Matrix Audio MS-1

The MS-1 is Matrix Audio's flagship. Not their most versatile product, not their most feature-rich — their best. It is the reference point against which everything else in the Matrix lineup is measured, and the design decisions made here are the ones that trickle down into the N Series products below it. If you want to understand why the NT-1 and ND-1 are built the way they are, the MS-1 is the explanation.

It is a music streamer, a DAC, and a preamplifier in a single chassis — the kind of integrated source component that either simplifies a system or concentrates everything you care about in one box, depending on how you look at it. At 14.6kg and with dual heavy-duty toroidal transformers inside, it is built to the standard of separates that cost considerably more individually.

The chipset and channel architecture

The MS-1 uses AKM's flagship combination: dual AK4191 modulators paired with dual AK4499 DAC chips, each set running in mono mode for one channel. Left and right channel PCB assemblies are mounted on opposite sides of the H-shaped chassis, completely separated. This is a genuine dual-mono implementation — not a single chip with left and right channels sharing a substrate, but two independent conversion paths from modulator through DAC to output. Channel separation and phase consistency reflect that. The SNR on the fixed XLR line output is 131dB A-weighted. THD+N at 1kHz is 0.000068%. These are exceptional measurements, but the measurements are a consequence of the architecture rather than the goal of it.

Power supply

Two toroidal transformers — one for the digital section, one for the analogue — wound with square-section copper wire rather than the conventional round wire. The larger conductor surface area of square wire gives lower resistance, higher current capacity, and better transient response. Matrix pairs these with Mundorf M-Lytic AG series filter capacitors, which add a specific tonal character to the supply rail that their engineers preferred to standard alternatives. Dozens of low-dropout regulators follow, including ultra-low-noise LDOs on the most sensitive circuit nodes. The NVMe SSD, if fitted, gets its own regulated supply from this same system.

This level of power supply engineering is what separates a product like the MS-1 from equipment that achieves similar measurements through chip selection alone. The power supply determines the ceiling. Everything else approaches it.

The volume control

The MS-1 Pre uses a precision resistor array volume control — 64 resistors at 1‰ accuracy, switched by 32 sealed reed relays under MCU control. Reed relays are fast, reliable, and introduce negligible contact resistance. The switching arrangement achieves near-perfect channel tracking across the volume range without the channel imbalance at low levels that affects many attenuator designs. The relay switching noise, Matrix notes, is almost inaudible even when changing volume continuously. The pre output reaches 16Vrms on XLR — enough to drive any power amplifier directly, with substantial headroom to spare.

Clock

The DPLL clock synthesis circuit in the MS-1 is the reference design that the NT-1 and ND-1 derive from. An ultra-low phase noise oscillator feeds the DPLL circuit, producing a clock with jitter as low as 45 femtoseconds. An external 10MHz clock input — 50Ω, sine or square wave — allows connection to a reference clock source such as the Matrix SC-1. The internal clock is already exceptional. The external input is for those who want to push further.

Analog inputs and phono stage

This is where the MS-1 goes beyond what a conventional streamer-DAC does. Two pairs of analogue line inputs — XLR and RCA — plus a phono input with both MM and MC modes. All analogue inputs are converted to digital via high-precision ADC and processed through the digital engine, which means they benefit from the same PCM filtering and upsampling options as the digital inputs. They can also be output via the IIS-LVDS port for connection to an external DAC.

The phono stage: MM mode at +45dB gain into 47kΩ / 100pF; MC mode at +65dB gain into 100Ω. Both RIAA equalised. This is not an afterthought. Having a genuinely capable MC phono stage in the same chassis as a reference-level DAC and preamp is the kind of integration that simplifies a system without compromising any part of it.

Inputs and outputs — the full picture

Digital inputs cover optical, coaxial, IIS-LVDS, and USB audio — the IIS-LVDS input reaches PCM 768kHz and DSD 49.15MHz native, the highest resolution available across the Matrix ecosystem. The IIS-LVDS digital output passes the same resolution out to an external DAC. All analogue inputs — line and phono — can also exit via IIS-LVDS, which means the MS-1 can function as an ADC front end for an external conversion chain.

The fixed XLR line output at 5Vrms provides a constant-level feed for recording or monitoring equipment alongside the variable pre output. Both can be active simultaneously.

The Chassis

The H-shaped chassis is a Matrix Audio original — a 20mm CNC-machined aluminium plate forms the main structural beam, with all components mounted to it. The panel installation creates separate isolated cavities for different circuit modules. Left and right channel modules sit symmetrically on either side of the central structure. It is 430mm wide, 353mm deep, 106mm tall, and 14.6kg. It is substantially larger and heavier than the NT-1 and ND-1, which share the same 330mm-wide family format — the MS-1 is a different class of product physically as well as technically.

