The future of headphone amplifiers! - Matrix Mini I Pro

[@tv4tards64]

Correction: Other than no MQA support, standard version lacks wifi and has different clock.

[@JoshuaValour]

OH, really? Thanks so much for clarifying. I will pin the comment.

[@ephektz]

This thing is dope. I’m probably going to pick up the standard version; shame about lacking WiFi, although in my situation I will likely have it plugged in to a desktop switch anyway.

[@rogerhuston8287]

Josh, try the Element series.

[@SpiritualPsychotherapyServices]

What's the purpose of Wi-fi?

[@ephektz]

@@SpiritualPsychotherapyServices flexibility in placement for use as a streamer.

[@panengworldwide5758]

Loved the sub-bass rumble in the intro!

[@ephektz]

The standard version lacks wifi as well. Screw MQA, though.

[@prla5400]

Nooo I like MQA

[@mrcatsoup4496]

@@prla5400 so you like being scammed?

[@nathanfries797]

@@mrcatsoup4496 I have Tidal (which I get for free) and the highest quality I can stream is via MQA. Am I being scammed?

[@prla5400]

@@mrcatsoup4496 it's alright quality man. DSD isn't available for my mandopop albums. And I can only do higher sampling rates due to MQA. Thanks for the polite words

[@mrcatsoup4496]

​@@nathanfries797 No, but you're not getting what you should be. I would cancel the subscription before they make you pay and move to other services that provides genuine loseless files.

[@shinseitaizen]

I just bought one of these a few weeks ago. Brought all of my audio together and I couldn't be more pleased.

[@mobilepsycho]

Hard to understand why this channel has 'only' 100K + subscribers. Mind boggling. Good luck JV. Hope you hit over 1 M one day.

[@palniok]

I love how you use Lunas as a headphone stand in B-rolls. I rock those speakers and they serve the same purpose. :D

[@goodboid]

I personally would never buy any hardware with MQA support. Apple lossless is thankfully a free upgrade. I find MQA the company a bully and I don't appreciated their "walled garden" approach to their technology. This is no way to do business in 2021.

[@SAMR33]

I'm not against it, I just don't need it, cause I don't use any streaming service at all, if I like the music I buy the disc, if I want that song in Hi Res, I will buy the file online, therefore MQA is pretty much useless to me :)

[@ericw.1620]

"I don't appreciate their 'walled garden' approach" "Apple" lol

[@emmanuelferguson]

@@ericw.1620 Exactly, one of the biggest bullies if not the biggest out there

[@danieldictatorandrew]

also, MQA is worse than lossless even though they claim it to be lossless or better than lossless

[@mitchellthornton8423]

Mqa is a total sham lol

[@1800Swagg]

Saw this in your Audeze 2021 LCD-X review yesterday. I wanted to know what it was and figured asking in the comments would get no response. Then you go and upload a review the next day. Are you a mind reader? Nice 👍

[@themauriciobunch2442]

Not gonna lie, I love this channel!

[@2112jonr]

MQA: Another failed audio format nobody uses.

[@8lec_R]

"We love simplicity" My most favourite program in 2020 was ffmpeg, that runs in a command line. And this year it's adb and fastboot which also run in the command line.

[@garfieldblessesyouwithadri3944]

Yeah because nothing can do what ffmpeg does, its complicated for a reason

[@siddharthshishulkar8992]

Honestly, I find *nix cli simpler than everything

[@Jakkal77]

You can hear a difference between DAC filters? LOL. Make a video and show us - Blind test, you know ;)

[@SirPierreSe]

I´m glad you gave them a chance =)

[@aceofspades6667]

I think at the lofi or entry level you’ll continue to see consolidation of functionality. Things like the BlueSound Node will continue to get better on streamer integration, Dac improvement , and the. Have step ups in power amp and headphone amps capability. For hifi people will continue to value separates to value performance improvements over functionality.

[@hersawex]

Owned the pro version (i can't get the non-pro from my place) for quite some months, agree with your review with some add-on. The noise level is slightly high when you use it with IEM, especially with sensitive IEM. So just bear that in mind if you tend to pair this with IEM.

