Matrix Audio mini-i 4 Streamer Review

[Tangband]

What devices have peq and arc around $650?

None. Wiim pro for 150 have peq and bluesound node arc . For 650 dollar you should have both.

 

[Antlestxp]

None. Wiim pro for 150 have peq and bluesound node arc . For 650 dollar you should have both.

That would provide peq just for streaming and none of the sources attached to bsn. Plus that is 2 apps needed. I think for an all in one device, the mini is priced well. I would expect to play $999 or more for an all in one device that measures as well as the mini and has peq or room correction

 

[totti1965]

Two questions:

1. Would any of you guys like to make an equipment table - with a comparison: Eversolo DMP-A8; Eversolo DMP-A6; Matrix Audio Mini i-pro 4 and WiiM Pro plus?

2. Will there one day be a meeting between the Audio precision APx555 and the WiiM pro plus - with some comments from Amir regarding its usability and operability?

 

[digicidal]

I have an AVP/Proc but really not in 'love' with it and most definitely it is not "...a small form-factor [SFF] desktop control center/preamp".
I just wanted to provide an (all inclusive) a-la-carte-menu of the audio connectors/functions to choose from.
My next dream-rig needs to be a modular system, with plug-in cards the size of typical RAM (or NVMe) modules... in an SFF enclosure.
Such add-on, plug-in audio cards have no current demand for them but portable media players have been toying with such futuristic designs:
View attachment 324780
View attachment 324781
This AMP14 is one such example.
View attachment 324782
I love this concept very much and can only hope we can even miniaturize beyond SFF.

I too would love this concept... but I would happily accept a more universal middle ground. I'm less concerned with size however.
NAD (and a few others) seemed to be approaching this concept with modular bays for adding functions and I/O to devices... unfortunately they also decided to charge a ludicrous amount for the modules, thus rendering the advantages virtually null.

 

[amirm]

2. Will there one day be a meeting between the Audio precision APx555 and the WiiM pro plus - with some comments from Amir regarding its usability and operability?

Company sent me a sample that I hope to test soon.

 

[pseudoid]

Company sent me a sample that I hope to test soon.

Hi @amirm,
Does your APx555 system have the AP's HDMI2+eARC digital I/O module?

 

[morillon]

Two questions:

1. Would any of you guys like to make an equipment table - with a comparison: Eversolo DMP-A8; Eversolo DMP-A6; Matrix Audio Mini i-pro 4 and WiiM Pro plus?

2. Will there one day be a meeting between the Audio precision APx555 and the WiiM pro plus - with some comments from Amir regarding its usability and operability?

the pro plus has already been tested a little in every way...there is no real reason to do it again.**.. (especially since if the pro is room ready, the plus is on hold...it will upset armim... ;-) ) *
it's more the future "wimp amp" which could be...( seem wim pro plus + small class d)

*
There is just a real jitter function of ap that could be completed on the digital outputs..
**
and importantly, the revision , hardware, made by onelyoneme for exmple after tests of the first series which pointed out problems...

 

[totti1965]

Company sent me a sample that I hope to test soon.

Hopefully it will be Roon ready when it is on your testing bench! Interesting to see which company is quicker with Roon implementation!

 

[amirm]

Hi @amirm,
Does your APx555 system have the AP's HDMI2+eARC digital I/O module?

I do not. I was tempted to buy the old version until I found out about this new one. Will have to ask how much it costs. If it is more than $2K, it just isn't worth it as I have my PC generating HDMI today for free. Some of these add-ons are hugely expensive. I think Bluetooth is $5K to $6K!

 

[Tangband]

Company sent me a sample that I hope to test soon.

Please check out the reason why theres higher imd distortion in WiiM pro + than possible, and if the reason for this might be the stock power adaptor .

 

[Purité Audio]

Two questions:

1. Would any of you guys like to make an equipment table - with a comparison: Eversolo DMP-A8; Eversolo DMP-A6; Matrix Audio Mini i-pro 4 and WiiM Pro plus?

2. Will there one day be a meeting between the Audio precision APx555 and the WiiM pro plus - with some comments from Amir regarding its usability and operability?

