Matrix Audio SS-1 Pro Network Switch Review
Read Time: Approx. 16 min.
The Essential Accessory for Hi-Fi Audio Systems
Ask any audiophile what components are the most important in a hi-fi audio system and you'll probably hear a combination of things. A preamplifier, power amp, speaker, and audio source are just some of the answers you might receive. These are all important components and should be the primary pieces to look at first when creating the best possible audio system. Once these are in place there are supporting devices that shouldn't be left out of the conversation. In a streaming setup, I would then turn my attention to power conditioning and networking gear. And in the case of this review, a Network Switch. Yes, I know, but seriously it's a component worth considering when building a reference system. The keyword is a reference system.
Matrix Audio is a hi-fi manufacturer emphasizing the importance of a network switch in your setup with the release of the SS-1 Pro Audio Grade Network Switch. Matrix knows that performance matters and a high-quality Network Switch should not be forgotten about. And yes, we know...audiophile network switches. It took me a few years to finally dive deeper into this product type to improve signal transmission in our own systems at Moon Audio.
It's never too late to make the upgrade and incorporate a network switch into your setup. Your gear and your wallet will thank you.
PROS
- High-quality power supply
- Great grounding and clocking options
CONS
- No ground post but entire ground plane of PC board is tied to dense all CNC machined chassis
Why Invest in a Network Switch?
For years I've been using commercial-grade Cisco Meraki network equipment–at home and here in the office. I established a tunnel connection from work to home so I could work from home and have access to all of our files on the main server at headquarters. I also host about 8TB of ripped and purchased audio music files and to be able to access these files at home required dedicated fiber lines ran to both my house and our office.
It required very stable, trustworthy high bandwidth networking products and more importantly, a stable wi-fi network to be able to test and troubleshoot audio products that relied on wi-fi. Wi-fi is arguably the biggest challenge in audio streaming and it's a battle we face daily with customers. I can't tell you how many times we've had to troubleshoot a customer's wi-fi connection issues, and 9 times out of 10 the home network setup was the issue and not the audio device.
Let's face it. The everyday consumer is not versed in being a network engineer and even folks who are good with tech but have no background in network settings and protocols, don't have the foggiest idea on how to make setting changes to solve home network streaming issues. The number one thing we hear is "But my phone has no issues streaming." What many may forget is that a smartphone is connected to both cellular and wi-fi, granting it the means to flip back and forth if you have wi-fi dropouts, etc. And before you say "I have no problem using the internet on my computer," that's because a computer has a caching ability and when you're on a webpage, that page is cached, and until you go to the next page, you do sense home network dropouts.
Most home audio devices that connect to wi-fi don't have this caching ability except for some like Aurender that contain caching memory to resolve this matter. A constant wi-fi stream can be interrupted by so many outside forces that cause issues for your audio device–And don't get me started on mesh networks that do band steering and such–these are nightmares. So to make a long story short, this is why I spent the "high dollar" and paid a yearly subscription fee for Cisco Meraki gear. Never any issues–and I mean never.
Our #1 Recommendation: Always Choose a Wired Connection
My number one recommendation to customers is to always go with a wired connection. It's just not worth the headaches of wi-fi. Which leads me to the Matrix Audio SS-1 Pro Audio Grade Network Switch.
The Quieter the Better
Matrix Audio offers two network switches with the SS-1 Pro being the superior choice in our opinion. I did the bulk of my listening sessions using the Matrix Audio MS-1 Music Streamer–the company's newest music streamer in the M series. I ran listening tests using both our Silver Dragon Network Cable and Bronze Dragon Network Cables, as well as stock CAT-6 and SFT Single Mode Fiber Cabling. Yes, the Matrix Audio MS-1 and the SS-1 Pro both have the ability to do fiber by adding an SFP interface module–Small Form-Factor Pluggable.
There's also a SFP+ version that allows higher speeds 10G-Base and higher speeds, but Matrix gear only works with standard SFP 10Gbps, which is more than fast enough for any audio streaming setup. SFP+ is ideal for high-traffic networks where you have a lot of computers and servers doing serious data throughout and very long distances to traverse. Our Meraki switches can do 10G, but the bulk of our devices and computers are all 1Gbps.
