Matrix element M2: power output and what it will drive

The Matrix element M2 is a desktop DAC/amp at $2999. It delivers 1.2 W into 32Ω and 280 mW into 300Ω, which ranks it 75 of 280 for raw power among the sources in this database.

Measured at 100 dB SPL it has comfortable headroom on 561 of the 567 dynamic and planar headphones catalogued here, enough but not generous on 5 and only marginal on 1. Power is published at 33Ω, 300Ω, 600Ω; the rest of the table is derived from those figures. Output noise is not published, so the hiss estimate cannot be run.

Specifications

What it actually puts out

TypeDesktop DAC/amp

Price$2999

Power into 32 Ω1.2 W

Power into 150 Ω380 mW

Power into 300 Ω280 mW

Power into 600 Ω140 mW

Output impedance11 Ω

Output noisenot published

Comfortable headroom on 561 of 567 headphones (99%) · marginal on 1

Provenance

Where these numbers come from

The manufacturer publishes 1.2 W into 33Ω, 280 mW into 300Ω, 140 mW into 600Ω. The rest of the table is worked out from those.

The balanced output is rated separately: 1.7 W into 32Ω through the 4.4mm jack.

Derived rows hold output voltage steady, as an amplifier does (method).

Source: matrix-digi.com, matrix-digi.com.

Load	Power	Status	How it was arrived at
32 Ω	1.2 W	Derived	beyond the published loads, holding output voltage constant — which understates rather than flatters
33 Ω	1.2 W	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load
150 Ω	380 mW	Derived	worked out between two published loads, holding output voltage linear between them
300 Ω	280 mW	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load
600 Ω	140 mW	Published	the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load

Matching

Against 40 well-known headphones

Easiest to hardest to drive, with headroom at a 100 dB SPL peak.

Headphone	Impedance	Sensitivity	Needs	Headroom	Verdict
Shure SE846	9 Ω	114.0 dB/mW	0.04 mW	+39 dB	Comfortable damping
64 Audio U12t	12.6 Ω	108.0 dB/mW	0.16 mW	+35 dB	Comfortable damping
Shure SE215	17 Ω	107.0 dB/mW	0.20 mW	+35 dB	Comfortable damping
Moondrop Aria	32 Ω	107.1 dB/mW	0.19 mW	+38 dB	Comfortable damping
Audeze LCD-X 2021	20 Ω	103.0 dB/mW	0.50 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable damping
Truthear Hexa	20.5 Ω	103.1 dB/mW	0.49 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable damping
Sennheiser IE 200	18 Ω	101.6 dB/mW	0.69 mW	+30 dB	Comfortable damping
Sony MDR-7506	63 Ω	106.0 dB/mW	0.25 mW	+34 dB	Comfortable damping
Meze 99 Classics	32 Ω	103.0 dB/mW	0.50 mW	+34 dB	Comfortable damping
Focal Clear MG	55 Ω	104.0 dB/mW	0.40 mW	+33 dB	Comfortable damping
Philips SHP9500	32 Ω	101.0 dB	0.79 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable damping
Focal Utopia	80 Ω	104.0 dB/mW	0.40 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable damping
Meze Empyrean	32 Ω	100.0 dB	1.0 mW	+31 dB	Comfortable damping
Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020	9 Ω	94.0 dB	4.0 mW	+19 dB	Comfortable damping
Etymotic ER2SE	15 Ω	96.0 dB/mW	2.5 mW	+23 dB	Comfortable damping
AKG K371	32 Ω	99.1 dB/mW	1.2 mW	+30 dB	Comfortable damping
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X	38 Ω	99.0 dB/mW	1.3 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable damping
Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X	48 Ω	100.0 dB/mW	1.0 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable damping
Audeze LCD-2 Classic	70 Ω	101.0 dB/mW	0.79 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable damping
Grado SR80x	38 Ω	98.0 dB/mW	1.6 mW	+28 dB	Comfortable damping
Sennheiser HD 560S	120 Ω	100.8 dB/mW	0.83 mW	+27 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN Edition XS	18 Ω	92.0 dB	6.3 mW	+20 dB	Comfortable damping
HiFiMAN Arya Stealth	32 Ω	94.0 dB	4.0 mW	+25 dB	Comfortable damping
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed	13 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+17 dB	Comfortable damping
Audeze LCD-5	14 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+17 dB	Comfortable damping
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω)	250 Ω	102.0 dB/mW	0.63 mW	+27 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN HE400se	25 Ω	91.0 dB	7.9 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable damping
HiFiMAN Sundara	32 Ω	92.0 dB	6.3 mW	+23 dB	Comfortable damping
Dan Clark Audio Stealth	23 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+19 dB	Comfortable damping
Fostex T50RP MK3	50 Ω	92.0 dB/mW	6.3 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable damping
AKG K702	62 Ω	92.9 dB/mW	5.1 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable damping
ZMF Verite Closed	300 Ω	99.0 dB/mW	1.3 mW	+23 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 650	300 Ω	97.8 dB/mW	1.7 mW	+22 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 800S	300 Ω	96.8 dB/mW	2.1 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250Ω)	250 Ω	96.0 dB	2.5 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable
Audio-Technica ATH-R70X	470 Ω	98.0 dB/mW	1.6 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable
ZMF Atrium	300 Ω	96.0 dB/mW	2.5 mW	+20 dB	Comfortable
Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC	50 Ω	88.0 dB/mW	16 mW	+17 dB	Comfortable damping
Sennheiser HD 600	300 Ω	91.8 dB/mW	6.6 mW	+16 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN Susvara	60 Ω	83.0 dB	50 mW	+12 dB	Comfortable damping

Noise

Will it hiss?

The manufacturer does not publish an output noise figure for this source, so there is no hiss estimate here. If you have a measured figure, the hiss calculator takes it.

Damping

Output impedance and the one-eighth rule

At 11Ω output impedance, the one-eighth rule says this source suits headphones of 88.0Ω and above. 520 of the 567 models here fall below that. That is most of the database, not a niche — 222 of them multi-driver in-ears, and the mismatch tilts the frequency response audibly rather than subtly.

Check any pair.

Cheaper

The cheapest thing here that does the same job

Source	Type	Price	Into 300 Ω	Output impedance	Output noise
Schiit Magni Heresy	desktop amplifier	$99	410 mW	0.25 Ω	1.5 µV unverified
Schiit Magni Unity	desktop amplifier	$119	415 mW	0.1 Ω	1.59 µV
JDS Labs Atom Amp 2	desktop amplifier	$129	284 mW	0.7 Ω	1.33 µV

Of the 280 sources here, 57 do everything the Matrix element M2 does as a headphone output: reach 100 dB on every headphone it reaches and stay inside the one-eighth rule wherever it does. The cheapest of them is the Schiit Magni Heresy at $99, against this one’s $2999 — $2900 less, and a desktop amplifier rather than a desktop DAC/amp.

This counts the headphone output only; inputs, converters, the volume control and the build are outside it.

Alternatives

Compared with its closest rivals: vs Benchmark DAC3 HGC · vs Ferrum ERCO · vs Marantz SACD 30n · vs RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE.

Compare any two or match your own headphones. Every Matrix source here.

Matrix element M2: power output and what it will drive

What it actually puts out

Where these numbers come from

Against 40 well-known headphones

Will it hiss?

Output impedance and the one-eighth rule

The cheapest thing here that does the same job

Other desktop DAC/amps at a similar price

Questyle CMA Fifteen

RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE

Marantz SACD 30n

Benchmark DAC3 HGC

Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition

Ferrum ERCO