HiFi Rose RD160 DAC

Timing Is Everything

In digital audio, timing is truly the key to great sound. The only true way to get all of your digital components working in perfect unison is with a master clock. Both the RS130 and RD160 have this option. A master clock allows every digital component within the system to connect to one clock source, which sets the timing for everything in the digital chain. If the timing is perfect between all the digital components, then all the jitter from the coax, optical, or AES/EBU connections will truly be eliminated. This gives you the most pristine digital audio signal transfer we have today.

There is a high-precision OCXO(oven-controlled crystal oscillator) in RD160, which is the most accurate and stable clocking mechanism. This enables the RD160 to keep its internal timing perfect for the best and most accurate sound possible. With digital audio, timing is crucial, and Hifi Rose gave the RD160 the best.

It's What's Inside That Counts

The RD160 has special chips inside it from AKM. The AK4499EX and AK4191 are the newest and best-measuring chips that Asahi Kasei Microdevices has produced to date. In fact, it is the only Delta Sigma DAC circuit that requires two chips to function. The AK4191 handles the digital filtering and initial delta-sigma conversion stages. Then, the AK4499 chip does the actual digital-to-analog conversion. By separating the chips, AKM claims class-leading specs that would not be possible with one chip. The signal-to-noise stays extremely high, and the good analog characteristics of the audio output remain. The RD160 has a full set of these chips per channel, so channel separation is kept at its maximum. Cortex A9 processors control all of the inputs and signal routing from the inputs to the AKM chips and then on to the output stage.

Another important feature of the RD160 is its use of separate power supplies. There is a linear power supply for the digital input stage and one linear power supply for each of the two analog output stages. This is specifically designed for low noise and the best channel separation possible. Having oversized separate power supplies will give you a better overall dynamic range, transparency, and a more effortless sound to the music.

The output section of the RD160 features the use of J-Fet input dual op-amps. These specially developed devices allow the analog output of the RD160 to have excellent responsiveness, dynamic range, and low distortion beyond what a standard op-amp-based output section can do. Muses, a company specializing in op-amp-based devices, helped HiFi Rose develop this output section. This is a very important feature that differentiates the RD160 from a lot of DACs on the market. You can have the best digital section in the world, but if your analog output section is limited, then the sound will take a hit in quality.

The HiFi Rose NRA Filter is a special filter built within the RD160’s output stage. It is specifically designed to allow the RD160 to have a completely flat frequency response even at very low frequencies. Due to this filter, the RD160 will have a ruler-flat frequency response at about any frequency signal.

The internal wiring of the RD160 has been taken to the next level as well with the use of oxygen free copper wiring in power and audio output sections. As well as high-purity single-crystal Ohno Continuos Casting cables in the unbalanced analog output section to ensure excellent conductivity. HiFi Rose wanted the RD160 to be a reference level device and upgraded cables help to do just that.

Something For Purists and Adventurers Alike!

For the purist who wants their music untouched from its original bitrate and sampling frequency, there is a NOS function that does just that. For the adventuring type that wants to hear what oversampling and digital filtering can do with their favorite music, the RD160 has you covered. It provides four options: NOS, PCM, DSD, and ALL. PCM(supports up to 32bit/768kHz, and DSD supports up to DSD512) This allows you to take your music's digital signal and boost its sampling rate up to a full 32-bit, or even into DSD! Also, there are different digital filters with 6 different types of impulse responses. Having all of these options a front panel button away gives users who want to explore the world of oversampling the option. Another cool thing is that the front panel display will show these changes in real-time allowing users to fully see how their music is being processed by the RD160.