[Hillskill]

This is what I ultimately did. Also as of last week I updated the firmware and the element X no longer says "uncertified" in Roon.

This has irked me for ages even though performance wasn't effected at all. Will have to look and see if I can update my Element M too.

 

[murl]

Yeah I haven't noticed any difference in performance.

 

[Playskool]

I've received my Matrix audio Element X 3 days ago and I wanted to share my experience.

So far it's the best DAC I ever had and possible ever heard (I have the Schiit Gungnir multibit 5Gen and Ifi iDSD BL), it is very articulate with lots of details especially in the midrange. It's really good with high resolution files (with 16bit audio the results are not very different from any well built DAC) as it can reveal every hidden layer of the music.

I have played different types of audio files (16bit aiff and flac, 24bit, DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256) natively from my Macbooc Pro running Jriver on windows 10 and the result is just spectacular! I have also tried to play directly from my 2TB SSD hard drive (Sandisk Extreme portable SSD formated in exFAT) directly plugged into the element X and it is working perfectly fine too. I couldn't really hear the difference between the two methods but I need more time with the unit to evaluate that (it has been reported on some forums that playing directly from Element X sounded better). So for those interested, the Element X is capable to handle 2Tb of music directly without using a PC and the phone app is quite good at managing the music, it takes a couple of minutes for the device to organize the data (we are talking about thousands of files here) but after that everything runs perfectly smooth (no lag, no lost connection). The only thing I discovered is that it will not read iso files, for those with ripped SACD, you will need to convert them in DSD to be able to play them this way. The control app on my android phone is just amazing, I have never even tried to use the remote (and probably never will).

This DAC offers a lot of fine tuning options which I will not detail here but I just want to say that I have used it with the default settings except for the filters (I am using filter #3), "fast roll-off linear phase" as it sounds slightly better to my hears.

Also something that I think no one has ever mentioned about this DAC (correct me if I am wrong) is that this DAC does not require 5V power signal via USB to do the handshake with the PC. I discovered it by unplugging the power line of my Ifi Gemini dual headed cable and the sound continued playing. Since then I have always used it this way with the data only transfered via USB and it's wonderful. This is a very important point for people with noisy computer power.

 

[murl]

I've received my Matrix audio Element X 3 days ago and I wanted to share my experience.

So far it's the best DAC I ever had and possible ever heard (I have the Schiit Gungnir multibit 5Gen and Ifi iDSD BL), it is very articulate with lots of details especially in the midrange. It's really good with high resolution files (with 16bit audio the results are not very different from any well built DAC) as it can reveal every hidden layer of the music.

I have played different types of audio files (16bit aiff and flac, 24bit, DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256) natively from my Macbooc Pro running Jriver on windows 10 and the result is just spectacular! I have also tried to play directly from my 2TB SSD hard drive (Sandisk Extreme portable SSD formated in exFAT) directly plugged into the element X and it is working perfectly fine too. I couldn't really hear the difference between the two methods but I need more time with the unit to evaluate that (it has been reported on some forums that playing directly from Element X sounded better). So for those interested, the Element X is capable to handle 2Tb of music directly without using a PC and the phone app is quite good at managing the music, it takes a couple of minutes for the device to organize the data (we are talking about thousands of files here) but after that everything runs perfectly smooth (no lag, no lost connection). The only thing I discovered is that it will not read iso files, for those with ripped SACD, you will need to convert them in DSD to be able to play them this way. The control app on my android phone is just amazing, I have never even tried to use the remote (and probably never will).

This DAC offers a lot of fine tuning options which I will not detail here but I just want to say that I have used it with the default settings except for the filters (I am using filter #3), "fast roll-off linear phase" as it sounds slightly better to my hears.

Also something that I think no one has ever mentioned about this DAC (correct me if I am wrong) is that this DAC does not require 5V power signal via USB to do the handshake with the PC. I discovered it by unplugging the power line of my Ifi Gemini dual headed cable and the sound continued playing. Since then I have always used it this way with the data only transfered via USB and it's wonderful. This is a very important point for people with noisy computer power.

Glad to hear you like it. I got mine last year and still love it. Easily best single box option in the price range.

 

[Arnold Schwartz]

I've received my Matrix audio Element X 3 days ago and I wanted to share my experience.

So far it's the best DAC I ever had and possible ever heard (I have the Schiit Gungnir multibit 5Gen and Ifi iDSD BL), it is very articulate with lots of details especially in the midrange. It's really good with high resolution files (with 16bit audio the results are not very different from any well built DAC) as it can reveal every hidden layer of the music.

