Fidelity Imports
Matrix Audio SS-1 Pro Audio Network Switch | TweekGeek
Matrix Audio SS-1 Pro
A network switch is infrastructure. Most audiophiles treat it that way — buy whatever is cheap and reliable, plug everything in, and focus the budget on components that are more obviously in the signal path. Matrix Audio's position is that this is a mistake, and the SS-1 Pro is the argument for why.
The reasoning starts in digital circuit design rather than audiophile lore. A system capable of supporting higher-speed signal transmission has a higher stability limit — timing errors in high-speed equipment are relatively lower than in low-speed equipment operating at the same actual data rate. A 10Gbps switch running a 1Gbps audio connection is operating well within its stable range. A 1Gbps switch doing the same job is working at its ceiling. The SS-1 Pro has two 10Gbps SFP/SFP+ ports and eight RJ45 ports at up to 2.5Gbps. The audio equipment connects at 1Gbps or 100Mbps. The headroom is substantial.
The Clock System
This is where the SS-1 Pro separates from the SS-1 and from every other switch you will find at any price. Inside is a femtosecond clock feeding a high-precision ultra-low phase noise RF synthesizer. The RF synthesizer generates the clock signal that drives the switch's main controller — it is the same architecture Matrix uses in the NT-1 transport, applied here to the network infrastructure that feeds it.
Two clock modes are available. In internal clock mode, the femtosecond oscillator is the reference for the RF synthesizer, which outputs a stable, low-phase-noise clock to the controller. In external clock mode, a 10MHz reference signal from an external source — the Matrix SC-1, or any compatible 10MHz reference — becomes the input to the RF synthesizer via DPLL, producing a clock that is synchronised to the external reference. The external clock input accepts 10MHz at 50Ω, sine or square wave, the same specification as every other Matrix component with a clock input. If you are running an SC-1, it can discipline the switch as well as the transport and DAC.
The SS-1 — the standard version without the RF synthesizer — uses a femtosecond clock as a direct reference for the main controller. It is a simplified but still serious clock implementation. The external clock input and RF synthesizer are exclusive to the SS-1 Pro.
The Ports
Two dedicated 100Mbps/10Mbps RJ45 ports are provided specifically for audio equipment. Matrix's reasoning: connecting audio devices to lower-speed ports reduces the potential for bit errors during data transmission. These ports use independent sockets with wider spacing than the main array, accommodating high-end Ethernet cables without crowding. All Ethernet ports use 10Gbps-grade independent Ethernet transformers with individual metal shielding on each signal transformer — radio frequency interference resistance at the port level rather than just at the enclosure.
The two SFP/SFP+ ports support up to 10Gbps and accept optical fibre or RJ45 modules. Running the upstream network connection and an audio streamer through SFP ports on optical fibre creates complete electrical isolation between the network infrastructure and the audio equipment — ground-borne noise from upstream devices has no path to the audio side. This is the same isolation principle as the SI-1 network isolator, achieved through the switch architecture itself rather than a separate device.
The SS-1 Pro has six 2.5Gbps RJ45 ports; the SS-1 has four. Both have the same two 100Mbps dedicated audio ports and two 10Gbps SFP/SFP+ ports.
Power Supply
The SS-1 Pro runs on a custom o-core toroidal transformer — an optimised core geometry that reduces flux leakage compared to conventional toroid winding — combined with high-speed Schottky diodes and close to 10,000µF of audio-grade filtering capacitance as the first stage. Six ultra-low-noise LDO regulators distribute clean power to the clock system and the main controller from that filtered supply. The main controller chip sits on a large passive heatsink — no fan, no switching noise from cooling hardware.
The SS-1 ships with a switching power supply but includes a DC input — 12V, minimum 18W, standard 5.5mm/2.1mm barrel connector — for an external linear power supply upgrade. When DC is connected, the internal AC supply disconnects automatically. The SS-1 Pro's internal linear supply is already at a level the SS-1's DC upgrade path is trying to reach.