Then there are two fiber cable types: Single-mode fiber and multi-mode fiber. Single-mode fiber transmits data over long distances using a single light path through a narrow core. Multi-mode fiber transmits data over shorter distances using multiple light paths through a larger core. Single-mode is ideal for long-range applications and multi-mode is suitable for shorter connections within a building or data center. The key difference between these two types lies in the core size, with single-mode fiber having a much smaller core than multi-mode fiber, allowing it to transmit data with less signal distortion over longer distances. I have single-mode fiber cables here so that's what I used.
Why am I going into detail about this? I would venture to guess that pretty much every house is wired with one of the CAT series copper cabling. It would be super rare to find homes wired with Fiber, but we may see more of that in the future. Moon Audio HQ and my house are all wired with CAT6a and then I use CAT6e in the network closet with patch bays. A is for longer lengths. The fiber comes into the building and goes into a Catalyst that then converts this into copper for all of my network gear. Besides the benefit of higher bandwidth and longer runs with fiber, the most important benefit of light transmission is that it will never be affected by noise the same way copper can be. Drew, are you saying we should rewire our house with all fiber? In a perfect world, maybe, but not really. Using the short connection of fiber from the SS-1 Pro to the MS-1 guarantees that no outside interference will get through to the MS-1. This won't solve any errors in the data stream created by other members of the network data path, but it will ensure that a very electrically noisy network closet won't interfere with our MS-1. So, just that one connection pathway is a tweak you can make to help your streaming device be as quiet as possible.
3 Factors to Consider When Buying a Network Switch
But wait a minute Drew, most audio servers don't have SFP connection options. You're right! That's why you'll want a network switch of this caliber. There are three important factors when considering a network switch, not including the SFP connection.
- Proper Ground Connection
- Power Supply
- Clocking
Proper Ground Connection
If there's anything you take away from this let it be how important a true, proper earth ground is for a computer network and an audio system. The bulk of our network gear doesn't just have a third earth ground pin on the power cable; the chassis itself can be grounded. I have everything grounded to the server rack and this is grounded to a Busbar that then runs out to an earth ground rod outside of the building. Now, while the SS-1 Pro doesn't have a ground post like its smaller brother, the entire ground plane of the PC board is tied to dense all CNC machined chassis. So, the ground plane is quite large and then ties to the third pole of the IEC to tie to your home grounding.
Improved grounding will produce quieter backgrounds. Something I always do when I move into a new house is make sure to hit every outlet in my dedicated audio room and ensure that the ground connection is connected to the outlet but also make sure the screw is as tight as possible. I'm using all Furutech GTX-D NCF(R) Duplex Power Outlets in Moon Audio's Demo Room and at my house. As well as Furutech GTX wall plates to reduce resonance at the power outlet.
My gripe with cheap network switches is two-fold. First, they don't have an earth-ground connection due t o the use of a wall wart power supply. Some may do power filtration in the wall wart and utilize a floating ground scenario, but that's a conversation for another day. This is a great way to introduce noise into your audio system which while it may be low level, the bottom line is that it will deteriorate the sound quality of your system.
Power Supply
The second factor to consider is the power supply itself. It's just one more way to enter noise into your system. Most do basic filtering at best and usually end up adding more junk than they take out. Both Matrix Audio Network Switches come with internal power supplies. The SS-1 Pro uses a switch mode that offers the ability to do an external power supply and comes with a ground connection. It has an internal linear power supply which is more attractive to me. Switching power supplies have come a long way in recent years. For example, take what Chord is doing. They make some of the best switch mode power supplies in their components I've heard to date.
The SS-1 Pro comes with an oversized custom toroid for plenty of voltage demand. It uses fast Schottky diodes, known for its low turn-on voltage, fast recovery time, and low-loss energy at higher frequencies. These characteristics make Schottky diodes capable of rectifying a current by facilitating a quick transition from conducting to blocking state. The SS-1's pro supply uses 10,000 uF audio-grade filtering capacitors to form the first-stage power supply. Up to six ultra-low noise LDO linear power supplies provide clean power to the clock system and the unit's main control chip. The large passive heatsink for the main control chip ensures it operates without generating any noise. I can't emphasize enough how important power supplies are in audio equipment. It's the engine to good sound. Sure other things matter but when a power supply is skimped on, then the whole product suffers.
