Matrix Audio TS-1

The TS-1 is Matrix Audio's answer to a different kind of system — not floorstanding speakers and a power amplifier, but headphones and active monitors on a desk, or headphones in a dedicated listening chair, with everything in a single compact chassis. Streamer, DAC, and headphone amplifier. Add headphones or active speakers and you have a complete system. The product is smaller than anything else in the Matrix lineup. The engineering inside it is not.

What separates the TS-1 from a competent desktop all-in-one is the headphone amplifier section. It is a fully balanced, high-bias discrete design — not an op-amp output stage, not a chip amplifier. The output impedance is under 1Ω on the 6.35mm output and under 2Ω on the 4.4mm balanced output. For context: low-impedance IEMs and sensitive headphones are affected by output impedance because it interacts with the headphone's own impedance curve and alters the frequency response. At under 1Ω, that interaction is negligible across virtually any headphone on the market.

The DAC architecture

The TS-1 uses a fully balanced design from the digital input through to the analogue output stage. Each channel is equipped with an AK4493SEQ chip, with the chip's dual DAC units running in parallel — a configuration that improves dynamic range and lowers the noise floor relative to a single unit operating alone. The two DAC chips have completely independent power supply sections, each powered by a dual-channel ultra-low-noise LDO. This is a different chipset from the AK4499EX used in the ND-1 and MS-1c — the AK4493SEQ is a strong-performing chip in its own right, and the parallel dual-unit configuration extracts more from it than a standard implementation would.

Clock architecture follows the same dual femtosecond approach as the MD-1 and MS-1c: two compact ultra-low phase noise femtosecond clocks, one for 44.1kHz-based sample rates and one for 48kHz-based rates, with FPGA frequency division and jitter reduction. Each clock runs from its own independent low-noise linear regulator.

The headphone amplifier

The headphone amplifier is a high-bias discrete circuit — meaning significant standing current flows through the output stage at idle, which keeps the output transistors operating in a linear region rather than switching in and out of conduction as the signal passes through. High-bias operation reduces crossover distortion and generally produces a more natural tonal character. It also generates more heat, which is why Matrix designed the analogue PCB as a separate upper layer — the thermal dissipation from the headphone amplifier needs physical separation from the DAC and digital circuitry below it.

Two output levels are available on both the 4.4mm balanced and 6.35mm unbalanced outputs to match different headphone sensitivities — a practical necessity when the same amplifier needs to drive 16Ω IEMs and 600Ω full-size headphones without either under-driving the latter or overloading the former. Output power on the 6.35mm output is 1,400mW at 33Ω and 250mW at 300Ω. The 4.4mm balanced output delivers 1,000mW at both 33Ω and 300Ω, with 500mW at 600Ω. The balanced output's more even power delivery across impedances reflects the advantages of the balanced topology at high impedance loads.

The voicing is tuned specifically for modern high-resolution headphones — Matrix describes maintaining high-frequency extension while subtly restraining the highs for comfortable long-term listening. It is a deliberate tonal choice rather than a measurement artefact, and it is worth auditioning if treble fatigue has been an issue with your current setup.

Line outputs and the active speaker path

The XLR line output delivers 4.5Vrms at 0dB — a high output level well-suited to active studio monitors. SNR is 123dB A-weighted, THD+N under 0.00018% at 1kHz. The RCA output runs at 2.2Vrms. Both offer adjustable output level from 0 to maximum, with two fixed output voltage settings for matching different active speaker gain structures. A subwoofer RCA output handles frequencies below 150Hz with synchronised volume control — the same approach as the MD-1 and MD-1P, useful for a 2.1 desktop setup where the main monitors have limited low-frequency extension.

Inputs

Optical and coaxial S/PDIF at PCM up to 192kHz and DSD 2.8MHz DoP. HDMI ARC for television audio. USB audio from a computer at PCM 768kHz and DSD 22.4MHz native — the broadest format support of any input. RCA analogue input for a turntable without a built-in phono stage, a CD player, or any other analogue source; SNR 100dB, maximum input 2.1Vrms. The TS-1 does not have a built-in phono stage — an external phono preamplifier is needed for turntable connection.

