on Page two, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.

Page 1: Design & Build Quality

Page 2:UI & Usage

Page 3: Specifications, Bundle

Page 4: Sound performances