Matrix X-Sabre DAC review and impression thread - Page 4

RHMMMM - that's really nice of you to offer. I love it when we act like a real community around here, rather than just a bunch of strangers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla 

Hey John, good news on my end. Arthur and Matrix are interested in any input from the Austin meet in 2 weeks so they are rushing me one straight from China that should arrive on the 27th in time to burn it in for a few days before the meet. Looking forward to the comparison. I really hope the sound is an improvement. The looks certainly are. (Black gear is by far better than silver, IMO)

That certainly is good news! Arthur just shipped his unit out to me for review, and I have high expectations for it. I've known Arthur for a bit and while he is the new Matrix rep, I really value his opinion of the unit. He shared some initially unfavorable impressions when he first got the unit (with 0 hours on it) and if it never opened up with burn in, I could totally see him sending it back and telling Matrix to keep working on it. Thankfully he reports that it really improved and now sounds better than his Yulong D18 which is a really great DAC in its own right. 

I'll update when I get it installed in my system. Currently have my Resonessence Invicta, Anedio D2, Parasound Zdac, and NuForce DAC-100, all connected and doing comparisons. Also have the Violectric V800 and Yulong D18 on the next shelf.... that's some serious competition for the Matrix, so we'll see how it does.

It will be great to get some feedback from the Austin meet though. There are some great HeadFiers who plan on attending. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWahl 

Looking forward to comparisons with the Gungnir and synergy(or not) with HD800.  Contrary to my recent post on the TH600 thread, I went ahead and put down a deposit to have a used HD800 held for me until my AD2000X sells.  

 

I feel my current equipment, while not necessarily endgame, should be sufficient to appreciate what the HD800 has to offer.  This Matrix DAC does seem like a logical next step though depending on the upcoming impressions.

That's a good way of looking at it. And you should be in good shape based on the gear in your sig.

It's tough because all these new DACs keep coming out, and there's almost always some good improvement to be had just by increasing the budget by a few hundred dollars. DACs are moving faster than amps and headphones imo. So even when you have a DAC that is undeniably a huge value at $400, there's always another huge value in the $650 range, and another in the $1K range, and on and on. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoNelly 

 

I'd be interested to hear your first take on the Zdac, too. Interesting and well-priced product.

I really dig it. My initial thought was that it might be another "me too" product, just trying to get in on the popular DAC market with a mediocre design. But the more I read about it, the more I became convinced it could be the real deal. So I got a hold of a review sample and proved myself right - it's a fantastic little DAC, very impressive in many ways. I'll have my review posted at InnerFidelity soon. 

On the other hand, fellow contributor Steve Guttenberg just posted a review of the Emotiva XDA-2 where he compared it favorably to the Zdac. That's the exact opposite of the way I hear it. I'd put the Zdac on top, then Bifrost, then XDA-2, with 2nd and 3rd place being close but the Zdac being way ahead. I guess that shows how we all hear things differently.

Anyway, back to the Matrix X-Sabre.... my review unit just arrived. Got it installed in the system but haven't had a chance to listen yet. I will say this - build quality is exceedingly high. This thing is a tank, and makes other well built DACs like the Yulong D18 seem kind of insignificant.