[@carsdankandchicks]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Don't understand why most of these reviewers never talk about IEMs, it's always the opposite, the tired "power for your money" argument. The reality is almost all of these modern solid state amps can drive almost all headphones to way beyond realistic listening volumes, so not sure why it's always talked about as if it's super important.

[@jeffreydallatorre5764]

I still preferred my Burson conductor 3 reference. Don’t care about roon or Mqa.

[@kwicksandz]

one would hope so given the burson is more than double the price.

[@HiFiInsider]

I like to try Matrix Audio products on day.

[@SUV2949]

I have the D70s and A90. I think I will be happy for the rest of my life with this stack, but I must admit that this all in one solution looks pretty sexy

[@dapperbrick7516]

The A90 is killer. I don't have any urge for a better solid state amp

[@aqwandrew6330]

@@dapperbrick7516 does it works for sensitive iem?

[@dapperbrick7516]

I haven't used any of my IEMs with it, but I'll throw some at it later today just for you

[@SUV2949]

@@aqwandrew6330 do you speak about A90 ? There no problem with iems. The noise is inaudible with the A90. Check the review of Joshua .

[@Jstrick9x]

Great review! Just found your channel from the bearded fellow.. I cant wait to watch them all

[@jpined14]

Been enjoying my Element M for a year now. It functions seamlessly while sounding great. It even looks good to boot.

[@brooksphillips2234]

I'm more interested in the element m. It seems to be a step up from the mini I pro 3. When streaming wirelessly is there a downgrade? I have zero experience with a desktop setup . I would really like to hear more about the element m if you don't mind?

[@jpined14]

@@brooksphillips2234 The streaming in Element series is done via their own Matrix App. The software definitely needs work done but it functions and sounds really good if you can overlook the bugs/quirks which is the main reason most buyers end up selling or disappointed. Of course you can also stream via Airplay as well for KZbin and such (limited to 44.1hz) I’m using it via Roon (Tidal/Qobuz) and it works/sounds even better. Honestly for the $2k tag I understand why the buggy app is inexcusable but again I’m a Roon subscriber. The integrated amp is also pretty good. It drives most of my planars but connecting it via XLR to a balanced amp is how I use it. My set up is far away from my router so I haven’t tried it direct but apparently that may sound better? Not sure but eliminating cables was my priority and again it sounds great via Roon/MA. Also, I picked it up before the price hike. I think it’s still worth it the price for its ease of use, functionality and sound. It’s a great all in one package you can use as a stand alone or seamless DAC/streamer. I’d say get it and skip the Mini and Element I. It’s one of my better audio purchases so far.

[@carlitosway6922]

Can’t wait to hear you review on the 2021 lcd xc and where is stand on your close back list. Amazing work as always sir.

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

This is 80% a dac and a streamer. You are not paying for this device for its amp. To do so would be idiotic, so I dont understand the title.

[@NO_SIMP_ZONE]

I dont understand his reviews. It gorgeous b rolls but little do i know how a product sounds from his reviews.

[@Gunbardo]

Would it be better to have a dac+amp+watever chain or an all in 1? Say… something like the RME ADI-2?

[@ephektz]

@@NO_SIMP_ZONE How exactly do you propose to demonstrate audio from a DAC, through KZbin? 🤡

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

@@ephektz Watch goldensounds review of dacs. He does it flawlessly.

[@ephektz]

@@enjoshi-godrez8775 Sure, but if you lack a contextual basis for all the pretty metaphors, it’s almost useless. I don’t get any less value from these videos; they’re just a different approach. GoldenSounds is great. So is Josh.

[@bardenhick2121]

If you dont need the streaming functionality you can get a dac/amp stack for the same money that would destroy this, take the singxer sa-1 and soncoz la qxd-1 as an example

[@dougquesnel5613]

How does it destroy it?

[@beegyahuna3743]

I mean sound is subjective

[@digitalnation2876]

Agreed, the Singxer is better, also if you want something similar to it, get the Jotunheim 2,

[@samburden5053]

@@beegyahuna3743 Subjectivity has validity. Opinion can be more educated and versed than others, they are not equal, so thats not an argument.

