Matrix Audio X-SABRE 3 DAC/Streamer Official Thread

[enricoclaudio]

TIDAL Connect has issues with X-SABRE 3. Songs get skipped and there is 4 secs gap between songs. I did report this issue back in September 2021 and @MatrixAudio knows about it. I think they are still working with TIDAL on a fix for this bug. It's not possible to connect a HD to the X-SABRE 3 as there is no USB input port in it. I use my X-SABRE 3 with Roon and it works perfectly fine without a single issue. I also tried with mConnect app with my iPhone and iPad and it works fine. I does not disconnect when the iPad goes to sleep.

 

[Charlie]

une nouvelle mise à jour semble disponible.
quelqu'un connait-il les corrections?

 

[enricoclaudio]

@MatrixAudio could you please let us know what there new Firmware Build 047 is fixing? Thanks!!

 

[enricoclaudio]

I did the update to Build 047 and basically the only improvement I can see so far is with TIDAL Connect. It's not skipping songs and the gap between songs has been reduced to 2 secs from 4 secs. Still not gapless playback with TIDAL Connect, though.

 

[officialsm]

Any suggeston about filters to be used?

 

[enricoclaudio]

Firmware Version: v1.0.1 Build047
Release Date: Feb. 23rd, 2022
Changelog:

1. Fixed the issue that the X-SABRE 3 could not start up in some special cases after connected to power supply for the first time.
2. Fixed the issue that the X-SABRE 3 was set to an incorrect output volume when playing through Roon for the first time after the unit first started up.

 

[officialsm]

@MatrixAudio I0m experiencing this issue:
X-Sabre 3 connected through wifi using DNLA streaming service. In a first moment for each song starting there 1-2 seconds of break outage, something like if connection was freezing. After 1-2 seconds of this interrumption become to plays correctly. Tried with ethernet cable without issue.
So i change channel for wifi and increased 5Ghz bandwidth from 40 to 120 Mhz. After that it was more stable but something i was experiencing the same issue.
Previously i was using a Raspberry 4 with Moode Audio without having this issue.

Could be a bug about caching or something else? COuld you help me to investigate and fix?

 

[MatrixAudio]

@MatrixAudio I0m experiencing this issue:
X-Sabre 3 connected through wifi using DNLA streaming service. In a first moment for each song starting there 1-2 seconds of break outage, something like if connection was freezing. After 1-2 seconds of this interrumption become to plays correctly. Tried with ethernet cable without issue.
So i change channel for wifi and increased 5Ghz bandwidth from 40 to 120 Mhz. After that it was more stable but something i was experiencing the same issue.
Previously i was using a Raspberry 4 with Moode Audio without having this issue.

Could be a bug about caching or something else? COuld you help me to investigate and fix?

Thanks for your feedback.
We acknowledge the this issue. But we have no solution yet. We will continue to investigate it in the future.

 

[ThierryNK]

Hi
I am a French Hifi reviewer.
My setup is G2S2 Vivid speakers, Kinki EX-B7 power blocks, Weiss 502 DAC in a acoustically treated room with good and stable RT60.

I am currently testing X-Sabre3 from Matrix Audio. I will not talk here here about sound and comparison with other DACs, but about some practical issues.

For the following, I only use DLNA and ROON.

NB: I have a strong Wifi 6 mesh, with 1 Gbps bandwidth. X-Sabre 3 is 3 feet away from the access point.

General
Sampling frequency changes
DLNA: there are "noises" in the speakers when the sampling frequency changes. These noises happen even if the previous track was stopped or after the end of an album.
ROON: this seems to appear also but less often and less strong noise (to be confirmed)

Wifi
Track change
There are "bad" noises if you move manually to another track (same sampling). It happens also at "next track". This issue nearly fully disappears with ethernet connexion (it remains a little "something"....) This seems to be the same issue as the one described by @officialsm

DLNA recgnonition
With Wifi, X-Sabre 3 is seen by bubbleupnpserver (that I use to make Open Home DLNA renderers) but is never seen by Jriver. Jriver and bubbleupnpserver can see X-sabre3 with ethernet.

Regards

 

[enricoclaudio]

Hi
I am a French Hifi reviewer.
My setup is G2S2 Vivid speakers, Kinki EX-B7 power blocks, Weiss 502 DAC in a acoustically treated room with good and stable RT60.