I have the Eversolo A-6 , Wiim Pro Plus and will have the Eversolo A-8 when it is released, what sort of comparison are you interested in?
Keith

 

[MatrixAudio]

I had this Matrix Mini-i Pro 3 for about two years. They did tell that they could (will?) add volume acceleration by firmware. The volume control was the slowest I ever experienced and it really needed this update. Update that just never came. Never ever. When I asked them back here, they just went silent. Very disappointing when you spent 1k for one of their products. Now this one is discontinued, and would probably not be supported anymore, barely three years after its release.

Hi VintageFlanker,
I remember your request about volume acceleration. We have made some attempts to the beta firmware, but due to the performance of the SoC which is used in this model, the experiences of changing volume may not be improved effectively. So we did not release any changes about volume change. Sorry that I did not let you know this in time.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Hi VintageFlanker,
I remember your request about volume acceleration. We have made some attempts to the beta firmware, but due to the performance of the SoC which is used in this model, the experiences of changing volume may not be improved effectively. So we did not release any changes about volume change. Sorry that I did not let you know this in time.

Hello @MatrixAudio
Thanks for answering me, and for your transparency.
I hope the new Mini-i 4 /Pro 4 received some improvements on that field (sure, it's different, since these don't have a classic knob).

 

[Ajax]

The only device similar to your description that I know today is the new Eversolo DMP-A8.

At first, and in the process of studying the device, I was very interested, but in the end one very important (for me) nuance turned out: the sound output is carried out only on one of the outputs (either analog or one of the digital, but not all at once), while there is also no Line Out, which would allow direct output of the audio signal from the DAC without adjusting the level, that is, there is no way to output sound to other rooms (Zones).

In addition, such all-in-one devices complicate the process of using different sources (especially when there are several rooms/zones at once).
It is also worth noting the price ($2000 for the DMP-A8) - for this money you can buy a stationary player with an excellent DAC (like mini-i 4, judging by measurements) and a separate balanced preamp with a headphone amplifier (like Topping L70 or A70 Pro), and even there will be money for a separate good DAC or an amplifier for speakers.

Probably the best option would be a combination of two separate devices:
1) a stationary audio player with a good DAC (or even without one), maximum support for a variety of audio formats and USB drives, an abundance of digital outputs, with convenient operation and a large high-quality touchscreen display;
2) A balanced preamp with adjustable and unregulated analog inputs/outputs, with an excellent DAC with an abundance of digital inputs (including BT, ARC, IIS, and so on), would also not hurt a DSP for digital inputs (many ask about this) and a good balanced headphone amplifier. No limit on the simultaneous number of outputs.
Of course, both with remote control.

But everyone has such different usage scenarios that it is impossible to please everyone at once. Therefore, the most realistic is the combination of three different devices (Player + DAC + Preamp).

P.S. I can't say anything about the Matrix Audio mini-i 4 yet - it's very good in terms of measurements, but I haven't studied its functionality and usability yet. But as a preamp, I wouldn't use it.

i'm not familiar with the Eversolo DMP-A8.

The closest product I know that meets my needs is the Minidsp Flex.

I'm actually interested in a system for an active speaker plus 2 active subs , i.e 6 channels. I'll most likely combine the Minidsp Flex8 with a 4 channel Buckeye combination of 2x502 (woofers) and 2x252 (tweeters) Hypex amps. Add a WiiM pro plus streamer and you get a SOTA front end of great value for around US$1700 all up.

Minidsp Flex Review (Audio DSP)

This is a review and detailed measurement of the Minidsp Flex audio signal processor. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $475 for unbalanced and $550 for balanced that I tested. Flex borrows the interface from SHD and puts it in a compact package. Seeing how I really liked that...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[ocinn]

Ugh. This could have been made a truly fantastic device if the analog input was not digitized, or the ADC was much higher performance.

I also wish they used a 4/8 channel dac chip which could have been re-routed with a super simple DSP program to handle hi(xlr)/low(rca) pass filters for subwoofer integration which is one of the most pressing issues in 2023 (shift towards bookshelf + subs) stereo systems.

