Leia aqui a review do streamer / Head-Amp Matrix TS-1 em português
Matrix Audio TS-1 – How Many Boxes Does a Man Need, to Listen to Music?
The question echoes through living rooms and listening rooms alike. Some answer by stacking components like the stonework of a Gothic cathedral of sound. Others shrug, dismissing the complexity.
In an age where 100 million songs fit in your pocket, must sonic excellence remain hostage to half a dozen separate boxes? It is on this philosophical battlefield that the Matrix Audio TS-1 takes its stand.
Not as a diplomat, but as a calm provocateur.
Compact Elegance
A refined fusion of preamplifier, network player, DAC, and headphone amplifier. All inside a single block of machined aluminum. It dares to defy decades of dogma around separate elements, with the quiet confidence of one who believes less can indeed be more, if done right.
Silent Engineering
The TS-1 is an object to be contemplated before it is heard. Its aluminum chassis is a machined sculpture, as if crafted by a Swiss watchmaker.
On the front, the full-surface touchscreen feels confident and restrained, a nod to HiFi Rose’s aesthetic, yet unapologetic. On top, the Matrix logo rests at the center of a precision-milled ventilation grille, because heat kills, and seduction lies in the details.
On the back, ambition reveals itself:
- one analog RCA input,
- a wealth of digital inputs (coaxial, optical, HDMI ARC, and two USB-A),
- RJ45 Ethernet port and wireless connectivity.
Outputs show equal versatility:
subwoofer out, RCA and XLR pairs for external amplification or active speakers.
When I connected it to the Accuphase E-280, the chemistry was instant. The symbiosis, perfect.
There’s also an IEC inlet and the option for an external power supply.
Aesthetically, the TS-1 doesn’t flail its arms. It commands respect through perceived quality. It can be displayed proudly, not with lights or chrome, but perhaps prompting a quiet question: “Wait… how much did you say this costs?”
More Than Desktop Audio
It would be easy to toss it into the “desktop audio” category. That would be lazy. The TS-1 has lungs for far more. Matrix prefers to call it an Audio Center. And that makes sense. It can bridge analog and digital sources, drive active speakers, or even anchor a complete system with simplicity and discretion.
On the front, two headphone outputs:
- 6.35 mm jack,
- 4.4 mm balanced.
Their presence speaks of serious intent, confirmed by my last hours spent with the Matrix.
Under the Hood
The engineer in me smiled at the internal architecture:
Digital and analog circuits on separate boards, perfectly symmetrical between channels. Each channel with its own AK4493SEQ DAC chip. Dual femtosecond clocks. According to the brand, jitter levels so low they’re almost begging for a crystal tuning fork.
Connectivity, Integration, Real Life
Plug in an external drive or NAS. Stream from services like Qobuz with fluid ease. AirPlay works without fuss. At the time of this review, Qobuz Connect wasn’t yet available on Matrix Audio devices (it has since been rolled out). But the MA Remote app is so intuitive and responsive that I almost forgot about Roon.
During its stay, the TS-1 never asked for attention. It simply worked—and worked well. The touchscreen and app respond naturally and quickly. Technology impresses most when it disappears.
The System
Listening took place in varied contexts: late nights after family duties, quiet weekend afternoons.
The TS-1 was connected via Oyaide XLR cables to the balanced inputs of the Accuphase E-280. Network signal cleaned by the iPurifier Pro. Revival Atalante 3 speakers powered through Ansuz speaker cables.
On the headphones, until the penultimate day, I used the Meze 99 Classics from the 6.35 mm output. On the final day before returning the Matrix, the HEDDphone Two GT arrived. I connected it to the 4.4 mm balanced output, and listened deep into the night…
Sonic Impressions
In this system of strong personalities, the TS-1 revealed its own, sometimes at odds with the rest.
It brought sharper edges to a system usually more courtly. Rounder bass, more decisive transients, a more sculpted stage.
Compared with the resident DAC, the Fezz Equinox by LampizatOr, costlier on its own than this all-in-one, the TS-1 didn’t shy away. In some areas, it even surpassed. In others, not so much.
But you know how it is: sound is measured with the ears… and with each one’s taste.
Musical Snapshots
- You and Me, Wynton Marsalis – quick, precise attack, challenging the smoothness of the Accuphase, injecting the music with vibrant energy.
- My Funny Valentine, Chris Botti & Sting – the trumpet, sharp and assertive. TS-1 with the E-280 tastes like dark chocolate with chili, salted caramel, prosciutto with melon, unlikely contrasts that work.
- Mudar de Vida, Gaspar Varela & Ricardo Toscano (on a Carlos Paredes original) – the saxophone texture raises goosebumps; the TS-1 crosses into transparency usually reserved for more “galactic” gear.
- Across 110th Street, Bobby Womack – physical groove, round bass as a beach ball, like sipping Bavarian beer on a terrace with Sriracha-seasoned tapas.
- Let’s Get It On, Marvin Gaye – drum transients in focus, shimmering highs, more frontal than deep soundstage.
The Balanced Output
If the 6.35 mm jack performed competently with the Meze’s, the 4.4 mm balanced output is where the TS-1 truly shone. The synergy with the HEDDphone Two GT left me almost regretful I had only one night with this pairing before returning the Matrix. Scale, detail, elasticity, dynamics. Here the TS-1 broke all expectations. More musicality. More emotion.
- Messa da Requiem, Verdi / Giulini – relentless attack, imposing scale. High volume required!
- Ai Du, Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder – guitars crackling and talking Timbuktu under the Mali sun. Expansive, unapologetic energy. A shame to hear it tethered by a cable!
Final Thoughts
At €2,400, this Matrix offers a sonic experience that rival multi-box systems where each unit could cost as much as the TS-1 alone. With the right headphones, like the €2,200 HEDDphone Two GT, the legitimate question becomes: why more boxes? The Matrix does everything well enough. Maybe the only reason to stack separates is the stubborn pursuit of perfection that some of us, myself included, can’t resist. That path demands more space, more cables, and far more money.
The TS-1 can be everything for almost anyone.
Not perfect, but good enough to make you think twice before complicating things.
SPECIFICATIONS
The “orchestra” that played with the Matrix TS-1:
Compared with:
Speakers:
Headphones:
- HEDDphone Two GT
- Meze 99 Classics
Speaker cables:
- Ansuz Speakz
Amplification:
LAN filter:
MoustachesToys reference system
The Matrix Audio TS-1 used in this review was kindly loaned by Ultimate Audio.
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