Matrix Audio Element S

$2,299 $2,299

As much as Matrix Audio have been on the digital ascendancy in recent years, sometimes you just want to share that goodness with other DACs. Enter Element S, Matrix’s first pure network music streamer that delivers digital I2S and AES/EBU to another DAC.

John Grandberg was comprehensively impressed by Matrix's first dedicated audio streamer, after he "put it up against the Innuos ZEN Mk 3, or the Lumin U2, or even the AURALiC Aries G2.2 confident of a very tough fight".

Begin your signal path, your entire audio chain, the right way. As the source Element S accepts audio data from any of its Ethernet or Wi-Fi inputs, putting its Roon Ready status at your disposal or its growing, diversifying Matrix MA Remote OS – most lately adding the HIGHRESAUDIO streaming service to Tidal and Qobuz.

The freeware of your choice may be used too, with first-choices Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and UPnP/DLNA augmented with Apple AirPlay 2. After FPGA processing, Element S generates pure I2S data and outputs it via HDMI to any Matrix, Denafrips, Holo Audio or other DAC complying with PS Audio’s pin-out standard.

Otherwise, this I2S data as well as the source bit, master and word clock presided over by Accusilicon crystal oscillators may be packaged into S/PDIF with the premier standard of AES/EBU – perfect for dCS Data Conversion Systems Lina – backed up by co-axial RCA and optical outputs. [See Product Desc. For More]

$2,299

Our Price | $2,299

Product Description

Even the tricky topic of USB output is navigated expertly by Matrix, who built their interface with a 5 volt ultra-low noise power output that’s processed by a multi-stage ultra-low noise linear regulator and a power filter circuit.

Even for downstream USB devices that are self-powered, a clean USB power line can make a world of difference. Certainly, listeners of MQA-certified USB DACs wanting to get a stream onto their downstream devices will be capably served by Element S unlike any other.

Low noise is certainly a theme throughout, with the I2S output over HDMI galvanically isolated from power supply noise with fast optocouplers to prevent any power supply or ARM Cortex CPU noise from interfering with each clock type traveling to destination. 

That plays a big part in Element S jitter reduction – yielding gains in imaging and soundstage realism on something as transparent as Denafrips and Holo Audio’s R2R DAC flagships.

It’s not just DACs that comply to the PS Audio I2S over HDMI format that can enjoy Matrix’s quality. Up to four different pin-outs configurations can be chosen from in the settings of Element S.

It’s in this way that Matrix don’t hog all the glory converting digital to analog themselves, but share the stage with others enabling them to perform the final step to analog with the best chance of success possible through Element S. 

If you want Matrix to perform the whole process themselves then view their other sources here, or check out our other DACs here.

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