Practical Details
The Ethernet port LEDs are switchable off via a button on the rear panel — the same listening-environment consideration as the SI-1. The 16K MAC address table is substantially larger than the SI-1's 2K table, appropriate for a switch serving multiple devices on a network rather than a two-port isolator. The chassis is CNC-machined aluminium with a reinforced steel base. Four isolation feet are included; the design accommodates three-foot placement for tuning and surface compliance.
Where it fits
The SS-1 Pro belongs at the last network node before the audio equipment — between your router or upstream switch and the Matrix streamers, DACs, or other network audio devices. Used with optical SFP modules on the upstream port and the audio streamer port, it provides the same electrical isolation benefit as the SI-1 while simultaneously serving as the final switch in the network chain. Used with the SC-1 on the external clock input, the entire digital chain — switch, transport, DAC — runs from the same reference clock.
Against the SI-1 network isolator, the SS-1 Pro is a full switch rather than a two-port pass-through — it handles multiple audio and non-audio devices simultaneously. The SI-1 is the right solution when you have an existing switch and want to add isolation for a single downstream device. The SS-1 Pro replaces the final switch in the chain and handles isolation, clock quality, and port management in one unit.
The SS-1 — without RF synthesizer or external clock input — is available for those who want the high-speed port architecture, the dedicated audio ports, and the femtosecond clock without the full Pro specification. It is a meaningful step above a standard network switch at a lower price than the Pro.
Press recognition
The SS-1 Pro is a recent addition to the Matrix Audio lineup. We will update this page as reviews are published.
Specifications
- Type: Audio-grade network switch
- Standards: IEEE 802.3 (10BASE-T), 802.3u (100BASE-TX), 802.3z (1000BASE-X), 802.3ab (1000BASE-T), 802.3ae (10G BASE-SR/LR), 802.3bz (2.5G/5G BASE-T), 802.3cb (2500BASE-X)
- SS-1 Pro ports: 2 x 100Mbps/10Mbps RJ45 (dedicated audio); 6 x 2.5Gbps/1Gbps/100Mbps/10Mbps RJ45; 2 x 10Gbps SFP/SFP+
- SS-1 ports: 2 x 100Mbps/10Mbps RJ45 (dedicated audio); 4 x 2.5Gbps/1Gbps/100Mbps/10Mbps RJ45; 2 x 10Gbps SFP/SFP+
- Ethernet transformers: 10Gbps-grade, independent per port, individually metal-shielded
- MAC address table: 16K entries
- SS-1 Pro clock: Femtosecond oscillator + ultra-low phase noise RF synthesizer; internal and external clock modes
- SS-1 clock: Femtosecond oscillator (direct reference, no RF synthesizer)
- External clock input (SS-1 Pro only): 10MHz / 50Ω / sine or square wave
- SS-1 Pro power supply: Auto-ranging linear supply; custom o-core toroidal transformer; high-speed Schottky diodes; ~10,000µF audio-grade filter capacitance; 6 ultra-low-noise LDOs; passive heatsink on main controller
- SS-1 power supply: Wide-voltage switching supply (AC); DC input for external linear power supply (DC 12V ±10%, minimum 18W; 5.5mm/2.1mm centre-positive; auto-disconnects AC when DC connected)
- SS-1 Pro power consumption: Under 15W; AC 100–120V or 220–240V, 50/60Hz (auto-ranging)
- SS-1 power consumption: Under 15W; AC 100–240V, 50/60Hz
- Port LEDs: Switchable off via rear panel button
- Clock LEDs (SS-1 Pro): 2 x clock mode indicator
- Isolation feet: 4 included; 3-foot placement supported
- SS-1 Pro dimensions: 330mm W x 235mm D x 58.5mm H
- SS-1 Pro weight: 3.4kg
- SS-1 dimensions: 280mm W x 206mm D x 58.5mm H
- SS-1 weight: 2.3kg
- Manufactured: China
