Musicality Straight From The Bark – Rose Technics RT-5000 Desktop DAC AMP by ROSESELSA
Rose Technics RT-5000 is a $699 USD Desktop DAC and Headphone Amplifier by ROSESELSA with a wooden face, golden accents, High-End Dual ESS9038PRO DACs inside, and 10 Texas Instruments Amplifier Chips inside. Today we will review the RT5000 and compare it with other similarly priced DAC/AMPs, including Burson PlayMate2 (544 USD), SMSL DO400 (499 USD), and HIFIMAN EF600 (799 USD).
Introduction
This is one of our reviews exploring a product from Rose Technics, a company that is now popular with the hifi enthusiasts for delivering some amazing sound at affordable prices, whilst having beautiful designs and reliable build quality for their products. RT5000 is an outstanding desktop DAC / Headphone AMP, and it is the center of today’s review.
As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to Rose Technics for providing us with the sample for this review.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3QHvg6y
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oCm5PwC
Build Quality/Aesthetics
Rose Technics RT-5000 comes equipped with a Dual ESS ES9038PRO DAC chip solution at the core, charged with the HyperStream II structure, and it has no input clock jitter, supporting DSD256. We have access to 7 DAC filters, and the whole DAC/AMP solution has a performance of 125 SNR and -112 dB THD+N.
The headphone Amplification part is as impressive as the DAC used in RT-5000, as we’re seeing 10 Texas Instruments Chips inside, with 8 OPA1612 Chips responsible for the I/V circuit, with the other two being the LPF Amplifier. The OPA1612 OP-AMPs are also seen in other products including SMSL DO200 PRO, Hiby R4, FiiO K9 PRO ESS, Shanling H5, Hiby RS2, Khadas Tone 2 PRO, and even Shanling M2X uses an OPA1612 in its construction. I mention this as an indicator that many products with vastly different price points and sonic tunings can use the same chip, and you cannot really judge our correctly gauge the performance or sonic character just from knowing what chips are being used.
We are seeing an AMP Power Amplifier for headphones from JRC, as a Dual MUSES01 J-Fet Oxygen-Free Copper Frame OP-0AMPs, and 8 Power Tubes, with RT-5000 achieving a balanced power output of 1600mW at 32 OHMs and a single ended power output of 800mW at 32 OHMs. We even have high-end wireless data transmission, including the QCC 5125 Chipset combined with the Kalimba 120MHz DSP chip, with support of LDAC, aptX LL, aptX Adaptive, and a maximum wireless data rate of 990kbps.
On the front of the RT-5000 we can find the wooden face with large golden accents, including the beautifully decorated volume wheel, a control indicator, and three buttons, one for EQ selection, one for Mute and one for Gain Modes. We also have three headphone outputs, one balanced and in the 4.4mm format, and two single ended, both in the 3.5mm and 6.3mm formats.
At the back of the unit we can find the DC input terminal, XLR Balanced Line Outs, RCA Line Outs, Wireless Mode selector with a SMA connector on top, a Coaxial input, Optical Input and a USB Type-B input. The only connector that is missing, at least for my typical usage these days, is a type-C connector, but otherwise Rose Technics RT-5000 is a very complete and futuristic DAC/AMP.
USB DAC / Subjective Usage
I was absolutely impressed with the artistic solid wood panel on the front of the unit, large gold plating on the controls and the top-grain cowhide layers giving RT-5000 a really unique feel and look. To give it support and rigidity, the unit has a CNC Aluminium alloy frame, and the unit breathes elegance and high-endness as you simply look at it. Using the RT-5000 is simple, you just have to feed it power, feed it audio signal, and then enjoy it. I found that the whole finish is superb, although I do think that as it does not have any feet on any of the sides, top, or bottom, the whole unit is very sensitive to being placed on a desk that is smooth, and although my unit still has zero scratches, I still would recommend some caution when placing it on your desk.
We get a high-quality power converter in the package, but that power converter has the disadvantage of having a rather short power cable, and the indicators are not easy to read at first, as the writing on the golden status bar is not very visible. This being said, this is much better than having heavy fonts or writing on the status bar. There are 4 gain levels, but they are spread very far apart, and between 3 which is almost okay in loudness, and 4 which is very very loud, there is a bit too much space. Level 4 of gain tends to clip with most headphones I have, so it has a bit too much drive.
