Hifi Rose - USA RA180
With effortless power and an expansive, finely resolved presentation, the RA180 makes demanding speakers feel beautifully controlled. Its four GaN channels bring rare bi-amp flexibility, punchy bass grip and vivid spatial scale; HiFi News heard an engrossing, authoritative performance, while The Absolute Sound praised its natural ease, headroom and soundstage.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
94/100
Features Connectivity
91/100
Value for Money
94/100
Pros
Delivers effortless power, strong bass control and composed dynamics with demanding music and loudspeakers.
Bi-amp and bridged modes can improve soundstage scale, separation and overall control with compatible speakers.
Premium, tactile build combines extensive analogue connectivity, MM/MC phono capability and unusually flexible speaker configuration.
Cons
Its elaborate speaker modes and terminal layout demand careful reading of the manual and cable configuration.
App control proved unreliable in one review and lacks dual-band/5GHz Wi-Fi support.
The phono stage lacks adjustable cartridge loading, and low-level MC noise was noted at close range.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
Reviewers consistently found the RA180 unusually open, controlled, and powerful, combining a natural tonal presentation with exceptional drive. Its bi-amp and bridged modes are repeatedly credited with greater scale, separation, bass grip, and spatial precision.
Transparency Resolution
94/100
Stereophile calls the RA180 big on speed, energy, clarity, and detail, and found its quietest backgrounds in bi-amped high-resolution playback. HiFi Huff likewise heard more clarity, snap, drive, and transparency, while Andrew Robinson described it as highly linear and notably uncoloured through the midrange and treble.
Tonal Balance Musicality
93/100
The Absolute Sound heard a superior top-to-bottom balance, natural tone, and a relaxed lack of strain. Stereophile described the presentation as smooth, natural, and liquid, while HiFi News found a slightly warm character that worked especially well with revealing loudspeakers.
Dynamics
94/100
Reviewers repeatedly praise the RA180's substantial headroom and effortless authority with demanding music and loudspeakers. Sound Advice found it capable of driving virtually any speaker without breaking a sweat, and Stereophile described orchestral transients as lightning-fast and startlingly dramatic; Andrew Robinson noted a slight softening of ultimate snap at the frequency extremes.
Soundstage Imaging
93/100
HiFi Huff heard an expansive, airy, three-dimensional stage with natural and beautiful imaging. Stereophile found images realistic and naturally scaled, and HiFi News reported convincing three-dimensionality plus greater scale and separation in bi-amp mode; Andrew Robinson felt the stage favoured width over depth in his room.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
94/100
The physical controls receive unusually enthusiastic praise: HiFi Huff found every dial, switch, and meter solid, authoritative, and free of looseness. HiFi News describes the form and fit as superb, with a premium feel throughout, while Stereophile also noted the sturdy controls and toggle levers.
Features Connectivity
91/100
The RA180 is an unusually flexible analogue integrated amplifier, with balanced and single-ended inputs, switchable MM/MC phono, a subwoofer output, tone controls, selectable phono equalisation, and smartphone control. Its four amplifier modules can run two speaker pairs, bi-amp suitable speakers, or bridge into a higher-power stereo configuration, with adjustable high-pass filtering for the HF channels.
Value for Money
94/100
At $6,995, Stereophile considered the RA180 neither entry-level nor unreasonable by high-end standards and felt it offered a great deal at its asking price. The Absolute Sound says its build and sound quality significantly surpass its price point, while Sound Advice heard the kind of performance normally expected from much larger and pricier amplifiers.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Size
- 16.9" W x 13.7" D x 4.3" H
- Weight
- 36.8 lbs
- Finish
- High Purity Aluminium
- Audio input
- Balanced XLR Line Input x1 Unbalanced RCA Line Input x 3 MM/MC (switchable) Phono Input x 1 COAX x 1 USB Audio In x1
- Audio output
- Subwoofer Out x 1
- FTC Power Output Rating (RMS)
- 200W x 2ch (8Ω, 20Hz-20kHz, THD 0.1%)
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
- 0.05% (8Ω, 1W to 250W, 1kHz)
- Frequency Range
- 10Hz~100kHz (8Ω, 1W)
- Load Impedance
- 8Ω
- Damping Factor
- Speaker and H/F Speaker Output >150
- Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N)
- BTL / Balanced, Unbalanced / Phono MM, MC 107dB / 105dB / 80dB (MM), 60dB (MC)
- Impedance Output
- Speaker Output 53m Ohm
- Subsonic Filter with On/Off Switch
- -3dB 50Hz
- Tone Control with On/Off Switch
- Bass (100Hz) / Treble (10kHz) +- 15dB
- X-Over with On/Off Switch
- HPF (-3dB) 600Hz - 6kHz
- Phono Turnover
- Flat 300Hz (+7.7dB @100Hz) 400Hz (+11.7dB @100Hz) 500Hz (+13dB @ 100Hz) 700Hz (+14.5db @ 100hz)
- Phono Roll-Off
- Flat 1.6kHz (-16dB @ 10kHz) 2.1kHz (-13.7dB @ 10kHz) 3.18kHz (-11dB @ 10kHz) 3.4kHz (-8dB @ 10kHz) 6.36kHz (-5dB @ 10kHz)
- Power
- Power SMPS (800W)
- Power
- Voltage AC100-230v, 50 / 60Hz
- Audio In / Out on Rear
- Trigger Trigger Voltage Can be turned On: 3.3v - 12v
- Remote Control
- IR Input 38kHz Infrared Ray (Within 10m of operating distance)
Manufacturer's Description — Hifi Rose - USA
RA180 At A Glance
- Advanced Class D amplifier design with 800W output.