I have played different types of audio files (16bit aiff and flac, 24bit, DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256) natively from my Macbooc Pro running Jriver on windows 10 and the result is just spectacular! I have also tried to play directly from my 2TB SSD hard drive (Sandisk Extreme portable SSD formated in exFAT) directly plugged into the element X and it is working perfectly fine too. I couldn't really hear the difference between the two methods but I need more time with the unit to evaluate that (it has been reported on some forums that playing directly from Element X sounded better). So for those interested, the Element X is capable to handle 2Tb of music directly without using a PC and the phone app is quite good at managing the music, it takes a couple of minutes for the device to organize the data (we are talking about thousands of files here) but after that everything runs perfectly smooth (no lag, no lost connection). The only thing I discovered is that it will not read iso files, for those with ripped SACD, you will need to convert them in DSD to be able to play them this way. The control app on my android phone is just amazing, I have never even tried to use the remote (and probably never will).

This DAC offers a lot of fine tuning options which I will not detail here but I just want to say that I have used it with the default settings except for the filters (I am using filter #3), "fast roll-off linear phase" as it sounds slightly better to my hears.

Also something that I think no one has ever mentioned about this DAC (correct me if I am wrong) is that this DAC does not require 5V power signal via USB to do the handshake with the PC. I discovered it by unplugging the power line of my Ifi Gemini dual headed cable and the sound continued playing. Since then I have always used it this way with the data only transfered via USB and it's wonderful. This is a very important point for people with noisy computer power.

Wondering if you can share more listening impressions comparing the matrix to the Gungnir. I also have Gungnir and previously owned a sabre 9018 dac that I enjoyed but felt sometimes sounded too HIFI (too much treble, a bit fake sounding) but other reviews on the 9038pro say it sounds different to the older designs.

 

[Playskool]

Wondering if you can share more listening impressions comparing the matrix to the Gungnir. I also have Gungnir and previously owned a sabre 9018 dac that I enjoyed but felt sometimes sounded too HIFI (too much treble, a bit fake sounding) but other reviews on the 9038pro say it sounds different to the older designs.

Hi Arnold,
Sure, I am happy to share my thoughts about this DAC but forgive me if I make some writing mistakes as english is not my first language.

First I need to tell you that I don't have the Gungnir with me for a direct comparison, I am currently living as an expatriate and my Gungnir stayed in my country of origin with the preamp and most of my heavy HIFI system. Basically that's why I wanted a "all in one" solution (I didn't want to have a separate system to save some space and limit the amount of cables).

Also i may be a little biased as I don't have any problem listening to the two SABRE32 ES9018K2M chips from my Opus #2 DAP for extended listening sessions. I think that while every chip may be different, the integration is critical.

I was able to spend some time listening to the Element X this weekend and I made some interesting findings...

Playing music through the MAP (Matrix Audio Player) with the hard drive directly connected to the DAC does sounds much better than via the computer USB input!!!

That's how I was playing most of my music so far so I didn't notice the difference at first but after this weekend I can confidently say it. I am happy with this finding because I wanted to be able to use my macbook running on it's native system while listening to some music (if I play music via the macbook I need to run Windows 10 to play DSD natively since this format is not handled natively by Mac OS).

The problem is that on some songs the difference between the MAP and the PC to USB input is probably too great to be normal... I will not comment more on it right now as I may have done something wrong with my settings. I will just say that I have already contacted Matrix Audio Support to see if we can find a solution. It is the weekend now so they will probably come back to me early this week (by the way I exchanged a few emails with them prior to the purchase and they are very professional and responsive, very dedicated team).

Now playing music via the MAP with my SSD hard drive plugged direclty into the DAC is just amazing, I repeat what I have said before, that's the best souding DAC I had the opportunity to hear.

The sound is just right, not too bright, not too forward, it doesn't sound fake, there is a lot of space between each instruments, voices are super realistic...It is definitely a very revealing and high resolution DAC, you hear lot of details that where just not here before. I listen to a wide variety of music from rock, soul, jazz, reggae, pop, electro, opera and the effect was the same with all of them, the music is right, simply what it is supposed to be. This DAC is "colorless" in a right way without being boring. I had experiences with boring HIFI components in the past (I had boring preamplifiers and even amplifiers but never a DAC). The voices are soooo good and for me who is listening to a lot of english songs, being able to hear all the lyrics clearly is just so satisfying. Of course what is true for the voices is true for the rest of the music.

