Review: Matrix X-Sabre Pro – Reference

Disclaimer. We received a sample of the Matrix X-Sabre Pro directly from the US distributor for the purpose of this review.

 

Sabre – Dac Story

Boy, has this one been a long time coming.  I went back through my emails, and Arthur Powers, the distributor for Matrix in the US, first mentioned this DAC was coming on April 6th, 2016.  At first, Matrix was just going to basically redesign the old X-Sabre (unheard by me) and use the same DAC chip, the Sabre 9018s.  Hearing that ESS was about to unveil a new TOTL DAC chip (the 9028pro), they decided to wait for that.  Well, ESS had some issues with that chip, and obviously they aren’t going to ship faulty chips out, so that delayed things for about 6 months. (I believe it was around this time that I first heard about the DAC).  Some cool stuff happened during those 6 months, but that is a story for another review.  Some time goes by and I inquire about it.  I am told things are looking good, and I should have one in a couple weeks.  Another month then flies by, and I again ask Arthur what the status is on the new X-Sabre.  Now, he tells me, it turns out, ESS was going to release an even more high-end chip, the 9038pro, and Matrix decided it wanted to use that chip, which also meant they had to redesign part of the X-Sabre Pro to make it work.  So, here I am in 2017, and after all these delays, I finally am holding the (really damn heavy) Matrix X-Sabre Pro in my hot little hands.    I was excited, but nervous.  On one hand, I have yet to hear a Matrix product that wasn’t well made and musical, but on the other, the Matrix X-Sabre Pro is selling for $1700.  That is $600 more than the old X-Sabre, and the most expensive thing I have reviewed for Headfonia.  Was it worth the wait?  Is the price justified?  Inquiring minds want to know.

X-Sabre Pro

Well, one thing is for sure, they built the f&$k out of this thing.  This thing is solid.  They say it is precision machined aluminum, and weights around 8 pounds.  I say they carved it out of a block of lead and painted it silver; they can also paint the lead black if that is your preferred color.  I like the look of the black better, but I got sent the silver model (life is hard, I know).  Color notwithstanding, I am really digging the sleek style they got going on with the Pro here.  Although well built, I thought both the M-Stage 3u and (especially) the Quattro II were pretty ugly looking.  As has been well documented on this site, I usually couldn’t care less about the look a piece of audio equipment has, but has prices start to climb, I have trouble accepting any compromise, even if it is about something as superfluous as style.  They are definitely going for a sleek, modern look as opposed to the… we will call it “clunky chic” of the Quattro II.  I am happy to see they have polished up their look.

Unlike their Mini and Quattro line, the Matrix X-Sabre Pro is a stand-alone DAC.  However, it does pack quite a bit of functionality into its large, heavy frame.  Looking at the front of the unit, smack dab in the middle is a screen, that during playback tells you what input is selected, they type of signal (DSD, PCM) and the bitrate and frequency.  It also is used to display the Pro’s menu.  To the right and left of the screen are touch screens that can be used to do all sorts of things.  On the far right is the power button.  Tap it to turn on the unit.  Tap it again to mute the output.  Hold it down to turn off the unit.  Besides that you have input select buttons, and volume control.  Volume control, you ask?  Yes, the Pro also works as a preamp, so, should you choose, you can adjust the strength of the signal you are sending out.  There is also a menu that you can access by holding the power button down for a few seconds after the unit is turned off.  Here you have the options of selecting a straight line out or using the preamp, choosing between 7 different filters, synchronous or asynchronous USB output, whether the touchscreen makes noise, and more.  The Matrix X-Sabre Pro can handle any format you can throw at it up to DSD512.  For outputs, the PRO has both balanced and unbalanced.  For inputs, it has USB, coaxial, optical, AES, and, instead of my oft-requested second AES input, they offer an I2S port.  What is an I2S port, you ask?  That was the question I had for Arthur when I first received the Pro.

This was his response:

“I2S is what it used internally by all DAC chips. Basically a USB converter chip converts the USB signal to I2S. However, for external connections there are no set standards yet. The most used at the moment is the PS Audio standard and that is what the Matrix X-Sabre Pro conforms to. All external I2S connections adopted the use of an HDMI cable but the wiring is different for different manufacturers. Even though they use a HDMI cable it is not a HDMI signal, nor compatible with HDMI in any way. So you cannot plug it into your computer directly. You would ironically need an external converter (USB to I2S) or a music server that outputs native I2S (in the PS Audio standard) to utilize this input.

Honestly it’s of little use to most people and very confusing to just about everyone! There are some external XMOS converters for USB to I2S that can be used. Seems kind of stupid since there is already a XMOS USB converter chip in the X-Sabre Pro. The only advantage other the perhaps isolation and a separate power supply is that the USB input on the X-Sabre Pro is limited to DSD 512 but the ES9038Pro DAC chip is capable of DSD 1024. The only way to make use of this insane DSD rate would be to use an external converter that uses the newer XMOS 208 series chip capable outputting I2S DSD @ 1024.

Perhaps this new input will be better used in the future. That’s basically the idea to make the unit future proof and support all formats no matter how crazy they might seem today.”

So, there that is.  Maybe in several years’ time, the Matrix X-Sabre Pro will be one of the only DACs still in use due to this forward thinking inclusion, or maybe not.  We will just have to wait and see.  What can be said safely is that the Matrix X-Sabre Pro is packed with both features and functionality.  A list of all features and specs can be found here, but none of this will matter if the Pro can’t bring the sound quality.  So, does it?  Oh, you bet it does!

Click HERE to jump to the next page and read all about how it sounds, of follow the jump below

3.8/5 - (271 votes)
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4 Comments

  • Reply March 9, 2017

    KotFare

    Thanks for the (rare) review on X-Sabre Pro.

    I have a Matrix stack (M-stage HPA-3B Amp and Quattro II in DAC mode) and love it! Great value for the money!

    Having said that, I find it hard to justify such a high price on X-Sabre Pro. The law of diminishing returns you hint in your review.

    I know chips are not everything, but Oppo Sonica for example uses the same exact 1038Pro chips from ESS, at half the price

    • Reply March 21, 2017

      Robert McAdam

      You can’t compare the Oppo Sonica Dac with the X-Sabre Pro. Different applications. They do share the same chip but thats it.

      The Oppo is designed for multi tasks and is priced much lower. X-Sabre Pro is a dedicated Dac. It is comparable to the Holo Spring Dac and Benchmark Dac3 in price and tasks. Comparing these soundwise would be interesting.

  • Reply March 10, 2017

    Dave

    I don’t blame you. You have a very good sounding setup. Does the X-Sabre Pro sound better than the Quattro II? You betcha! If you are sitting back, just listening to your music and you are not doing any critical listening, straining to pick out what differences, will you notice the improvements? Ehhh, maybe?

  • Reply March 21, 2017

    Robert McAdam

    Dave this is indeed a rare review, thanks. This Dac has been overlooked somewhat in the face of new R2r Dacs coming from China recently.

    I like the fact that one can upsample using Audio software to 768. Did you try this aspect?

    Are you or anyone able to compare to the latest Benchmark Dac3?

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