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Review and Measurements of Matrix Audio Element X DAC/Streamer/Amp

Casey Leedom

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By the way, with regard to using Roon Volume Control with the Element X, does anyone know if this is configured to use the Element X’s internal DAC Volume Control, or does Roon process the Digital Data to accomplish the Volume Control?

Casey
 

TGB

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The Element X is Roon Ready, of course it uses the Element X volume control.
 

Casey Leedom

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Thanks. Good to know. I had thought that there were Roon Ready Devices which didn’t offer Device Volume Control? Certainly that’s true of my current SqueezeBox Touch which is just a Digital Transport to my Emotiva DMC-1’s S/PDIF Input. So there, the Roon Server (“Core” in their terminology) has to process the Digital Data in order to effect Volume Control by scaling the PCM Samples ...

Casey
 

TGB

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Thanks. Good to know. I had thought that there were Roon Ready Devices which didn’t offer Device Volume Control? Certainly that’s true of my current SqueezeBox Touch which is just a Digital Transport to my Emotiva DMC-1’s S/PDIF Input. So there, the Roon Server (“Core” in their terminology) has to process the Digital Data in order to effect Volume Control by scaling the PCM Samples ...

Casey
There are Roon ready devices without volume control via Roon, but that applies to devices without any volume control.

The element X got as you already know volume control; hence it of course works :)
Same applies for my main system, the Trinnov Altitude32.

Edit:
I also have another setup with Moon MiND2 Network streamer, even without volume control it actually supports volume if you connect if to a Moon pre-amplifier via Moon's own SimLink. This is also available via Roon.
 

Casey Leedom

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Has anyone added the Matrix Audio Element X to their Logitech Harmony? I'm trying to add it as a Device and they have "Matrix Audio" as a Manufacturer, but their app doesn't recognize "Element X" as a "Device Model Number" (and it stupidly won't list the available Device Model Numbers". Anyone have a clue? Thanks!

Casey
 

TGB

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Has anyone added the Matrix Audio Element X to their Logitech Harmony? I'm trying to add it as a Device and they have "Matrix Audio" as a Manufacturer, but their app doesn't recognize "Element X" as a "Device Model Number" (and it stupidly won't list the available Device Model Numbers". Anyone have a clue? Thanks!

Casey
It is probably easier to learn the IR codes from the original remote (should be done in minutes, there are not that many buttons on the remote). Most likely the existing ones available in the Harmony system will work, but probably they are missing a few buttons.

I use the Harmony Elite, but not for the Element X; since that is used only for headphones. So I use the original remote. The Element X covers everything, so no need to make it complicated for me by mixing devices.
 

raykkho

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Has anyone added the Matrix Audio Element X to their Logitech Harmony? I'm trying to add it as a Device and they have "Matrix Audio" as a Manufacturer, but their app doesn't recognize "Element X" as a "Device Model Number" (and it stupidly won't list the available Device Model Numbers". Anyone have a clue? Thanks!

Casey
I tried the codes in the Harmony database but didn't work, after that I wrote to MA and they promptly gave me the code, I can share them here I suppose.
 

Casey Leedom

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That would be great. Why haven't they been uploaded into Logitech's database by Matrix Audio? This is something easy they could do to simplify people's lives.

I will say that "ease of use" seems to be something they're not paying a lot of attention to. I got mine plugged in, etc. and the display seemed to be working for the most part, but none of the networking worked. I and a friend of mine who are both Network Engineers struggled and couldn't make any headway. I sent a note to Erik from Gig Harbor Audio in Seattle — @amirm connected us up — and he called me less than 30 minutes later to say that it was almost certainly the 115V/220V switch on the bottom which ships from the factory in the 220V position. The Element X if it was able to get that far should have simply displayed "Wrong Voltage??" which would have clued us in to what to look for in the manual.

Casey
 

Casey Leedom

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Oh, and by the way, regarding learning the IR Codes from the Remote: that would be good except they didn't ship a Battery with the unit. Seems like an oversight for a $3K DAC ... And I had to search all over the manual to find the section which described which battery it needed (CR2032) and the right orientation.

Casey
 
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raykkho

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Hi all, the following is a reply from the good people at MA support for the Harmony remote, I hope they don't mind me posting to help other users, I haven't got time to test it out yet.

