From a company very much willing to play with the trademarks of reputable and established brands, I would say you're 100% right to raise that point and start doubting about the final product!
I hope they fix the 2x 'Buletooth' spelling mistake on the back as well with the production model 😅. Not really important of course, but it gives a 'home made' vibe. Thanks for the excellent review!
If you could get your hands on the new IFI DSD NEO 2 to compare, specifically the DAC portion as I already have a (probably) higher end headphone amp, that'd be pretty cool
@@virtuoosi7037 I understand your point of view. I think all types have their pro's & con's. & most of it depends on their implementation. R2R's do have a lil different feel or sound to them but I was just saying that not everyone prefers that. Doesn't really make anyone right or wrong..I just thought it was funny you were shittin on everyone that uses chip dac's 😆
Super helpful review. . . selling off my SMSL su-9 Pro to replace with RT-5000. After listening to several other reviews. Enjoy your thoughtful approach as always! This is my endgame DAC. Can't afford the SMSL SU-10 and it is too big for my setup as well. Seriously compared against Geshelli JS2with Sparkos Op amps, but thought it was ugly and poorly constructed housing I will be running RT-5000 into a Topping A90D headamp, that I already have. So that gives me preamp control and xlr outputs for my powered bookshelf speakers. RT5000 arrived today - amazing. Signal chain. . . CD player optical out to RT5000 to Topping A90D to Hifiman Arya Stealth. Listend to variety of music from Steely Dan, Out of the Grey, Sarah Grove, Lee Ritenour, Rick Braun etc. Sold off SMSL SU-9 Pro, kept A90D. Soundstage wider, detail retireval better, instrument placement leap forward, bass punch and slam- lively. Immersive experience. Interesting it how it really reveals whatever is in the recording. Some of the Steely Dan tracks while recorded exceptionally well in the 70's, sound a bit flat compared to more modern jazz recordings form the last 20 years. Thought I should mention, XLR jacks are correct, AND volume knob does affect level being sent via XLR's. It is not a constant signal- it has preamp control. Loving the immersive experience, where the gear shrinks into the background and you are just soaking it all in.
Very interested if on same level as pimped geshelli and cheaper priced too. Would I be able to run my l/r via rca inputs and my 2 subs via XLR for a 2.2 setup? Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks for another banging review 🤟🏽
Just completed my dac setup with Aune x8 + sparkos + linear power supply. It was one of your top recommended dac, but I see it's not coming out for comparison anymore. Curious to know why! Anyway, it sounds amazing with allo digione. This is to thank you.
It is still one of the top choices, I just don't use it in comparisons anymore because I don't have it with me anymore and memory slowly fades. Glad you like it as much as I did. Thanks for your support!
Found a review for this at Ichos Reviews on the Web, which has more or less the same opinion, but interestingly, discovered that the op amps it uses (dual JRC MUSES01 J-FET -- one for each channel) are rollable, so provided space allows, one could roll other op-amps such as Sparkos, etc. Mind you, the MUSE01 is not a cheap op-amp, at around £30 -- and so could be in the same league as Sparkos which may account for why it vies with the upgraded Geshelli.
From the literature and @Passion for Sound’s review, I believe the MUSES01 is in the circuit only for the headphone outputs and does not impact the single ended and balanced outputs when used as DAC only ?
@@clementng7285Fair point. I checked and think you are correct. It's not like the Aune X8 XVIII which has a fixed output option I use in conjunction with a Sparkos op amp.
Glad you like them. I have them scattered across many playlist and streaming services. I have some iiWi lists on Tidal and Qobuz but they are not up to date. Will try to organise them soon.
I believe the unit is made in Taiwan, and the UX/UI to functionality reflects the country manufacturing core belief. Cramed with hardware but shitty software.
Thanks for this helpful review. Now I'm just confused with the brand itself... What's up wit that? Is it a joint venture between Rose from Korea and Technics from Japan?
Personally I find such behaviour ridiculous and more than reprehensible. Delivers a false sense of confidence and security about quality and after-sales service. No way I would ever support such business practices, regardless of the product. Wish you addressed it heads-on during your review. It's Marketing malpractice 101!
You should quickly call dibs on that name! 😁 Good one though. I focused so much on sound and comparisons that I missed some great puns that were begging to be used here.
Thanks for the review. Is it compatible with the FiiO PL50 external power supply? The specifications are a bit different on both devices, I'm worried about long term damage
For any future reference. Voltage needs to be the exact same (12V in this case). Current capability (Ampers) can't be too high. No matter how much Ampers power supply can give, device only takes what it needs.
