Matrix M-Stage amp review: simple, cheap, and excellent.

[Fearless1]

 
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My LCD-2 is coming in a few days, and i wanna know how does the M-stage (usb dac version) pair with the LCD-2 << i know it's not the best, but i mean for the price, is it the best out there in this price range <300$
i heard that the O2 amp is better than the M-stage in every way with LCD-2 just for 149$, is that true ?!

 
I own both and I would say no, it is not better, more transparent yes. 

 

[derbigpr]

Guys:   I bought a Musical Fidelity M1DAC. Now I'm looking for an amp.  Matrix M-stage is one of the candidates due to low price and costumization trough opamp rolling.  Other candidate in the Audio GD C-2.2.   However, its much more expensive. With all the expenses, I can get the M-stage for 320$, and C2.2 for 600$.  Is it worth it?
 
Headphones I will be using are Ultrasone HFI-2400 and in future Sennheiser HD700.  So, one darker pair, and one brighter.  Can I know M-stage is dark and colored, and C2.2 neutral and transparent.  Can M-stage be turned into a more dynamic, transparent and neutral amp, and with which Op-amp?

 

[Chris J]

 
Quote:

Guys:   I bought a Musical Fidelity M1DAC. Now I'm looking for an amp.  Matrix M-stage is one of the candidates due to low price and costumization trough opamp rolling.  Other candidate in the Audio GD C-2.2.   However, its much more expensive. With all the expenses, I can get the M-stage for 320$, and C2.2 for 600$.  Is it worth it?
 
Headphones I will be using are Ultrasone HFI-2400 and in future Sennheiser HD700.  So, one darker pair, and one brighter.  Can I know M-stage is dark and colored, and C2.2 neutral and transparent.  Can M-stage be turned into a more dynamic, transparent and neutral amp, and with which Op-amp?

 
I would argue that if you change the Op Amp it can sound a bit better but it still sounds like a Matrix M Stage!
I prefer the LM4562 Op Amp for a more dynamic, neutral and transparent sound.

 

[justaguy]

I got my LM4562 and I like it. It's clean and detailed.
I also ordered LM49990 to try since the price on both is low but today I received this
 

 
instead of this
 

 
is it seller sent me 6 pieces by mistake or I don't understand something being not good in electronic stuff like this
and why these six LM49990 I received look different?
I sent a question to the seller but need to wait until they give me an e-mail address to send a photo..

 

[EraserXIV]

You must have bought a package deal by accident. Also, the LME49990 is a single channel opamp so it is necessary to use two of them on the M-Stage. The LME49990 is only available in the SO8 format so you need a DIP adapter to have them fit into the M-Stage socket (the blue thing that the chips are mounted on is the adapter).
 
The most important thing is that since the M-Stage uses a dual channel DIP socket, you would need two LME49990s mounted onto one DIP adapter (one on the top, one on the bottom) for it to work.
 
You would want something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DUAL-SOIC-LME49990-DIP8-ADAPTER-/190662919693?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6465460d#ht_1099wt_1101
 
And NOT something like this, which is probably what you bought: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-LME49990-DIP8-ADAPTERS-/190640593494?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c63109a56#ht_968wt_1101

 

[justaguy]

 
Quote:

You must have bought a package deal by accident. Also, the LME49990 is a single channel opamp so it is necessary to use two of them on the M-Stage. The LME49990 is only available in the SO8 format so you need a DIP adapter to have them fit into the M-Stage socket (the blue thing that the chips are mounted on is the adapter).
 
The most important thing is that since the M-Stage uses a dual channel DIP socket, you would need two LME49990s mounted onto one DIP adapter (one on the top, one on the bottom) for it to work.
 
 

this is what I ordered
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/190663515169?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_839wt_1270
 
I already have two LME49990s mounted onto adapter. is it wrong adapter?
 

 

[justaguy]

and what the difference between my ones and    http://www.ebay.com/itm/DUAL-SOIC-LME49990-DIP8-ADAPTER-/190662919693?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6465460d#ht_1069wt_1270

 

[justaguy]

ok I got the answer from seller....
If someone here from Toronto waiting for six pairs of LME49990 with adapters, I'm sorry your op-Amps are in Australia

 

[derbigpr]

 
Quote:

 
 
I would argue that if you change the Op Amp it can sound a bit better but it still sounds like a Matrix M Stage!
I prefer the LM4562 Op Amp for a more dynamic, neutral and transparent sound.

 
 
I would not want the M-stage to sound necessarily better, but I want it to sound transparent and neutral. Since M1DAC is an extremely good sounding DAC, and way above the price of M-stage at 800$, I would like the amp to change its sound as little as possible, and just provide a clean amplification of the signals that come out of the M1.

 

[Chris J]

 
Quote:

 
 
 
I would not want the M-stage to sound necessarily better, but I want it to sound transparent and neutral. Since M1DAC is an extremely good sounding DAC, and way above the price of M-stage at 800$, I would like the amp to change its sound as little as possible, and just provide a clean amplification of the signals that come out of the M1.

 
Not too sure how happy the M Stage will make you, it has a reputation for being a bit dark sounding.
It is not the world's most revealing headphone amp.
Personally, I am looking for a more transparent headphone amp as I do not feel I am hearing everything I can out of my CD player (yes I still use a CD player!

) with the Matrix.
 
If that sounds like I hate the thing, far from it.
I just don't expect a miracle for $275.00

 

[Chris J]

 
Quote:

ok I got the answer from seller....
If someone here from Toronto waiting for six pairs of LME49990 with adapters, I'm sorry your op-Amps are in Australia

 
Send one to me!     LOL!  

 

[EraserXIV]

 
Quote:

 
this is what I ordered
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/190663515169?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_839wt_1270
 
I already have two LME49990s mounted onto adapter. is it wrong adapter?
 

 
What you got accidently sent to you is actually exactly what you need, you just got six of them. The real thing that you ordered may just come with one of the chips, but not the adapter. You need the adapter, and two of the chips mounted onto it, for it to work on the M-Stage.

 

[justaguy]

 
Quote:

 
 
Send one to me!     LOL!  

 
Such a nice ebay seller! He sent me 120$ package instead of 5$ chip. Already received a super positive feedback from me

 
Quote:

 
 
What you got accidently sent to you is actually exactly what you need, you just got six of them. The real thing that you ordered may just come with one of the chips, but not the adapter. You need the adapter, and two of the chips mounted onto it, for it to work on the M-Stage.

 
yeah thanks this is exactly what I got. And my initial order was wrong.
 

 

[genclaymore]

Have any of you guys used a Audioengine D1 or Ross martin Audio Dac with the Matrix M-Stage v2.  I still trying to make my mind up about either of these external dacs as I nearing the cost of either one.If they worked very well with the amp. 
 
I thought about the HRT Music Streamer II+ But it doesn't have Digital input like the two dacs i looking at.

 

[EraserXIV]

 
Quote:

 
 
Such a nice ebay seller! He sent me 120$ package instead of 5$ chip. Already received a super positive feedback from me

 
 

 
Whoa he's letting you keep it?