This is what sets you apart from other reviewers, an honest and good review, and not an aggressive and demeaning way of describing a component that obviously has issues, at least the one you received. Very cool.
I'm so glad you like my approach! I know first hand the amount of time and care that will have gone into a product like this one and I think it's disrespectful to the engineers to slam them for mistakes. Instead, if we're respectful about it, they have a chance to improve next time and bring us all better products. 🙂🙂
I haven't compared them directly, but the Mojo 2 is a better device than anything I've tried to an equivalent price so, while the RT-5000 is a nice device with a better setup for a dedicated desktop system, I'd still choose the Mojo 2 on general sound quality based on the various other comparisons I've made.
Nice Review. I've tried enough All in One DAC/Amp combo's now to realize that one section is usually vastly better than the other in the unit. Going with a DAC/Amp STACK has always had much better results for me. I bought the Nitsch Pietus Maximus and ended up returning the DAC chips and just keeping the amp. The Schiit MultiBit and ESS Chips couldn't come close to doing what the Geshelli J2S could with the PM
Yes, that's generally true in my experience too. I think all-in-one devices are really only best when needing to save space. That said, the RT5000 is actually pretty impressive in both DAC and amp performance.
That's a great question and hard to answer because I've just recently parted with the M500, but I think the RT5000 sounds a little better while the M500 has the better interface and more robust controls/reliability (i.e. no weird issues with volume control, etc.) If newer versions of the RT5000 have the little niggles fixed, it would be the winner due to sound quality, I'd say.
Great in depth review as always! It's indeed a gorgeous unit! But the amount of small technical (haha..) problems with the design stack up so much that I wonder how this will fare against the serious competition it will face in the all-in-one market... For a bit, I stuck on the Technics part of the name which made me think "ohhh, no way such an accomplished and experimented company as Technics puts out a product with so many issues".... Then realizing it's not the Japanese stalwart company haha!
That (Technics) caught me too. You're right. This is Rose Technics, a completely different brand that are clearly having some challenges with their early designs and quality control.
ooof i want this exact thing but without the flaws lol i hope the next iteration addresses all the gripes from everyones reviews but i love the walnut wood & green leather combo
To my ears, the Mojo 2 is distinctly better. I've heard that some other reviewers prefer the RT-5000, but it lacks the staging depth and nuance of the Mojo 2 in my opinion and that will largely come down to the limitations of the DAC in the RT-5000. They've done a great job of extracting excellent sound from it, but I'd still use the Mojo 2 over it (and actually do 🙂)
I ran it with a Windows PC without issue, but I didn't try super high sample rates. Often, all devices will work for regular sample rates without drivers so I'm not sure about the need for anything specific.
@@PassionforSoundIndeed! Yes okay the S9C is a dac/amp/preamp from the same company (aune) that cost around the same as the RT5000 and has the same aluminium box so I thought.. Can't wait for the s17 then! :)
Lachlan, how is it possible that the xlr and rca have identical performance? Is that not unusual? Is the unit not truly balanced, is that why, are the inputs just for convenience? Also it looks beautiful eh? Great video mate, and the closeup shots of the device look fantastic.
Even it comes to balanced vs single ended output, the only benefits you'll get are more voltage (louder) from the XLR and also XLR can cancel out any noise picked up by the interconnects (depending on whether the DAC and amp are both truly balanced). However, what this also means is that in most home applications where the cables are short (i.e. not>10m cable runs in studios), balanced has no real benefit.
GM ❄️☕️from Toronto …Rose ..for a second I thought it was their streamer you’re reviewing 😆 Btw, I’ve moved away from “regular” DACS and now just run the new Denafrips Ares 12-1 This looks like a decent all in one unit . Have a great weekend 👍
Bye. May I have an answer to a question? Is it true, as it is said, that FOSI devices are the best among mini amplifiers? Other. Is it true that FOSI devices are on par with amplifiers and preamplifiers worth a few thousand dollars?
I am replacing the SMSL SU-9 Pro with RT5000. And RT5000 into Topping A90D amp I already have. Will let you know how it sounds. Balanced xlr output. While I liked SU9 Pro, there is a certain flatness to these typical chip based dac’s, which from multiple reviewers I trust like IWIII indicate, this is not the case. Almost went for Geshelli J2 with Sparkos and upgraded AKM chip, but doubling in price and case is cheap and ugly. This will be my endgame DAC.
