Matrix Audio X-SABRE Pro MQA: Best Audio DAC in the World?

[digicidal]

Would be interesting to see if the multi dac architecture from Esoteric or the fpga/discrete dac from dCS are on the same level...
Still, I definitely LOVE the design of the element series. For sure they are the best dacs from a technical and aesthetical point of view.

On the first point - I doubt they are... my guess is they will not measure nearly as well - but I don't think that's their aim either. However, I will wait for measurements to confirm or deny my suspicions. On the second point, agreed... now if only they came in black.

Aestheticaly I am not too impressed. There is still nothng to beat Dieter Rams' audio designs for Braun, decades ago.

Braun design is right up there with Porsche IMO... however, I personally find this DAC to be very nice looking. Mostly business with just a touch of elegance. However, like music, design is very subjective (at least until it impedes functionality). Dieter Rams' furniture was pretty groundbreaking at the time as well. Of course now the knockoffs sold at Container Store and home improvement stores are much more ubiquitous.

 

[neph]

Are there any real life audible gains compared to a DAC from the mid-tier of the list that has (respectable measurement numbers and without noticable flaws (e.g. the so called "humps") ?

If the answer is no, i would argue that the device's features and connectivity would be, for most people, more important than absolute numbers.
Of course, it is could to have these kinds of measurements in order to define the range of what is technologically attainable.

 

[maty]

For example, what is the use of a huge SNR if we then connect it to a preamp, amplifier or integrated that has the maximum analog SNR limited to only 105 dB like my modded AVR Marantz SR4500, something I had in mind when I decided to buy the ODAC, with Dynamic Range: > 110 dB A-Weighted (I continued its development but waited a few months to buy it just in case).

[Spanish] https://nauscopio.wordpress.com/201...mprado-al-forero-audiomalaga-de-audio-planet/

Potencia: 80 W RMS (20 Hz a 20 kHz, THD del 0,08 %) sobre 8 ohmios por canal. 105 W sobre 6 ohmios. Sensibilidad e impedancia de entrada: 168 mV, 47 kOhms. Relación señal/ruido: 105 dB (entrada analógica directa)…

PS: SNR of 105 dB must be about SNR-A of 108 dB.

"Directa" -> Pure Direct mode.

 

[filo97s]

On the first point - I doubt they are... my guess is they will not measure nearly as well - but I don't think that's their aim either. However, I will wait for measurements to confirm or deny my suspicions. On the second point, agreed... now if only they came in black.

don't know... Although I don't like nor I find to be an improvement at all those pricey dacs, Esoteric uses 16 AK4490 in parallel per each channel, this should - at least in theory - lower the noise and perform better than single chip alternatives.
I agree with black color... very classy.

Are there any real life audible gains from compared to a DAC from the mid-tier of the list that has (respectable measurement numbers and without noticable flaws (e.g. the so called "humps") ?

If the answer is no, i would argue that the device's features and connectivity would be, for most people, more important than absolute numbers.
Of course, it is could to have these kinds of measurements in order to define the range of what is technologically attainable.

Personally, I think that anything in the first and second group should be indistinguishable, and quite possibly also a good part of the third group. Once you have a good and well built dac, stuff like Topping D30, you should be okay for the rest of your life even in an high end system. I've compared quite a lot of dacs in the 100-2000 eur tier, but to be honest the reeeally slight differences between each others are only due to psichoacoustics imo (apart from those with broken designs like Audio GD ones). What does a 1000 euro dac have that topping D30 does not, is only a better connectivity, with more options and more flexible.

 

[audioBliss]

That's the thing isn't it. We now know that nc400 monoblocks as well as Benchmark AHB/2 is pretty much good enough, we have several DACs that should be good enough but what about preamps? A lot of people like me use an AVR as a preamp which of course has it's limits. I don't know how my Arcam measures but I think and hope it measures better than the AVRs that have been tested here. To my ears it sounds like it anyways. The issue is that once you leave the 2 channel realm it does get difficult and expensive.

What irony, we have amazing 2 channel gear available but all the music produced sounds worse than ever. Movies on the other hand usually have really good mixing, mastering, dynamics etc. but the gear isn't really there yet..Give me an AVR with results like this matrix in both preamp, multi-channel dac and so on.

 

[soundwave76]

I think this is a very nice looking DAC for a traditional hifi setup, but for desktop use not so much.

 

[digicidal]

don't know... Although I don't like nor I find to be an improvement at all those pricey dacs, Esoteric uses 16 AK4490 in parallel per each channel, this should - at least in theory - lower the noise and perform better than single chip alternatives.

