Matrix Element S - finally a dedicated streamer from Matrix!

[Beta-Vidoh]

These issues (crackling start to songs and multiple title issues) still happening?

Particularly if using it wirelessly

my song playing issue got sorted out several months ago, all good now.

 

[thecrow]

my song playing issue got sorted out several months ago, all good now.

Was through an update?

And is it all good when going via wifi to streamer as opposed to wired connection?

Thanks

 

[Beta-Vidoh]

Was through an update?

And is it all good when going via wifi to streamer as opposed to wired connection?

Thanks

only play music from a locally attached SSD, don't use a streaming service or play music stored on a network

 

[vlach]

I purchased the Volumio Rivo and LHY 5 volt linear power supply from Beatechnik.com. The Rivo is optimized for USB output and does not have an i2s output so I bought it to pair with a usb dac. You definitely want to get a power supply to use with the Rivo.The LHY LPS is inexpensive, very well built, feels and looks solid, and works without any issues. Rivo's design and operation are elegant and simple. The Rivo was extremely quick to set up and connected seamlessly with my network. One of the selling points is the Rivo runs on Volumio software, and it comes with a lifetime subscription to Volumio Premium. The Volumio app looks great and I'm finding it easy to navigate, with many options available for listening. The integration with Roon, Qobuz and Tidal has so far been flawless.

I bought the Elemenent S from Power Holdings. The Matrix Element S is a high quality streamer that looks great and has a lot of features, including a display. The remote app has been greatly improved, and now works well with Tidal and Qobuz. At times I have issues connecting the Element S to the network, but ultimately it always ends up connecting.

Both Volumio and Element S are Roon Ready, and connect via wifi and lan, and have options to connect external media with music files. The Rivo outputs 384kHz and 256 DSD, while the Element S outputs 768kHz and 512 DSD. Both streamers are able to stream music in a very balanced and precise way and bring a full, effortless and smooth music presentation to any system. Vocals and instruments are lifelike and natural. If pressed, I'd say that the Element S soundstage is wider, and detail retrieval, imaging and instrument separation are a bit better. However, both produce a rich, musical soundscape.

If you plan to use the streamer with dacs that offer both usb and i2s connections, and like a streamer with loads of features and a display, I'd go with the Element S. While the Rivo is a solid, very reliable streamer with an awesome app, I'd give the edge to the Element S. Matrix makes has a lot of experience making excellent audio products.

Hope this helps.

Hi Musikfan,

I'm hesitating between the Volumio Rivo and the Matrix Element S. My use case is strictly playing local files on a USB thumb drive. No Tidal, Qobuz, Roon, internet, wifi or computer except for using the app over wifi with my Android phone. You mentioned the Volumio app is stable and rock solid, which is great to hear, however i've read countless reports of the exact opposite; the app being unresponsive and freezing, not seeing the Rivo on the network, etc. Then again, i don't know when owners of the Rivo experienced these issues in relation to when firmware updates were issued and to which extend these issues have been resolved.

Also, project86 mentioned slow navigation with the Element S using large libraries but i don't know if this applies to a NAS only or also for USB thumb drives. I have just under 1Tb on a USB stick formatted in exFAT.

Another major priority for me is file navigation of local files on a USB thumb drive; i need the device to respect the way i structured my folders which is Genre/Artist/Album/Songs, in that order and without any kind of internal re-indexing by the device.

From that perspective, can you please kindly advise which device you feel would yield the better navigation experience with their respective apps. Thank you!

Edit: I invite anyone else to chime in as well.

 

[FBas74]

Hi Musikfan,

I'm hesitating between the Volumio Rivo and the Matrix Element S. My use case is strictly playing local files on a USB thumb drive. No Tidal, Qobuz, Roon, internet, wifi or computer except for using the app over wifi with my Android phone. You mentioned the Volumio app is stable and rock solid, which is great to hear, however i've read countless reports of the exact opposite; the app being unresponsive and freezing, not seeing the Rivo on the network, etc. Then again, i don't know when owners of the Rivo experienced these issues in relation to when firmware updates were issued and to which extend these issues have been resolved.

Also, project86 mentioned slow navigation with the Element S using large libraries but i don't know if this applies to a NAS only or also for USB thumb drives. I have just under 1Tb on a USB stick formatted in exFAT.

Another major priority for me is file navigation of local files on a USB thumb drive; i need the device to respect the way i structured my folders which is Genre/Artist/Album/Songs, in that order and without any kind of internal re-indexing by the device.

From that perspective, can you please kindly advise which device you feel would yield the better navigation experience with their respective apps. Thank you!

Edit: I invite anyone else to chime in as well.

... On these 2 points in my personal use with local files on external SSD Samsung T7 2 To and well filled with flacs and 24/96 files, I have no slowdown either with the device or with the MA application. (I use Android and Apple Tablette)

For internal navigation, the device is quite sensitive to Tags, so as long as they are well done, there will be no problems.

 

[vlach]

... On these 2 points in my personal use with local files on external SSD Samsung T7 2 To and well filled with flacs and 24/96 files, I have no slowdown either with the device or with the MA application. (I use Android and Apple Tablette)

For internal navigation, the device is quite sensitive to Tags, so as long as they are well done, there will be no problems.

Thanks for your feedback FBas74. It's reassuring to know you have no slowdowns. I'm a little concerned by your comment regarding tags because it sounds like the software 'does' in fact decide how to sort genres/artists/albums, etc. as opposed to just respecting the folder structure on the drive. The very last thing i need is to rename thousands of songs until they comply with the software's behavior.