@@PassionforSound Wow! Significantly? Would you be able to describe in what ways and how it's better in your ever-so eloquent fashion? I would love to get your take on it. Thank you!
Did I not discuss it in the video? I thought I did. Going from memory now, the Mojo 2 produces a greater sense of space in the soundstage, including more separation of individual sounds as well as more depth in the soundstage. I also find that the Mojo 2 extracts a little more texture and nuance so you can hear some more of the subtle tonal/timbral qualities of the instruments.
@@PassionforSound You might have and I just missed it somehow. It's amazing how such a compact and portable unit that is priced similarly can achieve such feat! Thanks for taking the time to elaborate!
Shallow soundstage? A rudimentary pre-misconception of Delta - Sigma D/A reproduction. Both Wave Theory and (Is It Worth It Reviews) were adamant that the RT-5000 supersedes the performance of the Chord mojo2 in most aspects of frequency response but especially in technicalities. I have not tested the RT-5000 so unable to challenge. Bur the Chord mojo2 has been my daily driver for 2 years and thus agree with their synopsis on its limitations in dynamics and soundstagw lateral radiation and back to front depth.
Nothing rudimentary or wrong about it. The processing required to accurately reproduce soundstage cues. The RT5000 is excellent, but I can't agree with either of those two (who I respect) on the Mojo 2 comparison. There's a way that most Delta Sigma DACs present sound that can seem more dynamic, etc. than Chord DACs (and some R2R and DSD DACs), but it's normally due to all sounds being more forward in the soundstage and therefore less accurate to a true, live listening experience.
Why is Hifiman seemingly the only one that gets having a simple device? Many of us will never use these Bluetooth chips for our hi end headphones. The ef499 and ef500 is simple. Digital in or usb in with an optional ethernet steaming via ethernet. Get a wireless to ethernet dongle if you do not have a ethernet port available. I actually use this stuff. All these over priced dacs and headphone amps are silly. 😂😊
This actually is a pretty simple device and every well executed from a sonic perspective. The HiFiMan gear has its own issues like crappy volume knobs and mediocre amp stages. Not knocking HiFiMan gear because it's great, but the point is that no piece of gear is perfect.
Hi,and the question if I can connect the SMSL su9 ultra to theTopping L70 which would be a headphone amp and a preamp to which I would connect the SMSL AO 200MKII so that I have a set connected...THANKS
Yes. That would all work fine! You might find that a cleaner signal path of taking the SU-9 Ultra direct to the AO200 MK2 (e.g. use RCA outputs for one device and the XLR outputs for the other). Having the L70 in the middle of the chain might actually degrade the sound a bit so perhaps try both setups and see what you like most.
In fact, “balanced” never matters unless you operate in an EMI/RFI rich environment. “balanced” can also deliver more power due to the doubling of the circuitry, but “single-ended” can achieve the same in a dual mono configuration.
MJ3 has arrived and will be reviewed very soon. I generally agree about many of the ChiFi products and avoid them, but this one is a little different by using the MUSES01 op-amps and it's aesthetic design. It's trying to break away from the rest and I appreciate that.
It looks to me to have been cobbled together from bits from a parts bin, and that includes the name. Gold knobs are never ok, unless you are Donald Trump.
This is what sets you apart from other reviewers, an honest and good review, and not an aggressive and demeaning way of describing a component that obviously has issues, at least the one you received. Very cool.
I'm so glad you like my approach! I know first hand the amount of time and care that will have gone into a product like this one and I think it's disrespectful to the engineers to slam them for mistakes. Instead, if we're respectful about it, they have a chance to improve next time and bring us all better products. 🙂🙂
Very helpful review ，how does it compare to Mojo 2 re soundstage and timbre?
I haven't compared them directly, but the Mojo 2 is a better device than anything I've tried to an equivalent price so, while the RT-5000 is a nice device with a better setup for a dedicated desktop system, I'd still choose the Mojo 2 on general sound quality based on the various other comparisons I've made.
Nice Review. I've tried enough All in One DAC/Amp combo's now to realize that one section is usually vastly better than the other in the unit. Going with a DAC/Amp STACK has always had much better results for me. I bought the Nitsch Pietus Maximus and ended up returning the DAC chips and just keeping the amp. The Schiit MultiBit and ESS Chips couldn't come close to doing what the Geshelli J2S could with the PM
Yes, that's generally true in my experience too. I think all-in-one devices are really only best when needing to save space. That said, the RT5000 is actually pretty impressive in both DAC and amp performance.
