Country of Origin
Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (i5, 256GB SSD, 40GB RAM, Sonoma 14), 4TB external SSD with Thunderbolt 3, Audirvana Studio, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 & SW-6 switch, Laiv Audio Harmony; Active filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Power amplifiers: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos & Gold Note monos on subwoofer; Headamp: Enleum AMP-23R; Phones: Raal 1995 Immanis, HifiMan Susvara; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Kinki Studio Earth, Furutech; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra on all source components, Vibex One 11R on amps, Furutech DPS-4.1 between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, LessLoss Firewall for loudspeakers, Furutech NCF Signal Boosters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat; Room treatment: 2 x PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass traps
2nd system: Source: FiiO R7 into Soundaware D300Ref SD transport to Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe; Preamp/filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-M7; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Loudspeakers: MonAcoustic SuperMon Mini + Dynaudio S18 sub; Power delivery: Furutech GTO 2D NCF, Akiko Audio Corelli; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Audioquest Fog Lifters; Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
Desktop system: Source: HP Z230 work station Win10/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC: Sonnet Pasithea; Headamp: Kinki Studio THR-1; Speaker amp: Crayon CFA-1.2; Speakers: Acelec Model One Headphones: Final D-8000 & Sonorous X, Audeze LCD-XC, Raal-Requisite SR1a on Schiit Jotunheim R
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7, COS Engineering D1, Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Headphones: Raal 1995 Magna, Meze 109 Pro, Fiio FT3
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: €9'499
The Matrix Revolutions.
Today isn't about the 3rd instalment of the movie franchise. Today is about a virtual revolution and its third instalment. For more than a year now China's Kinki Studio have floated teasers of a flagship class AB monaural amp and demonstrated it at numerous Asian hifi shows even though their global website still makes no mention of it or the matching preamp.
Cen.Grand have their own 900-watt version called 9i-958 which seemingly has made little traction in the West yet. Now Matrix Audio bow the flagship M range above which includes a 250/450wpc stereo amp that bridges to 500/900 watt into 8/4Ω whilst being styled as sharp as Westminster Labs.
These Shaolin revolutions don't stop there. Laiv have their own GanFet monos of unknown power rating on the roadmap; Singxer just released their more modest 90/180W class AB monos. The era of budgetarian class D amps from China plus the constant flow of gear with glowing glass now includes very ambitious solid-state muscle amps that squarely aim at the best of the West.
On a whole, we who live there don't seem to have quite caught on yet. Will Matrix Audio's MA-1 manage to make their mark?
When I wrote these lines, no formal review agreement was inked. I'd introduced myself and been told that the person in charge would be in touch. I knew that the Bible of Asian Hifi Reviews—Audio Technique of Hong Kong—was working up a complete M Series system review. Clearly Matrix Audio were aiming straight for the top. I wasn't sure I'd even be invited. Regardless, their web presentation warranted a feature which would easily convert to our industry pages should a formal review not happen. So what are we looking at? A push/pull class AB circuit with ten OnSemi bipolar power transistors per side driven by a dual-mono 1'250VA power supply on ±80V rails. 14 x 6'800µF paralleled filter caps per channel add up to 190'000µF. Spreading the task over many smaller caps "lowers equivalent internal resistance for greater responsiveness to on-demand current swings". The internal H frame mounts the output modules to the outside, the power supply to the inside. The four footers bolt directly to this frame. Passive cooling augments by 7.4" fan activated when two heat sensors measure a value above the preset whilst MCU control adjusts the fan speed dynamically. Input impedance is 20/40kΩ on RCA/XLR respectively. Input sensitivity is 1.48Vrms in stereo mode, 1Vrms in bridged mode. Voltage gain is 30dB which can be reduced to 24dB via rear toggle. Frequency response extends to 160kHz -3dB. A-weighted S/NR in standard gain is 119dB, in high gain 123dB. Idle power draw is up to 350 watts, max power consumption 1'250 watts. Each amps weighs a considerable 42.4kg and packs into 43 x 20 x 52cm WxHxD.
As Gold Note have popularized with angled slashes of dissimilar lengths, the need for air circulation with high-power amp sans external heatsinks lends a good industrial designer an opportunity to get creative. Matrix embrace a pattern of circles of different diameter to create convection passages on the cheeks and top. Only the undercarriage and rear panel stick to classic slot vents.