Clocking
Let's talk clocking. Why is clocking important in a network switch? Clocking is important in any transfer of digital data. High-quality clocks and isolation will provide lower jitter and lower phase noise.
Did you know a digital signal is actually an analog signal? It's not a perfect transmission. Jitter is measured in the time domain and phase noise is measured in the frequency domain. They cannot be correlated directly due to this. High jitter rates can audibly affect audio quality and I don't think anyone will dispute this. And network switches are susceptible to jitter. 1's and 0's are no different in a switch than they are in your digital playback device like a streamer or CD player. The SS-1 Pro Network Switch offers the ability to use its internal clock which is a femtosecond clock and serves as a reference for the RF synthesizer, in turn, this provides a highly stable, low-phase noise clock signal for the main controller circuit.
You also have the ability to use an external 10MHz clock and I ended up using a similar-priced TEAC Audio CG-10MX Master Clock Generator with the SS-1 Pro. The TEAC clock was utilized as the RF synthesizer and connected to the Matrix Audio MS-1 Music Streamer too. The TEAC DPLL (Digital Phase Locked Loop) outputs a synchronized, highly stable, low-noise phase clock signal to the main controller. DPLL is an integrated circuit that synchronizes a device's clock signal to an external clock signal. DPLL's are used in audio signals to automatically adjust to incoming sample frequencies. Each BNC connection circuit path in the CG-10MX, from the power supply section to the buffer amp at the output stage, is completely isolated to prevent cross-interference when multiple devices are connected to the BNC connectors.
Pictured: TEAC CG-10M-X Master Clock Generator
By incorporating a buffer amp into each circuit, no degradation of the signal waveform occurs when the generated clock signal is shared by several devices. The TEAC makes for a great upgrade path down the road and our Black Dragon Digital 50 ohm Cable was the perfect choice as the conduit to connect the three devices together. But even if you don't add an external clock like the TEAC CG-10MX, the SS-1 Pro has a simplified clock system design and doesn't have an RF synthesizer, it still features an ultra-low phase noise femtosecond clock as the reference for the main controller, ensuring exceptional performance. I tested the SS-1 Pro with and without the clock and could discern a difference. While only subtle, the percentage points of improvement are definitely worth it to me.
When you're trying to squeeze out every last drop of performance, every cable and component in your setup matters and I can say the SS-1 Pro did it for me. Hopefully, this pill isn't too terrible to swallow but I would recommend doing some research by testing audiophile network switches. It wasn't too terribly difficult to hear the differences with and without the switch and I'm more of a believer now than ever before.
Design
The SS-1 Pro's design is pretty straightforward. You'll find a power status indicator LED light, a clock mode indicator LED light, and the MA logo on the front face. The back panel is where all the excitement lies. It's got an external clock input, either ethernet ports (2x RJ45 ethernet ports with speeds up to 100Mbps, 6x RJ45 ports with speeds up to 2.5Gbps, 4x RJ45 ports with speeds up to 2.5Gbps), two 10Gbps SFP/SFP+ ports with an indicator LED light and setting button to set the LED indicators. You'll also find a power switch, and power AC input on the back panel.
Size and weight-wise, the SS-1 Pro is incredibly lightweight and doesn't take up too much room in your setup. It can be easily placed in a cabinet, on a shelf, or in a desktop setup. The SS-1 Pro is composed of a precision-machined aluminum CNC chassis with a reinforced steel base, making it solid and stable. Developed in-house from the ground up, the SS-1 Pro's chassis is thick to remove any kind of interference and mechanical vibrations. The unit comes with four isolation feet by default, but you can change it to three easily according to your placement needs.
Features
Dual 10Gbps Isolated Ports
Independent Ethernet Sockets
External Clock Input & RF Synthesizer
Linear Power, Silent Cooling
Dual 10Gbps Isolated Ports
For the utmost flexibility, the Matrix Audio SS-1 Pro is equipped with two SFP/SFP+ ports with up to 10Gbps connection speed, allowing you to easily install optical fiber or RJ45 modules. SFP 10Gbps is more than fast enough for any audio streaming setup, but if it's not, SFP+ is an even better option for high-traffic networks where you may have a lot of computers and servers doing serious data at very long distances.
