640

Recommended Component 2023 – Stereophile

Editors’ Choice Award – 2023 The Absolute Sound

Absolute Pure Sound Integrated Amplifier

An integrated amplifier that looks this stunning better have sound quality to match. And it does! The RA180 delivers stunning performance in every respect. The HiFi Rose RA180 is a state-of-the-art integrated amplifier using the latest innovative technologies. Linearity has been dramatically improved to create near-perfect sound that transcends the boundaries between digital and analog. Enjoy the pure natural sound of the RA180.

"Recommended Component" Honors

Stereophile honored the RA 180 by awarding it the magazine's coveted Recommend Component status for 2023.

According to Stereophile, "JMu fell in love with the appearance of this steampunk-styled, class-D integrated amplifier from Korea when she first saw it at the 2022 AXPONA. She was equally impressed by its sound quality when she installed the RA-180 in her system. It offers a plethora of features—level meters, a phono MC/MM stage, two rows of speaker outputs to allow operation with two pairs of full-range speakers (two channels or four channels), and switchable channel bridging for greater power—and controls for volume, bass, treble, balance, tone control bypass, biamping crossover frequency and high-frequency gain (to drive a supertweeter), and a choice of five phono EQ settings in addition to RIAA."

"JMu concluded that 'The HiFi Rose RA180 is big on speed, energy, clarity, and detail. You get plenty of power in a single chassis.'"

"Quality Significantly Surpassing Its Price Point"

"It offers value both in build and sound quality, significantly surpassing its price point. This unit has the headroom to handle just about any speaker. And while sound quality is certainly the most important criterion, I must say, again, that the industrial design of this unit is spectacular," raves Rives Bird, The Absolute Sound, January 2023, which gave the RA180 an Editors’ Choice Award. "HiFi Rose is a relative newcomer to this market, but there's no doubt the company is here to stay."

"The RA180 has one of the most comprehensive feature sets of any high-end amplifier currently on the current market and makes an ideal partner to the brand’s award-winning music streamers," reports Mark Sparrow in Forbes magazine.

"The Build Quality Screams High-End"

"It’s feature-rich, sports a unique aesthetic, and is definitely engaging. At its price point, the RA180 is a good value when compared to the competition. The HiFi Rose RA180 is an integrated that will likely remain in buyers’ systems for years to come."

"An Engrossing Performance"

"The Class D topology, with four GaN transistor amps, offers oodles of power and an engrossing performance, especially when paired with sympathetic speakers," observes Jamie Biesemans, Hi-Fi News, August 2, 2021.

"The RA180 is unlike anything on the market," notes Terry Ellis, pursuitperfectsystem.com. "The level of flexibility on offer is reflective of the value HiFi Rose aim to deliver at all price points, yet the innovative technology and materials used throughout the design set the amplifier up as something capable of astonishing soundscapes."

New-Concept Class AD Amplifier

The traditional power amplifier has developed from Class A to AB to Class D. Class AB was developed to improve the high heat generation and low efficiency of A. Class D has higher efficiency and higher output than AB, and it also significantly improves S/N and THD characteristics compared to Class A and Class AB. However, the sound quality is regarded as inferior to Class A/AB due to the limitations of the digital circuit.

The GaNFET Class AD amplifier developed by HiFi Rose has dramatically improved the performance of the existing Class D amp design by applying innovative new materials and technology. These Gallium Nitride FETs switch on and off at faster speeds than the MOSFETs, resulting in what HiFi Rose calls a "high-speed, perfectly accurate amplification stage" with an analog sound quality.

Dual Amplifier Modules

The RA180 consists of two amplifier modules for sophisticated bi-amplification from a single-chassis component. One amplifier module is dedicated to superior bass/mid-bass, and the other is designed for smooth high-frequency treble in what HiFi Rose calls the "super tweeter" realm. Each amplifier module supports 200-watts at 8 ohms and can output up to 400 watts per channel.

When both modules are individually connected to a speaker’s high and low frequency inputs, the driving force can be greatly improved without being affected by a counter electro-motive force. Alternatively, the Bridge-Tied Load (BTL) mode combines both independent modules for rich, balanced sound using a single pair of speaker cables.