[@JoshuaValour]

If you watch the video, I talk about alternative options near the end, like the A30Pro and D30Pro stack.

[@XiaoqiuQIU]

The feature sets are different but, how does this compare to the RME ADI-2 DAC FS?

[@tv4tards64]

I currently have both too, this has better bass extension and a bit more treble sparkle, but RME sounds more natural imo. I prefer one or the other depending on amp and headphone. Both are very feature rich but completely different feature.

[@krayozmines]

I was waiting for this

[@digitalnation2876]

Better than the Singxer SA-1 / Jotunheim 2 ?

[@AlexanderPiercy]

The matrix as just an amp is not better than the sa1 or jot 2, but it's still a fantastic combo. I owned the matrix for some time to.hold me till I upgraded further, with seperate components.

[@tv4tards64]

​@@AlexanderPiercy​ can agree, I currently have SA-1 and Matrix at the same time, the SA-1 is a much better amp

[@AlexanderPiercy]

I'll me mention that a good few of my headphones didn't need the extra power that the matrix couldn't do, but overhead is what I was wanting.

[@kbar11]

Loving the videos, Badseed sent me here after your collab. Not sure if youll see this but Ive wanted to get into better audio stuff but find the learning curve to be really hard to get past. By that I mean after dozens of videos for beginners I still have no idea what to get, why to get it and if a dac/amp will help my normal speakers and headphones. I use logitech rgb speakers 503 or something like that and Surface 2 headphones. I can never understand if dac/amp will do anything to that sort of headphone if I run aux instead of BT and then I have no idea how it interfaces with my PC. Do the speakers go into the amp/dac then that goes to PC? are they all separate? Shit like that, I have yet to find a good started video for this hobby. Trying to just keep watching and hoping I get to that point where it all makes sense but ive been struggling for a few months now. Keep up the great work!

[@konna200]

Excellent review Josh! You deserve now that corianth leather soffa :D Eh eh eh!

[@tysonengel6182]

This looks dope! Haven’t even watched all of the vid yet so imma get back to that lol

[@marc8vino]

I would love if you could review the new updated RME DAC 2/4. It's supposed to have improved DAC chips and headphone amps. Your opinion from a HiFi perspective would be great.

[@matthewweflen]

It's times like these that I'm glad I purchase all my Hi-Res music outright and make FLAC rips from CDs for my own collection. What a mess.

[@omjayaram]

where do u buy your hi res music ? asking for my knowledge and i want to buy some

[@matthewweflen]

@@omjayaram For classical, Presto Classical can't be beat. For pop, rock and jazz, a combination of HDTracks and 7Digital.

[@reimanace4707]

i just love it when joshua posts wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@MrZattack101]

I hope this unit sells well given its functionality and nice UI

[@Andrey-sm4mw]

I got mine (pro version) few month ago and very happy.

[@김지훈-u6s]

Love everything about this except the output impedance which is a bit high for iems. It is mostly a headphone only product.

[@bradysmedley2131]

what mic do you use? your audio is great

[@felixbrandau4751]

wait for it 😍

[@Zensō-music]

This needs onboard DSP to qualify as a future-proof all-in-one. I guess the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is still king.

[@OriginalgEd]

Possibly, as long as you're not after an dac/headphone amp/line out with *built in* (emphasis) streaming capabilities, which is what I am personally on the hunt for atm.

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

the RME has 5 bands. That's pathetic for DSP correction.

[@charlesthompson6779]

@@enjoshi-godrez8775 False - 7 bands including bass/treble which can be customized to a frequency.

[@jamesjin8839]

All in one? there is already the RME ADI 2 DAC.

[@simonefilippini3901]

Joshua you missed an extremely important info in the video: the amp section does have a pretty high output impedance that will make a lot of headphones sounds bad

[@vaux_manvv7520]

Hey Joshua great review, can you review the Zidoo Neo S please, they say it has a great dac and it's also a 4K video streamer with balanced headphones amp.

