The Matrix Audio TS-1 represents a category of component that has become increasingly common in modern listening rooms: the all-in-one digital hub. It combines three traditionally separate devices into a single chassis, and it does so with the kind of engineering rigor that separates a genuine reference tool from a convenience product. For the experienced enthusiast, the appeal lies in consolidation without compromise. You get a network streamer, a digital to analog converter, and a headphone amplifier sharing one power supply, one clock domain, and one signal path philosophy.
What exactly is the Matrix Audio TS-1?
The TS-1 is a network streamer, DAC, and headphone amplifier in one chassis. In practical terms, this means it can pull audio from your network or the internet, convert that digital data into an analog signal, and drive either a pair of headphones or a full loudspeaker system through a downstream amplifier. The integration matters because each of these functions traditionally introduces its own interfaces, cables, and potential noise entry points. By keeping streaming, conversion, and amplification under one roof, the TS-1 eliminates several interconnects and lets the designers control the entire chain from network packet to analog voltage.
What does the topology look like from input to output?
The signal path moves from a digital source, through the ESS conversion stage, into the analog output and headphone stages, all referenced to a single master clock. The architecture is built around keeping the digital domain tightly clocked and the analog domain quiet. Digital data arrives either from the network section or from a physical digital input, is reclocked against the internal femtosecond clock, converted by the DAC chip, and then handed off to balanced and single ended analog output stages. The headphone amplifier draws from this same conversion stage, meaning your headphone listening benefits from identical conversion quality as your main system output.
Digital Conversion and Clocking
Which DAC chip does the TS-1 use and why does it matter?
The TS-1 uses the ESS ES9038PRO, ESS Technology's flagship converter. This is the same class of chip found in cost no object reference DACs, and it is chosen for its combination of extremely low distortion, high dynamic range, and a proven digital filter architecture. The ES9038PRO employs ESS's HyperStream modulator and a 32 bit hybrid ladder architecture, which is designed to keep noise well below the level of the audible signal even at high output levels. In a well implemented design, this chip provides the raw performance headroom that lets the rest of the circuit define the sound rather than the converter being a bottleneck. The practical takeaway is that the ceiling here is very high; whatever character the TS-1 has comes from implementation choices around the chip, not from limitations of the chip itself.
What formats can the TS-1 decode?
The TS-1 supports high-rate PCM, native DSD playback, and MQA. High-rate PCM covers the vast majority of studio and consumer high resolution files. Native DSD playback is significant because it means the TS-1 handles the one bit DSD stream directly rather than converting it to PCM first, preserving the format's intended signal path through the modulator. MQA support means files and streams delivered in that encapsulated format are unfolded and rendered by the device rather than being played back only in their partially decoded state. Together, these three capabilities mean you are unlikely to encounter a file your library or streaming service throws at the TS-1 that it cannot render at full fidelity.
How does the femtosecond clock improve performance?
The high-precision femtosecond master clock reduces jitter, which is timing error in the digital to analog conversion process. Jitter matters because a DAC does not just need accurate sample values, it needs those samples converted at precisely the right instants. When timing wanders, the result is a smearing of detail and a rise in the noise floor that correlates with the signal, which is more audible and more fatiguing than random noise. A femtosecond class clock operates with timing uncertainty measured in millionths of a nanosecond, which is far below the threshold where jitter contributes to the audible result. By reclocking incoming data against this reference, the TS-1 isolates its conversion accuracy from the timing quality of whatever source feeds it.
Power Supply and Analog Stages
Why is the power supply important in a component like this?
The power supply is the foundation for both the low noise floor the ES9038PRO requires and the clean current delivery the headphone stage needs. A converter of this caliber can only deliver its rated dynamic range if the voltage rails feeding it are quiet and stable. Any noise on the supply rails couples directly into the analog output and undermines the performance the digital section works so hard to achieve. In a combined streamer, DAC, and amplifier, the supply also has to serve the network processor and the amplification stage without letting one section's demands contaminate another. Careful supply regulation and separation between digital and analog domains are what allow all three functions to coexist in one chassis without measurable penalty.
What analog output stages does the TS-1 provide?