An other point I have to highlight is the integration of the volume controller. It is pure wizardry!
I recently had very disapointing results with one of the most highly regarded passive preamp available (from a company that I will not mention here because I don't want to shame anyone) so I was more than skeptical of the volume control of the Element X being a mix of passive and digital control... My fears have completely vanished!! The volume control is excellent, with headphones or speakers, I don't hear any loss of quality or dynamics playing at low level (lack of dynamics is the usual problem of passive preamps, even with carefull impedance matching, there might be some exceptions like transformer volume controls but I've never heard one), Element X volume control is very responsive and accurate, perfect for my personal use. You can also control the volume when playing Native DSD (some DAC are not allowing that). So very good news on that side, no need for a preamp!

This DAC is trully an "all in one" wonder!

So far I would say that it would have been a perfect purchase for me if I was not having the issue using the PC to USB DAC input, but since my plan was to use it without PC from the beginning, I am still very happy and very impressed by this unit. Also I am hoping to solve the current problem with Matrix Support Team.

Now comparing the Element X to the Gungnir, I would say that the Gungnir is a very analog, pleasantly sounding DAC. I was using (and will use it) as a DAC connected to the coaxial output of my Sony SCD-555ES player (the real SACD player, not the 5 discs changer) and it sounded very good and vinyl-like in a good way. My problem with it in my current situation is that it doesn't have a headphone amp, it requires a preamp to control the volume (I was using a "vintage" Classé Audio Six preamp with the Gungnir with very good results), it needs a PC to feed the data and it doesn't play DSD files. DSD files recently became more widely available and with the proper gear, native DSD files are definitely better than 16 or 24 bits recordings (I don't do upsampling so I cannot comment on that).

The Element X fulfills all these requirements and more. It may sound less colored than other DAC for some, but it is definitely ultra revealing and it sounds very real in my system with plenty of space between the instruments. If you play mostly CD "red book" files and you like the Gungnir, then just keep it and enjoy the music! And if you have the opportunity to hear the Element X in the future, you may decide to buy it if you like it. But if you want to have a "all in one" solution that can reveal every musical details and play all types of high resolution audio formats, then the Element X is probably the way to go (I would recommend it wholeheartedly only if I can fix the problem described above).

 

[allenwong]

I purchased the Element X for my LCD-4s and was skeptical given the minimal reviews of the product. Now that I have been using it, holy cow. The element X has to be one of the best if not the best all in one solutions out there. I have heard multiple TOTL pieces of source equipment and even some middle of the road equipment and this is one of the best. The feature set is everything you could want. I may integrate this into my 2 channel system or buy another. Works great as a roon end point. My only criticism is they need to finish the iOS app and that really isn’t a big deal. My wife even puts on the LCD-4s from time to time and she doesn’t have a strong interest in high end audio. If anyone has questions or is reluctant feel free to send me a message. I am always skeptical about ordering a product I have no experience with but I couldn’t imagine a solution I would be happier with than the X.

is the amp part powerful enough for drive all headphones in the market

 

[murl]

is the amp part powerful enough for drive all headphones in the market

Certainly not all, it does fine with my LCD-4s. You certainly aren't going to get away with RAAL requisite ear speakers, electrostatics etc but I would say it is fine for 99% of what is on the market.

 

[allenwong]

Certainly not all, it does fine with my LCD-4s. You certainly aren't going to get away with RAAL requisite ear speakers, electrostatics etc but I would say it is fine for 99% of what is on the market.

Thanks

 

[Arnold Schwartz]

Hi Arnold,
Sure, I am happy to share my thoughts about this DAC but forgive me if I make some writing mistakes as english is not my first language.

First I need to tell you that I don't have the Gungnir with me for a direct comparison, I am currently living as an expatriate and my Gungnir stayed in my country of origin with the preamp and most of my heavy HIFI system. Basically that's why I wanted a "all in one" solution (I didn't want to have a separate system to save some space and limit the amount of cables).

Also i may be a little biased as I don't have any problem listening to the two SABRE32 ES9018K2M chips from my Opus #2 DAP for extended listening sessions. I think that while every chip may be different, the integration is critical.

I was able to spend some time listening to the Element X this weekend and I made some interesting findings...

Playing music through the MAP (Matrix Audio Player) with the hard drive directly connected to the DAC does sounds much better than via the computer USB input!!!

That's how I was playing most of my music so far so I didn't notice the difference at first but after this weekend I can confidently say it. I am happy with this finding because I wanted to be able to use my macbook running on it's native system while listening to some music (if I play music via the macbook I need to run Windows 10 to play DSD natively since this format is not handled natively by Mac OS).