- Gallium Nitride FETs for perfect linear output.
- Four amplifier modules to support Bridge Tied Loads or bi-amping.
- Frequency range up to 100kHz.
- Separate outputs for two sets of stereo speakers.
- Built-in moving magnet and moving coil phono stage.
- Phono stage with adjustable EQ.
- Active crossover to support Super Tweeter frequencies.
- Tonally flat output design.
- Bass and treble tone controls.
- Bypass Power Amp mode.
- High-efficiency power supply with Silicon Carbide FET.
- Dimmable VU meters.
Combining aesthetics from the past with technology engineered for the future, HiFi Rose RA180 is a new type of integrated amplifier that will transform your listening experience. With its illuminated meters, sleek silver chassis, and gleaming sliders and switches, its aesthetics are simultaneously retro and futuristic. The RA180 is engineered for an extremely wide frequency response (even beyond that of human hearing), to enable your system to deliver a stunningly immersive soundstage.
F4 Mono Amplifiers - Multi Output Configuration using Modules
Each channel of the RA180 amplifier is equipped with an AMP module specialized for stable bass and balance and a module specialized for soft treble and super tweeter area, with two modules. Each AMP module supports 200W (8 Ohms) and can output up to 400W per channel, for a total output of 800 watts. There are two independent modules that divide the high and low frequencies respectively, so that the speaker and, when connected, Bi-Amping has a driving force which is increased without being affected by the back electromotive force. RA180 also features BTL Mode which combines the output of two independent modules to produce a thicker and more balanced sound.
Phono Ready
The RA180 has built-in moving-magnet (MM) and moving-coil (MC) phono stages, with switch selection. It has adjustable EQ, with EQ values corresponding to curves from various record-manufacturers, using parts with a 0.1% tolerance.
Gan FET Technology
As longtime audiophiles know, amplifier design has evolved, from Class A to Class A/B to Class D. Engineers developed Class A/B to improve the high heat generation and low efficiency of Class A. Class D has higher efficiency and higher output than Class A/B, and it significantly improved the signal-to-noise ratio and THD (total harmonic distortion) characteristics, as compared to Class A and Class A/B. However, many found the sound quality to be inferior to A and A/B due to the limitations of the digital circuit. The Gallium Nitride (GaN) Advanced Class D amplifier developed by HiFi Rose has dramatically improved issues related to existing Class D technology; this was achieved by applying innovative new materials. Class D amplifiers have a topology that theoretically provides a perfect linear output at 0% distortion and 100% power efficiency. In order to achieve this, the switching action requires high speed and accuracy. However, previous products were weak compared to Class A and A/B in the linearity aspect, due to the limitations of Silicon FET, which couldn't produce ultra-smooth and natural sound. In the RA180, HiFi Rose has used a new material, GaN FET (instead of Silicon FET), to solve this problem. The dead time was dramatically improved, and a nearly perfect linear output was realized with a switching speed close to zero. This linearity goes beyond the Class D limits and produces a smooth and natural sound— like an analog amplifier.
Treble Design that Reproduced even the Super Tweeter Area
The human hearing range is known to have an upper limit of 15 - 20KHz. So why would it be necessary to build an amp with a higher range? Using modern research and experience it's now perhaps a good time to question this belief. Temporary high treble can extend well beyond 20KHz. For example, the trumpet has a frequency response that expands up to 100KHz. RA180 has an output range of 20Hz - 50Khz, 100Khz@-3dB, 200KHz @-6dB. The frequency response range is designed to be wide so that high-resolution sound sources are not filtered. This ability might be beyond human audible range, but at a wide frequency it faithfully plays the area. The depth and width of the sound and the realism will contribute to the expression.
Balanced Power Supply
The power supply that has been exclusively developed for the RA180 applies fourth-generation Silicon Carbide (SiC) FET technology to provide high output with less heat. In addition, by using a self-developed PFC (power factor circuit), it is designed to not be affected by sudden load fluctuations. The power supply device was developed to support a powerful damping factor, and the high output of 1,000 watts is designed to produce deep bass and accurate treble tones.
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- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
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- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
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- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
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