waymanchen11 just got DSD64 over DoP using TOSlink to work with an old monster cable…he also said for some reason it didn’t work with some of his other cables…just like ted said.
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This is sooo cool!!! I can’t wait to try this!! 
Fair enough, cheers
Query:
I just hooked up my Matrix and Uptone LPS 1.2 after about 9 months of having them in storage. I’m now using them with my DS and LTA Microzotl MZ3 as a headphone setup and notice something really strange: The Matrix is sounding like crap at 44.1khz and 48khz. Everything is muddy, woofy and dark. This is immediately remedied by upsampling in Audirvana to 88.2/96/176.4/192, with each increase in sample rate the sound gets brighter and more open. I would rather not have to use the software upsampling because I can hear some artifacts, but without it the 44.1 material sounds noticeably worse than the higher sample rates, in a way that USB in the DS does not.
Does anyone have any suggestions about what could be going on here?
The Matrix is a converter and not an upsampler or a filter. It doesn’t change the data being sent to the DAC, it just changes the package it is sent in. So I would not be looking at the Matrix as the issue here.
Well, i think what IanB52 is saying is at that when he sends his matrix those sample rates(44-48khz) it doesnt sound good…but, when he disconnects the matrix and sends those sample rates directly to his DS he doesnt have the issue…and, finally when raising the sample rate(from the source) it seems to fix(bandaid) the problem…
…ianB52, please correct me if i have that wrong.
Yes, but the difference is perhaps a setting in the Matrix USB driver (if he’s using one) or (more probably) the OS’s audio path. I’m not a MAC guy so I don’t know which, but speed-racer is correct,
I just compared a CD with the DMP to a copied file of that CD to my Aurender N10 and Matrix and both is 44kHz 16bits.
You can guess the results. With the Aurender, all I can say is WOW!!! incredible sound. The CD with the DMP is close but didn’t quite have the same impact. I could live with it, but I’d rather listen to the files with the Matrix for sure.
I do want to make a note that running the USB directly to the DS, I prefer the sound of the DMP more. It’s adding the Matrix, power supply and extra HDMI cable with I2s that the files overtakes the DMP in performance.
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Hi Ryan,
I did some extensive listening with the Monster Toslink and came to the conclusion that it does sound really good, but the Revelation HDMI cable with I2s is much better, sorry. The Monster cable might be the culprit. It’s not very good quality cable. The I2s sounds more relaxed and more real. You can get one of those Monsters from eBay, I saw a few there for sale if you want to try it. Also the Monster cable will not play 192kHZ. 96kHz maximum. DSD 64 over DOP it will do.
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I see what you mean know, Ted. If he’s using a mac and not using bitperfect I could see the mac OS causing problems with the audio path.
IanB52, if you don’t have bitperfect, I’d recommend you get it - its $10 and may solve alot of your problems in terms of how your computer routes and samples your audio signal…just my 2 cents.
I just got my matrix(came early), ifi 5v, pangea hdmi cable today - it sounds simply amazing!! Far better than my aq diamond usb alone imo.
I called Walter and ordered the ‘WireWorld 1m Platinum Starlight 7’ HDMI(should be coming in early next week) and my ‘UltraCap LPS-1.2’ LPS is coming in this Saturday.
If it sounds better than it does right now then ill be floored…cause it already sounds really great!!
I’m also getting all my toslink cables soon so I want to try those as well
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Looks like you will be having some fun events coming up. You will simply go crazy each time you discover what each of these upgrades can do to your enjoyment of music. Don’t expect too much with these Toslinks though. I believe I2s is still the best way to go.
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Waymanchen11, thanks again for all your help with this! I really appreciate it!
I’ll drop you a note when I get the LPS and WW HDMI.
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That’s pretty much what has been happening, however I re-set all the cables and turned the Matrix on and off and it sounds much closer to normal.
