Great sound by your side

The Matrix element i2 is the second generation of the Matrix i DAC/Amp/Music Streamer. Although the element i2 is the entry-level model of the series, it shares many technologies with the other models in the series. A rich range of settings, complete music playback functionalities, and flexible input and output interfaces make the element i2 an excellent companion for your entertainment and gaming.

New UI, new impression

The i2 is equipped with a 3.46 inch LCD touch screen. The screen displays information during playback and allows you to perform operations more conveniently. The newly added playback touch keys make the new generation of element music streamers easier to use.

Richer than rich

If you own a huge library of digital audio, the i2 allows you to easily browse and play music from USB drives or NAS. If you prefer high-res online streaming, you can easily access TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify and Internet radio. Roon Ready, DLNA/UPnP and AirPlay 2 expand your streaming experiences to tablets, smart phones, laptops, and more.

MA Remote app

Download the MA Remote app on your phone or tablet to easily browse your entire library, stream music from TIDAL, Qobuz, and other providers, and control the i2. You can also use the app to manage configurations and firmware updates.

Full of power, full of details

Use the newly-added 4.4mm balanced headphone jack to conveniently pair various headphones. The built-in headphone amplifier has also been upgraded with a 4-channel full-balanced architecture. The fully symmetrical circuit design allows the left and right channel signals to pass through a nearly perfectly symmetrical amplification circuitry, providing loads of output power at low distortion.

Everything In your hand

The new RM4 remote control is made of premium aluminum and comfortable plastic. It features added playback control functions, making it more convenient to switch tracks, play, pause and perform other operations. With 2 programmable buttons, you can set your frequently used functions through the MA Remote App.

Enter from a higher point

Despite being the entry-level model of the series, the element i2 is equipped with the same quad-core CPU and digital audio interface chip as the higher models. The powerful processing ability enables the element i2 to process various sampling rates and audio files effortlessly. The element i2 is an MQA full decoder, which gives it comprehensive playback abilities.

Precise timing without deviation

Digital audio is the art of time, and a high-precision clock is the basis for accurate playback of digital audio. The CCHD-950 ultra-low phase noise femtosecond clock from Crystek effectively reduces the jitter generated in the transmission and processing of digital audio signals, making the sound more realistic and the details more accurate.

Product highlights

• DAC chip: ES9038Q2M
• Full-balanced headphone amplifier
• 4 digital inputs
• 4 outputs
• Roon Ready
• HDMI ARC support
• Dual-band WiFi
• Supports MQA, MP3, WMA, WAV, AIF, AIFC, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, OGG, APE, ALAC, M4A, DSF, DFF, CUE, AirPlay 2, DLNA/UPnP, TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, vTuner
• Remote control
• New UI

Specs

Hardware platform

• CPU: NXP i.MX 6Quad Cortex-A9
• D/A Chip: ES9038Q2M
• Clock Source: Crystek CCHD-950

Digital input

• Coaxial & optical: PCM 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz; DSD 2.8MHz (DoP)
• IIS LVDS: PCM 16-32Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 705.6kHz, 768kHz; DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz (DoP), DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6 MHz, 11.2 MHz, 22.4MHz (Native)
• USB audio: PCM 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 705.6kHz, 768kHz; MQA 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz MQA or MQA Studio stream; DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz (DoP); DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz, 22.4MHz (Native)
• HDMI ARC: PCM 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz

Line output

• XLR
• SNR: >-120dB A-weighting
• THD+N:<0.00025%@1k, <0.00035%@20Hz-20kHz
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.1 -3dB@80kHz
• Crosstalk: >-138dB
• Output Level: 4VRMS@0dB
• RCA
• SNR: >-118dB A-weighting
• THD+N:<0.00035%@1k, <0.00050%@20Hz-20kHz
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.1 -3dB@80kHz
• Channel Crosstalk: >-130db
• Output Level: 2VRMS@0dB

Headphone output

• 4.4mm balanced
• SNR: >-116dB A-weighting
• THD+N:<0.0006%@20Hz-20kHz 4VRMS
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.1 -3dB@65kHz
• Output Impedance:<22Ω
• Output Power: 1500mw@33Ω, 950mw@300Ω, 500mw@600Ω, 1%THD
• Gain: +16.5dB
• 6.35mm single-ended
• SNR: >-114dB A-weighting
• THD+N:<0.0008%@20Hz-20kHz 2VRMS
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ±0.1 -3dB@65kHz
• Output Impedance:<11Ω
• Output Power: 1200mW@33Ω, 260mW@300Ω, 130mW@600Ω, 1%THD
• Gain: +16.5dB

Network

• LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps
• WLAN: 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz

MA player

• Controller app: MA remote app
• Local playback
• Formats supported: MP3, WMA, WAV, AIF, AIFC, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, OGG, APE, ALAC, M4A, DSF, DFF, CUE
• PCM sampling rate: PCM 16-24Bit 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz, 705.6kHz, 768kHz; MQA 16-24Bit /44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8kHz, 384kHz MQA or MQA Studio stream
• DSD sampling rate: DSD 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, 11.2MHz, 22.4MHz　
• Roon Ready: Yes
• AirPlay 2: The audio specs depend on the service provider
• DLNA/UPnP: The audio specs depend on the service provider
• TIDAL Connect: The audio specs depend on the service provider
• Spotify Connect: The audio specs depend on the service provider
• vTuner: The audio specs depend on the service provider

Power specs

• Power voltage: AC 100-240V 50/60Hz
• Standby power consumption: < 5W
• Maximum power consumption: < 30W

Weight and size

• 5.73lbs (2.6kg)
• Size: 9.45” x 10.20” x 2.28” (240mm x 259mm x 58mm)

What’s included

• RM4 remote control
• Power cable
• Quick start guide
• Warranty card