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Matrix Audio Mini-i Pro 3 Review (Streamer & DAC)

mermayer

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Reminds me of the RME, but instead of the DSP and a swath of creature comforts, you get far more connectivity (Bluetooth, Wifi+Ethernet networking, I2S, Analogue input which is rare as hell in these devices, Roon and MQA certified for those that care, larger screen, internal power supply, and most importantly: Balanced Output).
I use my RME ADI-2 DAC FS in combination with the Bluesound NODE 2i and that's the perfect team for me.
All wishes are fulfilled except for balanced headphone output, that I don't need.
 

RHG55

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Hi Amir, same price (more or less) than Minidsp SHD, same performance but half DAC capability and no Dirac...
which of the 2 would you recommend? According to you which is the best (overall) dac streamer around 1k€ today?
many thanks for your reviews and videos. Pls keep science (ex. share aes papers) as NDA of this place.
My best
Lorenzo


The two current advantages of the Matrix Mini I-3 Pro over the Minidsp SHD are 1) Roon certification (the certification of the minidsp seems to be taking forever) and 2) MQA compatibility.
 
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antdroid

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@amirm Is it still possible for you to measure output impedance? that was the biggest thing holding me back from buying this thing. it otherwise looks like a great roon endpoint.
 

Lorenzo74

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The two current advantages of the Matrix Mini I-3 Pro over the Minidsp SHD are 1) Roon certification (the certification of the minidsp seems to be taking forever) and 2) MQA compatibility.

Minor to people who stream from spotify or tidal vs the lack of Dirac live.
MQA is inportant feature but Why seek for High res streaming and ignoring the impact of the room? Dirac live can do more than anything else to me.
best
L.
 

AndrewDavis

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Yes, those are their headphone output impedances on their website. That puzzles me too.

Agree, there has been lots of questions about it in the forums, and Matrix has been coy with their responses. Things like "the output impedance is less than 15 ohms, and shouldn't be a problem" (paraphrasing). A measured output impedance would have been interesting, too bad.
 

capitanharlock

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Matrix MA player doesn’t support Deezer, Qobuz or Spotify. And ROON is really expensive in Europe. There is also reported many bugs in MA player. The Matrix hardware is excellent though.
I’m using the Mini since a month, no bugs so far.
Only cons, the bad Wi-Fi reception.
 
OP
amirm

amirm

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@amirm Is it still possible for you to measure output impedance? that was the biggest thing holding me back from buying this thing. it otherwise looks like a great roon endpoint.
Sorry, no, I packed and shipped it already.
 

Veri

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@amirm Is it still possible for you to measure output impedance? that was the biggest thing holding me back from buying this thing. it otherwise looks like a great roon endpoint.
10 ohm range. Nothing disastrous IMO. Power output looks perfectly fine in any case :)
 

SunnyRehde

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Imho it‘s a very nice (if not unique, at least in the sub-1k $ department) fusion of
-Roon endpoint
-well-performing hiRes DAC with preamp capabilities
-Airplay / BT -receiver
-HPA

Connect this to a nCore/Purifi poweramp and you‘re done! ymmv.

Sunny
 

AGLeS

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Imho it‘s a very nice (if not unique, at least in the sub-1k $ department) fusion of
-Roon endpoint
-well-performing hiRes DAC with preamp capabilities
-Airplay / BT -receiver
-HPA

Connect this to a nCore/Purifi poweramp and you‘re done! ymmv.

Sunny
I plan to connect the Matrix to a Ghent case NC502 built by @Buckeye Amps
 

Ulmer

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I purchased this a couple months ago for $900, to use mostly for the DAC and Roon streaming. It felt like a splurge then. Didn't realize the price went up. Over $1000 would have been a challenge to justify since I wasn't really planning to use the headphone amp. I think it's a reasonable deal if you're using the whole feature set.

Amir, I did the exact same thing with the voltage setting when mine arrived. It kept power cycling and it took a minute to figure out what was going on. They should have included a sticker or obvious insert in the box to alert you to check it immediately, if they aren't going to preset them for the market they are shipping to.

It's novel to have the screen and a cleaner setup than the DAC + raspberry pi I was using before, and if I need to minimize my desktop setup some day, this will make a great all-in-one solution for headphone listening. I need to try it more with headphones. Just made sure it worked when it arrived.
 

JSmith

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They should have included a sticker or obvious insert in the box to alert you to check it immediately, if they aren't going to preset them for the market they are shipping to.
True... but then on the other side of the coin if it goes to a 220/230V market and they don't read the warning... suddenly will have double voltage hitting the PSU, which won't have the same result as under-voltage. It seems a PSU that accepts both is a better solution.



JSmith
 

Jimbob54

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What do you think of USB-C for longevity? It's a fragile little thing as a chassis mount.

All I know is the sheer number of USB-C charging cables I have replaced for the boys' phones have outnumbered the Apple lightning cables now. Don't think I've ever had a failed USB-B.

Better than micro! I suppose in a device where its not going to get moved much, shouldn't matter.
 

enricoclaudio

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I was waiting for this review. Thanks Amir and thanks to Matrix Audio for making another amazing performing streamer. I ordered mine from APOS Audio on March 12th and it should be delivered in about 2 weeks. Can't wait to get it and return the useless ARCAM ST60 that got 3 months ago!! Fortunately my dealer is allowing me to return it in exchange for a a Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra + Pre Box S2 Digital combo which I should get next week so I will be able to compare both in my room :) The looser goes to the bedroom setup ;)
 

thefsb

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What kind of equipment is the connector labeled IIS LVDS supposed to connect to?
 

RHG55

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I was waiting for this review. Thanks Amir and thanks to Matrix Audio for making another amazing performing streamer. I ordered mine from APOS Audio on March 12th and it should be delivered in about 2 weeks. Can't wait to get it and return the useless ARCAM ST60 that got 3 months ago!! Fortunately my dealer is allowing me to return it in exchange for a a Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra + Pre Box S2 Digital combo which I should get next week so I will be able to compare both in my room :) The looser goes to the bedroom setup ;)

What was wrong with the Arcam ST60? Except for not having a USB input, it seems like a fairly good unit.
 
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