Fidelity Imports
Matrix Audio MD-1 Streaming Power Amplifier | TweekGeek
Matrix Audio MD-1
The MD-1 is the same idea as the MD-1P in a slightly smaller package. Streaming, DAC, and power amplifier in a single chassis — connect a pair of speakers and you have a complete system. Where the MD-1P delivers 300 watts per channel, the MD-1 delivers 150 watts. One pair of speaker terminals instead of two. One subwoofer output instead of two. Otherwise the same architecture, the same streaming ecosystem, the same digital processing section, the same analogue inputs.
For most speakers and most rooms, 150 watts is not a limitation. If you are driving large floorstanders in a big room at high levels, the MD-1P makes sense. If you are not, the MD-1 gets you to the same place for less money and without paying for headroom you will never use.
The amplifier
150 watts per channel into 8 ohms, speaker impedance range 2 to 16 ohms. Output impedance under 5mΩ — still an extremely high damping factor, giving the amplifier tight control over bass drivers. SNR at 122dB A-weighted, crosstalk at -120dB, frequency response flat within 0.1dB from 20Hz to 20kHz and down 3dB at 45kHz. These are the same figures as the MD-1P on every measure except the power output, output impedance, and gain — the MD-1 runs +30dB gain versus +33dB on the MD-1P.
The speaker terminals are gold-plated solid copper, single pair. The MD-1P's A/B switching between two speaker pairs is not present here — one pair in, one pair driven.
The digital processing section
Identical to the MD-1P: a mastering-grade AKM DAC chip with dual femtosecond clock architecture and FPGA jitter reduction. Two custom femtosecond clocks — one for 44.1kHz-based sample rates, one for 48kHz-based rates — feed a high-speed FPGA that handles frequency division and jitter reduction before conversion. Local playback reaches PCM 768kHz and DSD 24.58MHz. The same design philosophy as the N Series, applied here in an integrated product.
Volume control
256-step digitally controlled analogue volume, -80dB to +12dB in 0.5dB steps. Algorithmic optimisation of the output curve at low volumes for consistent channel balance. 12-step channel balance compensation for asymmetric speaker placement. Analogue attenuation with digital control — bit depth is not sacrificed at the volume stage, which matters when the amplifier is capable of delivering 150 watts.
Analogue inputs
XLR balanced and RCA unbalanced line inputs — 8Vrms maximum on XLR, 4Vrms on RCA, 47kΩ input impedance on both. Bypass mode disables the preamp stage and routes the analogue input directly to the amplifier, for use with an external preamplifier or in a multichannel AV setup. The MM phono stage — RIAA equalised, 47kΩ / 100pF, +40dB gain — handles a turntable directly. MC users will need an external step-up transformer or MC stage.
Digital inputs
Four optical and coaxial inputs at PCM up to 192kHz and DSD 2.8MHz DoP. HDMI ARC from a television at up to PCM 192kHz. USB audio from a computer at PCM 768kHz and DSD 22.4MHz native. Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, aptX HD, AAC, SBC, and LDAC at up to 96kHz — the LDAC implementation in particular keeps the Bluetooth input honest in a way that most wireless audio does not.
Streaming and network
Roon Ready. Also supports Audirvāna, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, DLNA/UPnP, vTuner, and Radio Paradise. Gigabit Ethernet primary; Wi-Fi 6 for rooms where a wired run is not possible. MA Remote App on iOS, iPadOS, and Android. NVMe SSD slot for local library storage with SMB sharing and NAS serving. CD ripping via external USB drive.
Outputs beyond the speakers
A preamp RCA output at 0–2.2Vrms with 120dB SNR allows the MD-1 to feed an external power amplifier or second zone. A single subwoofer RCA output — 150Hz fixed low-pass, 0–2.2Vrms — connects an active subwoofer with trigger synchronisation. The MD-1P has dual subwoofer outputs for larger rooms requiring two subs; the MD-1 has one.
Where it fits
The MD-1 is the right choice when the MD-1P's 300 watts is more than the system needs — which is most of the time, for most speakers, in most rooms. Sensitivity of 87dB or above, moderate room size, listening levels that stop short of genuinely loud: 150 watts is sufficient. The savings over the MD-1P are real and the performance difference is not audible in those conditions.
If you are pairing with speakers that dip below 4 ohms or present a difficult impedance curve, or if the room is large and the listening levels are high, the MD-1P's additional headroom and lower output impedance become relevant. Ask us and we will give you an honest read on which one makes sense for your specific speakers.
Against a separates approach — streamer, DAC, integrated or power amplifier as separate boxes — the MD-1 trades individual component upgradability for integration and simplicity. It is not a lesser product. It is a different philosophy about how a system should be assembled.
Press recognition
The MD-1 is a recent release. We will update this page as reviews are published. We have heard it and are happy to discuss its performance directly.
Specifications — MD-1
- Type: Integrated streaming amplifier with built-in DAC and streamer
- Amplifier output: 2 x 150W RMS @ 8Ω
- Speaker impedance: 2–16Ω
- Output impedance: <5mΩ
- Amplifier SNR: 122dB A-weighted
- Amplifier crosstalk: -120dB
- Amplifier gain: +30dB
- Frequency response (speaker output): 20Hz–20kHz ±0.1; -3dB @ 45kHz
- Speaker terminals: 1 pair, gold-plated solid copper
- Volume control: 256-step digitally controlled analogue; -80dB to +12dB in 0.5dB steps; 12-step channel balance compensation
- XLR line input: 47kΩ input impedance; max input 8Vrms
- RCA line input: 47kΩ input impedance; max input 4Vrms
- Phono input: MM only; RIAA; 47kΩ / 100pF; +40dB gain
- Bypass mode: Yes (pure power amplifier operation)
- Coaxial / Optical inputs: 4 total; PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz–192kHz; DSD 2.8MHz (DoP)
- HDMI ARC: PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz–192kHz
- USB audio input: PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz–768kHz; DSD up to 22.4MHz (Native)
- Bluetooth: V5.0; aptX, aptX HD, AAC, SBC, LDAC; up to PCM 16 bit / 96kHz; range 10–15m
- Preamp output (RCA): 0–2.2Vrms; SNR 120dB; THD+N <0.0005% @ 1kHz; output impedance <20Ω
- Subwoofer output: 1 x RCA; 150Hz fixed low-pass; 0–2.2Vrms; output impedance <20Ω
- Network: Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 Mbps); Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz / 5GHz)
- USB: USB 3.0 (5V/1A); FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS support
- Storage: M.2 2280/2242/2230 NVMe PCIe SSD slot (PCIe 3.0/4.0/5.0; 3.3V/3A max)
- CD ripping: Yes, via external USB CD drive
- Roon Ready: Yes
- Streaming: Audirvāna, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, DLNA/UPnP, vTuner, Radio Paradise
- Local formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, AIF, AIFC, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, OGG, APE, ALAC, M4A, DSF, DFF, CUE, ISO
- Local playback: PCM up to 768kHz; DSD up to 24.58MHz
- Trigger input: DC 6–12V, under 10mA
- Trigger output: DC 12V / 50mA
- Power: AC 100–240V, 50/60Hz (auto-ranging)
- Standby power: Under 5W
- Idle power: Under 35W
- Maximum power consumption: Under 700W
- Dimensions: 430mm W x 331mm D x 96mm H
- Weight: 7.0kg
- Manufactured: China
