Matrix Mini I Pro 2 Test

Greetings, this is a comparative review of the recently updated Matrix Mini-I and Mini-I Pro. Likewise compared volition be the Matrix X-Sabre (DAC only duties) and Matrix M-Stage HPA-ii (headphone amp only duties). The Ten-Sabre and M-Stage are meant to test each function of the Mini-I independently, and then likewise as a combination unit.

Introducing the new Mini-I and Mini-I Pro:

Let'south start off with the name. Upon opening the offset Mini-I box, I was surprised by its' size. While information technology is a small device, it is actually not very 'mini'ature. At nearly eight inches broad, six ½ inches deep and near 2 inches alpine, it'south more than a handful. I don't begrudge it's size, yet, as the characteristic list more than than makes up for information technology. Looking inside I see the ability supply takes up a full tertiary of the interior. Matrix didn't sacrifice power quality for unit of measurement size like others do. No wall-warts or small and cheap transformers here.

Looking elsewhere inside I see the Texas Instruments TPA6120 headphone amplifier on the right side of the PCB. Towards the center are either the tandem of Analog Devices AD1955 DACs or the unmarried Sabre ESS9016 equally well as the XMOS USB processor. You can also encounter the back panel is jammed full of inputs and outputs. With the features available and the focus on clean ability, it is every bit small-scale as information technology can be. I started inside to justify the size being larger than expected, now let's tour the outside.

The face of the Mini-I is very uncomplicated and a little boring, just it is even so appealing in a minimalistic fashion. One unfortunate decision here by Matrix was using a silver bezel on both the black and silver models. On the blackness model, the body is black, simply the face is all the same the same equally the silver model. I hope they reconsider this decision. As it is, anyone setting this device in a rack volition see a silver face plate regardless of color chosen. The trunk of the device is typically less of import, so it's odd that this would be the role that changes color. Under the plate is a translucent blackness plastic sheet that covers the information display and holds both the ¼ TRS headphone port on the left and the digital book potentiometer on the right. The volume knob is like shooting fish in a barrel to turn with good feedback to know when yous've moved a step.

The side panels are where the screws are located that concord the shell to the unit. They are otherwise characterless except for the voltage selection switch. Matrix seems to be aircraft all Mini-Is with voltage ready to 230V, so be certain to change information technology to 115V earlier you lot power upward if y'all live where this is the standard power. If you don't, nothing will exist damaged, but the unit will not turn on, and information technology will appear dead. Switch to the 115V setting and it will plow on normally.

On the business finish of the device there are balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs on the left, AES/EBU, coaxial, optical and USB inputs in the center, and the power switch and ability inlet on the right. Then yes, the Mini-I is ane of the cheaper balanced DACs on the market place. The fact that it features 4 input types equally well in a packet this pocket-size and inexpensive is impressive. It'southward hardly surprising, however, as this is the nature of all Matrix products; sized to the chore, quality execution, and affordability.

The OLED screen is well lit, but not obnoxiously brilliant. Text is articulate and easy to read. The agile output and inputs are highlighted white. The sample charge per unit indicator changes as playback format is changed. This DAC does click lightly as the clocks change. I don't fifty-fifty observe it anymore.

Build quality is excellent, better than the new M-Stage, but not as skilful every bit the insane Ten-Sabre. The unit has some heft to it, and then it might exist too much for a transportable rig. It's about the size of a bible and weighs like 2 of them. Information technology is pocket-sized and light plenty to easily maneuver into and out of your audio rack, though.

Features and operation:

Hither's where things diverge slightly. The Mini-I normal with the pair of AD1955s is able to play PCM merely, but it does support upwards to 24bit 384kHz sample rate, including DXD (24/352.8). The Mini-I Pro with information technology's ESS9016, supports those aforementioned rates besides equally DSD64 and DSD128. Headphone output impedance is 12 ohms, so depending on your headphone of choice there could be some slight frequency response amending. Most total size headphones, especially highly resistant types (300+ ohms) will be largely unaffected. Run across the product page for a consummate list of specifications.

The Mini-I Pro also comes with a small metallic remote control. This remote may exist sold separately for Mini-I normal owners. The remote has 5 buttons including volume up and downwards, standby toggle, source select and mute. The buttons themselves are a little loose and rattle a bit, but they don't seem fragile or in whatsoever risk of falling out. Response by the main unit is instant. Both normal and Pro units can also be controlled by an Apple tree remote via a menu I volition go into side by side.

