Matrix Audio element M2
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
89/100
Build Quality
88/100
Features Connectivity
93/100
Value for Money
78/100
Matrix Audio’s element M2 pairs transparent, high-resolution sound with an exceptionally flexible streaming hub: its DAC remains composed and dynamic at any volume, while HDMI ARC, I²S, USB and Roon-ready networking make system integration effortless. Giz Audio found its staging and detail near reference level, and Audiophilepure admired the sleek, solid build.
Pros
Highly resolving, transparent and dynamic sound that stays consistent from low to high volume.
Excellent spatial performance, with strong staging, layering and positional cues.
Extensive connectivity and streaming flexibility, including HDMI ARC, I²S, external-drive support, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, Roon, Spotify and Tidal.
Premium, modern construction with a solid chassis and secure controls and sockets.
Cons
Its slightly clinical, bright-edged balance may benefit from careful headphone or amplifier matching.
At $3,099, the value proposition was considered difficult to justify, particularly for headphone power output.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 89/100
Reviewers hear a highly resolving, transparent and dynamically capable presentation that remains composed from low to high volume. Its slight clinical edge and brightness will not suit every system, though it can sound spectacular when partnered sympathetically.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
87/100
Giz Audio found the M2 detailed, dynamic and transparent, but also described a slightly clinical, bright and edgy character with some headphones. The same reviewer found it spectacular through a Cambridge amplifier, suggesting that system matching can bring out a more satisfying result.
Resolution and Detail
91/100
The M2 was described as offering excellent detail, resolution and transparency. Spatial performance was also praised: staging, layering and positional cues were said to be almost entirely on point.
Digital Performance
90/100
Giz Audio called the DAC-side sound quality excellent and found it quiet, consistent and transparent at low, medium and high listening levels. The reviewer did note a trace of brightness or edge, so the presentation is not wholly free of a digital-leaning character.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
88/100
Audiophilepure calls the Element M2's build quality very good. Giz Audio likewise found the structure solid, the volume control pleasant to use, and all sockets secure rather than loose.
Features Connectivity
93/100
The Element M2 combines balanced and single-ended outputs, headphone outputs, USB, coaxial, optical, I2S and HDMI ARC connectivity, along with high-rate PCM, DSD and MQA support. Network streaming is extensive, with Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, Roon Ready operation, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, app control, touchscreen operation and a supplied remote.
Value for Money
78/100
At $3,099, Giz Audio found the price difficult to reconcile and stopped short of an unqualified recommendation because it is so expensive. The review does not identify specific competing models, but its value judgment is plainly cautious at this asking price.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- CPU
- NXP i.MX 6Quad Cortex-A9
- D/A Chip
- ES9028PRO
- Clock Source
- Crystek CCHD-950
- Coaxial & Optical
- PCM 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz DSD 2.8MHz (DoP)
- IIS LVDS
- PCM 16-32Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 705.6kHz, 768kHz DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz (DoP) DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6 MHz, 11.2 MHz, 22.4MHz (Native)
- USB Audio
- PCM 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 705.6kHz, 768kHz MQA 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz MQA or MQA Studio stream DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz (DoP) DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz, 22.4MHz (Native)
- HDMI ARC
- PCM 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz
- XLR
- SNR: 128dB A-weighting THD+N: <0.00020%@1k, <0.00022%@20Hz-20kHz Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.05 -3dB@85kHz Crosstalk: >-145dB Output Level: 4VRMS@0dB
- RCA
- SNR: 125dB A-weighting THD+N: <0.00022%@1k, <0.00023%@20Hz-20kHz Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.05 -3dB@85kHz Channel Crosstalk: >-130dB Output Level: 2VRMS@0dB
- 4.4 mm balanced
- SNR: 119dB A-weighting THD+N: <0.00055%@20Hz-20kHz 4VRMS Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.1 -3dB@85kHz Output Impedance: <22Ω Output Power: 1800mW@33Ω, 1000mW@300Ω, 540mW@600Ω, 1%THD Gain: +18dB
- 6.35 mm unbalanced
- SNR: 116dB A-weighting THD+N: <0.00055%@20Hz-20kHz 2VRMS Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.1 -3dB@85kHz Output Impedance: <11Ω Output Power: 1200mW@33Ω, 280mW@300Ω, 140mW@600Ω, 1%THD Gain: +18dB
- LAN
- 10/100/1000 Mbps
- WLAN
- 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz
- Trigger in
- DC 6-12V<10mA
- Trigger out
- DC 12V/50mA MAX
- Controller app
- MA Remote App
- Format Supported
- MP3 , WMA , WAV , AIF, AIFC, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, OGG, APE, ALAC, M4A, DSF, DFF, CUE
- PCM Sampling Rate
- PCM 16-24Bit 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 705.6kHz, 768kHz MQA 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz MQA or MQA Studio stream
- DSD Sampling Rate
- DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz, 22.4MHz
- Power Voltage
- AC 100V-120V 50/60Hz / AC 220V-240V 50/60Hz
- Standby Power Consumption
- < 5W
- Maximum Power Consumption
- < 50W
- Weight
- 3.5 kg (7.71 pounds)
- Size
- Width: 280 mm (11.02 inches) Depth: 259 mm (10.20 inches) Height: 58 mm (2.28 inches)
- RM4 remote control
- x1
- Power cable
- x1
- Quick start guide
- x1
- Warranty card
- x1
Manufacturer's Description — Matrix Audio
Presents the power of music
Under the design language of「Matrix Audio」family, the new genes of element M2 are ready to burst. It will be the most compact full-featured stand-alone source in your audio system, it will bring your traditional two-channel system into the high-res streaming audio world, and make your multimedia entertainment experience more immersive. The brand new element M2 brings you more surprises.