I’ve had a lot of issues with the HDMI cable coming unseated and making weird noises like clicking and white noise coming through the DAC. Also strange is that at 5v from the LPS 1.2 the volume is significantly lower, which is bizarre since the digital signal should have nothing to do with DAC output volume.
It’s a bit of a mysterious device. I own an ultra high end usb cable, which thus far sounds better in many areas but the Matrix just lowers the noise that much more. I’ve got the WW Starlight 7 Platinum HDMI coming today and I hope that both closes the sonic gaps and resolves the cable seating/crackling etc problems.
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Interesting…
IanB52,
Do you use bitperfect or something to control/lock your sample rates so that your computer’s OS isn’t mucking around with you audio path?
Also, I just ordered the Uptone LPS 1.2(should get it tomorrow) and I was planning on using 7v instead of 5v…do you ever use 7v?..just curious if the matrix would run warm at that voltage(i know it should be able to go up to 9v no problem).
Finally, I’m glad to hear you ordered a ‘WW Starlight 7 Platinum HDMI’ - I just ordered the same cable. Please report back with how you like it/improvements etc.
Ryan
I use Audirvana and it is supposed to be bitperfect. The only difference is that it sends 32 bit data to the Matrix while only 24 bit to the DS. In the end they should be the same, but actually the Matrix (and my Mytek Manhattan II) sound a little better when Audirvana is not limited to 24 bits.
I am using 7v right now because of the volume thing. With speakers I thought 9v sounded the best, but it is a bit too bright for my headphone setup, and the silver DC cable I’m using with the Uptone has already brightened the sound a bit.
As for the Platinum HDMI, I just hooked it up, but it clearly sounds better than the Starlight 7 Silver I was using before. Smoother, generally more expensive sounding. When it is broken in a bit I will compare it again to my Shunyata Sigma USB+iPurifier 3 setup. My sense is that the Shunyata USB is still better than the the Platinum HDMI, but having the Matrix in there will put it over the edge.
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“If i connect USB from the PC to the Matrix and then go direct IIS into the DirectStream what do I need to do to get Roon to work?”
On a Mac, nothing. Roon will see the Matrix as an endpoint and play to it.
If you are using Windows, there is apparently some sort of device driver required (the usual PIA for Windows).
So, I’m having a small issue with my matrix…not the end of the world…but I don’t like it.
I’m using a mac mini and only play DOP(DSD) files using itunes and bitperfect at the moment. USB to matrix to HDMI to DS Sr using I2S.
I have the matrix ‘DOP to Native’ dip switch set to “On”.
If I try to play a DOP(DSD64) file it displays ‘Input DSD - DSD 64’ on the DS Sr screen.
BUT…
If I try to play a DOP(DSD128) file it promptly changes to DOP and displays ‘Input DOP - DSD 128’
Is there a reason that it would be doing this? I know alot of people think I should just be in DOP to Native “Off” mode…and thats fine…but DOP to Native “On” should convert DOP(DSD128) files to native DSD128 files - right??
Whats stranger is that after I try to play a DOP(DSD128) file and it it displays ‘Input DOP - DSD 128’ it then only displays Input DOP no matter what I play from then on out. WAAAT? So, every other DOP(DSD64) file I play after that displays as ‘Input DOP - DSD 64’…again this is with the ‘DOP to Native’ dip switch set to “On” the entire time.
I have to unhook the HDMI and re-install it to make it go back to DSD.
Please let me know what I’m missing.
Ryan
Guess what Ryan, I ran into the same dilemma. But I found that when you go from a DSD file, then go to a PCM file, then go to a DSD file again, it goes back to DSD. No more DOP.
When I go from DSD 64 to DSD 64, it stay to DSD on the display.
When I go from DSD 64 to DSD 128, it go to DOP 128.
I had to go from DSD 64 to PCM, then to DSD 128 and I get DSD 128.
From DSD 128, I had to go to PCM, then to DSD 64 to stay in DSD mode on display.
It’s really not as complicated as it sounds.
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