Matrix X-SPDIF 2

@donkt150 and @dabrown:

Thank you,I am enjoying it :beer:

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Here’s another Matrix Miracle story, one that extends well beyond music. I find it remarkable that my Matrix warranty replacement would leaven Xian, China, which is about 600 miles from the Gobi Desert, on Friday and would travel to Beijing, Seoul, Memphis, Tennessee, Honolulu, and be out for delivery today on Maui, only 3 days later. And that’s not expedited shipping, just economy on Fedex.

If I was personally in Xian and picked up the Matrix, I’m not sure I could’ve travelled that same route any faster. It took longer for my defective Matrix to travel from Maui to Arthur in New Jersey. A letter to California takes longer than 3 days. Remarkable.

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Modern shipping is amazing.

And a similar story. I ordered an Oppomod 203 from South Korea and they shipped via “world post” or something similar. It left South Korea on Thursday and I wasn’t home to sign for it on Saturday knowing that it would take a least a week to get here. Halfway around the world and on USPS in three days. Hard to believe.
My son says that the “Amazon influence” has fixed the entire worlds transportation methods and he is probably right.

That’s wild! For most of my life, stuff only said “Made in China”, or “Made in Korea”, but wasn’t shipped directly to the consumer from these countries, but rather in containers, etc.

With my Matrix, the package hardly travelled a direct route. Beijing to Honolulu = 5,000 miles if it had gone direct. Instead it went Beijing to Memphis which is 7,000 miles, essentially flying over Hawaii. Then another 4,000 miles backtracking from Memphis to Hawaii. And still under 72 hours, over a weekend no less.

Out of curiosity I looked up how long it would take to fly that route on commercial airlines, by the quickest connections, about 45 hours with layovers.

Amazon would actually be much slower. Unless I paid a bunch of money for expedited Amazon shipping, nothing shipped from Amazon on Friday would reach Maui on Monday, even if it shipped out of California or Las Vegas.

But yes, I’m sure Amazon has changed a lot of things. Will be interesting to see how the forthcoming antitrust investigations effect big tech.

The more I think about it, this is how China will take us over, by quickly mailing millions of mini warrior robots to every house. Once the box is opened a ray gun armed robot will, in broken English, claim our house as Chinese territory.

The Matrix was just part of a test program of the FedEx delivered robot assault program.

Or even better, we’ll all buy servant robots that one day simultaneously turn on us all. That way we fund the assault. Pretty sure it will go down something like that :joy: (just kidding, I guess)

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I finally got around to Matrix install in my system. Have not cracked the set up code with Roon to sonic transporter to Ultrarendu to matrix to DSD sr yet.

Also tried to play music using HQ player in roon.

Any do’s, don’ts, and setting info is appreciated. Did not help Ultrarendu was not identifying. Finally got matrix to to show but trying to play an Album it jumped song to song and no sound.

The matrix shipped with out a manual. Do I need and drivers downloaded to work with the ultrarendu chain. If any of you could summarize a fast track set up playing with both Roon and HQplayer. I would be appreciative. Definitely feel like I am on the digital struggle bus. Did take Matrix back iout of the chain so I know ultrarendu and USB to DSD still sounds great.

So any DIP settings and output signal and matrix settings menu hints is greatly appreciated. Definitely not as easy as the SGC Ultrarendu plug and play experience three minutes to music. Where’s DOP output selection in Roon?

Thanks

Manual is on the website for download.

Thanks. It is pretty basic. I guess I will keep up trial and error until some sound comes out.

Mine worked out of the box with the UltraRendu. How are your dad settings in UltraRendu? Set it to custom, and see if it helps.

Here is a poll indicating how many forum members have set their Matrix dip switches:

Dip switches are changed from factory settings only if you’re using I2S output, right?

(I don’t have a DSD DAC or I2S functionality so mine are unchanged from default.)

Finally some sound with the Matrix. I did DOP to native. Rebooted the sonicTransporter and did Ultrarendu DAC diagnostic. Most notable is sound field depth improvement. Sill using USB power off Ultrarendu and a 4K GE HDMI cord. Enough improvement for a dedicated LPS and better HDMI cord exploration to see how much more is available.

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Finally sourced a .5 M Silver Starlight 7 HDMI out of Greece. Now the wait Pan Hellenic Post. My attempt on Hong Kong purchase was a bust. Getting hard to find theses short lengths.

Finally had some time to really compare the sound with/without the Matrix.

I ranted a little about A/B’ing audio stuff, and how frustrating I find it. Aural memory is short for me, so I have a hard time getting a snapshot to stick while I switch out cables and inputs and whatnot.

Anyway, here are the two options:

  • Mac Mini > Roon > HQPlayer > USB to Topping D50 DAC > RCA to Audiolab 8000A Integrated > Harbeth P3ESR

  • Mac Mini > Roon > HQPlayer > USB to Matrix > Coaxial to Topping D50 DAC > RCA to Audiolab 8000A Integrated > Harbeth P3ESR

The Topping D50 sounded great on its own in my modest system, and I really got the Matrix in anticipation for I2S use with a Stellar stack. But I didn’t keep the Stellar stuff, and had to go Coax to the Topping DAC from the Matrix. Big question was would it be worth it without I2S connection capability.

What was interesting was that I noticed the difference really only after REMOVING the matrix. The crispness and depth were definitely diminished without it. Adding it back, I heard it again. Pretty cool once I felt like I knew what to listen for. And of course, once you hear it, you’re hooked and can’t imagine going back.

I’ll just keep adding small black boxes to the mix until someone tells me to stop.

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Finally did some comparisons on the Matrix on it’s output between I2S and XLR to the DS. The I2S is better, no doubt. XLR loses a bit of clarity to I2S. I even use a better cable with the XLR (WW Platium Starlight 7 XLR to Kimber HD29, a much cheaper cable.) The I2S is still superior connection.
Also I play around with the hdmi cables. I was using the 1/2 m PS Audio hdmi that came with the DMP to connect to the Matrix and it sounded pretty good. Only the Kimber HD29 is even better. Now along with the Ifi usb in line purifier 3 and the Ifi 5v external power supply, I can say the Aurender N10 is outperforming my lp system. I am preferring to listen to digital again.

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Just imagine how good it will sound when you upgrade the Aurender to a Mac Mini :joy:

Yes, I remember the Mac Mini. Did all kinds of things to it, but it’s still a Mac Mini. What do they say, making silk purses from a sow ears, not too good. Could never get the sound I wanted so hence a delicates server. Just needed a little tweaking.

Changed the generic GE 4K HDMI 0cable with the Wireworld Ultraviolet 0.7m cable. The timbre and soundstage very immersive and smooth from very little volume. Excellent. Not sure zi even need the LPS for matrix. The silver starlight 7 cable so far I purchased twice and was refunded for no stock two separate vendors . I guess I will hang tight for a silver starlight 8 rHDMI elease if it ever happens. Seems dates keep slipping.