Streaming & Software

The MS-1 is Roon Ready. It also supports TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, DLNA/UPnP, vTuner, and Radio Paradise natively through the MA Player OS. The MA Remote App handles all control — playback, volume, filter selection, display settings, hardware configuration — from iOS or Android. An SFP module slot allows the network connection to be made via optical fibre for electrical isolation from the network infrastructure. An NVMe SSD slot on the underside accepts M.2 2280 drives for local library storage.

Where It Fits

The MS-1 is the right choice when you want a single source component — streamer, DAC, preamp — at the level of the best separates, and you want to run a vinyl source through the same chain without adding a separate phono stage. It drives a power amplifier directly from its XLR pre output at up to 16Vrms. It feeds a separate DAC via IIS-LVDS if you want to use external conversion. It is a hub as much as a component, and it is designed to be the fixed centre of a system that may grow around it.

Compared to the NT-1 and ND-1 in combination, the MS-1 offers the phono stage, the resistor array volume control, the higher-current power supply, and the dual-mono architecture in a single chassis. The N Series separates path gives you more flexibility in component choice and the ability to upgrade DAC and transport independently. Neither approach is wrong. It depends on how you build systems.

Press Recognition

Formal press coverage of the MS-1 is still developing at time of writing. Matrix Audio's flagship status and the M Series launch have drawn attention internationally, and reviews are in progress at several publications. We will update this page as coverage is published. We have heard the MS-1 directly and can speak to its performance — ask us.

Specifications

• Type: Music streamer, DAC, preamplifier
• DAC chipset: Dual AKM AK4191 (modulator) + dual AKM AK4499 (fully dual mono)
• Clock: DPLL clock synthesis, 45fs jitter; external 10MHz clock input (50Ω, sine or square wave)
• Volume control: 64-resistor array (1‰ accuracy), 32 sealed reed relays, MCU-controlled
• Coaxial / Optical input: PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz–192kHz; DSD 2.82MHz, 3.07MHz (DoP); MQA
• IIS-LVDS input: PCM 16–32 bit / 44.1kHz–768kHz; DSD up to 49.15MHz (Native)
• USB input: PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz–768kHz; DSD up to 24.58MHz (Native); MQA
• IIS-LVDS output: PCM 16–32 bit / 44.1kHz–768kHz; DSD up to 49.15MHz (Native)
• XLR line input: SNR >118dB; THD+N <0.00026% @ 1kHz; max input 4.9Vrms; input impedance 40kΩ
• RCA line input: SNR >110dB; THD+N <0.00060% @ 1kHz; max input 2.35Vrms; input impedance 20kΩ
• Phono MM: +45dB gain, 47kΩ / 100pF, RIAA
• Phono MC: +65dB gain, 100Ω, RIAA
• XLR line output (fixed): 5Vrms; SNR >131dB; THD+N <0.000068% @ 1kHz; crosstalk >-150dB; output impedance 20Ω; -3dB @ 85kHz
• XLR pre output (variable): 0–16Vrms; +10dB gain; SNR >131dB; THD+N <0.000068% @ 1kHz; crosstalk >-150dB; output impedance 40Ω
• RCA pre output (variable): 0–8Vrms; +10dB gain; SNR >127dB; THD+N <0.000076% @ 1kHz; crosstalk >-139dB; output impedance 16Ω
• Network: LAN 10/100/1000 Mbps; SFP module slot 10/100/1000 Mbps
• USB: 2 x USB 3.0 (5V / 1.5A each); FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS support
• Storage: M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD slot (3.3V / 3A max)
• Roon Ready: Yes
• Streaming services: 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
• Trigger input: DC 6–12V, under 10mA
• Trigger output: DC 12V / 50mA
• Power supply: Dual square-copper-wire toroidal transformers (digital + analogue); Mundorf M-Lytic AG filter capacitors; multiple LDOs and ultra-low-noise LDOs
• Power consumption: Under 5W standby / under 60W maximum
• AC input: 100–120V or 220–240V, 50/60Hz (factory fixed)
• Chassis: H-shaped structure, 20mm CNC aluminium main beam
• Dimensions: 430mm W x 353mm D x 106mm H
• Weight: 14.6kg
• Manufactured: China

If you are deciding between the MS-1 and a separates approach with the NT-1 and ND-1 — or working out how the MS-1 fits into a system you are already building — we are happy to work through it. Call us or start a conversation on the site.