Operation of the unit is easy likewise as elegant. Since nosotros're dealing with a digital volume solution, the potentiometer is merely a digital wheel that serves every bit the source selection switch past quickly pressing direct into it, a standby switch by pressing for a full second, and also the navigator of the settings menu. To enter the settings menu, first, with the power switch turned off, press and agree the volume knob in and flip the ability switch, so release the knob. Inside the bill of fare vertical scrolling is managed by turning the knob. Selection betwixt options is done past pressing the knob until the desired option is highlighted. This solution is much preferred over buttons littering the facia.

The settings carte du jour is different for the Mini-I and Pro units. This is because the Pro features PCM filter settings (fast and slow) likewise every bit DSD filter settings (50kHz, 60kHz or 70kHz). The other settings are the same. Ane of the more delightful discoveries about this unit of measurement is the pre-amp setting. Fix to PRE1, the unit leaves both headphone and line-out (both XLR and RCA) active. PRE2 mutes the output that is inactive, such as plugging in a headphone mutes the line-out. DAC turns the unit into a DAC-only device and disables the headphone output entirely. Well-nigh devices either leave both hot all the time or mute when a headphone is inserted, merely not both every bit well as disable the headphone output. Even meliorate is that the Mini-I remembers the volume for the muted output then you tin can freely swap between headphone and line out without changing the book every fourth dimension. This is really handy if yous are using the line-out for preamping a speaker rig which will no doubtfulness be a different output level than your headphones.

The sleep on/off setting activates an machine-standby mode when the unit has not had an incoming signal for v minutes. This only is effective if the unit has no indicate lock and the USB is not plugged in. If you are using a reckoner source and plough it off, the Mini-I will plough off five minutes later. Information technology will not sleep if y'all are simply not playing sound for 5 minutes. This sleep mode is not like a computer, and so it will not wake on playing a sound. To recover from sleep style, simply press the volume knob for 1 second to reboot.

Remote setting cycles between RM1 (Matrix remote), MC377 (Apple tree remote), and off, disabling all remote role. Pressing the volume knob with Leave selected volition salve the settings and reboot the device.

The digital volume is handled well above the musical information for normal listening volumes. If you have information technology gear up to a very tranquility setting, you may notice slight degradation on your highest resolution files.

The comparison:

The Matrix units I accept on hand to compare are from different price points and will be judged appropriately. The X-Sabre at $1100 was love at showtime listen for me, and the One thousand-Phase at $280 (amp only version) is a budget warrior that will exist difficult to beat. The 10-Sabre features the peak Sabre chip, the ESS9018, one of the most expensive DAC chips on the marketplace, and the about finicky for DAC programmers. The ESS9016 in the Mini-I Pro is a scaled back version simply supports all of the same features. The AD1955s in the Mini-I normal are slightly dated, just the spec sheet does say they back up DSD64. The Thou-Phase is a purpose built amplifier that shares a similar chassis book every bit the Mini-I but in a different shape. I prefer the LT1364 opamp in my 1000-Stage to go with HD800s instead of the default OPA2134. Information technology will be a tall social club for the TI amplifier in the Mini-I to overcome.

Equipment layouts:

1) Mini-I normal lone
2) Mini-I Pro solitary
three) Mini-I normal → K-Stage
4) Mini-I Pro → Chiliad-Stage
5) X-Sabre → M-Stage

Results:

The TI amplifier in the Mini-I units is functional and does genuinely audio adept, ameliorate than I expected, merely it is no match for the M-Stage with the HD800s. There is a piddling compose in the treble, dynamic dissimilarity is narrower, as is soundstage. It is a neutral amp, though, which is overnice. It's not only a throwaway amp which can often be vivid or dark, simply rarely neutral. The amp seems to be taxed by the job of controlling the HD800s large drivers. Particular is smoothed too much and texture suffers as a effect.

Given the poor results with the HD800, I added my Ultimate Ears Reference Monitors (UERM) and Sennheiser HD600 to the mix. Hither I institute I actually prefer the Mini-I units to the Thousand-Stage. Virtually of the aforementioned bug crop upwardly as with the HD800, only some of these attributes suited the other ii headphones. In fact, I've 'lost' many nights the by month by starting a song with my UERMs in i of the Mini-I units and so realizing 6 hours had passed and I'd enjoyed every second of it. I also highly enjoyed the HD600 with the Mini-I Pro unit. The DAC's nature strengthened some of the HD600s weaknesses and I feel there is a potent synergy between the two devices similar to the M-Stage and HD800.