Danke!
Bitte!
Long-time fan of your very clear and comprehensive reviews here - how would you compare it to the SMSL M500 mkiii?
That's a great question and hard to answer because I've just recently parted with the M500, but I think the RT5000 sounds a little better while the M500 has the better interface and more robust controls/reliability (i.e. no weird issues with volume control, etc.) If newer versions of the RT5000 have the little niggles fixed, it would be the winner due to sound quality, I'd say.
@@PassionforSound thanks 🙏🏻 I'm making the decision around now and it came down to these.
My pleasure. I hope you love whichever you choose. 🙂
Great in depth review as always! It's indeed a gorgeous unit! But the amount of small technical (haha..) problems with the design stack up so much that I wonder how this will fare against the serious competition it will face in the all-in-one market... For a bit, I stuck on the Technics part of the name which made me think "ohhh, no way such an accomplished and experimented company as Technics puts out a product with so many issues".... Then realizing it's not the Japanese stalwart company haha!
That (Technics) caught me too. You're right. This is Rose Technics, a completely different brand that are clearly having some challenges with their early designs and quality control.
ooof i want this exact thing but without the flaws lol i hope the next iteration addresses all the gripes from everyones reviews but i love the walnut wood & green leather combo
It's a pretty cool little box, but waiting for a later build of this or even a version 2 would be a good idea, I think.
@@PassionforSound yeah think i'm going with the Topping A70 pro & D70 sabre stack upgrading from the original JDS Labs EL dac & amp stack
Sounds like a nice choice. Enjoy!
Thank you for the wonderful review as usual
I want to know how the Rose Technics RT-5000 compares to the Chord Mojo 2
To my ears, the Mojo 2 is distinctly better. I've heard that some other reviewers prefer the RT-5000, but it lacks the staging depth and nuance of the Mojo 2 in my opinion and that will largely come down to the limitations of the DAC in the RT-5000. They've done a great job of extracting excellent sound from it, but I'd still use the Mojo 2 over it (and actually do 🙂)
Thank you for the review. How does Mojo2 compare to FIIO K9? I am choosing between K9,RT-5000 and MOJO2.
I'd take the Mojo 2 for sure. Better resolution, much better staging and it's portable
Thank you for your reply and suggestions.
Great review.
I have a query, Is there a windows driver available? I can't see that anywhere on their website. Have you tried it with windows PC?
I ran it with a Windows PC without issue, but I didn't try super high sample rates. Often, all devices will work for regular sample rates without drivers so I'm not sure about the need for anything specific.
@@PassionforSound Thank you
Hi! is it the S9C pro I see behind you ? :) I would be curious of how it compares with the RT5000
I don't know the S9C so I'm not sure what you've seen. Maybe the S17 Pro from Aune?
@@PassionforSoundIndeed! Yes okay the S9C is a dac/amp/preamp from the same company (aune) that cost around the same as the RT5000 and has the same aluminium box so I thought.. Can't wait for the s17 then! :)
Great review.❤
I'm glad you liked it!
Lachlan, how is it possible that the xlr and rca have identical performance? Is that not unusual? Is the unit not truly balanced, is that why, are the inputs just for convenience? Also it looks beautiful eh? Great video mate, and the closeup shots of the device look fantastic.
Even it comes to balanced vs single ended output, the only benefits you'll get are more voltage (louder) from the XLR and also XLR can cancel out any noise picked up by the interconnects (depending on whether the DAC and amp are both truly balanced). However, what this also means is that in most home applications where the cables are short (i.e. not>10m cable runs in studios), balanced has no real benefit.
GM ❄️☕️from Toronto …Rose ..for a second I thought it was their streamer you’re reviewing 😆
Btw, I’ve moved away from “regular” DACS and now just run the new Denafrips Ares 12-1
This looks like a decent all in one unit .
Have a great weekend 👍
Yes, the naming confused me at first too!
Glad you're enjoying the Ares 12!
Can you tell me, which Hi Fi better and quality type, FOSI or RT5000?
Bye. May I have an answer to a question? Is it true, as it is said, that FOSI devices are the best among mini amplifiers? Other. Is it true that FOSI devices are on par with amplifiers and preamplifiers worth a few thousand dollars?
I've got a couple of Fosi amps on the way so I'll be able to answer that soon, but I can't just yet...
