Matrix Audio NA-1 Headphone Amplifier

Matrix Audio’s NA‑1 is the analogue heart of the N‑Series stack: a pure Class A, fully balanced headphone amplifier and preamp designed to sit after a good DAC and bring more drive and control to both headphones and speakers. It is aimed at listeners who are already happy with their digital front end and now want a dedicated analogue stage that can keep up.

Inside, the NA‑1 uses an all‑discrete Class A circuit with four independent amplification paths and high‑voltage ±30 V power rails, giving it the headroom to stay composed with difficult loads. In real terms, you get confident grip, clean dynamics and an easy sense of authority even with demanding full‑size planars or high‑impedance dynamic headphones.

Balanced outputs can deliver up to 18 W into 33 ohms and 4.5 W into 300 ohms, with distortion figures well under typical audibility thresholds, so the amplifier is rarely the bottleneck in a serious headphone system. The matching XLR/RCA inputs and preamp outputs make it equally at home driving active speakers or a power amp from a standalone DAC, turning the NA‑1 into a compact but capable control centre on a desk or sideboard.

For customers building a focused headphone or desktop system, the NA‑1 works best as the long‑term analogue anchor: a quiet, powerful, transparent stage that will comfortably handle future DAC and streamer upgrades without needing to be replaced.