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

Bamyasi

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DAC Firmware is 2.41
XMOS firmware is 3.01

I’m still working through a few minor problems with this, so the release will probably be 1or 2 higher.
Thanks for replying and please keep your fellow MA DAC owners updated! I am interested in particular since I am shopping for a USB network streamer upgrade myself. I am happy with my current Allo USBridge and it seems to work fine with my Matrix DAC but its hardware is not future proof. Sparky SBC on which it is based has not seen much attention from the ARM Linux developers recently, so I fear it may be abandonded soon, which would mean no security OS updates and no new drivers.
 

daftcombo

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It's a shame about the noise in the multitone intermodulation distortion text. I might just buy the Element X instead, even though I don't need the network streaming or headphone amp.
What do you mean? It's under -120dB!
 

tensor9

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Compare it to the Element X. Why is it higher? It’s not a question of audibility, but it is substantially higher.
 

Bliman

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I too am interested in this compared with RME ADI2 DAC. The RME has that clever combination of digital and analogue attenuation (great preamp) - does this?
Would the RME DAC be a better preamp then this one? I would connect it to a lyngdorf sda 2175 power amplifier.
 

30 Ounce

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Compare it to the Element X. Why is it higher? It’s not a question of audibility, but it is substantially higher.
Amir set the Audio Precision APx555 to measure itself on the 32 tone distortion test and it looks a bit less than the Matrix X measurement too. I’m not sure what is going on with this particular measurement (bad connection? Different filter settings?) but there isn’t a technical reason the X SABRE PRO MQA should measure less than the Element X.
DCB7611B-43B1-4983-8895-5BDB0F8C0902.png
 

boXem

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there isn’t a technical reason the X SABRE PRO MQA should measure less than the Element X.
I personally see a lot of technical reasons why they should measure differently, but I don't know the finest details of their design. Do you have more information to share?
 

signalpath

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What would be the point? No domestic audio DAC does more than 21 effective bits.

Which is a pity. Some mics can capture 25+ equivalent bits. And some ADCs can capture at 25+ bits.

DACs remain the weak link, most cannot even reach 21-bit linearity. Someday...
 

tensor9

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@amirm
Can you comment on the differences in 32 tone intermodulation tests results between the Element X and the Sabre Pro?
 
OP
amirm

amirm

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@amirm
Can you comment on the differences in 32 tone intermodulation tests results between the Element X and the Sabre Pro?
I have not had time to look at it. I have given the test file to Matrix though as they are investigating.
 

blodsbror

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Has anyone with a MA Sabre Pro MQA, (and specifically Roon, but probably applicable to other applications) noticed that when you stop playing music via a USB source (I use a Raspberry Pi 4), the DAC still treats the source as connected/playing - and thus the auto input detection never kicks in, if you start another source (lets say TV via Toslink) ?. Or is that simply by design for a USB source/DAC in general?. It's a shame, as it requires the wife to manually change sources, after I've had a Roon session. I know.. yes, but still ;)
 

thejck

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do you expect any difference in measurements in the non-mqa version of this dac? are they essentially the same without the additon of the mqa filters and licencing?
 

Yviena

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@MatrixAudio Just tried some upsampling to PCM7xx rates using HQplayer it seems that there is some kind of bug with the Matrix sabre PRO (non MQA version) i notice pops/distortion pops? when digital volume is set to -3dbfs, curiously it doesn't happen on all tracks, and it happens at the exact same point in music file each time, also it doesn't seem to happen at 0, or -1dbfs, it starts happening again at -2db but much more infrequently, while -4db is completely fine, does anyone have a idea what's going on???

For anyone curious here's a song where it happens when it's upsampled to 7xx rates using HQplayer https://www3.zippyshare.com/v/Gpi7I6fP/file.html
 

Music1969

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@MatrixAudio Just tried some upsampling to PCM7xx rates using HQplayer it seems that there is some kind of bug with the Matrix sabre PRO (non MQA version) i notice pops/distortion pops? when digital volume is set to -3dbfs, curiously it doesn't happen on all tracks, and it happens at the exact same point in music file each time, also it doesn't seem to happen at 0, or -1dbfs, it starts happening again at -2db but much more infrequently, while -4db is completely fine, does anyone have a idea what's going on???

For anyone curious here's a song where it happens when it's upsampled to 7xx rates using HQplayer https://www3.zippyshare.com/v/Gpi7I6fP/file.html

Is the DAC direct USB connected to your HQP PC?

Or using a lower powered USB streamer (NAA)?
 

Yviena

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Is the DAC direct USB connected to your HQP PC?

Or using a lower powered USB streamer (NAA)?

Doesn't matter I tried it directly connected, and via NAA same thing happens, it's kind of weird that it only happens at -3, and at higher sampling rates, it doesn't happen if I convert the PCM file to DSD, so something in the PCM Path of the dac, and -3dbfs volume together with a high sampling rate is triggering it.
 

Yviena

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If pop noise happens at the same point of a music file every time, it most probably due to the music file.
we will try the music file you shared, thanks for your feedback.
The thing is the noise isn't supposed to be there, and it only happens when volume is at -3dbfs, and at 7xxPCM rates, so some kind of upsampler is needed to trigger it, I wonder if I trigger some kind of bug in the ESS sabre chip PCM path itself, or if it's DAC specific.
It's not really a problem though but it would be nice to know why it happens...
 

sora

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It seems that the result of SINAD measurement is good when -1 dBFS is set. Is this more advantageous in sound quality when set to -1 dBFS in PRE mode than in DAC mode (fixed output)?
In that case, what happens with -2 dBFS and -3 dBFS?

I listen with a headphone amp connected.
I experienced that the sound quality was greatly deteriorated when PRE mode was used with another DAC using AKM before.
I want to use it in PRE mode at around -3 dBFS due to headphone efficiency issues ...
 
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