Collecting bugs of X-SABRE 3

[Wei Cao]

Dear customer:

If you encounter any bugs in using Matrix Audio X-SABRE 3 streaming DAC, please follow up in this thread. When reporting a bug, please specify the firmware version of your device, the model of your mobile phone (if applied), the model of other equipments matched with it, and the usage scenario where the bug happened, or the procedure to reproduce the bug.

This thread only about bugs. If you have any suggestions, comments, or other functional requirements for the product, please start a new thread separately.

[Enrico_1425]

Wei, thanks for opening this thread. I already reported all the bugs that I found to Matrix Audio but wanted them to be available for others X-SABRE 3 owners to see if the find the same bugs in their units.

Matriz Audio X-SABRE 3 running SW: V1.01 Build 043. I use my X-SABRE 3 and mini-i Pro 3 as Roon End Points only. I also have a Bluesound NODE (2021) and an ARCAM ST60 Streamer, both of them part of my Roon network as well. I haver several Roon remotes, including iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 mini, iPad Air (2020), 2017 27" iMac and iPad mini 5.

1.- When pausing a MQA song, then replay, the song starts for about 1 sec, then stops then starts again with a fade in. All MQA songs start with a fade in, no matter if there is no change in sampling rate. You can see in the X-SABRE 3 screen that the sampling rate goes from PCM to nothing then to MQA and during the transition is when the stop and resume happens. This does not happens with the mini-i Pro 3. This issue only happens with MQA songs. PCM has no issues and no fade in. I remember a few similar bugs were fixed in the mini-i Pro 3 with the latest firmware update. What I call fade in is what Roon calls Crossfade which I have set at 0 secs. I checked with the X-SABRE 3 connected directly via USB to my iMac and when playing with TIDAL app, all the issues reported are present as well and only with MQA songs.

2.- Regarding TIDAL Connect. There is a gap between songs of about 2 to 3 secs. It’s like after every song end, the screen goes back to Nothing Playing, then it resumes connection and the new song starts. This is not MQA dependent as it happens with any song. Airplay however, plays fine without interruptions. I checked Tidal Connect with my Bluesound NODE (2021) and it plays totally fine.

3.- Some songs over Qobuz and TIDAL in PCM (Flac) start with about half second cut. This issue does not happen with the mini-i Pro 3. Meaning it's not the song, and most likely the player.

4.- Auto Sleep function from Roon works most of the time but not always. So decided to leave the SABRE-3 to control the Auto Sleep and not Roon but would be great if you can fix it. If I turn ON or OFF the X-SABRE 3 from Roon, always work but the Auto Sleep not always. UPDATE: This issue seems to be fixed. Auto Sleep is now working from Roon. However, yesterday the unit went to sleep while I was playing a song. It hasn't happened again so not sure if it's a bug or something else. By that time I had the Auto Sleep function active in the X-SABRE 3. Now it's Disabled and only enabled in Roon.

5.- If the X-SABRE 3 is on Standby and I start playing a song from Roon, I get this message on Roon screen: "Failed To Open The Audio Device". This also happens with my ARCAM ST60 but not with the mini-i Pro 3. Update: Looks like this was fixed but it's happening again. It happens most of the times but not always. Like 1 out 3. 

I have next to the X-SABRE 3 what I call the most reliable and glitch free streamer that I own, your Matrix Audio mini-i Pro 3. Whatever you through to the mini-i Pro 3, it will play it flawlesly with ZERO glitches. I haven't had a single glitch with the mini-i Pro 3 since day one and I have been using it for the last 6 months for at least 6 hours a day. I think what you need to do is copy & paste the playback settings from the mini-i Pro 3 into the X-SABRE 3. I know it's not that easy but as a reference, the mini-i Pro 3 is the player to replicate in terms of playback and reliability, mostly with MQA songs.

I also sent videos of these bugs to Matrix Audio.

Thanks again to Wei for taking care of this over ASR forum and over here. You guys got in me a customer for life. Your products are just incredible in terms of build quality and performance.

Best Regards,

Enrico

UPDATE: Just tried Spotify Connect and it works PERFECTLY. It plays gapless with no interruptions between songs and each song starts immediately as soon as you press play. This is the way TIDAL Connect should work as well.

[Enrico_1425]

Update regarding MQA playback: If I setup the X-SABRE 3 in Roon's Device Setup/MQA Capabilities as "No MQA Support", all files, including MQA files, play perfectly fine. Of course, they play as PCM, not MQA. The bug seems to be related with the MQA authentication process.

[Enrico_1425]

I did a few more tests during the weekend and listened to the X-Sabre 3 on Saturday for more than 6 hours non stop. I never had a single drop with any kind of files, which is good. But, MQA playback is definite broken so I just setup in Roon the X-SABRE 3 as “No MQA Support” so that way all MQA files play as FLAC. That solved the MQA playback issues temporarily until Matrix Audio fix this nasty bug.

