Of course, other factors come into play for the overall sound quality like noise isolation and circuit design, both of which are phenomenal in the Element X2.
#8bit drummer yes roundabout full#
According to Matrix Audio, they have spent years developing and tuning this specific ESS chip to achieve the full potential of the hardware. This is certainly the case with the Element X2. Tuning and optimizing established hardware, as opposed to new hardware, can sometimes yield better results than new chips. There's no need to mess with the sound in my opinion, and using some of the same components as the previous generation product isn't a downgrade as some might be led to believe. That shouldn't really be a bother to most users, as the Element X was (is) one of the best sounding all-in-one boxes on the market. So the Element X2 uses the same flagship-level DAC, the ES9038PRO, and the same clock, the Crystek CCHD-950, as the original Element X music streamer. This is the best looking all-in-one that Matrix has put out to date. It's a welcome redesign as the older antennas were an eyesore compared to some of the newer network players and streamers out there. The external antennas are also redesigned as an integrated single antenna, arranged horizontally to take up less space and create a cleaner look to the box overall. The connectors are all very high quality. Trigger in and out ports are added and the power plug connection remains in the same location. The network connection has also been upgraded to be able to accommodate 1-gigabit internet speeds.
Next Matrix Audio has included a USB-C port for external storage connection and provides power up to 5V output for things like an external music library on hard drives. You still have the left and right RCA and XLR analog outputs, the stereo RCA Aux-in, dual coaxial and optical ports, II2 port, a new ARC HDMI port, and USB audio input. The back I/O is improved as well, offering a few more ports and design enhancements from the previous generation network streamer. To the right of the LCD screen are 4 touch buttons: play/pause, playlist, track back, and track forward. Matrix Audio continues the balanced and unbalanced options but has discontinued the triple-XLR ports that existed on the last Element X, opting for a sleeker look this go-around. To the left of the screen, you'll find two headphone jacks: a quarter-inch unbalanced port and a 4.4 pentaconn balanced port. When looking at the front of the music player, the dark box isn't the entire screen. It's a great-looking display and is able to provide lots more information to the user than your previous text-based info on the first generation.
A full-color touchscreen (it took me forever to realize it was actually a touchscreen because the information provided with the unit was less than ideal, or informational for that matter). The most noteworthy is the new 3.46-inch LCD touch screen. The new chassis for the Element X2 is very similar, with a silver aluminum shell which reduces the case resonance as well, and looks aesthetically the same apart from a number of noteworthy updates. It's a good design that doesn't really need to be changed from a functional standpoint, and Matrix Audio did just that. The design of the chassis was both beautiful and functional, to eliminate noise from the outside and minimize internal vibrations. The original Element X was like the Delorean of music players. Well, again, Matrix Audio already made a favorite in the industry with the original Element X, so coming out with a new and improved model should have some pretty big updates, right? Let's find out. Once you have the audiophile-grade sound down, everything else should be easy, right? The hardest part of the equation in this hobby should be making sure that the product sounds good, then you can move on to worrying about making it look good too.
The Element X did so many things right, it's challenging to think about what they could even improve on. From the multiple headphone jacks (both balanced and unbalanced), great selection of I/O in the rear, streaming compatibility, MA Remote functionality, clock, preamp, excellent ES9038PRO DAC, and more, it's a hard product to beat for the functionality and price point. It's my go-to, number one testing box due to the fact that it's incredibly balanced when it comes to A/B testing other products. He was so impressed with the innovations in music streaming and the sound quality that he just had to bring them back to Moon Audio.
#8bit drummer yes roundabout series#
It was back in the spring of 2019 that our founder and CEO Drew Baird flew to Singapore can jam and first saw the new Element series from Matrix Audio. It's surprising that it's been 3 years since the Element X became a staple on my desk.
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