There is no driver needed for Rose Technics RT-5000, and it does not have any kind of audible sync delay. This means that you can expect to be playing real time games and content with less than 10 ms of delay, so you will not notice even a single frame of audio / video sync issue. The audio driver does not stop easily, so there is no popping, if you pause the sound, and it has excellent experience for Computer / Multimedia usage. Increasing or decreasing the volume is satisfying, we have a large, dampened volume wheel, while all buttons are clicky. I cannot hear a background noise with most IEMs and Headphones, it is dead quiet. I am using a multitude of cables that could introduce noise, but still nothing. The only time you will notice a popping sound is when you change the data rate, for example switching between videos that are playing, you will hear a quiet pop at the beginning of each video.
Some interesting notes on the unit that I have, the volume wheel affects the volume for both the headphone output and the line out. Also, gain levels affect both the line out, and the headphone output. There is no background noise, hissing or noise when using RT-5000 as a DAC for a stereo system, even if you set the volume on RT-5000 at maximum, it is dead quiet, and perfect.
Sound Quality
Pairings and Match-up – To test the Rose Technics RT-5000, I have paired it with both IEMs and Full-Sized Headphones, and for the IEM list I have used Tin HIFI P1 MAx II, Campfire Moon Rover, Simgot EM10, HarmonicDyne Devil, HeartField Blanc, and Soundz Flame. The headphone list includes Palma DHS-1, MIRPH-1, Audeze MM-100, Erzetich Mania V2024, Ecoute TH1 (both wireless and wired), Crosszone CZ-8a Enhanced. The maximum driving power, especially from the balanced output is plenty for full-sized headphones, and it is sufficient for the likes of the HIFIMAN He1000 Unveiled. For IEMs, you will hear a background hiss and noise floor, which will be much more obvious with more sensitive IEMs, and this hissing is audible with most IEMs, although once you play music, it is not audible, or at least not noticeable. The effect is very limited in general though.
Overall Signature – Rose Technics does not have a house sound that I can talk about, but RT-5000 is a fairly warm, smooth and full sounding DAC, with a voluminous bass, and a rich, organic signature that emphasizes all music, from rock, metal to EDM and Pop. Generally, music that is natural, played on acoustic instruments, sounds particularly rich and real, vivid, while music that is Electronic sounds warm, smooth and pleasing, but a bit vintage.
Bass – We have a boofy, strong, warm and slow bass that has a natural decay, fills in the entire sonic scape, and gives music both volume, but also presence, body and weight. RT-5000 creates one of the heaviest, most natural, and satisfying basslines that I’ve heard, managing to give body and weight even to brighter speakers like Elipson XLR7. There’s a special presence of the entire bass, both the sub but also the mid bass is emphasized, but the upper bass is not necessarily too strong, so there’s no boominess nor is there veiling caused by the extra bass.
Midrange – We continue the warmth and richness with one of the most musically euphonic voicing and instrument presentation, as RT-5000 has a particularity sweet presentation, it sounds richer and more musical than most tube amplifiers, and this signature is present both on the headphone output and on the line out. In fact, this is one of the very few DACs that have the same signature for both the headphone output and the line out, and both sound rich, luscious, warm, smooth and incredibly musical. It basically gives naturalness and it is the most distant sounding DAC / Headphone Amplifier from digital, cold or bright.
Treble – This being said, RT-5000 still has an excellent treble extension and can create a beautiful top-end, with audible presence up to 20 kHz, but the energy is not absent, yet the texture and presentation is silky, smooth and relaxed, emphasizing the rich and musical midrange. I am amazed by how vintage, rich and ridiculously pleasing the tuning can be, creating a ballad and live, vivid presentation out of any song RT-5000 is playing.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – Given the prior description, you can expect a slow, sloppy and full decay for each sound, RT-5000 creates the kind of signature that gives music meaning, richness, all textures are organic, full and rich, with no hard edges, so you can consider it kind of laid back and relaxed. Dynamics are very good, but it has no constraints or compression, allowing music to be as dynamically vivid, direct and uncompressed as possible.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – There is no audible difference regardless of the volume level you’re pushing, although using the lowest and the highest gain levels seem to have a bit of an effect, where the lowest gain is the smoothest and most relaxed sounding one, while the highest gain level is a bit more direct and more aggressive.