TIDAL Connect is also broken. It takes 4 secs for a song to start no mater the sampling rate or if it’s MQA or not. It also skip songs because they time out. Of course, this makes playback no gapless as well. Searching on Google, I found that Bluesound OS streamers had the same exact TIDAL Connect issues that I’m having just 6 months ago and they got them fixed with the latest firmware released on June 23th.

https://support1.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/..._site=true

DLNA playback using mConnect app works but it takes for a song to start between 4 to 6 secs, then playback is gapless. Also pausing a song and resuming it is fast like it should be. My ARCAM ST60 is faster when loading the first song or when skipping tracks when using mConnect app as it takes 3 secs instead of 6 secs. Everything else works the same as the X-SABRE 3.

Airplay and Spotify Connect work without glitches.

BTW, the X-SABRE 3 is a great sounding streamer, it only needs these bugs to be fixed to be the perfect streamer.

[Enrico_1425]

OK, another bug. This time DSD related. When playing with Roon DSD files at 2.8 or 11.2, no matter the sampling rate, if I pause the song, as soon I press play again, there is a loud POP coming out of my speakers. I made a video showing the bug and I'm right now uploading it into the Dropbox folder I shared with Matrix Audio.

Update: I also checked playing the same DSD files with mConnect app (dlna) and there is no POP, however when the song resumes from pause to play there is fade in like with MQA files which is fine with me for DSD files. So basically DSD is having POP with Roon but NOT with mConnect app (dlna). So whatever settings you have for DSD playback over dlna, copy and paste for Roon

[Enrico_1425]

Added 2 more videos to the Dropbox shared folder to show the playback differences between the X-SABRE 3 (with bugs) and the mini-i Pro 3 (bugs free) with MQA and PCM songs. MQA songs in the X-SABRE 3 start with a fade in and when paused and play again there is a lost of audio while authenticating the MQA. That is not present with mini-i Pro 3. Then with certain PCM (FLAC) songs, the X-SABRE 3 cuts out about 200ms to 300ms of the beginning of the song. The mini-i Pro 3 does not cut anything. Let me know if you want more videos that show these bugs present in the X-SABRE 3.

[Enrico_1425]

Today I was listening to music with the X-SABRE 3 and the screen got frozen. The X-SABRE 3 was playing but the screen remained with the same album cover for more than 10 songs. Skipping tracks had no change on the screen but the new track was playing. Tried to put it on standby with Roon, with the remote and with the standby X-SABRE 3 front pannel power/standby buttom but after 1 sec on stanby came back on with the same album cover. Changing inputs did not solve the issue. I had to take the power cord out and after fully reboot the X-SABRE 3 screen cleared up.

[ExUnoPlura]

Problem: MA Remote will not connect to new XSabre-3 using Add device wizard.

HW: V1700
Firmware: V1.0.1 Build044
Mobile Device: iPhone 12 Pro running iOS 15
MA Remote: v 1.5.6

Description: (1) Manually connected XSabre-3 to Wi-Fi network and device appears as Roon Endpoint and plays fine over Wi-Fi.
(2) Using MA Remote app for iOS on iPhone 12 running iOS 15, select MA Remote app / Add device wizard / Automatic Connection. MA Remote app searches for devices on LAN and fails to  find XSabre-3.
(3) Using MA Remote app for iOS on iPhone 12 running iOS 15, select MA Remote app / Add device wizard / Manual Connection. Enter IP address reported by XSabre-3 under Settings / Product Info. MA Remote app immediately reports unable to find XSabre-3.

[Enrico_1425]

Problem: MA Remote will not connect to new XSabre-3 using Add device wizard.

HW: V1700
Firmware: V1.0.1 Build044
Mobile Device: iPhone 12 Pro running iOS 15
MA Remote: v 1.5.6

Description: (1) Manually connected XSabre-3 to Wi-Fi network and device appears as Roon Endpoint and plays fine over Wi-Fi.
(2) Using MA Remote app for iOS on iPhone 12 running iOS 15, select MA Remote app / Add device wizard / Automatic Connection. MA Remote app searches for devices on LAN and fails to  find XSabre-3.
(3) Using MA Remote app for iOS on iPhone 12 running iOS 15, select MA Remote app / Add device wizard / Manual Connection. Enter IP address reported by XSabre-3 under Settings / Product Info. MA Remote app immediately reports unable to find XSabre-3.

X-SABRE 3 does not support MA Remote app. Same as the mini-i Pro 3 as both units run on MA Player Lite which does not support the MA Remote app.

[ExUnoPlura]

Problem: MA Remote will not connect to new XSabre-3 using Add device wizard.

HW: V1700
Firmware: V1.0.1 Build044
Mobile Device: iPhone 12 Pro running iOS 15
MA Remote: v 1.5.6

Description: (1) Manually connected XSabre-3 to Wi-Fi network and device appears as Roon Endpoint and plays fine over Wi-Fi.
(2) Using MA Remote app for iOS on iPhone 12 running iOS 15, select MA Remote app / Add device wizard / Automatic Connection. MA Remote app searches for devices on LAN and fails to  find XSabre-3.
(3) Using MA Remote app for iOS on iPhone 12 running iOS 15, select MA Remote app / Add device wizard / Manual Connection. Enter IP address reported by XSabre-3 under Settings / Product Info. MA Remote app immediately reports unable to find XSabre-3.

X-SABRE 3 does not support MA Remote app. Same as the mini-i Pro 3 as both units run on MA Player Lite which does not support the MA Remote app.

Ahhh, got it. The product web page is a bit ambiguous about that. Thanks!