Designed for Excellence in the "Super Tweeter" Realm

The human hearing range has an upper limit of 15-20 kHz. So, is there a need for higher frequency response in hi-fi gear? Transient high frequencies in music extend well beyond 20 kHz, contributing harmonics that give an instrument its distinctive timbre. For example, trumpets have a frequency response that extends to 100 kHz, and 88.2 kHz to 192 kHz sources have a 40 kHz to 96 kHz frequency response.

The RA180 is designed to reproduce a very wide frequency range so that it accommodates high-resolution sound sources with an output range of 20 Hz to 50 kHz, 100 kHz @ -3 dB, 200 kHz @ -6 dB. Crossover adjustability lets you set he base high-frequency output from 600 Hz to 6,000 kHz to match the speakers that you're using. Although these high frequencies may be outside a person’s hearing range, they faithfully support the natural-sounding wide and deep soundstage possessed by the original source.

Balanced Power Supply

The high performance power supply has been exclusively developed for the RA180 by HiFi Rose. It applies fourth generation SiC FET technology to provide high output with less heat. By using a proprietary PFC (power factor circuit), it is designed to be immune to sudden load fluctuations. Support a powerful damping factor of at least 200, and the high output of 1000 watts contributes to the powerful bass and smooth, detailed high frequency response.

Built-in Phono Preamp with Variable EQ

The RA180's built-in phono preamp is purposely designed to accurately reproduce the recording engineer's original intention. Excelling with vinyl records in any genre, it offers low-mid bass crossover and high-frequency roll-off adjustment functions to suit your preferences. Accommodating both MM moving magnet and MC moving coil cartridges via a simple switch selection, the phono stage provides EQ values corresponding to curves from various record manufacturers using parts and circuitry with a 0.1% tolerance.

Product Features

State-of-the-art integrated amplifier
GaNFET Class AD amplifier design by HiFi Rose with 800-watt output
Inputs: Line X 3 (Unbalanced), Balance X 1, MM/MC Phono X 1
Four amplified modules support bi-amping or Bridge Tied Loads (BTL) standard two-cable speaker connection
Outputs for two pairs of speakers
Frequency range spans up-to 100 kHz to deliver a wide and deep sound stage
Active crossover for "super Tweeter" high frequencies, user adjustable
MM/MC phono preamplifier with variable EQ
Active crossover for high frequency output to support Super Tweeter frequencies
Tonally neutral output design, complemented by Bass and Treble tone controls
Bypass Power Amp mode suits complex system configurations
High performance power supply with fourth generation SiC FET technology
VU meters with three levels of dimming
IR remote
Wi-Fi control via RoseAmpConnect app

Controls

Source Input Selector: Supporting 5 kinds of external input (LINE X 3, BALANCE X 1, PHONO X 1), It is also motorized and remotely adjustable
Tone Control: Can control the TREBLE, BASS, BALANCE attributes.
Active Crossover: By removing the low frequency range, only the high frequency range is output, enable to produce high quality sound Main Volume: The main volume can be remotely adjusted.
Bypass-Power Amp Mode Switch: By bypassing the input signal without going through balance, tone control or active crossover, the purity of the sound quality can be improved. (If the input signal is high, it may damage the speaker, so be sure to reduce the input signal before use.)
Speaker Output Selector: Two sets of speakers can be connected, and each set of speakers can be controlled by a switch
Dimmer: The brightness of the light on the front of the unit can be adjusted in 3 levels
Subsonic: Blocks highly low noise that can negatively affect the speakers by blocking highly low frequencies
Attenuator: Reduces the output volume to a minimum level