Suitable is the best
element M2 music streamer is a multi-functional audio source that can play local music files or online streaming audio. It has various input ports including toslink, coaxial, IIS-LVDS, USB audio and HDMI ARC. As a standalone music source, the element M2 drives various headphones directly, or can be connected to power amplifiers or active speakers for high-res music linstening. Roon Ready, UPnP and AirPlay are also supported. Excellent human-computer interaction, with the MA Remote App by「Matrix Audio」, you can easily configure your devices, browse and playback music files. element M2 provides an even more excellent pure sound, reproduces the original charm of music meticulously.
New UI New impression
The 2nd gen element series music streamer is equipped with a 3.46 inch LCD touch screen. When playing over the network, or playing local music via MA Player, rich information of the track is displayed on the screen. The touch screen allows you to perform various operations more conveniently. The newly added playback touch keys make the new generation of element music streamers easier to use.
MA Remote App
It serves as the core tool for controlling your music streamers. By installing the MA Remote App on your iPhone, iPad or Android phone, they become the most convenient control centers, allowing you to browse and play your local music, enjoy high-resolution music from streaming platforms like SONY Select, TIDAL, Qobuz and HIGHRESAUDIO, Baidu Netdisk, QQMusic, listen to exciting online radio stations. Even when music is streaming from Roon or other apps, you also can view the track information through the MA Remote App. Furthermore, the MA Remote App allows you to set every hardware configuration, completely changing the operation of an audio device.
Full of power Full of details
We added a 4.4 mm balanced headphone jack for the element M2, making it convenient to pair with various headphones. The built-in headphone amplifier has been upgraded to a 4-channel full-balanced architecture. The fully symmetrical circuit design allows the left and right channel signals to pass through a nearly perfectly symmetrical amplification circuitry. Providing plenty of headphone output power at low distortion and noise.
Everything In Your Hand
We take every detail of the product seriously, even the remote control is no exception. The new RM4 remote control has added playback control functions, making it more convenient to switch tracks, play, pause and other operations. With the 2 programmable buttons which can be set to your frequently used functions through the MA Remote App. The material of aluminum and plastic makes the remote control comfortable to the touch.
Early bird of TV Hi-Fi
We have added HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) input port toelement M2. When connected to display devices such as TVs and projectors with HDMI ARC functionality, the digital audio from the HDMI signal can be transferred to element M2 for higher quality playback. If the display device supports HDMI CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) protocol, the playback on element M2 can be controlled by this display device.
Asynchronous or synchronous, it's up to you
There are async mode and sync mode available on element M2. In the Async mode, the master clock of the D/A chip comes from the built-in Crystek CCHD-950 femtosecond clock, and the clock from the front-end device will be abandoned. In the Sync mode, the built-in femtosecond clock will be turned off, and the D/A chip depends on the clock of the front-end device completely.
Isolated Design
There are 2 independent power supplies dedicated for the ARM processor and the digital audio processing part of element M2. We put the 2 parts in independent circuit units, and joint them by several optocouplers to achieve complete electrical isolation. The audio circuit part uses an independent linear power supply to present a pure music background to you.
Highway of audio data
The element M2 is equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet port to ensure more stable connection when streaming high sampling rate audio files. Make the music data stream in your audio system smoothly.
Follow your way
Under good wireless network signal coverage, you can choose Wi-Fi connection. The integrated 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi antenna, gives element M2 a tidy and clean appearance and a flexible connection option.
Get your pace
The newly added trigger ports allow you no need to turn the amplifier on or off manually, just let the element M2 work as a control center, and enjoy the music with a single touch.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Matrix Audio element M2
- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- A1 Futureshop — online and in-store — North Rocks, New South Wales, Australia (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- All Elite Audio — online and in-store — Perry Hall, Maryland, United States (website)
- Altitudo Audio — online and in-store — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (website)
- Analog Matters — online and in-store — Ormond Beach, Florida, United States (website)
- Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
and 61 more verified dealers