The closest product I know that meets my needs is the Minidsp Flex.

Such an incredible unit. I’ve been advocating for topping or SMSL to release a competitor. DSP is the future

 

[totti1965]

Please check out the reason why theres higher imd distortion in WiiM pro + than possible, and if the reason for this might be the stock power adaptor .

That really would be a nice topic for general / perhaps systematic examination! Where is the sweetspot for power adaptors price/performance? Must the stock power adaptor be extremely bad to really take advantage of an expensive, regulated power supply unit? E.g.: For the wiiM Pro Plus in the picture below the worst case IMD is minus 108 dB at 60 Hz. Any benefit with more expensive supplys? The same thing with the Matrix Audio Mini - I 4 Streamer: IMD is rising from minus 130 db at 20 kHz to 118 dB at 60 Hz.....
Or are the High End Power Supplies just Voodoo IN EVERY CASE?

 

[MatrixAudio]

Hello @MatrixAudio
Thanks for answering me, and for your transparency.
I hope the new Mini-i 4 /Pro 4 received some improvements on that field (sure, it's different, since these don't have a classic knob).

Forgot to mention that, yes, with the mini-i 4 and mini-i Pro 4, when you press and hold the volume up or down key for a certain milliseconds, the volume will be changed rapidly.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Please check out the reason why theres higher imd distortion in WiiM pro + than possible, and if the reason for this might be the stock power adaptor .

That reminds me that I still have the final production sample (the one that @amirm should get) to re-measure for both IMD SMPTE & THD VS Frequency ... Anyway, @onlyoneme did.

 

[morillon]

there seems to be a bit of confusion regarding the unfolding of this "pro plus" story, the revisions ( hardware) etc and now the observations concerning surprising things with various power supplies... but it is onelyoneme who has done a lot of work (a see on the wiim forum) for all that to explain it I find... hoping that he reads us ;-)



(must also be able to be invested to know if this response in the acute can be improved in the future? can be....)

 

[morillon]

This, again?

The only "confusion" there is, is your restless insistance of talking about things you don't get, nor that you can explain (whatever technical background you have, I already had a headache trying to understand what you even mean). You're just going in circles, over and over, about a product you never measured yourself, nor you even put your hands on (the WPP, both pre-production and final samples). Since you seem to speak a bit of French, you should know what
Inspecteur des travaux finis means.

Looks like you always put a lot of effort mentioning @onlyoneme every time someone is talking about my review. That starts to be kind of obsessional, isn't it ? Anyway, at least you could give a proper credit to the (impressive) work he made :

My WiiM Pro Plus (+) tests

At a moment I can tell that my sample unit has an increased space around the coax socket. And a glossy finish of the chassis. Stay tuned :) Part 0 - a test gear possibly involved RME ADI-2 DAC FS, ESS edition miniDSP Flex, RCA edition E1DA Cosmos ADC, A grade PicoScope 4444 Intona 7055-D...

forum.wiimhome.com

My WiiM Pro Plus 2nd sample test

Note: due to the fact that my sample unit had significant problems with various PSUs and this was fixed with the FW update, the entire post has been corrected and updated with the most up-to-date measurements. As you can see I finally got the second sample of the Pro Plus with promised...

forum.wiimhome.com

Bye. For good, this time.

the possible confusion in "the story" that I was pointing out...

Matrix Audio mini-i 4 Streamer Review

What devices have peq and arc around $650? None. Wiim pro for 150 have peq and bluesound node arc . For 650 dollar you should have both.

audiosciencereview.com

otherwise the subject is not you or your review (except that the scale of the thd/frequency measurement made the thing not too obvious),

just that onlyoneme tested v1 very early then v2 to the measure.. ..and was able to compare the two..and shared it with the hard wiim forum community...(since then noticed a strange behavior on this v2 etc..)
I hope it will clarify this...
the differences of which are very sensitive and important..no?

(ps we can also note that onlyoneme, if not trying to develop the "form", enriched its measurements with observations of original approaches thanks to original and powerful software from pkane which is active here on asr...)