I am replacing the SMSL SU-9 Pro with RT5000. And RT5000 into Topping A90D amp I already have. Will let you know how it sounds. Balanced xlr output. While I liked SU9 Pro, there is a certain flatness to these typical chip based dac’s, which from multiple reviewers I trust like IWIII indicate, this is not the case.
Almost went for Geshelli J2 with Sparkos and upgraded AKM chip, but doubling in price and case is cheap and ugly. This will be my endgame DAC.
I hope you love it! I haven't tried the SU-9 Pro, but I suspect the RT-5000 will be more to your liking.
Nice to get a "Buletooth" input :)
Oops. Did I have a typo? 😂
How does it compare to mojo 2?
The Mojo 2 is a significantly better device IMO
@@PassionforSound Wow! Significantly? Would you be able to describe in what ways and how it's better in your ever-so eloquent fashion? I would love to get your take on it. Thank you!
Did I not discuss it in the video? I thought I did.
Going from memory now, the Mojo 2 produces a greater sense of space in the soundstage, including more separation of individual sounds as well as more depth in the soundstage. I also find that the Mojo 2 extracts a little more texture and nuance so you can hear some more of the subtle tonal/timbral qualities of the instruments.
@@PassionforSound You might have and I just missed it somehow. It's amazing how such a compact and portable unit that is priced similarly can achieve such feat! Thanks for taking the time to elaborate!
Shallow soundstage? A rudimentary pre-misconception of Delta - Sigma D/A reproduction. Both Wave Theory and (Is It Worth It Reviews) were adamant that the RT-5000 supersedes the performance of the Chord mojo2 in most aspects of frequency response but especially in technicalities. I have not tested the RT-5000 so unable to challenge. Bur the Chord mojo2 has been my daily driver for 2 years and thus agree with their synopsis on its limitations in dynamics and soundstagw lateral radiation and back to front depth.
Nothing rudimentary or wrong about it. The processing required to accurately reproduce soundstage cues. The RT5000 is excellent, but I can't agree with either of those two (who I respect) on the Mojo 2 comparison. There's a way that most Delta Sigma DACs present sound that can seem more dynamic, etc. than Chord DACs (and some R2R and DSD DACs), but it's normally due to all sounds being more forward in the soundstage and therefore less accurate to a true, live listening experience.
Don't know how good its sound and build is, but it gets 11 out of 10 for looks
Yep. Great looking design!
@@PassionforSound Yes, that wood front and leather on top, is sick! Also very different from what we are used to.
Why is Hifiman seemingly the only one that gets having a simple device? Many of us will never use these Bluetooth chips for our hi end headphones. The ef499 and ef500 is simple. Digital in or usb in with an optional ethernet steaming via ethernet. Get a wireless to ethernet dongle if you do not have a ethernet port available. I actually use this stuff. All these over priced dacs and headphone amps are silly. 😂😊
This actually is a pretty simple device and every well executed from a sonic perspective. The HiFiMan gear has its own issues like crappy volume knobs and mediocre amp stages. Not knocking HiFiMan gear because it's great, but the point is that no piece of gear is perfect.
Hi,and the question if I can connect the SMSL su9 ultra to theTopping L70 which would be a headphone amp and a preamp to which I would connect the SMSL AO 200MKII so that I have a set connected...THANKS
Yes. That would all work fine! You might find that a cleaner signal path of taking the SU-9 Ultra direct to the AO200 MK2 (e.g. use RCA outputs for one device and the XLR outputs for the other). Having the L70 in the middle of the chain might actually degrade the sound a bit so perhaps try both setups and see what you like most.
In fact, “balanced” never matters unless you operate in an EMI/RFI rich environment. “balanced” can also deliver more power due to the doubling of the circuitry, but “single-ended” can achieve the same in a dual mono configuration.
I agree!
these are just repeat chi-fi products. not worth reviewing dude.
can you please get the new mjolnir 3 please.
cheers :)
MJ3 has arrived and will be reviewed very soon. I generally agree about many of the ChiFi products and avoid them, but this one is a little different by using the MUSES01 op-amps and it's aesthetic design. It's trying to break away from the rest and I appreciate that.
It looks to me to have been cobbled together from bits from a parts bin, and that includes the name.
Gold knobs are never ok, unless you are Donald Trump.
LOL. I think that's a little harsh, but I can understand the sentiment about the gold knobs.