1. To set the rc5 agreement of your Logitech Harmony universal remote control,use address code and Key value
2. Address code : 0x14
3. Key value:
power 0x0c
mute 0x0d
vol+ 0x10
vol- 0x11
filter 0x15
COA 0x18
OPT 0x17
AES 0x19
USB 0x16
4. Test method:

After editing the remote control code, enter item 13 of the Element X setting menu, Remote Control. Press the remote control on this interface to see the corresponding key value.
 

somy

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Anyone has compared Element X and Element M?
I'm thinking to get one of them however I'm not sure if the extra 1000€ justifies the SQ difference.
 

JohnYang1997

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Anyone has compared Element X and Element M?
I'm thinking to get one of them however I'm not sure if the extra 1000€ justifies the SQ difference.
Of course not. As both are competently designed, they should not sound different. If you have the budget of getting Element X, it won't be an issue either, as it's also really really good.
 

TGB

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Oh, and by the way, regarding learning the IR Codes from the Remote: that would be good except they didn't ship a Battery with the unit. Seems like an oversight for a $3K DAC ... And I had to search all over the manual to find the section which described which battery it needed (CR2032) and the right orientation.

Casey
I completely agree; this is not good. I think this is the first device ever without battery, extremely annoying.
 

raykkho

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Agree two things that the good folks at MA should consider and can be done very easily:

1) add a voltage warning label on TOP of the unit - I got into trouble on this and blown my fuse but MA was very good and mail out replacement fuses to me right away, but really something that can be very easily avoided

2) add a CR2032 battery to the remote
 
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somy

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Hi @MatrixAudio,
I'm deciding between Element X and Element M, mainly used as streamer/DAC for speaker setup (XLR connect to stereo integrated amplifier). Can you help to outline the main differences between X and M except for the chipset (9038pro/9028pro)?
I use Logitech Harmony to control all IR based devices but couldn't find your device listed there. Is element X/M compatible with Logitech Harmony Hub?
And one more question: is it better to use volume control of element X/M or my stereo amplifier? And if I use volume control of my amplifier can I use element X/M as DAC with fixed line-out?
Thank you in advance!
 
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raykkho

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Hi @MatrixAudio,
I'm deciding between Element X and Element M, mainly used as streamer/DAC for speaker setup (XLR connect to stereo integrated amplifier). Can you help to outline the main differences between X and M except for the chipset (9038pro/9028pro)?
I use Logitech Harmony to control all IR based devices but couldn't find your device listed there. Is element X/M compatible with Logitech Harmony Hub?
And one more question: is it better to use volume control of element X/M or my stereo amplifier? And if I use volume control of my amplifier can I use element X/M as DAC with fixed line-out?
Thank you in advance!
Not sure if you have seen this, if not it might help.
https://scontent.fhkg10-1.fna.fbcdn...=500f538021959182eff0150543828d2b&oe=5F7DBAFA
To me the cost is a main factor, but as I need balanced headphone amp, my choice is clear. It's no chump change, but I'm very happy with the X, it's just solid, works out of the box, and stay out of the way and just make music for me.
 

raykkho

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Hi @MatrixAudio,
I'm deciding between Element X and Element M, mainly used as streamer/DAC for speaker setup (XLR connect to stereo integrated amplifier). Can you help to outline the main differences between X and M except for the chipset (9038pro/9028pro)?
I use Logitech Harmony to control all IR based devices but couldn't find your device listed there. Is element X/M compatible with Logitech Harmony Hub?
And one more question: is it better to use volume control of element X/M or my stereo amplifier? And if I use volume control of my amplifier can I use element X/M as DAC with fixed line-out?
Thank you in advance!
As for Logitech please see my post #457

As to whether you can use volume control of your amplifier and use element X/M as DAC with fixed line-out, of course you can, it's a DAC too.
 

somy

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Not sure if you have seen this, if not it might help.
https://scontent.fhkg10-1.fna.fbcdn...=500f538021959182eff0150543828d2b&oe=5F7DBAFA
To me the cost is a main factor, but as I need balanced headphone amp, my choice is clear. It's no chump change, but I'm very happy with the X, it's just solid, works out of the box, and stay out of the way and just make music for me.
Thanks, as I read the clock, power supply and volume control are different in M. Not sure if they have big impact to sound, but reading from review of element i it looks like a decent box and I assume M is a step up from I.
Does M only provide unbalanced headphone output? I thought headphone amp part in X, M and I are the same
 
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