I am currently testing X-Sabre3 from Matrix Audio. I will not talk here here about sound and comparison with other DACs, but about some practical issues.

For the following, I only use DLNA and ROON.

NB: I have a strong Wifi 6 mesh, with 1 Gbps bandwidth. X-Sabre 3 is 3 feet away from the access point.

General
Sampling frequency changes
DLNA: there are "noises" in the speakers when the sampling frequency changes. These noises happen even if the previous track was stopped or after the end of an album.
ROON: this seems to appear also but less often and less strong noise (to be confirmed)

Wifi
Track change
There are "bad" noises if you move manually to another track (same sampling). It happens also at "next track". This issue nearly fully disappears with ethernet connexion (it remains a little "something"....) This seems to be the same issue as the one described by @officialsm

DLNA recgnonition
With Wifi, X-Sabre 3 is seen by bubbleupnpserver (that I use to make Open Home DLNA renderers) but is never seen by Jriver. Jriver and bubbleupnpserver can see X-sabre3 with ethernet.

Regards

Did you update your X-SABRE 3 to the latest firmware released just 2 weeks ago? Regarding WiFi, I have never used WiFi with any of my Roon Ready devices as WiFi is NOT reliable with Roon. My X-SABRE 3 is hardwired to my router and I have never had a single glitch playin with Roon files stored in my Synology DS1019+ NAS or streaming from TIDAL and Qobuz since updating the firmware back in September 2021 to the firmware released end of September after I summited more than 8 bugs. All the firmware bugs were fixed with that firmware update. Regarding DLNA, I have used mConnect app and it works perfectly fine with my X-SABRE 3. I would recommend you report your bugs directly to @MatrixAudio using their community forum as they have a thread dedicated for the X-SABRE 3 bugs and let me tell you, they listen and they fix them in a very short time.

Collecting bugs of X-SABRE 3

 

[ThierryNK]

Hi
Firmware was updated to 1,0.1 build 048

I never had Wifi issues with Roon on an Auralic g2.1 for example.

The DNLA issues I mentioned are for one part related to Wifi and the other part for frequency changes, not to a control point as Mconnect.

I will also post something on Matrix Forum, of course.

Regards

 

[dan_uk]

Whats everyone feeding their Saber Pro’s? In particular which streamers?

 

[enricoclaudio]

Whats everyone feeding their Saber Pro’s? In particular which streamers?

I use Roon exclusively with the X-SABRE 3. I have music stored in my Synology NAS and also TIDAL and Qobuz subscriptions.

 

[ThierryNK]

Hi

Fior those interested by the bugs I mentioned, follow up and updates sit here:

Collecting bugs of X-SABRE 3

Regards

 

[dan_uk]

I use Roon exclusively with the X-SABRE 3. I have music stored in my Synology NAS and also TIDAL and Qobuz subscriptions.

But what do you plug into your Saber? USB from NAS into DAC?

 

[enricoclaudio]

But what do you plug into your Saber? USB from NAS into DAC?

I don't plug anything. I just have the X-SABRE 3 in my local network with a wired ethernet connection that goes into my router. That is all. You maybe confused with the previous version, the X-SABRE Pro MQA which was only a DAC. The new X-SABRE 3 is a DAC + Roon Ready and DLNA Streamer.

 

[paulri]

Hi,
what a good power amplifier match to X-SABRE 3, is power amp really ok or to buy a preamp?
Thanks for any your experience.

 

[ICantHearYou]

Hi,
what a good power amplifier match to X-SABRE 3, is power amp really ok or to buy a preamp?
Thanks for any your experience.

I am using a Burson soloist 3xp in power amp mode with mine. Very much happy with the combo

 

[ThierryNK]

Hi,
what a good power amplifier match to X-SABRE 3, is power amp really ok or to buy a preamp?
Thanks for any your experience.

I have used Kinki Ex-B7 and Ypsilon Aelius mono blocks,, with no preamp and no issues.

 

[paulri]

I have used Kinki Ex-B7 and Ypsilon Aelius mono blocks,, with no preamp and no issues.

Looking at Kinki and Aelius, these are quite matchup for the X-SABRE. And what is the control of the sabre, no glitches? Have you used a trigger? I still consider this as only combo of DAC with streamer, which is worth of buying, but not sure if it is not better to go with a dedicated dac and Roon Nucleus. Thanks!