Since the AK4490 is spec'd at the chip at -112dB... and the ES9038PRO is spec'd at the chip at -122dB - they're gonna have to make them do something magical to beat the chip's capabilities - or at least something esoteric. I'd love to see @amirm test it however, so we can know the difference. Just putting my guess out there that the highest tier tends more toward "crafted" sound (i.e. colored) rather than transparent - mostly as a means of brand identity.

I'd say by hitting almost 100% of the capabilities of the chip while providing power and connectivity - Matrix did something almost magical in this DAC!

 

[maty]

I don't know how my Arcam measures but I think and hope it measures better than the AVRs that have been tested here...

[Polish] https://audio.com.pl/testy/kino-domowe/amplitunery-av/f/979-arcam

to English: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://audio.com.pl/testy/kino-domowe/amplitunery-av/f/979-arcam

To play stereo music, much better with Pure Direct. Audio processing via soft from a computer it it is the source. I LOVE JRiver MC v25.0.95 64 bits with W10 Pro 1809 64 bits.

 

[Veri]

Would be interesting to see if the multi dac architecture from Esoteric or the fpga/discrete dac from dCS are on the same level...
Still, I definitely LOVE the design of the element series. For sure they are the best dacs from a technical and aesthetical point of view.

That Esoteric... sure claims a lotta stuff. 32 DAC chips in 'dual mono', 36-bit processing without any further real explanation other than this:

That image specifically is a whole lot of nonsense, I don't even....

 

[Veri]

Hello Amir, I notice that Jitter Noise is not as good as Element X. I'd like to know is it because of XMOS problem? Or something wrong with the design of 3 crystal oscillators? Can you try a AES or coaxial spdif input and test the Jitter Noise again? Thank you!

About the difference, I'm pretty sure the jitter graph in Element X was taken with either jitter suppression or async on, while in this review, @amirm must have tested with either of those options 'off'. Testing it in 'sync' or 'jitter suppression: off' will have a minor side effect on jitter performance depending on the digital source. I'm just not sure which of both features having the most pronounced effect.

Either way, jitter as shown in the graph of X-Sabre pro is surely 'totally inaudible' as amir said in the review. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Veri]

I believe so too, but it make me feel not very good to found one drawback in the almost perfect product. I checked the manual and found some settings may cause the problem.
View attachment 32247
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And here is the manual: https://www.matrix-digi.com/pdf/X-SABRE_Pro_MQA_Manual_EN.pdf

Thanks. Looks like the defaults have all tweaks 'ON' though. Hmm..

 

[Labjr]

The challenge now is for someone to make a $99 DAC with the same specs.

 

[Veri]

The challenge now is for someone to make a $99 DAC with the same specs.

The 9038PRO retail price is almost half of that, and that's without implementation, circuit board or casing lol. So ehhh, no way.
The E1DA 9038S is probably the cheapest performer coming close in raw performance and lack of IMD hump at its ~$80 cost.

 

[Labjr]

The 9038PRO retail price is almost half of that, and that's without implementation, circuit board or casing lol. So ehhh, no way.
The E1DA 9038S is probably the cheapest performer coming close in raw performance and lack of IMD hump at its ~$80 cost.

Okay $129!

 

[Sebastian]

In connection of a raspi 3B+ running piCorePlayer as streaming unit to my X-Sabre Pro MQA via USB there is ample distortion (resp. "noise only") at sample rate of 176.4 KHz. All other sample rates I tested via USB up to 768KHz are good. I also tested with a RME Adi-2 DAC, everything is fine at 176.4KHz as with all other sample rates here.

I circumvent the 176.4KHz with the Matrix by upsampling to 352.8KHz, so this is no showstopper for me. Not many of my music files have this sample rate anyway. Nevertheless, I asked Matrix Audio about this and they told me that "the USB audio driver integration in the the Linux operating system on your Raspberry Pi seems not perfect" and that as a hardware manufacturer Matrix Audio may not be able to solve this problem.

I'd like to know wether anyone here observed the same effect?

Thank you,
Sebastian

 

[777]

Amirm, can we see this measurement with 600 ohm load ?

 

[777]

Maybe the Matrix is the number one but for 375$, Sabaj D5 is the best.

 

[gvl]

Oktos 32-tone result is much cleaner. What does it tell us?

 

[MatrixAudio]

A quick question for @MatrixAudio: Can you please confirm that Power Holdings Inc. storefront on Amazon.com is your official vendor? Thank you.

Yes, he is authenticated distributor by Matrix.

 

[Jim777]

Awesome stuff. @amirm did you measure the SINAD on the RCA outputs too? Some of us are still stuck with that. For now.