@@iiWiReviews Wow thanks for replying so quickly! Ah so the voltage is identical? On the product ad it said something like 15V but I'm no expert, it may have meant max voltage or something in that direction. Thank you
I quote this from a written review: "The digital inputs include full size USB, optical and coaxial connectors that are positioned at the back together with the 15V/3A DC input, the Bluetooth antenna, the power on/off switch and an input selector. "
You're right, I answered this one quickly from my phone and made a mistake switching power supply requirements for this one and FX-Audio DR07 I reviewed it quickly after it. So you do need a 15V power supply with 3A or more. So 4A or 5A is fine, but that PL50 that is 2A is lower than recommended. It might still work but it's better to go with the official (or higher) ampere recommendation and not worry.
I have no plans to purchase it personally. SMSL's new models release tempo is relentless. But if any online shop decides to send it my way or a local audiophile gets it and loans it to me for a review... then sure, I'll check it out.
Yeah, that makes total sense of course. I hope someone will loan you one as the ROHM DAC as an alternative to AKM/ESS is a little interesting. SMSL used ROHM in the D300 DAC but that one is much more made to a (lower) cost. @@iiWiReviews
Hmmm very curious how the Xduoo would compare with Sparkos SS3602 to the RT5000. This combo on the Xduoo with ESS dac is extremely good. I feel it may surpass the XT5000 but it is overall more expensive. But you do gain in overall portability and able to move around instead of being stuck to your desk 😁. If you ever have the chance. Try the XD05 Pro with ESS dac and Sparkos SS3602 op amps. Seriously impressive stuff. But the RT5000 is seriously a gorgeous looking dac/amp 😍
HI, THIS QUESTION IS OFF TOPIC, THE QUESTION IS ABOUT THE TOPPING L70 AND WHY IS IT THAT KNOW ONE EVER SPEAKS ABOUT THE REAR OUTPUTS FOR SPEAKERS , YES IT IS A HEADPHONE AMP , BUT WE ALSO LIKE TO LISTEN TO MUSIC USING OUR SPEAKERS , SO HOW GOOD ARE THE REAR OUTPUTS IN COMPARISOPN TO THE HEADPHONE OUTPUTS, CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN
Hey my RT5000 arrived. Still has the "buletooth" text, no big deal though. I wanted to ask if you also hear a popping sound when playing/pausing/seeking music? With seeking I mean "scrolling" through the song / video
@@iiWiReviews Thanks for checking! And nothing else is playing right? As in, the song would be the only source of audio? Because if I do have something else playing continuously there's no "start up pop sound". Not sure why this is happening. Maybe because I'm not using the included plug adapter which I couldn't really fit in the extension cord. I will report back on that if I find a way to use the included adapter. In general I'm a little worried that the RT5000 wasn't much of an improvement over my old DAC ($90~). Like of course it should be, but maybe my ears are not good enough to hear the difference immediately. I found testing very difficult as I have to keep switching my interchangeable connector from 4.4mm to 2.5mm, which takes a 1-2 minutes. My memory then forgets what it sounded like on the RT5000 haha. I'm fine if it comes down to my amateur ears not being able to tell them apart, but I have always been worried that my unit is faulty, or that the review units had a little more love. If what I have is fully functional and authentic then I would of course keep it, because maybe better IEMs/headphones can take more advantage of it. I will report back with my findings and once again thank you for checking it out, must be bothersome plugging it in and everything but I'll always appreciate it. Any song recommendations?
Hi iiWi, very nice test review. Do you remember the selected filter which was active for your testing? Does the device store the filter and gain selection or do you have to fiddle it in again - after cutting off the power?
As allways excellent review. You are the best hifi reviewer on youtube bro. I mean you are really good explaining dac sounds and clearly understandable.
It's for receiving. It wouldn't make a difference if you're connecting BT headphones to this one, a PC, or a smartphone... They all send digital data and headphones have small internal DACs and amps to make it into the analog output.
this vs the smsl do300ex for use with speakers purely as a DAC? Will it be okay to pair this DAC with revealing speakers like the dali oberon 5? I have already purchased this dac, I wonder if it will be a good match with the dali oberon 5.
I haven't tested DO300EX but I prefer RT5000 to DO400. I don't know the rest of your system but Dali is an open and detailed-sounding speaker. Rose Technis is a sweet and refined-sounding DAC that will not provoke any harshness so it should match well.
@@iiWiReviews my system involves audiolab 6000A and rose technics rt5000. I am currently deciding between Dali Oberon 5 vs Polk R500 vs Focal Chora 806. Btw, I am using the RT5000 purely as DAC only for speakers, is it okay to put it on Highest gain? The sound is very weak even in medium gain. I never use headphones btw. The DAC becomes pretty hot although the manual states that this is normal.
great review! I am looking for the rich and liquidy sound as you say often, and was considering the Aune S17 pro after watching your review of it and use it with my Modius DAC. How would you describe the sound difference of the RT5000 vs the S17 Amp wise ?
For S17 pro to sound better than this, it needs equally capable DAC of roughly similar price... And that would be 1.5K stack that outperforms RT5000 by 10% or something like that. Strong diminishing returns hit that I have difficulty recommending in this case. I never heard Modius but I'm not sure it would do S17 pro justice. It might as well happen that RT5000 on its own performs better.
