Here's looking at you, punk!

Steampunk styling meets luxury audio as the master of touchscreen streaming launches one of the most eccentric-looking, tactile and flexible all-analogue integrated amplifiers HFC has ever seen

DETAILS

PRODUCT HiFi Rose RA180

ORIGIN South Korea

TYPE Integrated amplifier

WEIGHT 16.7kg

DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 430 x 110 x 350mm

FEATURES

● Claimed power output: 4x 200W (8ohm)

● Inputs: 3x RCA line-level; balanced XLR; MM/MC phono stage

● Outputs: subwoofer; 16x 4mm speaker binding posts

DISTRIBUTOR Henley Audio Ltd.

WEBSITE hifirose.com henleyaudio.co.uk

Say what you will about HiFi Rose, the fledgling brand hailing from Seoul in South Korea, it sure knows how to capture the attention of audiophiles. First by launching a range of remarkable do-it-all streaming players featuring huge touchscreens and options galore, and now this 'steampunk' integrated amplifier, which left internet forums speechless for about 15 seconds. Quite an achievement in this day and age... and those pundits hadn't even seen the baffling rear of the RA180 with its 16 loudspeaker terminals!

But unlikely as it seems, the slick RS150 (HFC 477) network player, with its massive 14-in display, and this brand-new all-analogue RA180 amplifier both share a common denominator. The giveaway is the 17 buttons, knobs and sliders on the front fascia, together with some VU meters and cogs thrown in for good measure. Whatever industrial design eccentricities HiFi Rose might embrace, the brand is all about offering a multitude of features and functions. However, with its £5,500 price tag, the RA180 also marks a significant move upmarket.

Class of its own