HiFi Rose has quietly become one of the few brands that actually get it—delivering real audiophile-grade performance without making you dig through a user manual the size of War and Peace. Big touchscreens, solid software, and thoughtful design aren’t just window dressing—they make these streamers a pleasure to use, not just admire.
The $3,295 RS451 lands between the RS250A ($2,695) and the flagship RS151 ($5,695), taking most of the heavy lifting from the top model while adding a dedicated headphone amplifier. It’s built for people who want the sound to be front and center, whether that’s in a dedicated listening room or on your desk. Pair it with a proper set of headphones, and it quickly makes you forget it’s just “another streamer.”
The network streamer market is exploding, and for good reason. WiiM, FiiO, Topping, NAD, Eversolo, Cambridge Audio—they’re all putting solid options under $2,000 on the table, making high-end streaming more accessible than ever. Yet somehow the industry still clings to the idea that you own your music collection. Here’s the reality: you don’t. You’re a renter. If one of your favorite boutique services folds tomorrow, all that money you poured in buys you zero actual ownership—just the fleeting illusion of control.
HiFi Rose RS451 Network Streamer: Precision Build, CNC Aluminum Chassis & Advanced Touchscreen Interface
The RS451 feels like it was built to survive more than a casual glance. The body is CNC-machined aluminum with a matte anodized finish—solid, dense, and available in black or silver. At roughly 16 pounds, it has real substance without being overbearing. Its footprint—17 inches wide, 13 inches deep, 3.5 inches tall—slots easily into a desktop or rack without dominating your space, which is a plus if you’re trying to avoid the “streamer swallows desk” problem.
The 8.8-inch LCD touchscreen is more than a gimmick. It’s bright, color-accurate, and responsive enough that you’ll actually enjoy navigating libraries or streaming services instead of wrestling a laggy interface. HiFi Rose has clearly invested in software alongside hardware; menus scroll smoothly, visualizers run without hiccups, and video playback works as advertised. In a sea of network streamers that slap a touchscreen on and call it a day, this one actually earns it.
Connectivity: Headphone Outputs, Digital & Analog I/O, and Flexible Streaming Setup
To the right of the touchscreen, there’s a machined aluminum volume knob with smooth, damped rotation that makes precise adjustments easy. On the left, you’ll find three headphone outputs: a 6.35 mm single-ended, a 4.4 mm balanced Pentaconn, and a full-size balanced XLR. A nearby dial lets you select which output is active without navigating menus.
Around the back, the RS451 offers a comprehensive set of inputs and outputs. Digital inputs include USB 2.0 Type-B, optical, coaxial, and HDMI eARC, while digital outputs include USB 3.0 Type-A, optical, and coaxial. HDMI out supports 4K video for TV or HiFi Rose’s curated YouTube music content. There’s also Ethernet and USB for external drives.
Analog options include balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs, plus a single line-level input. That input allows connection of a phono preamp or other analog sources, letting the RS451 function as a network streamer, headphone amp, and preamp for a power amplifier or active speakers. Connectors are mostly chassis-mounted and clearly labeled, making setup straightforward.
Features & Technology: Dual ESS DACs, High-Performance Headphone Stage & Advanced Processing
Inside the RS451, HiFi Rose didn’t just slap in another DAC—they went dual ESS ES9027PRO. One DAC drives the analog outputs, the other powers the headphone stage, keeping both clean and detailed. These aren’t the “biggest on paper” ESS chips, but the hardware mode cuts out unnecessary software gymnastics, and the Femto clock keeps jitter low. Fully balanced 8-channel design further trims noise.
The headphone amp is no afterthought. Four high-performance ICs deliver low noise, precise impedance matching, and plenty of current. It handles everything from delicate IEMs to full-size planar magnetics above 600 ohms, with a 1,300 V/μs slew rate keeping transients snappy and distortion minimal.
Under the hood, an 8-core RK3588 CPU with 8 GB RAM and 32 GB storage keeps the interface quick and libraries huge—over a million tracks. PCM hits 32-bit/768 kHz, native DSD512 works, and PCM-to-DSD upsampling is supported. Seven digital filters tweak tonal balance, ROSE DPC locks clocks, and the ROSE NRA analog filter keeps bass tight and flat.
Separate Toroidal power supplies for headphones and analog outputs, plus careful grounding, cut crosstalk and interference. The RS451 isn’t just a streamer; it’s a full preamp/headphone hub that actually earns the attention of anyone who cares about what comes out of the cans.
HiFi Rose RS451 Streaming & Connectivity: Apps, Control, and TV Integration
The RS451 covers all the bases for streaming. You get Qobuz, TIDAL, Apple Music, Spotify Connect, Rose Radio, RoseTube, and Roon Ready certification. Control is flexible—you can use the touchscreen, the included remote, or the app. The HiFi Rose app has steadily improved with updates, letting you manage every setting and swap tracks from your phone without digging through menus.
For home theater or desktop setups, HDMI eARC is included, so you can connect a TV, get better audio for movies, and even adjust volume with your TV remote. Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX is also onboard for quick wireless streaming, which is handy if you want something that just works without hunting for cables. In short, the RS451 handles streaming with no fuss, while still giving you the flexibility to control playback however you like.
Key Specifications
- DAC: Dual ESS SABRE ES9027PRO (one for analog pre-out, one for headphone output)
- Audio Inputs:
- Analog: 1 × Line In (Unbalanced)
- Digital: 1 × Optical, 1 × Coaxial, 1 × HDMI eARC, 1 × USB 2.0 Type-B
- Audio Outputs:
- Analog: 1 × Balanced XLR, 1 × Unbalanced RCA
- Digital: 1 × Optical, 1 × Coaxial, 1 × USB 3.0 Type-A, 1 × HDMI 2.0 (Audio & Video)
- Video Output: HDMI 2.0, 4K UHD @ 60Hz
- Display: 8.8” IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen
- Streaming & Connectivity: Qobuz, TIDAL, Apple Music, Spotify Connect, Rose Radio, RoseTube, Roon Ready; Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX; HDMI eARC
- Control Options: Touchscreen, included remote, HiFi Rose app
- Build & Finish: Aluminum / rust-proof steel / ABS; available in Silver or Black
- Dimensions: 13.27” × 6.9” × 3.62”
- Weight: 15.4 lbs
The Bottom Line
The HiFi Rose RS451 is a technically solid, versatile network streamer that delivers on the brand’s reputation for build quality and thoughtful design. With dual ESS SABRE DACs, a robust headphone stage, full analog and digital I/O, and flexible streaming options—including Qobuz, TIDAL, Roon Ready, and Bluetooth—the RS451 handles almost any setup you throw at it.
The 8.8-inch touchscreen is responsive and bright, and the HiFi Rose app has matured significantly since the days of the RS201E, giving precise control over playback and settings without frustration.
While it isn’t inexpensive, it’s more approachable than the rest of the HiFi Rose lineup and competes comfortably with high-end streamers from NAD, Hegel, and Cambridge Audio, making it a strong choice for anyone who wants a reference-quality streamer that doubles as a preamp and headphone hub.
Where to buy: $3,295 at Audio Advice
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