Soundstage – We have a wide, natural soundstage. RT-5000 never sounds intimate or like music is too close to you, but it does not sound distant either, it allows music to be the most natural version it can be, rich and each musical instrument has a magical presence in its right space. Delightful and pleasing are the best ways to describe the staging of the RT-5000. Stereo separation and imaging is particularly strong and brilliant.
Comparisons
Rose Technics RT-5000 vs HIFIMAN EF600 (699 USD vs 799 USD) – EF600 has a solid construction and it is also beautiful, but it has a more industrial design, it has no volume control for the line out, while RT-5000 has, and while RT-5000 has an excellent bluetooth support, EF600 has a light streaming application. Both have zero USB DAC delay, both can drive a lot of headphones, but the maximum driving power of EF6000 is higher, while RT-5000 has a significantly lower background noise with IEMs and sensitive headphones.
Sonically, EF600 sounds much brighter, colder, more analytic, or soft if you go the R2R way, but it generally has hard edges, sounds direct, raw and unprocessed, while RT-5000 has a particularly sweet, rich and warm sound, with a relaxed and smooth treble. The biggest difference is that while EF600 focuses a lot on the richness and musicality, while EF600 sounds much colder, more neutral and more technical.
Rose Technics RT-5000 vs SMSL DO400 (699 USD vs 499 USD) – DO400 has been a favorite DAC of mine because you can easily use it as a DAC for a stereo system, but while the headphone output exists, it is not quite as impressive as that of any of the competition, so RT-5000 immediately sounds much richer, sweeter, has more driving power, control and a lower noise for the headphone output. Both have more or less the same input and output support, both have zero USB DAC delay, and both have good support from the producers. The design of RT-5000 is far more beautiful than that of the SMSL DO-400.
Sonically, RT5000 is a much richer, smoother, more musical sounding DAC and DO400 just sounds mid centric, gentle, lacks warmth and excitement, while RT-5000 is exceptionally rich, musical, has a more vivid imaging, better instrument separation, and yet a much more organic sound. I generally recommend the RT-5000 more, but it costs much more, yet it is a better purchase than the DO400, for mixed media usage.
Rose Technics RT-5000 vs Burson PlayMate 2 (699 USD vs 544 USD) – Burson made a really nice, industrial-looking Desktop DAC / Headphone Amplifier, and PlayMate 2 is exceptionally sharp in the design, but RT-5000 looks more luxurious, more beautiful and yet it also has much better support for mixed media usage, having RCA and XLR Line outs, balanced headphone output, while PlayMate2 has only RCA and a single ended headphone output. The list of inputs on RT-5000 is also much better, and it is a more complete DAC / Headphone AMP.
Sonically, you can do more with PlayMate if you invest in aftermarket OP-AMPs, but RT-5000 has a lower background noise level, it also has a more organic, smoother, and more musical sound. PlayMate2 is a really fun sounding DAC/AMP, but in the default state, it can be very cold sounding, while with Vivid or Classic Op-AMPs, it can become more organic, it is never quite as warm, rich and smooth as RT-5000, which is a king of vintage, full and euphonic sound tuning.
Value and Conclusion
Rose Technics is one of the very few companies that took the time to engineer a beautiful looking desktop DAC AMP, and made a beautiful sound too, with a good number of inputs and outputs, RT-5000 being a versatile option for anyone who wants to enjoy music and still have a luxurious looking setup. Although I read that some of the very first units produced had only a line out at the back with fixed volume, the one I am reviewing has variable volume, and it works beautifully. In fact, I saw Rose Technics RS-5000 being sold for a price tag of 609 USD, which would make it a super killer deal in today’s market.
At the end of the day, if you want to enjoy a full, smooth, and lush sonic presentation, if you want to hear a beautiful voicing, and if you generally enjoy a rich midrange, full bass, and if you need both an excellent DAC for a desktop system, or a headphone driver, RT-5000 should bring a smile to your face and make you really happy.
PROs
- Superb, Luxurious design
- No USB DAC Delay
- Strong Bluetooth signal
- Warm, Smooth, Full and Rich Sound
- Wide soundstage
- Good driving power
- No background noise for the XLR Balanced output
- Excellent build quality, reliable and sturdy
- All inputs and outputs you can desire
- No driver needed
Cons
- You may notice some hissing with very sensitive IEMs
- Small pop sound when changing the current data rate
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3QHvg6y
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oCm5PwC
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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