[@neilsnyder7915]

I have a cheap Chord TT2/Mscaler connected to a Burson Soloist GT amp at my desk for listening to my inexpensive susvara, utopia, elite. However in my TV room next to my lounge chair I need to stream from my TV in silence using bluetooth, I have an old Sparkos Aries II amp with a leftover Meze Liric closed back so I’m going to buy the pro version so I can use it as an end point for my Roon core and also BT to my TV for listening at night without disturbing my boyfriend.

[@ubacow7109]

I kinda hope they release a more powerful version of this 2w is decent but I'd like to see something more powerful to use much more gear

[@TorchArts]

Imagine buying a headphone amp and using it with bluetooth compression codecs lol

[@MrZattack101]

Hoping this trickles down to budget SMSL or topping units in the next couple years

[@jacobkemp1291]

The fan orientation throughout the jump cuts is distracting. I just stumbled upon your channel and love the content. Just throwing a nitpick as I hit the sub button :)

[@jamesma909]

Again nice vid, anyways I just bought the aryas and was wondering if your recommend case would fit them (the one in the description)? Thanks.

[@DomeRokRz]

Where can I get your jacket!?

[@emreisiklar]

It will be interesting to compare with new Naim Atom HE

[@bsbforum]

Sadly not. My device had intense white noise, and the replacement i recieved had the same issue. Also my OS was freezing all the time, and a friend of mine had the same problem earlier this year. I return the 2nd device too and now use the zen dac.

[@JayJayYUP]

You can hear filter differences? Like I'd get perhaps if it was NOS, maybe. But slow vs fast rolloff? Call me super skeptical on that claim.

[@DJMikeron]

If they make an upgrade with tidal Amazon music i would buy it .

[@even1313]

Seems like they don't sell the non-pro version anymore. I can't find it anywhere.

[@Seconds84]

I hear this amp pair very well with the HD800S using the 4.4 Balance. Can anyone else confirm?

[@konna200]

Yes indeed its warmed it up and i know what im talking about i have it since launch so compare to Topping A90/D90 and SMSL SP200/M200 i prefer this unit with HD660S and HD800S over the other but the new FiiO K9 Pro you should keep eye on it too bc DMS new review!

[@TechNaOkami]

i have the mini also the pro variant , not sure if that makes a difference but im able to use 24/192kHz via USBC and 24/384kHz if im not using voicemeeter

[@pliedtka]

How about 24/88, 96, 178 and 192kHz via opt or coax - the same issues as mentioned in review? I still use other sources than PC (actually I run PC via optical), that's why I'm asking.

[@8lec_R]

Josh you saw the video Amir posted? About testing speakers in mono? Cannot link it cuz it gets deleted. It's on the audio science review channel. Title: speaker testing, why mono is better.

[@SweetLead]

Please review the iFi Audio Neo iDSD. I have that amp/dac combo. I want to know what you think about it.

[@yangarzon8994]

Also, the main difference between i and i pro is : from manufacturer note on product page:'' *Mini-i 3 does not support Wi-Fi connection and MQA''

[@grantglidewell3081]

Are you using this to master the audio in your videos lately? maybe along with the LCD-X? Cause your videos have been a bit bass heavy lately (last 2 videos)

[@michaelthompson9798]

Hey Josh 👋 love your channel. I found your channel after your collab w/ Bryan @ Badseed Tech. Being fairly new to the “Audio” scene and recently getting my Drop Sennheisser HD58x Jubilee after your performance recommendation for its price point combined with my external DAC/AMP setup and experiencing a new world of both gaming and music audio 🤯🤯🤯 I would love to see a beginners guide to audio with terminology and connector names, a general non-PC DAC/AMP guide on what to look for etc. I understand there’s a massive rabbit hole here, but to get the basic terminology etc would be appreciated 🥰🥰🥰🥰🏆🏆🏆 loving your content. I’m watching a lot of your back catalogue etc but I don’t always get the information I need and google isn’t always helpful.

[@MagierMax]

I love Squidward in the Thumbnail!