The TS-1 offers balanced XLR outputs and single-ended RCA outputs for connecting to your main system. The balanced XLR output uses two signal conductors of opposite polarity plus ground, which allows a downstream balanced amplifier to reject noise picked up along the cable run by subtracting the common noise. This is particularly valuable over longer runs or in electrically noisy environments. The single ended RCA output serves amplifiers and integrated units with conventional inputs. Having both means the TS-1 slots into essentially any system regardless of the input topology of your amplifier, and you can choose the connection that best matches your downstream gear.
Connectivity and System Integration
What digital inputs does the TS-1 accept?
The TS-1 provides coaxial, optical, USB, and HDMI ARC digital inputs. This is a genuinely versatile set. Coaxial and optical accept S/PDIF from disc players, older DACs, and legacy sources. USB allows a computer to feed the TS-1 directly, which is the preferred route for the highest resolution PCM and DSD material from a music server or desktop. HDMI ARC is the notable inclusion here, because it lets the TS-1 receive audio directly from a television over the audio return channel. That single feature transforms the TS-1 from a pure two channel component into the anchor of a combined music and television system, letting your TV audio flow through the same reference conversion as your music.
What analog input is available and what is it for?
The TS-1 includes an RCA line input for analog sources. This is important because a device this capable would otherwise force you to route turntables with phono stages, tuners, or other analog components elsewhere. With the line input present, an external source such as a phono preamplifier can pass through the TS-1 and share the same output stage and volume domain as your digital sources. It keeps the TS-1 as the single switching point for your entire system rather than requiring a separate preamplifier for analog gear.
How does the subwoofer output work?
The TS-1 features a dedicated subwoofer output that passes content below 150Hz. This is a meaningful integration feature because it lets you add a subwoofer without inserting an external crossover into your main signal path. The low frequency content is routed to the subwoofer output, allowing your main loudspeakers and subwoofer to divide the workload. For enthusiasts running standmount or bookshelf speakers that roll off in the low bass, this provides a clean way to extend system response downward while keeping the main output stage handling the range it does best.
What headphone outputs does the TS-1 offer?
The TS-1 provides both a 4.4mm balanced headphone output and a 6.35mm single ended output. The 6.35mm jack is the traditional full size headphone connector and serves the large installed base of single ended headphones. The 4.4mm balanced connector drives each channel with its own dedicated amplifier path and separate return, which improves channel separation and can deliver more voltage swing into demanding headphones. Having both means you can run a modern balanced cable headphone or a conventional single ended pair without adapters, and the presence of a proper balanced output signals that the headphone stage was designed as a serious amplifier rather than an afterthought.
How do you get music onto the TS-1 over the network?
The TS-1 is Roon Ready and supports TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify, DLNA, and AirPlay over both Ethernet and Wi-Fi. This is a comprehensive streaming feature set. Roon Ready certification means the TS-1 functions as a Roon endpoint with bit perfect delivery and proper handling within a Roon ecosystem. Native support for TIDAL, Qobuz, and Spotify means those services stream directly to the device without needing a computer in the chain. DLNA covers local library streaming from network attached storage, and AirPlay handles casual streaming from Apple devices. The choice between Ethernet and Wi-Fi lets you prioritize the stability of a wired connection or the convenience of wireless, depending on your installation.
How do you control the TS-1?
The TS-1 is controlled through the Matrix Audio MA app. The app serves as the central interface for source selection, streaming service navigation, volume, and configuration. This approach keeps the front panel uncluttered while giving you full access to settings from a phone or tablet. For an all-in-one device juggling multiple digital inputs, an analog input, streaming services, and output routing, a well organized app is essential to making that flexibility usable in daily listening.
Interpreting the Performance
What kind of measured performance should the TS-1 deliver?
The combination of the ES9038PRO and a femtosecond clock points toward very low distortion and a very low noise floor. The ES9038PRO is capable of dynamic range and distortion figures at the leading edge of current converter technology, and the femtosecond clock addresses the jitter that would otherwise limit that potential in real world use. In listening terms, low distortion and low jitter translate to clean transients, stable imaging, and the ability to resolve low level detail without harshness. The balanced XLR output further supports quiet operation in complete systems by rejecting common mode noise. Taken together, these design decisions suggest a component whose measured behavior is defined by its careful implementation, letting the source material and the rest of your system determine the character of what you hear.
