Hello all,
I figured I would create a new post. I recently posted in the ever solo conversation but realized it was not the right place.
I purchased a Matrix Element S for the i2s out. I own the Ifi zen as well a node2. I couldn’t get my Matrix to work with my Venus2’s i2s input, so purchased an Iris DDC. I now have the usb out of the Matrix into the iris, and the i2s out to the Venus. With only 20hrs burn in on the Iris, the sound is absolutely massive in all directions. I would really like to know how the streaming feature compares to the Ever Solo? The Matrix is currently waiting for Roon certification as well.
Congrats on the new gear and setup! I’ve had some experience with both the Matrix Element S and the Ever Solo. While the Matrix is waiting on its Roon certification, I’ve found it to offer solid audio quality and versatility, especially with the i2s out. The Ever Solo also has excellent streaming capabilities; however, the two are different beasts.
In terms of sound quality, the Matrix with an Iris DDC can potentially give you an edge, especially if you’re going all out with a high-quality DAC like your Venus2. The i2s connection generally provides a cleaner and more expansive soundstage, as you’ve noted.
Streaming-wise, Ever Solo is more of a “plug-and-play,” and its interface is user-friendly. But once Matrix gets Roon-certified, you’d likely enjoy the added flexibility and ecosystem that Roon provides, especially if you’re already in that environment.
So, to directly answer your question: If you’re looking for a more customizable experience and potentially higher sound quality, stick with the Matrix. If you want something that’s easy to set up and reliable out of the box, then Ever Solo is excellent.
I’ve given up. Have to believe that after 5 months the Element S is a defective product and will never be Roon Certified. I was fortuante to be able to sell mine to a friend who uses Tidal but not Roon. Went back to my Lumin U1 mini. Have it attached ot the Matrix X-SPDIF-3 which I have connected to the IIS connection on my PS Audio DirectStream Dac. Going to wait for PS Audio to release it’s AirLens streamer. PS Audio has the integrity NOT to release it until it is Roon Certified. Would rather give my business to them rather than Matrix.
Fair enough if that is a necessity, I was under the impression that any device can be a roon endpoint with or without roon certification, does the official cert. make a difference to how roon interacts with it?
Edit - for example I just downloaded roon bridge for linux, I can now use that to make a raspberry pi based roon endpoint.
Roon Inc. will not certify it, and yet Roon Inc. tells me it will work just fine.
Hence my confusion over why this is a problem.
Same question in relation to the Airlens - why was it a big deal when it was recently certified, and what could it do that it couldn’t do previously?
Without Roon Certification, you are limited to airplay. Max out at 44K 16 Bits. When Roon Certified you can play DSD 256 and highest rating PCM and MQO recordings.
John
Ok, I’ve tried both the AirLens and the Element S side by side. An interesting result!
System: Streamer > Holo May > (Holo Serene PreAmp) > Moon 600i > Focal Kanta 1 bookshelfs.
(I tested with the Holo Serene PreAmp both in and out of the audio chain).
I2S Cables tested were Tubulus Libentus and Phasure HDMI I2S. Both 50cm. The Phasure cable was used in its stock configuration with all three shields connected in parallel.
The A2 I2S setting was used on the Holo which maps to the PS Audio I2S standard.
The PLL was turned off on the Holo in order to let both units put their best foot forward.
The Airlens has been in use for a few months but I still ran-in both units via Roon for about 10 days of continuous play over all genres and resolutions including DSD.
Regardless of the cable used, the findings were consistent:
The Airlens provided what I would describe as a bit of a forward soundstage where there always seemed to be a soloist in front. This wasn’t a bad sound at all and I can see many people liking it especially for vocals. However, it also felt like the performer also pushed the soundstage towards the back and restricted it. As a result the Airlens didn’t seem to flow much beyond the edge of the speakers.
The Element on the other hand seemed to put the same performer back in with the band on the soundstage. This presentation went beyond the speakers and was notably deeper as my discerning wife (and final tester) noted.
Turning the Holo’s PLL back on again did not change these listening results nor did the cables make any difference.
Sorry Airlens, as much as I’ve enjoyed PS products over the years, the Element is now my Go-To streamer.
This isn’t true at all. May be a self-imposed limit in the device but I use non-Roon certified devices to their full resolution capabilities up to the limit the network interface will support. Roon isn’t able to identify the device from it’s device database but who cares, it identifies the devices network interface limits without issue.