Basically all devices react positively to better quality power supplies, that's general truth that doesn't really need additional video in my opinion. Maybe just added and pinned comment if I try it.
Great Review of what stylistically is a welcome departure from the run of the mill black/silver boxes. Seems that the actual design of the output stage is more important than the DAC chip in determining the overall tonality. How would you rate the RT-5000 against something like the Earmen Tradutto which also uses the ESS chip but also manages to provide a warmer and fuller presentation than other Sabre Dacs. You were very enthusiastic about the liquidity and warmth of the Tradutto some time back. Wondering if the RT-5000 would be an upgrade for me. I also have the SMSL D300 in another set up with a more ethereal and analogue sound than the Tradutto but loses out in bass slam.
They're in the same camp regarding tonality but this one is even better (more clarity, more space, more smoothness). Not saying this to make Tradutto owners to upgrade, it's still a very capable DAC, just for current buyers to have the info.
@@iiWiReviews Thanks, It’s great that you got this in to review. I bought both the D300 and Tradutto on your recommendation. They both have a non-fatiguing presentation; in many cases I prefer the Rohm chip Dac when it comes to jazz and simple singer acoustics but the Tradutto wows with its bass slam for rock and electronica. Would you say this has similar traits from both these dacs. The VMVd2R is on my wish list but I’m hoping you’ll get to review it first 😙
Yes, smsl 500 mkiii has been out since the winter of '22. You made it your favorite DAC at the time you reviewed it. It's selling for around $549. It looks like the rose technica is lacking Bluetooth?
Amazing review and the man is a poet. Does that device looks like the dog's breakfast or is it me? RT should consider renaming it "DAC5v" for export to the west, the "v" for vanilla presentation (no leather, no gold). Give me a thumbs down if I got it wrong.
Is the stock power supply for the RT5000 an AC voltage? Because that is close to what Schiit uses on some of their units, and they are AC - they would do the AC to DC and regulation inside the unit.
It's 15 V DC in this case. I'm considering getting at least iFi iPower X for it since I like it and its compact size, so I'll probably keep using it in my desktop setup.
Possibly. They're doing something good regarding power supply and output stage because I've heard many implementations of this DAC chip and this is probably the best one yet.
They're in the same camp regarding tonality but this one is even better (more clarity, more space, more smoothness). Not saying this to make Tradutto owners to upgrade, it's still a very capable DAC, just for current buyers to have the info.
I love your reviews. Inspired by your channel, how come someone can dedicate mostly a channel on DACs? Do DACs matter for real? We compared 7 DACs : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J_ddd_gVoFI.html Keep on posting your content please! It's very informative.
Sir I am from india...I follow your videos...I have a question...I am having SMSL A300 amplifier with dali spektor 1 passive speaker...can I pair Topping E70 velvet with it? Or just a smsl d6s will be enough?
If you watch my xDuoo XD05 Pro review you may see I prefered it slightly to S9C. This one is even better than XD05 pro as I mentioned in this video. So they are all quite close but I would chose RT5000 for sonics.
Yes, if used only as a DAC, it is fully in line with RT5000 - they're just different. I praised it highly in its own review and in many other comparisons. If used as headphone amp too, then RT5000 easily wins.
It falls into the same camp when it comes to tonality and musicality, it's just not as big, as 3D, and as revealing as Lampucera. Then again, nothing I tested so far (except Lampizator Baltic 3) is, so...
Still using op amps at $599? The bling bling looks cheap actually. From the way it tries so hard to emphasize being luxurious with those golds and wood but ending up looking cheap, I would guess that this is a Chinese product from a Chinese company?
You guessed right but this is a matter of taste. Many non-Chinise brands use bling too - mentioned Leben, McIntosh, Dan D'agostino, etc. So cheap bling style can be much more expensive. 😁 The only thing I would personally change here is the volume knob. It's a bit over the top. The rest is fine imo, black leather and wood especially.
Hello, new subscriber here. Been enjoying your content during my quest on finding a midrange dac/amp for my setup. Would you consider this worth the extra $ over the SMSL DO400? And if you have any other recommendations, I will appreciate it. Budget $400 - $600 @iiWiReviews
It's not a big difference but RT5000 is a bit more revealing of tone decay and smoother sounding. So if you're not stretching your budget too much, I would go for it. Great sound plus compact size are win for me. From the moment I reviewed it here, I'm personally using it in my desktop setup often.
… and drawing questionable conclusions - Mojo 2 is still superior to RT5000 - I have checked - just my opinion - overpriced might be - nowadays old very often means better not worse ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@tomasze7527 if we know how to implement affordable devices in our audio system...we can achieve amazing sonic results. I just acquired the SMSL DO300EX using AKM chips on sale for $328...the overpriced Mojo could not hold a candle on this modestly priced device on sound reproduction, wide array of features and functionality. Let us be reminded the IPhone costs about $50 to produce and how much are we paying to acquire one?