[@nc3419]

You mentioned in your video you have the D70s as a reference dac. You previously reviewed a Modius. Is the D70s substantially better in overall SQ to the Modius and have you heard the Bitfrost 2 and how it may compare to the D70s as to stage, SQ differences, etc.? Any thoughts appreciated.

[@chrisr8244]

If they measure well, they should sound the same. If they don't measure well, they aren't worth buying.

[@ramonpimentel6563]

Hi, you did not go over the streaming part of it

[@JM-wl5mv]

For case you read this @Joshua Valour, I have following question: How does this amp sound with low impedance headphones e.g. Hifiman Ananda since the Headphone output has an impedance around 10ohm ?

[@yangarzon8994]

Hi, Thanks again for that great review. I have an eye on it since pre prod.I own a streamer and a RME ADI-2 dac. I wish to have balance out for my headphone section. Would you say that the mini i3 pro is an upgrade compare to RME DAC in term of sound quality. in short word, would i benefit form selling my streamer and RME and get a mini i ? p.s i use ROON also. Thanks

[@joggometer5393]

For sure, no. THE RME ADI 2 Dac is a studio proven piece of equipment. Supported by measurements, it shows the audio signal as it is + you get the most feature rich dac + amp combo out there.

[@KindredGh0st]

I'm new to this... But isn't it pointless to stream via Bluetooth? I thought it couldn't stream high bit rates...

[@devinmatteson]

Not pointless. Most bluetooth codecs don’t allow for high sample rates, but this device provides good codecs that allow for up to a maximum 16bit/96kHz sample rates. Not as good as utilizing this devices’ lan or wan connections for streaming, not to mention it’s digital and analog inputs, but still very good. It mainly just gives this device more flexibility for connecting too.

[@OriginalgEd]

Bluetooth is pointless *if* you have a better method to connect your music but (I guess) it's very useful for people who just want to play wirelessly via their phone/tablet. BT just doesn't have the native bandwidth for bit-perfect transfer of digital music (hence the need for all the BT codecs to compress the audio).

[@madbuldog]

Bluetooth with LDAC supported device on this unit sounds quite good actually (depending on the source music files, but with Tidal it is excellent), I do prefer running at least a WiFi connection, but if that is not an option Bluetooth is a more convenient and available for more handheld devices.

[@CLaw-tb5gg]

Why does practically nothing seem to have EQ these days? A billion options and it seems like the most basic one of all.

[@UntakenNick]

Does it have an equalizer? If it does it could be better alternative to the rme adi-2 since it has the added benefit of bluetooth and being able to read from remote sources.

[@RafaelGrigorian]

How it compares with Magni/Modi stack sound wise? Do you need Roon to use AirPlay?

[@screwb1882]

Why do all these AIOs have fuck all power?

[@AaronFigFront]

Nah, future is and has always been affordability (for any industry). Nothing is going to get adopted if there aren’t enough people using it. A good example is Apple music’s hifi being the same price as the regular plan. Good sources are now available for many. The Apple dongle measures quite well for wired headphones uses. Now, the the rest of the future for audio comes down to wireless lossless playback, Dolby atmos, smart DSP with ear shape detection for personalization.

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

The high end hifi market is larger and more profitable than it has ever been.

[@chrisr8244]

@@enjoshi-godrez8775 The high end hifi market is just snake oil. Those expensive dacs and amps all should sound the same unless they intentionally distort or modify the signal (which you can do yourself with EQ anyways). If a 100 dac and 1000 dac measure transparent, they will sound exactly the same, no matter the specs. An AMP has a little more room, but something like a topping A30 will really offer everything you will ever need.

[@davidcoons89]

Also curious about the SingXer SA-1 and Jot 2 as someone else mentioned as I’m about to pull the trigger on the SA-1 and am curious about all three actually. I currently have an Audio GD NFB-11.28, a little dot mk 1+, and an xduoo Mt-604. I plan on getting a Cayin HA-6A as my endgame amp. I run HD6xx, elex, hemps, clears, and mangird Xenns Up most frequently (along with MANY others, like surely virtually everyone else 🙃😜) and source from Apple Music lossless hi-res on a 2017 MacBook Pro. Curious which circa ~$1k~ DAC you guys would recommend to synergize the best sound-wise with the rest of that system.

