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THE MATRIX AUDIO ELEMENT I

The Matrix Audio Element I is the entry level streamer for Matrix Audio’s Element Series amplifiers and streamers. The 

Element Series has three other streamers, the Element P, Element M, and Element X. Matrix Audio’s Element I, M, and X 

all have headphone amplifiers built in. The Element P is a st speaker Amplifier. The Element I is a cost-effective 

streamer that provides you with several options on how to listen to music. Use the Element I and Matrix Audio remote app 

to stream Tidal or Qobuz. Listen to your uploaded audio from an external hard drive with headphones or push your music 

to Airplay or Roon. Hear how the Element I will leave a lasting impression and become a mainstay for your audio system 

for years to come.

Matrix Audio’s Element I combines the audio circuits of the Element P and Element M streamers. Matrix Audio’s intention 

behind this was to provide a quality streamer and headphone amp under a $1000 price point. It’s outfitted with the same 

ES9028 Pro DAC chip as the more expensive streamers in the Element series line. The ES9028 PRO is designed for 

audiophiles who demand high quality performance at an economical price point. The Element I also uses a XMOS XU208 

USB controller. The controller allows for input resolutions of up to 24 bit/384 kHz. These two parts of the Element I provide 

more resolution than an average consumer’s digital music library resolution.
The Element streamers product line can be controlled manually for simple functions like volume adjustments and 

powering it. However, Matrix Audio designed the remote app to provide its customers with a portable and mobile way to 

control their devices. Download the Matrix Audio remote app from the Apple or Google Play store and connect your player 

in the app with the video instructions provided in the setup and configuration portion of this guide.
The headphone amp on the Element I is the most discreet of the Element series streamers. Equipped with 1300 mega-

watts of power, the Element I is able to drive an array of hi-res audio headphones and IEMs. Whether your headphones 

have high resistance or your IEMs are highly sensitive, the Element I will be up to the task.
The streamer is powered by an external 20W AC adapter power supply. While the Element I doesn’t have an external 

linear power supply, you’re always able to upgrade according to what your system requires. Regardless, the powering unit 

was never compromised during our testing of the streamer and the circuit units of it use independent multi-channel low 

ripple low dropout (LDO.) This is what makes the Element I perform so well and sound so good.
At Moon Audio, we’re thrilled to offer Matrix Audio’s entire Element Series streamer line. The Element I provides our 

customers with a quality streamer for a quality price. It’s a great streamer for those who are beginning their journey into 

the world of audiophilia because of its price, design, and functionality. We hope you enjoy how the Element I gives you 

more bang for the buck than you can imagine.

Summary of Contents for ELEMENT I

Page 1: ...RIES ELEMENT X ELEMENT P ELEMENT M ELEMENT I MANUAL There are 4 devices in the Element Series The X P M and I The ways to setup and use these devices are similar enough that we decided to include them together in this manual ...

Page 2: ...resonance of its flagship product by focusing on materials and the overall construction of the device One of the best things about the Element X is its volume control Matrix Audio had the idea to combine the functionality and advantages of analog audio control with the precision of digital audio control Composed of a cluster of relays the Element X has several volume adjustments that can be made g...

Page 3: ...pply designed for quiet operations and is equipped with Nichicon audio grade capacitors that filter and cancel any further potential for noise This configuration is what creates the foundation of its fantastic sound quality The amplifier is the ICEpower 250ASX2 class D amplifier module This module from Denmark has a rated power output of 230 Watts per channel at 4 Ohms This output is capable of dr...

Page 4: ...r MQA decoding and rendering MQA is a British technology that delivers the sound of an original master recording The master file is then fully authenticated and made small enough to stream or download The headphone amp in the Element M contains an input stage that rejects common mode distortion The output stage of the amp is set in a high quiescent current state that gives off a mellow sound perfo...

Page 5: ...ion The Element streamers product line can be controlled manually for simple functions like volume adjustments and powering it However Matrix Audio designed the remote app to provide its customers with a portable and mobile way to control their devices Download the Matrix Audio remote app from the Apple or Google Play store and connect your player in the app with the video instructions provided in...

Page 6: ...100BASE TX WLAN 2 4GHz 5GHz IEEE 802 11 a b g n ac standard LAN 10BASE T 100BASE TX WLAN 2 4GHz IEEE 802 11 a b g n standard Sampling Rate Support PCM up to 768kHz DSD up to 22 4MHz MA Player PCM 768kHz DSD512 Roon PCM 768kHz DSD256 DLNA PCM 768kHz DSD512 PCM up to 768kHz DSD up to 22 4MHz MA Player PCM 768kHz DSD512 Roon PCM 768kHz DSD256 DLNA PCM 768kHz DSD512 PCM up to 768kHz DSD up to 22 4MHz ...

Page 7: ...rol Element P M I Roon Ready Element X P M I MA Remote Compatible Element X P M I Main Set Up A few things to touch on before we go further with set up The X P and M devices come with two possible voltage options When your unit arrives it might come set to 220VAC Look at the bottom of your device and look for a red switch This can show either 230 for 220 to 240VAC or 115 for 110 to 120VAC If using...

Page 8: ...including the Matrix Audio Element series so you do have a Mesh Network set up or if you need to use a Network repeater you should check if using a direct Ethernet cable will be possible Additionally there are some drivers found at Matrix digi com under the downloads page Here you can not only download the drivers but you can also download your device s latest firmware and access a PDF version of ...

Page 9: ...d ess Low Voltage Differential Signaling Input 11 This looks very similar to an HDMI port however this is for IIS data stream sources only For Example the Matrix Audio X SPIDF 2 or The PS Audio SACD Transport It will NOT WORK with any standard HDMI audio source You can also store your music files directly to this device via the Micro SD 7 and USB 8 data connections on these devices Just plug in yo...

Page 10: ...nd I If you don t have a balanced audio cable for your headphones you can purchase one from the moon audio com website There are also Unbalanced and Speaker Preouts on the Element X so you can use whichever best matches your set up The Element P Just has speaker outs The Element M Similar to X but no balanced headphone out and only one unbalanced headphone port The Element I Has the speaker pre ou...

Page 11: ...If listening to speakers via the PreOuts you can either connect directly to active powered speakers or to a seperate amplifiier ...

Page 12: ...m here you will select your audio source If using Ethernet Wifi this option is Network Turn the knob until you see the option you want and then press the knob in to select The option that is currently selected will show a circle filled in compared to the open circle icon for the options not selected From the main screen Press the menu button twice to get to the outputs menu Here is where you will ...

Page 13: ...d previously can be accessed here as well 3 DSD Same as PCM 4 Headphone Gain 2 options Low the Default and High Low for Low Impedance headphones high for high impedance headphones 5 Dither turn and leave on improves sound 6 Jitter Eliminator Improves audio quality Leave on 7 DPLL Bandwidth leave on normal 8 I squared S LVDS Port Definition if using with Matrix Audio or PS Audio source make sure th...

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