The amp test turned out to be headphone specific, not what I expected. The good news hither is that the amplifier in the Mini-I should exist more than friendly to a wider array of headphones than the M-Stage, specially the more than affordable headphones that are more than likely to be paired with this budget DAC/amp.

Moving on to DAC operation, I first had a myriad of settings to test. I started with the DSD filter settings on the Mini-I Pro. With all of my headphones I preferred the 50kHz setting. The 60k and 70k spread the soundstage likewise far and it felt like my head was existence dipped in the music, an uncomfortable position for sure. I briefly tested my speaker setup that is non all that well adjusted and found I preferred the 60k setting. With that out of the fashion, I had to make up one's mind if I preferred resampling over native on all three DACs. I used JRiver Media Centre 19 (MC19) to resample on the fly. In the end I preferred the Mini-I in native mode, the Mini-I Pro in DSD128 50kHz mode, and the Ten-Sabre in native manner.

The Mini-I has a make clean, liquid type sound, just lacks sparkle and dynamic contrast. Item isn't smeared, but it is reduced somewhat. Information technology is a relaxing sound that will provide hours of quality sound if critical listening isn't the goal. This would be an ideal unit of measurement for a workplace desk or a bedside nightstand, where enjoyable tunes are wanted, but scalpel-similar levels of particular that would distract are not. I don't recommend resampling with the Mini-I as it turns muddier the higher you go, though native high resolution files sound fine.

The Mini-I Pro is a boisterous sounding DAC. The Pro has first-class dynamic contrast and sounds just slightly warm giving not bad body to instruments and vocals alike. It's aggressive, so it's fantastic for genres like metal, EDM, hard rock, and the sort, but still mellow enough to do a great task with folk and classical. The main problem I accept with the Pro is that it has some harshness in the treble. When mixed with information technology's aggressive tendencies, it tin be a chip much, however I institute a solution via resampling. Normally resampling waters down the betoken losing detail, aggression, and dynamic contrast among other things. The beauty is that the Pro has near of this in spades, so using high level resampling brings this harshness downwards considerably, while still retaining a well balanced aggressive (but not as much as before) sound that is ameliorate than native.

At kickoff listen I didn't especially like either of the Mini-I units' DACs. The Mini-I was too timid and smoothen, merely in that location are uses for this blazon of sound. The Pro was too aggressive and harsh, but really fun! Resampling the Pro brought it upward a notch that surprised me. When resampling with the Pro, this is a formidable DAC at it'southward price signal.

So information technology'south time to come across how the newcomers compare to the big man on the Matrix campus, the Ten-Sabre. The 10-Sabre is hard for me to describe because I love information technology and then much, then bear with me. The X-Sabre is both more detailed than both Mini-I units by a great deal, yet at the same time is relaxed and shine. Immediately noticeable is the level of refinement having jumped up from the Mini-I units. There is more than separation, bigger ameliorate layered soundstage. After listening to the Pro for some time, the X-Sabre sounds slightly cold in comparison, but that fades quickly every bit you return to neutrality. There is no question the X-Sabre is on another level of functioning. Matrix spent a great deal of time fine tuning the X-Sabre and information technology shows. Time for a similarly well done balanced amp! Come on!

Looking at the large picture:

Coming up short to the Ten-Sabre wasn't a surprise, given the price points nosotros're dealing with here. The amp weakness with the HD800 was countered by beingness excellent with the HD600 and UERM, and likely more versatile with it's intended pairings. Adding up all the pocket-size things like balanced output, remote control included (or bachelor), clean and responsive UI, fantastic pre-amp functionality, elementary simply constructive controls and a relatively modest size and yous take a total parcel that is hard to beat. Because the prices, the Mini-I sells for $379, the Pro, $519 (inc remote), these units are great value and certainly worth adding to your wish listing.

Matrix continues to bring depression price, high performance products to marketplace. I retrieve the M-Stage in particular is one of the highest value items in this market, and the Mini-I units are not far backside. Their performance exceeds their price hands. A corking combination to try is a Sennheiser HD600 and Mini-I Pro. I hadn't heard my HD600 audio that proficient in a long fourth dimension. With used prices on HD600s typically half of their retail, you can pick up a Mini-I Pro and HD600 at less than $800 for a very compact, high quality rig.

Matrix Mini I Pro 2 Test,

Source: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/matrix-mini-i-pro.19932/reviews

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