Fidelity Imports
Matrix Audio NT-1 Network Streamer | TweekGeek
Matrix Audio NT-1
A network streamer at this level is not about convenience. It is about what happens to the signal before it reaches your DAC — the quality of the clock, the cleanliness of the power, the isolation between the noisy digital processing and the audio output stage. The Matrix Audio NT-1 has been designed with those priorities in order. It is a transport first. Everything else — the storage, the app, the NAS integration — is built around that foundation rather than the other way around.
Matrix Audio has been building serious digital hardware for long enough that their engineering decisions carry context. The NT-1 inherits the clock architecture from their flagship designs and applies it to a streaming transport at a price more people can reach.
Power Supply
The NT-1 runs on a full linear power supply — a 60W toroidal transformer with multiple low-dropout regulators. The digital audio processing core and the USB DAC interface run from two independent transformer windings. That separation matters because the USB output is the path most sensitive to noise contamination from the digital side. Having the USB interface on its own isolated winding, with its own dedicated low-noise regulator circuit, means that what arrives at your DAC is as clean as Matrix can make it before the signal leaves the box. Switching power supplies introduce high-frequency noise that can be difficult to fully eliminate downstream. This design avoids the problem at the source.
The NVMe SSD — which sits in a dedicated slot on the underside of the unit — also gets its own ultra-low-noise independent power supply, isolated from the main digital section. In most computers and streamers, storage and audio processing share a power rail. Here they do not.
Clock System
The clock architecture is derived from Matrix Audio's flagship models. It operates in two modes. In internal clock mode, a femtosecond-grade oscillator feeds an RF synthesizer that outputs a highly stable, low-phase-noise audio clock. In external clock mode, an incoming reference signal becomes the input to the RF synthesizer, producing a clock that is both stable and phase-synchronized with the external reference. The external clock input is designed specifically for use with the Matrix SC-1 audio-grade clock source, and the combination represents a meaningful step beyond what the internal clock alone can provide. If you already own the SC-1 or are building a system around it, the NT-1 integrates cleanly.
USB Output & Isolation
The USB DAC interface is electrically isolated — ground is separated from the device ground wire at the port. Transmission noise is reduced at the hardware level. Combined with the dedicated isolated power supply feeding this output, the NT-1's USB output is as considered as anything at this price point. If your DAC receives its input via USB, this is the detail that determines how much the transport contributes to or subtracts from the result.
Outputs & Connectivity
The NT-1 covers the full range of digital output formats: optical, coaxial S/PDIF, AES/EBU balanced digital, IIS-LVDS, and the isolated USB DAC output. Active speakers with digital inputs can be driven directly, with the NT-1's digital volume control handling level — no separate preamp or controller required in that configuration. The SFP module slot allows the network connection to be expanded with an optical fibre or additional Ethernet port, and pairs with Matrix's own audio-grade network switch for a cleaner network environment.
A 12V trigger output allows the NT-1 to wake connected equipment automatically — DAC, amplifier, or both — when playback begins. The unit also supports smart wake-up from network or local playback states without manual intervention.
Storage & Library Management
The NVMe SSD slot handles local storage expansion. NAS drives can be mounted directly to the device for library access. Cloud storage — including Baidu Netdisk — mounts the same way. Dual USB 3.0 ports handle CD ripping via external drive and one-touch file copying. The device can serve as a NAS over SMB, making stored files accessible to computers on the network and to other streamers. If you have a large local library spread across multiple storage points, the NT-1 can function as the hub for all of it.
Software & Streaming
The NT-1 is Roon Ready — certified, not just compatible. Roon delivers PCM up to 768kHz and DSD up to 11.29MHz natively through the NT-1. For those not running Roon, the MA Player OS handles TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, DLNA/UPnP, vTuner, and Radio Paradise. Local file playback covers every format worth mentioning: FLAC, WAV, AIFF, DSD (DSF and DFF), ALAC, APE, CUE, and ISO, up to PCM 768kHz and DSD 24.58MHz.
Control is via the MA Remote app for iOS and Android. Matrix updates the MA Player OS continuously — streaming service support and interface refinements arrive over time, so the platform you buy is not the ceiling. Worth checking the current firmware release notes if specific service support matters to your setup.
Where It Fits
The NT-1 is a transport, not a DAC. It needs something downstream — a DAC you believe in, connected by the output type that suits your setup. The isolated USB output is the starting point for most systems at this level, though the AES/EBU and IIS-LVDS outputs are there for those whose DACs prefer them. If your DAC accepts an external clock, the SC-1 pairing extends the system considerably. If you are streaming high-resolution local files or Qobuz and Tidal-level services into a serious DAC, the NT-1 is the correct problem to solve before spending more money on the DAC itself.
Press Recognition
Specifications
- Type: Network audio transport / streamer
- Clock: Dual-mode femtosecond clock system with RF synthesizer; external 10MHz clock input (50Ω, sine or square wave)
- Power supply: 60W toroidal transformer, multiple LDOs, independent windings for audio processing core and USB DAC output
- Coaxial / Optical / AES/EBU output: PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz; DSD 2.8MHz (DoP)
- IIS-LVDS output: PCM 16–32 bit / 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 705.6kHz, 768kHz; DSD 2.82MHz, 3.07MHz, 5.64MHz, 6.14MHz, 11.29MHz, 12.29MHz, 22.58MHz, 24.58MHz
- USB DAC output: Up to PCM 32 bit / 768kHz and DSD 24.58MHz (dependent on connected DAC); electrically isolated; dedicated 5V/1A low-noise power supply
- Network: LAN 10/100/1000 Mbps; SFP module slot 10/100/1000 Mbps (optical fibre or additional Ethernet)
- USB: 2 x USB 3.0 (5V/1A each); FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS support
- Storage expansion: M.2 2280/2260/2242 NVMe PCIe SSD slot (3.3V/3A max)
- Local playback formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, AIF, AIFC, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, OGG, APE, ALAC, M4A, DSF, DFF, CUE, ISO
- Local playback resolution: PCM 16–24 bit up to 768kHz; DSD up to 24.58MHz
- Roon Ready: Yes — PCM 16–24 bit up to 768kHz; DSD 2.82MHz, 5.64MHz, 11.29MHz, 22.58MHz
- Streaming services: TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, DLNA/UPnP, vTuner, Radio Paradise, QQ Music
- NAS support: Yes — NAS mounting; SMB sharing and NAS serving to other devices on network
- CD ripping: Yes, via external USB CD drive; auto-rip with one-touch copy
- Trigger input: DC 6–12V, under 10mA
- Trigger output: DC 12V / 50mA
- Control: MA Player OS; MA Remote app (iOS and Android)
- Power consumption: Under 5W standby / under 50W maximum
- AC input: 100–120V or 220–240V, 50/60Hz, auto-ranging
- Dimensions: 330mm W x 267mm D x 97mm H
- Weight: 4.6kg
- Manufactured: China
