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Best Integrated Amplifier Award, 2024-2025 – EISA
Top-Notch Master Integrated Amplifier RA280
HiFi Rose's RA280 offers a remarkable listening experience that empowers you to feel the true essence of music.
The RA280 is an integrated amplifier that inherits the innovative technologies used in the widely acclaimed HiFi Rose RA180. Enjoy pure natural sound as close to the original source as you can get. It offers sound that transcends the boundaries between digital and analog technologies with excellent linearity.
Award-Winning Performance
The Expert Sound and Imaging Association (EISA) gave the HiFi Rose RA280 its Best Integrated Amplifier Award for 2024-2025.
"Since its arrival on the hi-fi scene in 2017, HiFi Rose has seduced audiophiles with a range of products that combine high-quality engineering and performance with a unique sense of style.
"The RA280 analogue integrated amplifier is no exception, its elegant casework with tactile front-panel controls (and VU meters) concealing an innovative GaN FET-based Class D amp stage that comfortably outperforms its 2x250W specification. In use, via either its balanced line input or moving-magnet phono stage, the RA280 dazzles with detailed, airy stereo imaging and a dynamic, exciting sound that’ll have you cranking up its illuminated volume dial. HiFi Rose’s amplifier punches far above its price tag."
"Seriously Capable"
"The Hi-Fi Rose has the ability to impart a sense of passion and drive that many price rivals cannot. Its clean tonality, married to a sinewy, engaging bass and plenty of midband detail," observes David Price, stereonet.com, November 28, 2024.
"Don't be fooled by its looks. The RA280 may channel the styling of a 20W Japanese transistor integrated from the mid-nineteen seventies, but it's a very different flower indeed."
"If you're interested in a seriously capable mid-price integrated, this must be on your shortlist – particularly if you have a softer-sounding source and/or power-hungry loudspeakers."
"Left a Very Rosy Impression"
"Hifi Rose gives the informed shopper a fully legit alternative to the established brands then throws proprietary solutions, fine workmanship, and skillful styling into the mix. As a brand newbie previously exposed only through adverts, webpages and reviews done by others, my first Hifi Rose encounter by way of their RA280 really left a very – uh, rosy impression," reports Srajan in his darko.audio review for May 6, 2024<
"The RA280’s excellent no-noise performance didn’t swallow up recorded ambience like a black hole. In fact, I didn’t hear any class D attributes per se, just good relaxed transistor sound."
Form Follows Sound
The design of the RA280 reflects its inner purity in terms of overall solid finish and functionality. At the same time it achieves harmony between the interior and exterior through a design that focuses on acoustic excellence. The sturdy aluminum chassis and elaborate arrangement of ventilation grooves satisfy both functionality and progressive exterior design. Additionally, the front buttons and control panel embody vintage elegance and sophistication.
Class AD Amplifier with Next Generation GaN FET
Hi-fi amplifier technology has continued to evolve in the order of Class A, Class AB, and Class D. The latest Class D designs that utilize the latest technology are outstandingly superior in efficiency compared to Class A or AB amplifiers and have achieved significant improvements in signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and total harmonic distortion (THD). However, despite these advantages, Class D amps can suffer from a lack of sound quality compared to premium analog amplifiers.
To overcome these limitations, HiFi Rose independently developed Class AD amplifier technology using GaN (gallium nitride) FETs and applied this technology to the RA280. It achieves sound quality comparable to analog while maintaining the efficiency and power amplification of existing Class D amplifiers - which are known for their high efficiency, low total harmonic distortion rate, and theoretical topology of perfectly linear output. The speed and accuracy of switching operations are essential to achieve perfect Class D design theory. However, conventional products lack linearity compared to Class A and AB amplifiers due to the limitations of silicon FETs.
To improve on these problems, RA280 uses the innovative new material gallium nitride (GaN) to replace the previously used silicon FET (field effect transistor). This dramatically improves 'dead time' to 1/10 of the previous level and implements linear output with a switching speed close to zero. This improvement in linearity is the result of pushing the limitations of Class D amplifiers, allowing smooth, natural reproduction of sound quality with the fluidity of an analog amplifier.
Two Completely Separated Mono Amplifier Modules
The RA280 boasts two separate amplifier modules that operate like a mono amplifier, supporting 250 W (into 4 ohms and 8 ohms) for the left and right amplifier respectively, outputting 500 watts on a stereo channel. The RA280 applies two-stage analog filter technology designed by HiFi ROSE to achieve the best sound quality.
HiFi Rose's LC filter provides excellent frequency response by offering -1 dB attenuation in the frequency band up to 65 kiz and -3 d attenuation in the 85 kHz range. This technology dramatically reduces carrier noise caused by the inherent switching of Class D amplifiers, providing clearer and cleaner sound quality in all bands. The spatial description and resolution have been greatly improved, creating an evolved sound with an analog feel.
High-Efficiency Power Supply
The RA280 uses a unique power supply circuit independently developed by HiFi Rose. It uses silicon carbide FET instead of silicon FET. Silicon carbide FET is a power semiconductor device with high voltage and high heat resistance. It has higher efficiency and generates less heat than silicon FET, enabling an optimal power supply.
Based on innovative design of the materials and structure, the RA280 reliably provides high output while minimizing heat generation to deliver the best sound quality. In addition, the RA280 applies a 2.5 kW power factor correction (PFC) circuit independently designed by HiFi Rose and introduces a high-capacity condenser to maintain excellent performance even under rapid load situations This allows for a stronger response in terms of stability and reliability.
Built-in MM Phono Preamplifier
The RA280 supports your turntable with a built-in MM moving magnet phono preamp, selectable with the flip of a switch. It amplifies the very weak audio signal captured by the cartridge, processes it without distortion, and uses high-precision compensation circuitry developed by HiFi Rose to deliver sound as close to the original source as possible.
In essence, it offers the best sound quality without compromising the fine details of the audio signal and the original impression of the music. The RA280's phono amplifier perfectly provides the essential elements for high-quality music playback, taking the performance of your audio system to the next level and allowing you to enjoy richer, more vivid sound.
Balance Control for Treble and Bass
The default output of the RA280 can be shaped with a defeatable tone control, allowing for 15 dB adjustment of bass (100 Hz) and treble (10 kHz). The tone control circuit is equipped with a high-fidelity active EQ (OP-AMP: 12 dB slope) instead of passive (CR), with a gentle 6 dB slope.
