Matrix Audio TS-1 Music Streamer

The TS-1 is Matrix Audio’s all-in-one streamer, DAC and headphone amplifier – built for anyone driving headphones or a pair of active speakers who wants one box to handle the whole signal chain. Five inputs, variable XLR/RCA outputs with a dedicated subwoofer output, and Matrix Audio’s M Series streaming platform are all built into a single compact chassis.

Dual DACs, fully balanced throughout

Each channel runs its own AK4493SEQ DAC chip, with the two chips’ dual internal DAC units operating in parallel for a fully balanced conversion path from digital to analogue, each with its own independent, dual-channel ultra-low-noise LDO power supply. Timing comes from two dedicated femtosecond clocks, one for the 44.1kHz family and one for 48kHz, with FPGA-based control handling frequency division and switching automatically.

The digital and analogue circuits sit on separate PCB layers, with a fully symmetrical left-right analogue layout, keeping the two sections from interfering with each other and helping the high-bias headphone amp dissipate heat.

A headphone amp built for authority

A fully balanced, high-bias discrete headphone amplifier drives both a 4.4mm balanced and 6.35mm single-ended output, with output impedance as low as 1 ohm on the unbalanced output, low enough to keep voltage dynamics intact even with sensitive, low-impedance in-ears.

Output level is adjustable across the full range rather than fixed at one setting, so the same amp handles both IEMs and full-sized high-impedance headphones without a mismatch.

Five inputs, one audio centre

Five inputs cover almost anything: optical, coaxial and HDMI ARC for digital sources and a TV, USB for a computer or phone, and an RCA analogue input for a turntable’s phono stage or another line-level source. XLR and RCA outputs are continuously adjustable rather than fixed, so they can be matched to different active speakers’ gain, with a dedicated subwoofer output below 150Hz sharing the same volume control as the main outputs, for an easy 2.1-channel setup.

Storage, sharing and CD ripping

An NVMe SSD bay, run from its own ultra-low-noise independent power supply, gives the TS-1 its own local library, shareable over the network via SMB or as a NAS for other streamers. It can also mount a NAS drive or cloud storage directly, and rip CDs automatically from an external USB drive via the MA Remote App. Networking is Gigabit Ethernet or dual-band Wi-Fi, with Roon Ready certification and the usual streaming services covered.

Power built to grow

The TS-1 ships with a wide-range AC switching supply as standard, with a DC input that lets an external linear power supply take over automatically once connected, disconnecting the internal AC supply and keeping only the ground connection. A power filter and multiple low-noise LDOs feed each circuit independently.

Specifications

In the box

• TS-1 unit
• Power cable
• IR remote
• Printed material

Downloads

• Matrix Audio TS-1 user manual