The Matrix Element X2 is positioned as a complete standalone source for listeners who want to bring network audio, local file playback, app control, and high-resolution digital connectivity into an existing hi-fi system. Rather than acting only as a streamer, it combines a network player, DAC, preamplifier, headphone amplifier, and input hub in one compact chassis. That breadth is the product’s main attraction: it is built for systems where fewer boxes, cleaner signal routing, and flexible control matter as much as format support.
A streamer designed to become the system hub
At its core, the Element X2 is a network player intended to connect traditional hi-fi systems to modern streaming and local file playback. It supports wired Ethernet through RJ45 and wireless networking over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz WLAN, giving owners the choice between fixed installation stability and wireless convenience. For households where the audio system is not located near the router, dual-band Wi-Fi support is a practical inclusion.
Its streaming support covers several widely used routes into digital music. AirPlay 2, DLNA, UPnP, TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, and vTuner are all documented, allowing the X2 to work with mainstream services, network libraries, and internet radio. The presence of TIDAL Connect and Spotify Connect is particularly useful because playback can be initiated from familiar service apps rather than requiring every action to happen inside a manufacturer-specific interface.
The Element X2 also supports a broad range of file formats, including MP3, WMA, WAV, AIFF-family files, AAC, FLAC, OGG, APE, ALAC, M4A, DSF, DFF, and CUE. For listeners with large local libraries accumulated over many years, that broad compatibility reduces the risk that a collection needs to be reorganized or converted before use. It also makes the product relevant to both casual streaming users and owners of high-resolution local music archives.
Touchscreen and app control for everyday usability
A notable design feature is the 3.46-inch LCD touchscreen on the front panel. When music is played from the network or locally via the MA player, the display can show a substantial amount of track information. In a hi-fi context, this matters because streamers often sit in equipment racks where a phone may not always be in hand. A front-panel display gives the owner immediate confirmation of what is playing and makes the component feel less like a hidden network appliance.
The touchscreen is also used for navigation through menus, giving the X2 a level of direct control that can be valuable during setup or routine operation. While app control is central to most modern streamers, physical interaction remains useful when changing inputs, checking status, or making adjustments without unlocking a mobile device.
Matrix’s MA Remote app extends that control to a smartphone. Through the app, users can browse local music files, access supported streaming services and web radio stations, and control playback remotely. Firmware updates can also be performed through the app, which is important for a network-based source. Streaming products depend on software support, and app-accessible firmware updates make ongoing maintenance simpler for non-technical users.
Digital architecture and high-resolution input support
The Element X2 is built around an NXP i.MX 6Quad processor using four Cortex-A9 cores at 1.2GHz, paired with an ESS ES9038Pro DAC chip and a Crystek CCHD-950 clock. These parts indicate that the unit is not merely a convenience streamer; it is intended to handle demanding digital audio workloads and operate as a serious DAC within a hi-fi chain.
Input support is broad. The rear panel includes two coaxial digital inputs, two optical inputs, I2S LVDS via HDMI, USB-B, HDMI ARC, RJ45 networking, and a stereo analog RCA input. On the digital side, coaxial and optical inputs support PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD via DoP64. USB-B and I2S LVDS extend that ceiling substantially, with PCM support up to 32-bit/768kHz and native DSD up to DSD512. USB-B also supports MQA up to 24-bit/384kHz.
These figures will not matter equally to every listener, but they do show that the X2 is prepared for a wide range of digital sources and file libraries. Someone using a computer as a source can connect via USB-B, while another user may connect a CD transport through coaxial or optical. The I2S LVDS input gives owners of compatible digital transports another path. This flexibility is one of the product’s more meaningful strengths, because it allows the X2 to remain useful even as the rest of a system changes.
HDMI ARC brings the television into the hi-fi system
One of the most practically distinctive additions is HDMI ARC. When connected to a display or projector that also supports Audio Return Channel, the Element X2 can receive digital audio from that screen. This creates a clean way to route television, movie, streaming-video, or projector audio through a hi-fi system without requiring a separate AV receiver or a more complex wiring scheme.
The HDMI ARC connection also supports HDMI CEC where the connected display supports it. In that case, playback on the Element X2 can be controlled directly using the display’s remote control. For mixed-use rooms, this is a significant usability advantage. A two-channel system that is excellent for music can also become more convenient for everyday viewing, with fewer remotes and less friction for family use.