The problem is that on some songs the difference between the MAP and the PC to USB input is probably too great to be normal... I will not comment more on it right now as I may have done something wrong with my settings. I will just say that I have already contacted Matrix Audio Support to see if we can find a solution. It is the weekend now so they will probably come back to me early this week (by the way I exchanged a few emails with them prior to the purchase and they are very professional and responsive, very dedicated team).

Now playing music via the MAP with my SSD hard drive plugged direclty into the DAC is just amazing, I repeat what I have said before, that's the best souding DAC I had the opportunity to hear.

The sound is just right, not too bright, not too forward, it doesn't sound fake, there is a lot of space between each instruments, voices are super realistic...It is definitely a very revealing and high resolution DAC, you hear lot of details that where just not here before. I listen to a wide variety of music from rock, soul, jazz, reggae, pop, electro, opera and the effect was the same with all of them, the music is right, simply what it is supposed to be. This DAC is "colorless" in a right way without being boring. I had experiences with boring HIFI components in the past (I had boring preamplifiers and even amplifiers but never a DAC). The voices are soooo good and for me who is listening to a lot of english songs, being able to hear all the lyrics clearly is just so satisfying. Of course what is true for the voices is true for the rest of the music.

An other point I have to highlight is the integration of the volume controller. It is pure wizardry!
I recently had very disapointing results with one of the most highly regarded passive preamp available (from a company that I will not mention here because I don't want to shame anyone) so I was more than skeptical of the volume control of the Element X being a mix of passive and digital control... My fears have completely vanished!! The volume control is excellent, with headphones or speakers, I don't hear any loss of quality or dynamics playing at low level (lack of dynamics is the usual problem of passive preamps, even with carefull impedance matching, there might be some exceptions like transformer volume controls but I've never heard one), Element X volume control is very responsive and accurate, perfect for my personal use. You can also control the volume when playing Native DSD (some DAC are not allowing that). So very good news on that side, no need for a preamp!

This DAC is trully an "all in one" wonder!

So far I would say that it would have been a perfect purchase for me if I was not having the issue using the PC to USB DAC input, but since my plan was to use it without PC from the beginning, I am still very happy and very impressed by this unit. Also I am hoping to solve the current problem with Matrix Support Team.

Now comparing the Element X to the Gungnir, I would say that the Gungnir is a very analog, pleasantly sounding DAC. I was using (and will use it) as a DAC connected to the coaxial output of my Sony SCD-555ES player (the real SACD player, not the 5 discs changer) and it sounded very good and vinyl-like in a good way. My problem with it in my current situation is that it doesn't have a headphone amp, it requires a preamp to control the volume (I was using a "vintage" Classé Audio Six preamp with the Gungnir with very good results), it needs a PC to feed the data and it doesn't play DSD files. DSD files recently became more widely available and with the proper gear, native DSD files are definitely better than 16 or 24 bits recordings (I don't do upsampling so I cannot comment on that).

The Element X fulfills all these requirements and more. It may sound less colored than other DAC for some, but it is definitely ultra revealing and it sounds very real in my system with plenty of space between the instruments. If you play mostly CD "red book" files and you like the Gungnir, then just keep it and enjoy the music! And if you have the opportunity to hear the Element X in the future, you may decide to buy it if you like it. But if you want to have a "all in one" solution that can reveal every musical details and play all types of high resolution audio formats, then the Element X is probably the way to go (I would recommend it wholeheartedly only if I can fix the problem described above).

Thanks for sharing your thoughts much appreciated!

 

[Playskool]

Ok so Matrix Audio support team replied and was very helpful.
The conclusion is that I was the one at fault. MEA CULPA!!
The unit is perfectly fine and the difference heard was probably completely subjective. After new testing switching back and forth between USB and ssd "network" input (you can do it almost on the fly with this DAC), you cannot hear much of a difference between them (superb sound in both cases).

Now I will just relax and enjoy the music!

 

[boxster233]

is the amp part powerful enough for drive all headphones in the market

Amp should handle all but susvara.

 

[Ficcion2]

I’m looking to sell off my current rig for a single box solution like the Element M.

I’d be coming from an IFI Micro BL (with several upgrades) that sounds pretty darn good in contrast to the unit solo but it’s dongle city.

The M would still cost me about $500 extra out pocket so I wonder if the Element i would be cool with planars.

These are quite new so not too many in the classifieds yet but patience could pay off... or is someone trying to get rid on their M?

 

[murl]

What planars are you going to use?

 

[Ficcion2]

What planars are you going to use?

That was quick!

Nothing crazy, so far just HiFiman Sundara and Dan Clark Aeon 2 opens.

I plan on expanding my planar collection and not worrying so much about my rig. I think I like a Plenty headroom.