[@tibormichalcik9381]

Regarding bass, which headphones did you use? The LCD-X pictured? Because Matrix does have 10Ohm output, doesnt it?

[@PaddyMcMe]

Audiophiles are so weird. I can literally hear your clothes chafing as you gesture around whilst talking. I'm guessing you prefer this setup because of how beautifully clear and realistic your voice sounds on it right? But the chafing noise doesn't bother you?

[@redi6460]

I can hear it too 😂😂😂

[@BlueMax333]

I have been using a MATRIX Mini-i Pro bought in 2014. Works well, although, some of the LED segments have failed. Seriously considered upgrading to the Mini-i Pro 3, 4th Gen. But was disappointed to note that: 1. LAN does not with PC or Android. Only with iPhone, iPad or macOS computer over AirPlay. 2. No direct connection to HD or SSD So I am looking elsewhere.

[@giorgivashakidze4805]

Hi, can i stream apple lossless 24/196 through thr AirPlay?

[@SquareOFortune]

How do you feel this compares to the Jotenheim with integrated ES (or old AKM) DAC? Or even the Asgard + integrated DAC for SE.

[@kwicksandz]

i assume you needed a driver to play 192 files. i have an earlier version of mini i pro and it needs a driver as well.

[@Elkemper]

Seems that this piece of gear could be not shabby streamer for stereo setup - SE or Balaced power amps and pair of speakers - and you good to go! thanks!

[@LockeNL]

How would this pair with a hd800s. Very interested. Thank you in advance!

[@Dyils]

Are you able to test / talk about how one would combine a good amp with something like the GoXLR instead of a separate DAC? Is it even worth it? I'm very conflicted because I want to upgrade my audio setup, but I also want to keep using the GoXLR cause it's pretty useful for my use cases so I'm not sure if I should just upgrade the headphones, put an amp between the headphones and the GoXLR and call it a day. Would I still benefit from replacing the GoXLR with a separate DAC?

[@kaptenkrok8123]

Does it work on linux?

[@jazzabana]

How would it compare against topping A90 (just soundwise)? Thank you👍

[@Decenium]

I personally HATE it when these devices change output based on plugging in your headphones...why would I want to constandly want to plug headphones in or out? I just want to leave them in there....

[@wyx5854]

A30 pro and D30 pro review coming soon?

[@nemotesoro6871]

What are your recommended budget headphones for gaming and other uses as well?

[@emmettmartin2639]

Check the description of the video, he has a little list.

[@mmorales508]

No love for Flux Labs??? Their amps are monsters! FA 10 and FA 12 are killer amps that deserve some screen time.

[@AJdarkfire]

How would these work with Hifiman Aryas? I'm particularly curious about the high output impendence of 22 on the Matrix.

[@bruhhurb8676]

I like how he teases future videos in some of his thumbnails

[@pauljohnpena1247]

How does this stack up against the Topping DX7 Pro? Specs-wise sounds like similar except for the presence of a screen (do we really need more screens?)

[@a1blooded986]

What about for gaming is it just as good ?

[@lucamichelecedele3979]

Please try a metrum acoustic Amethist dac3. Let us know what do You think about

[@FabFeline]

I believe only the Pro supports wifi

[@MrRandyDandyAndy]

Song in the B-roll at the beginning?

[@dooooopy3163]

Would you recommend this for some sensitive iems? Like the u12t?

[@JimmyLiaoJL]

What phone is that at 1:00 mark?

[@MustyRusty5]

Weird question but where'd you get your shirt

[@Vergessener]

What is IIS-LVDS? What is the use of it? I already searched the web for it but I found nothing useful.

[@tarskiparadox6577]

Hey Joshua what's the best possible setup headphones, amd/dac for gaming " fps " thanks

[@pita1963]

*Mini-i 3 does not support WiFi connection.