For example, i don't have this problem with my 10 year old Oppo 103. I don't have to negotiate with it. I don't have to wrestle it into submission. It simply plays everything per the folder structure i created, thank you.

My only reason for considering the Element S (beside the excellent assortment of digital outputs) is due to the fact that the Oppo is no longer supported, thus i'm stuck with other problems ranging from the app disconnecting after a few seconds, the shuffle feature only works for a couple songs and then it stops or freezes or keeps repeating the same song even though i am not in repeat mode. Anyway, you get the picture. I'm sick of it. I'm also quite stunned at the slow progress with today's streamers still struggling to iron out 10 year old bugs. If Bluesound and Eversolo can do it, why can't the rest of the industry fix these very basic things?

Simply put, i need the Element S to not only be stable playing local files on USB drives but i also need it to play my folders as they are and leave them alone. Am i asking too much?

Any further insight on this 'folder view' topic would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Maybe a simpler question is; does the MA software support folder view like Audirvana.

 

[Musikfan]

Hi vlach,

I'm sorry, but I don't think I would be much help as I don't use either the Rivo or Element S to play local files from external drives. I only stream music from Roon, Qobuz and Tidal. In my use case both streamers have been rock solid. I haven't experienced any software issues on Rivo, and it does come with Premium lifetime subscription to Volumio. Both devices are now Roon Ready, and both companies update the software regularly. In the case of the Element S there was a recent firmware update and the MA app was also updated. Matrix really made an effort to fix issues with its software, and I think the software has been well upgraded and is much improved over the last few updates. Volumio had an update as recently as mid-September. Both are solid performers, but the Element S has a screen and i2s connection if that is important to you. I use the Volumio with a dac that is usb based.

If you have questions about the Rivo I suggest you go to the Volumio Community forum under "help". The members and Volumio staff are very friendly, knowledgeable and active. You should get replies very quickly and I'm sure other Rivo users will be able to share their experiences and recommendations.

For the Matrix Element S, I suggest you reach out to Arthur at power-holdings-inc.com. He is the US distributor for Matrix Audio and he should either be able to help or ask someone at Matrix Audio in China for help. Arthur is really great to deal with and I'm positive he'll be able to help. You could buy the Element S directly from Arthur too. Also, Project86 did an in-depth review of the Element S and he might have some experience using local files on the unit.

Let us know which device you decide to get. Best regards!

 

[vlach]

Hi vlach,

I'm sorry, but I don't think I would be much help as I don't use either the Rivo or Element S to play local files from external drives. I only stream music from Roon, Qobuz and Tidal. In my use case both streamers have been rock solid. I haven't experienced any software issues on Rivo, and it does come with Premium lifetime subscription to Volumio. Both devices are now Roon Ready, and both companies update the software regularly. In the case of the Element S there was a recent firmware update and the MA app was also updated. Matrix really made an effort to fix issues with its software, and I think the software has been well upgraded and is much improved over the last few updates. Volumio had an update as recently as mid-September. Both are solid performers, but the Element S has a screen and i2s connection if that is important to you. I use the Volumio with a dac that is usb based.

If you have questions about the Rivo I suggest you go to the Volumio Community forum under "help". The members and Volumio staff are very friendly, knowledgeable and active. You should get replies very quickly and I'm sure other Rivo users will be able to share their experiences and recommendations.

For the Matrix Element S, I suggest you reach out to Arthur at power-holdings-inc.com. He is the US distributor for Matrix Audio and he should either be able to help or ask someone at Matrix Audio in China for help. Arthur is really great to deal with and I'm positive he'll be able to help. You could buy the Element S directly from Arthur too. Also, Project86 did an in-depth review of the Element S and he might have some experience using local files on the unit.

Let us know which device you decide to get. Best regards!

Thank you for the elaborate response! I was able to obtain confirmation from other members as well as Volumio's tech support that the Rivo indeed supports folder view for external drives. I have little reason to believe it would not be the case with the Element S, however at this point i am leaning towards the Rivo because it is currently on sale at Beatechnik for $749.

 

[Musikfan]

Glad you were able to confirm your questions. Im sure you'll be very pleased by the Rivo's performance, and the price is great. By the way, the Rivo has a lot of internal filtering and galvanic isolation to reduce noise. Enjoy the music!

 

[FiGuY1017]

Anyone know how to get rid of military time on Element S?

 

[FiGuY1017]

So far I don't think it's better than my WiiM Ultra but only listened for an hour i2s and usb

 

[loaizaprat]

Anyone know how to get rid of military time on Element S?

What do you mean by that?

 

[FiGuY1017]

 

[FiGuY1017]

Love the sound of this thing but man is the android app and in general this thing is crazy buggy, as soon as you leave the app and come back ..offline... All of a sudden while listening.. off line... Changing albums, forget about it, like waiting on dial up Internet Sheesh ready to throw it out the window at times lol. Not sure SQ trumps irritating software or not. No excuses for a product at this price when WiiM Ultra is smooth as silk

 

[loaizaprat]

Love the sound of this thing but man is the android app and in general this thing is crazy buggy, as soon as you leave the app and come back ..offline... All of a sudden while listening.. off line... Changing albums, forget about it, like waiting on dial up Internet Sheesh ready to throw it out the window at times lol. Not sure SQ trumps irritating software or not. No excuses for a product at this price when WiiM Ultra is smooth as silk

Agree. Very, very buggy. Even when usong Tidal Connect, it usually disconnects and you can no longer control it from Tidal app. Another bug: every once in a while, the album art stops refreshing, i.e., you continue seeing the album art from a prior song that played. I will eventually switch to either Eversolo or HiFi Rose.