- Two SFP/SFP+ Ports
Independent Ethernet Sockets
The SS-1 Pro not only has multiple ethernet ports with speeds up to 2.5Gbps, but it also has two low-speed ports that work at 100Mbps. These ports are designed with independent sockets. The wider spacing between the sockets prevents crowding when using high-end cables.
- Six 2.5Gbps Ethernet Ports
- Two low-speed Ports at 100Mbps
External Clock Input & RF Synthesizer
Inside the SS-1 Pro is a femtosecond clock and a high-precision ultralow phase noise RF synthesizer. It supports two clock modes: Internal clock mode and external clock mode.
In internal clock mode, the femtosecond clock serves as a reference for the RF synthesizer which generates a highly stable, low-phase noise clock signal for the main controller. In external clock mode, the 10MHz clock signal from an external clock acts as the reference for the RF synthesizer. The DPLL then outputs a synchronized, highly stable, low-phase-noise clock signal to the main controller.
Linear Power, Silent Cooling
Underneath the hood of the SS-1 Pro is the magic of the linear power supply. A custom o-core toroidal transformer combined with high-speed Schottky diodes and nearly 10,000 uF audio-grade filtering capacitors forms the first-stage power supply of SS-1 Pro. Up to 6 ultra-low-noise LDO linear power supplies provide clean power to the clock system and the device's main control chip.
Dragon Cables
[Silver Dragon Network Cable, Bronze Dragon Network Cable]
There are a lot of reasons why you need to make sure your audio cables are not afterthoughts.
Our HiFi Audio Dragon Cables bring out more of what you love in your music and audio gear. If you love your headphones but wish they had a bit more top-end sparkle - a Silver Dragon Headphone Cable would be a great option. If your USB cables keep dying - as many stock cables do - then check out our quality USB Audio Cables. We say time and time again that materials matter, and our audio cables and custom geometries actually help to bring out those desired properties in your gear and music. We make tons of custom options for our customers so that you can get the right HiFi Audio cable for your exact needs. If you have any questions feel free to Contact Us and we'll be more than happy to help.
Verdict
The Matrix Audio SS-1 Pro Audio Grade Network Switch proves to be an essential upgrade for audiophiles serious about optimizing their streaming setup. With its high-quality linear power supply with a custom toroidal transformer and advanced femtosecond clocking capabilities, the SS-1 Pro delivers measurable improvements in sound quality by dramatically reducing noise and jitter. For reference-level systems where extracting every bit of performance matters, a network switch like the SS-1 Pro is a worthwhile investment that addresses the often overlooked networking link in the audio chain. Paired with a high-quality music streamer like the Matrix Audio MS-1 and Dragon Audio Cables, you'll be nothing short of impressed with your setup. The combination of flexible connectivity options (including SFP ports for fiber), robust build quality, and sonic benefits makes the SS-1 Pro a compelling choice for discerning listeners looking to elevate their digital audio experience.
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What's in the Box
- Matrix Audio SS-1 Pro Audio Grade Network Switch
- 1x Power Cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
Specifications
Standards and Protocol
IEEE 802.3：10BASE-T
IEEE 802.3 u：100BASE‑X
IEEE 802.3 z：1000BASE‑T
IEEE 802.3 ab：1000BASE‑T
IEEE 802.3 ae：10G BASE‑SR/LR
IEEE 802.3 bz：2.5G/5G BASE‑T
IEEE 802.3 cb：2500BASE‑X
Ports
100Mbps/10Mbps RJ45 x2
2.5Gbps/1Gbps/100Mbps/10Mbps RJ45 x6
10Gbps SFP/SFP+ x2
External Clock Input
10MHz/ 50 Ohms impedance / Sine wave or square wave input
LED Indicators
System LED – Power/Status indicator LED x1
System LED ‑ Clock mode indicator LED x2
Port LED ‑ Speed, Link & Activity LEDs
Max MAC Entries
16K MAC address table
Power Specs: AC Input
Auto voltage range linear power supply
Power voltage: AC 100V-120V 50/60Hz | AC 220V-240V 50/60Hz. Voltage auto adaptive
Power consumption: < 15W
Weight and Size
Weight: 3.4kg (7.50 pounds)
Size: 330mm (12.99 inches) W x 235mm (9.25 inches) D x 58.5mm (2.30 inches) H
