• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Review and Measurements of Matrix Audio Element X DAC/Streamer/Amp

VintageFlanker

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Sep 20, 2018
Messages
4,940
Likes
19,691
Location
Paris
I think it doesn't make sense to anyone serious. This is by no way a credible review. You find almost ALL the audiophile myths in it. (notice the site is full of Ad banners).

The guy starts to say that the unit sounds better after one day of use (impossible). Then, he used a "neutral" power cable (WTF?) and talks way too long about what interlinks he used to get that or that sound... . At the end, we find the typical organic/musical R2R vs Bright and digital ESS clichees. Avoid this kind of "reviews" these are nothing but advertising that intend to make you buy the all package: a good DAC you wouldn't appreciate at its full potential without XXXX$ USB, Power, or XLR cables...:facepalm:

I am not ashamed to admit that few years ago, I trusted this kind review. Thanks you so much ASR to exist and make us have a critical and rational point of view about all this.
 

audioBliss

Active Member
Joined
May 7, 2019
Messages
258
Likes
294
Location
Sweden
Wow, looks like the last DAC you'd ever need! Very exciting times when you can buy gear that can be the last you'd ever have to buy. I'm sitting happy with my Allo Katana but this one looks superb.
 

Shadrach

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Feb 24, 2019
Messages
662
Likes
947
Congratulations Matrix Audio.
While it is not my intention to diminish the great achievement of designing and producing this dac, before the box swappers trash their dacs and spend the next months housekeeping on this product it should be born in mind that performance as good as this is way past what is audible.
You can get similar audible performance at a fraction of the price of this dac. The Benchmark HGC for example would cost you 1K less, a combination of some of the first tier dacs and say the Atom will perform equally as well in the audible band.
It is a great dac, but I wouldn't buy it even if I could afford it. One of the great things about ASR is that it shows that you really don't need to spend 3K to get top quality performing audio equipment.
 

Cortes

Active Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2019
Messages
291
Likes
354
RME still is the sweet spot at 1k usd. 3k usd is a whole other ballpark for your little audio machine...

oktoresearch DACS are probably more competitive adjusting the price.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 777

Cortes

Active Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2019
Messages
291
Likes
354
Very impressive, especially when all the functionality, connectivity are included ! Price may be a little out of reach to many but if one were to buy separate SOTA performing sub-functioning units that's close to this, it wouldn't be significantly cheaper, if at all. Not to mention the hassle of connecting many units together and the space it would take up.

As things are, without considering room DSP, one could get one of these with a solid performing/ well rated powered speakers or connect with a Benchmark AHB2 to a speaker of one's choice and be completely done with the audio setup.

No double guessing needed ! Fantastic stuff !

that'ts the issue now, going with separates, or get a full system, such as Genelec SAM, Kii, D&D, whatever.

Personally, I don't see how the Benchmark AHB2 +some stellar DAC can compete with active DSP quality speakers.
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
It doesn't really take that much to make this good performance. It's just that when you made this good, you don't want to throw it at the price bracket with all other ****** engineered (or half ass decent) ones. It doesn't do the justice to the performance.
 

Arvind

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
106
Likes
76
Location
New Delhi, India
Hey guy, look at our official site, element M is a bit lower model, the same streamer section, but 9028 dac chip, unbalanced headphone amp, and digital volume control, etc.
We will also announce much lower streamer combo model and even stand-alone streamer model (with only digital output) in the future.
Does the performance of your another DAC 'MATRIX X-SABRE Pro MQA XSP' is comparable to this Element X?
 

deafenears

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 2, 2019
Messages
398
Likes
476
Does the performance of your another DAC 'MATRIX X-SABRE Pro MQA XSP' is comparable to this Element X?
Specs are on their website.

Element X
https://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/321.html

XLR
SNR: > -131dB
THD+N: <0.00012%@1k, <0.00025%@20Hz-20kHz
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.05 -3dB@120kHz
Crosstalk : >-145dB
Output Level: 4.5VRMS@0dB ,15.8VRMS@+10dB

RCA
SNR: > -124dB
THD+N: <0.00012%@1k, <0.00025%@20Hz-20kHz
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.05 -3dB@105kHz
Channel Crosstalk : >-137db
Output Level: 2.3VRMS@0dB , 8VRMS@+10dB

X-SABRE Pro (MQA)
https://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/319.html

XLR
SNR > -134dB 20Hz-20kHz A-Weighting
THD+N <0.00012% at 1kHz A-Weighting, <0.00015% at 20Hz-20kHz A-Weighting
Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz (+0.01dB/-0.02dB)
Crosstalk > -151dB @1kHz
Output Level 4.5Vrms Fixed at 0 dBFS DAC MODE, 0-4.5Vrms Adjustable at 0 dBFS PRE MODE

RCA

SNR >-129dB 20Hz-20kHz A-Weighting
THD+N <0.00018% at 1kHz A-Weighting, <0.00030% at 20Hz-20kHz A-Weighting
Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz (+0.01dB/-0.02dB)
Crosstalk >-143dB @1kHz
Output Level 2.25Vrms Fixed at 0 dBFS DAC MODE, 0-2.25Vrms Adjustable at 0 dBFS PRE MODE
 

FrantzM

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 12, 2016
Messages
4,337
Likes
7,729
A company to follow ....

They also have an amp .. Can it find its way to King Amir?
 

SimpleTheater

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Messages
927
Likes
1,789
Location
Woodstock, NY
Hey guy, look at our official site, element M is a bit lower model, the same streamer section, but 9028 dac chip, unbalanced headphone amp, and digital volume control, etc.
We will also announce much lower streamer combo model and even stand-alone streamer model (with only digital output) in the future.
The element P is interesting as well. I know its a different product, with a built in amp, but I'd love to know if the streamer section is the same as the M.

Also, your site rates it as 110 watts into 8Ω with 1% THD. Do you have the wattage rating at .1% THD?
 

SimpleTheater

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Messages
927
Likes
1,789
Location
Woodstock, NY
Well, at least we are seeing a handful of good manufacturers pushing the performance envelope of things. I hope the positive exposure from these measurements will bring purchase decisions in their direction and weed out the snake-oil peddlers in the longer term.

I couldn't agree more, the snake-oil peddlers have made a great living off the "hi-fi" market for years. They are the bottom feeders and sadly have held the industry back for decades.

As some of you know, I'm waiting for my JDS Labs 'Element' to arrive, and while it isn't spec'd as well as the 'element X', it is similarly named, so should have similar sound and performance. Lastly, I purchased Mini Brilliant Pebbles, from Machina Dynamica, which will bring the JDS in-line with this much more expensive product. My JDS will probably surpass this product once i add the Mikro pebbles onto my interconnects as this detailed engineering photo shows their proper use.
mikro-pebbles.jpg


So in essence, I spent 1/9th the money and got the same product, all by using science.
 
Top Bottom