This does not make the Element X2 an AV processor, and the documented HDMI ARC support is limited to PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz. Its value is different: it allows a music-focused stereo system to integrate more naturally with a modern display. For many owners, that kind of practical system integration can be as important as another digital audio format.
Preamp functionality with balanced and single-ended outputs
The Element X2 includes preamplifier functionality with +10dB analog gain. When activated, the preamp can deliver up to 7.5Vrms through the RCA outputs and up to 15.8Vrms through the balanced XLR outputs. At 0dB, the stated output levels are 2.2Vrms via RCA and 4.5Vrms via XLR. This gives the X2 the potential to drive power amplifiers or active loudspeakers directly, depending on system requirements and compatibility.
For owners trying to simplify a system, this is an important design choice. A streamer with variable output and proper preamp capability can reduce the need for a separate line preamplifier. That can save space, reduce cabling, and make the signal path easier to manage. The inclusion of both RCA and XLR outputs also helps with system matching, since many integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers, and active speakers favor one connection type over the other.
Matrix specifies Hyper-Control technology as part of the preamplifier design, intended to keep noise and distortion levels low. The published performance data includes signal-to-noise ratios greater than -125dB A-weighted for RCA output and greater than -131dB A-weighted for XLR output, with THD+N listed at 0.00012% at 1kHz for both RCA and XLR outputs. These figures are useful for prospective owners who want a source component with documented attention to low-noise analog output design.
Headphone listening is built in, not an afterthought
The Element X2 also includes a built-in balanced headphone amplifier. Its architecture uses eight independent amplifier blocks, with each pair connected in parallel to provide high current, high power, and low noise and distortion according to the product data. For listeners who use both loudspeakers and headphones, this integrated approach can be appealing because it avoids the immediate need for a separate headphone amplifier.
Two headphone outputs are provided: a balanced 4.4mm jack and a single-ended 6.35mm jack. The 4.4mm balanced output is rated at 2600mW into 33 ohms, 1100mW into 300 ohms, and 580mW into 600 ohms at 1% THD. The single-ended output is rated at 1600mW into 33 ohms, 290mW into 300 ohms, and 150mW into 600 ohms at 1% THD. Low and high gain settings are specified at +18dB and +28dB.
Those numbers suggest that Matrix designed the headphone section to serve a range of headphone impedances and sensitivities rather than merely adding a convenience socket. Prospective owners should still consider headphone matching carefully, especially with the listed output impedances of 12 ohms balanced and 6 ohms single-ended, but the inclusion of gain settings and two output formats gives the X2 useful flexibility for private listening.
Analog input and system-trigger features add flexibility
Although the Element X2 is primarily a digital and network source, the inclusion of a stereo analog RCA input makes it more versatile. This input allows another analog source to pass into the system through the X2. A three-stage gain control helps adapt the unit to the output level of the connected source, which is useful because analog components can vary in level and behavior.
The analog input is specified for a maximum input level of 2.1Vrms, with a stated signal-to-noise ratio greater than -106dB A-weighted and THD+N of 0.0025% at 1kHz. The frequency response is listed as 20Hz–20kHz within ±0.07dB, with -3dB at 43kHz. These published figures help define the role of the analog stage: it is there to support broader system integration rather than limit the X2 to purely digital use.
Trigger input and output are also provided, with a 6–12V DC trigger input and a 12V DC trigger output rated at 50mA maximum. Trigger connections can be very helpful in systems with power amplifiers, active speakers, or other components that should switch on and off together. This is a small but meaningful feature for users building a tidy, coordinated installation.
Conclusion
The Matrix Element X2 is most suitable for listeners who want one component to handle network streaming, local file playback, DAC duties, preamp operation, headphone listening, and practical system integration. Its strongest documented qualities are its wide input and format support, 3.46-inch touchscreen, MA Remote app control, HDMI ARC with CEC convenience, balanced and single-ended analog outputs, and built-in balanced headphone amplifier. It will be especially attractive in modern two-channel systems where streaming audio, television sound, active speakers or power amplifiers, and occasional headphone use all need to coexist without adding several separate boxes.
Join the discussion
Share your thoughts, listening impressions or product experience.