Full Stream Ahead as Matrix Audio’s MS-1c Unifies the Digital Front End

The MS-1c positions itself as a single-box solution for listeners moving toward streaming-centric systems, combining network playback, onboard D/A conversion and local library management in one chassis.

It’s positioned as the most accessible M Series model, but it feels closer to a detuned MS-1 than a ground-up entry point. Designed to open the door without changing the DNA, then.

Sitting at the apex of the package is Matrix Audio’s Linux-based MA Player Hi-Fi Streamer OS, controlled via its MA Remote app. The interface pulls together streaming services and local libraries into a single environment, reflecting a wider shift toward software-defined source components designed to be run entirely from the listening chair.

Support is comprehensive. The MS-1c integrates services including Apple Music, TIDAL, Qobuz and Spotify, alongside Roon Ready, Audirvana and UPnP compatibility. Local playback is equally flexible, with support for internal SSD storage, USB drives and NAS, allowing it to function as both streamer and server within a broader system.

Disc spinners will be pleased with the allowance for physical media. CD playback and ripping are supported via an external USB optical drive and yes, there’s a quiet sense of déjà vu here. What was once a defining feature of early music servers returns in a more considered form, letting the MS-1c fold disc collections into the same ecosystem as file-based libraries. It’s a thoughtful inclusion that bridges legacy formats with streaming, rather than forcing a choice between them.

Spend a moment with the spec sheet and it becomes clear Matrix Audio hasn’t taken a light touch here. The MS-1c uses AKM’s latest VELVETSOUND platform, combining the AK4191 and AK4499EX, with dual femtosecond clocks and FPGA processing handling timing duties behind the scenes. The quoted figures, including up to 125 dB of dynamic range, low noise and high SNR, suggest something engineered as a proper front end, not just a more affordable way into the range.

The analogue stage uses Lundahl transformers for signal coupling, with balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs, alongside a full suite of digital outputs including AES/EBU, coaxial, optical, IIS-LVDS and USB Audio. That flexibility allows the MS-1c to operate either as a complete streamer-DAC or as a dedicated transport feeding an external converter.

The MS-1c is a configuration that reflects a broader trend we are seeing more of with the placement of multiple digital roles into a single component, without necessarily abandoning upgrade paths. Users can run it as a hub today and reconfigure it later as systems evolve.

European pricing is set at €5,799, with early US listings pointing to around US$6,999 | A$8,299.  

For more information visit Matrix Audio