Product Specs

Power Output: 200W x 4 ch (800W) at 4 ohms or 8 ohms;
Power Output, BTL Mode: 200W x 2 ch
Input Sensitivity: Balanced Input 2,000mV; Unbalanced (Line 1, 2, 3) Input 1,000mV; Phono (MM/MC) Input 5mV / 0.5mV
Input Impedance: Balanced Input 44k ohm; Unbalanced (Line 1, 2, 3) Input 44k ohm; Phono (MM/MC) 44k ohm
Bandwidth (0dBr±3dB/8Ω): Speaker Output 10 Hz-90 kHz; H/F Speaker Output 10 Hz-90 kHz
Frequency Response (1W±1dB/8Ω): Speaker Output 10 Hz-90 kHz; H/F Speaker Output 10 Hz-90 kHz
THD Measure: Balanced and Unbalanced (Line 1, 2, 3) Input 0.005%
Damping Factor: Speaker and H/F Speaker Output >150
Signal to Noise Ratio: BTL / Balanced, Unbalanced / Phono MM, MC: 107dB / 105dB / 80dB (MM), 60dB (MC)
Impedance Output: Speaker Output 53mΩ
Power SMPS (800W) Maximum Output: 1100W
Standby Mode Power Consumption: < 0.5W
Dimensions without Feet: 17" (W) X 13.8" (D) X 4.3" (H)
Dimensions with Feet: 17" (W) X 15.4" (D) X 5.1" (H)
Weight: 37 lb.

Recommended Component 2023 – Stereophile

"JMu fell in love with the appearance of this steampunk-styled, class-D integrated amplifier from Korea when she first saw it at the 2022 AXPONA. She was equally impressed by its sound quality when she installed the RA-180 in her system. It offers a plethora of features—level meters, a phono MC/MM stage, two rows of speaker outputs to allow operation with two pairs of full-range speakers (two channels or four channels), and switchable channel bridging for greater power—and controls for volume, bass, treble, balance, tone control bypass, biamping crossover frequency and high-frequency gain (to drive a supertweeter), and a choice of five phono EQ settings in addition to RIAA."

"JMu concluded that 'The HiFi Rose RA180 is big on speed, energy, clarity, and detail. You get plenty of power in a single chassis.'"

- Stereophile, April 1, 2023

Editors’ Choice Award – 2023 The Absolute Sound

"It offers value both in build and sound quality, significantly surpassing its price point. This unit has the headroom to handle just about any speaker. And while sound quality is certainly the most important criterion, I must say, again, that the industrial design of this unit is spectacular. HiFi Rose is a relative newcomer to this market, but there's no doubt the company is here to stay."

- Rives Bird, The Absolute Sound, Janurary 2023

"The HiFi Rose RA180 integrated amplifier is definitely a reference-level integrated amp, with newer GaN FET-based technology, advancing the current state of Class-D integrated amplifiers, making it one of the best you’ll find under $10,000. With its balanced power supply delivering up to 400 watts per channel, the RA180 provides more than enough power for even the most difficult to drive loudspeakers.

"The build quality screams high-end, while the sound quality could easily be mistaken for a very good Class-AB amp, or maybe even a Class-A amp, with its transparent, smooth and natural sound, but without the heat generation, and with better efficiency. It’s feature-rich, sports a unique aesthetic, and is definitely engaging. At its price point, the RA180 is a good value when compared to the competition. The HiFi Rose RA180 is an integrated that will likely remain in buyers’ systems for years to come."

- Bob Barrett, futureaudiophile.com, June 12, 2024

"It's hard to look past the RA180's outspoken industrial design but many will surely relish the eccentric but well thought-out front fascia. It's not all for show, even if some of the standout features will only be relevant to specific classes of audiophiles. The Class D topology, with four GaN transistor amps, offers oodles of power and an engrossing performance, especially when paired with sympathetic speakers."

- Jamie Biesemans, Hi-Fi News, August 2, 2021

"The RA180 has one of the most comprehensive feature sets of any high-end amplifier currently on the current market and makes an ideal partner to the brand’s award-winning music streamers."

- Mark Sparrow, Forbes magazine, April 29, 2022

"The RA180 is unlike anything on the market. The level of flexibility on offer is reflective of the value HiFi Rose aim to deliver at all price points, yet the innovative technology and materials used through-out the design sets the amplifier up as something capable of astonishing soundscapes."

- Terry Ellis, pursuitperfectsystem.com