The DC input

This is worth calling out specifically. The TS-1 ships with a switching power supply. It also has a DC input — 12V, minimum 36W, standard 5.5mm/2.1mm barrel connector — that accepts an external linear power supply. When an external DC supply is connected, the TS-1 prioritises it and disconnects the internal AC supply, retaining only the ground connection. A linear power supply upgrade is a meaningful improvement in a DAC and headphone amplifier at this level, and Matrix has made it straightforward rather than requiring modification or a separate power board. If you buy the TS-1 and later want to take it further, the upgrade path is already built in.

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 wireless use. MA Remote App on iOS, iPadOS, and Android. NVMe SSD slot — M.2 2280/2260/2242, PCIe 3.0/4.0/5.0 — for local library storage, with SMB sharing and NAS serving. CD ripping via external USB drive. NAS mounting and cloud storage support via MA Remote App.

Construction

Digital and analogue circuits are on separate PCB layers — digital below, analogue above — with the physical separation serving both interference reduction and thermal management for the high-bias headphone stage. The analogue PCB is fully symmetrical left to right, which Matrix cites as a circuit-architecture-level contribution to channel consistency and signal integrity rather than a cosmetic arrangement.

Where it fits

The TS-1 is for the listener whose primary system is headphones — or active monitors, or both — and who wants a streaming source and DAC at a serious level without assembling a rack of components. It is compact enough for a desk and capable enough to be a primary system without apology. The DC input means it is also not a dead end: a linear power supply upgrade later is straightforward and will be audible.

Against pairing a separate streamer with a desktop DAC/headphone amplifier, the TS-1 trades individual component upgradability for integration and a smaller footprint. The headphone amplifier section, in particular, is more serious than most integrated streamers include. If the headphone output of a typical streaming DAC has disappointed you, this is a different proposition.

Press recognition

The TS-1 is a recent release. We will update this page as reviews are published.

Specifications

• Type: Network streamer, DAC, and headphone amplifier
• DAC: Dual AKM AK4493SEQ, fully balanced; dual DAC units per chip in parallel; independent power supply per chip
• Clock: Dual femtosecond oscillators (44.1kHz family / 48kHz family); FPGA jitter reduction; independent LDO per clock
• Headphone amp: Fully balanced high-bias discrete circuit; separate analogue PCB layer; symmetrical left-right layout
• 4.4mm balanced output: SNR 119dB; THD+N <0.0004%; output impedance <2Ω; gain +12dB; 1,000mW @ 33Ω / 1,000mW @ 300Ω / 500mW @ 600Ω (1% THD)
• 6.35mm unbalanced output: SNR 116dB; THD+N <0.0004%; output impedance <1Ω; gain +12dB; 1,400mW @ 33Ω / 250mW @ 300Ω / 130mW @ 600Ω (1% THD)
• Both headphone outputs: Two selectable output voltage levels; frequency response 20Hz–20kHz ±0.5dB; -3dB @ 22kHz
• XLR line output: 4.5Vrms (adjustable 0–4.5Vrms); SNR 123dB; THD+N <0.00018% @ 1kHz; crosstalk >-140dB; -3dB @ 80kHz
• RCA line output: 2.2Vrms (adjustable 0–2.2Vrms); SNR 120dB; THD+N <0.00020% @ 1kHz; crosstalk >-120dB; -3dB @ 80kHz
• Subwoofer output: RCA; 150Hz fixed low-pass (-3dB); 0–2.2Vrms adjustable
• Coaxial / Optical input: PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz–192kHz; DSD 2.8MHz (DoP)
• HDMI ARC input: PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz–192kHz
• USB audio input: PCM 16–24 bit / 44.1kHz–768kHz; DSD up to 22.4MHz (Native)
• RCA analogue input: SNR 100dB; THD+N <0.004% @ 1kHz; max input 2.1Vrms; crosstalk >-105dB; -3dB @ 40kHz
• Network: Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000 Mbps); Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz / 5GHz)
• USB: 2 x USB 3.0 (5V/1A each); FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS support
• Storage: M.2 2280/2260/2242 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
• AC power: 100–240V, 50/60Hz (switching supply); under 5W standby; under 35W maximum
• DC power input: 12V ±10%, minimum 36W; 5.5mm/2.1mm barrel connector (centre positive); prioritised over AC when connected
• Dimensions: 280mm W x 210mm D x 82mm H
• Weight: 2.89kg
• Manufactured: China

If you want to talk through headphone or active speaker pairing for the TS-1 — or whether the DC linear power supply upgrade makes sense as a next step — we are happy to work through it. Call us or start a conversation on the site.