Article -From the horse’s mouth
Matrix
Matrix Audio SS-1 Audio Ethernet Switch
SS-1 Pro / SS-1 Audio Grade Ethernet Switch (Product Page)
Previous coverage
Audiophile / Multimedia Ethernet switches
Melco introduces an audiophile-grade Ethernet switch in Australia
Multi-gigabit Ethernet
Multi-gigabit wired network connections for small networks could be real
My Comments
At the StereoNET Hi-Fi and Home Entertainment Show 2025 at the Pullman & Mercure Melbourne Albert Park hotel, I had come across an audiophile / multimedia Ethernet switch that is also designed for multi-Gigabit Ethernet networks.
This device is in the form of the Matrix SS-1 Series audio-grade Ethernet switches. One of these units, used as part of Matrix’s main demonstrator system, is the SS-1 Pro while the other which was on static display is the Matrix SS-1. The SS-1 costs AUD$2099 at the time this article was written, which underscores the premium role that this unit plays in the home Ethernet switch market.
The SS-1 Pro has eight Ethernet sockets – 2 100Mb RJ45 Ethernet sockets and 6 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet sockets. There are also two SFP+ sockets that provide a 10 Gigabit Ethernet link and support for optical fibre connections or 10 Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 connections using appropriate SFP+ modules. There is also a connection for an external clock-signal generator which some audiophiles may find useful for improving network reliability and such a device was used in the same demo setup. The optical-fibre advantage also works against those dreaded ground loops that can bedevil audio setups. As far as power is concerned, thus unit has a traditional transformer-based linear power supply circuit.
The SS-1, photographed in this article, which is a cheaper model is similar but has 4 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet sockets, a switch-mode power supply, no external clock input and a 12 volt power input for use with a better external power supply.
Matrix Audio SS-1 Audio Ethernet Switch rear panel
– 4 x 2.5 Gigabit RJ45 Ethernet
– 2 x 100Mb RJ45 Ethernet for audio devices
– 2 x 10Gb SFP+ Ethernet
– 12V DC socket for improved power supply
– AC socket for internal power supply
Both these units implement independent electrical architecture for each network port and, like other audiophile / multimedia Ethernet switches, there is a lot of design work gone in to these devices to reduce electrical and mechanical interference across the network segments.
What is also unique about these audiophile / multimedia network switches is them being designed for the kind of high-bandwidth network traffic associated with multi-gigabit Ethernet. This also has the advantage of increased stability thanks to reduced timing errors no matter the bandwidth needed for the data transfer.
These devices demonstrate the fact that they are future-ready for LAN and Internet setups that benefit from the multiple-Gigabit Ethernet technology. Think of ubiquitous 4K UHDTV or 8K UHDTV use cases, ubiquitous high-speed fibre-optic Internet, Wi-Fi 6//7 wireless networks and the like. It also includes content-creators using high-performance networks as part of their workflow.
The use of the Matrix SS-1 Pro audiophile/multimedia Ethernet switch as part of a demonstrator hi-fi setup at a hotel-based hi-fi show underscored how these devices can assure robust network operation and optimum multimedia performance where the AC supply or data network is an unknown quantity.
Personally, it does depend on the situation whether you need to buy one of these audiophile / multimedia Ethernet switches. This may be about a lot of factors like your equipment and how sensitive they are to electrical noise, what you are listening to or watching, the quality of the AC supply you intend to use, whether you are using it in unpredictable circumstances amongst other things.
