[gonzfi]

Keen to hear more impressions on this if anyone can oblige?

 

[Mightygrey]

There is no analog inputs in Twelve anymore. There was on 600i.

...and that's the reason I love my CMA600i so much. Perfect pre-amp / headphone amp for both digital, and my turntable too : )

 

[greenkiwi]

Seems like a shame. Have they upped the DAC implementation? It seems like that has often been viewed as a weak link.

I did get to hear the "golden reference system" at a meetup and it was very nice.

 

[GWN44]

Hello everybody,

Does anyone use or test the Questyle CMA12 in DAC/préamp mode with hi-fi amplifier and speakers or active monitor speakers ?
I would be interesting in both mode : DAC/preamp during the day, and headphone amp in the evening ... And if its value in this préamp mode is as good as "high-end" product, it could be mine !

 

[soundman414]

Hello everybody,

Does anyone use or test the Questyle CMA12 in DAC/préamp mode with hi-fi amplifier and speakers or active monitor speakers ?
I would be interesting in both mode : DAC/preamp during the day, and headphone amp in the evening ... And if its value in this préamp mode is as good as "high-end" product, it could be mine !

When I tested it, I used it with both my Mackie monitors at my desk, ADAM Audio monitors in my living room and my LCD-2C in both situations. It works really well in pre-amp mode and thankfully has a switch to change between pre-amp mode and headphone mode, so I don't have to turn off my monitors when I'd like to switch to headphone listening. It was very clean, had a very very low noise floor, and absolutely no channel imbalanced or noise with the volume pot. Also, the fact that it has a remote control makes a huge difference in considering it for a high end setup. When used in my living room with my Bluesound Node 2i via coax, hooked up to my TV via optical, and outputting to the Adam Audio T7Vs, it was a convenient and pleasant experience switching between the inputs and adjusting the volume. Again this exudes clean, neutral sound that gives little to no character to the music. So it's definitely not "Hi-Fi" if you are looking for that warmer sound that McInstosh, or British Hi-Fi gives you.

The only thing I didn't like, is the lack of analog inputs... so if you go with this, you can never upgrade the DAC. That's not to say the AK4490 isn't a wonderful DAC, it's just some like R2R DACS, some like Chord, etc.

 

[gonzfi]

I took the plunge and purchased one... wow, what a fantastic one box solution. It pairs particularly well with my T1.2 headphones offering a great combination of soundstage and detail. I'm very impressed and can highly recommend it.

 

[Slim1970]

I just had the CMA Twelve Master in for a demo through the loaner program that Todd at TTVJ had graciously setup. I’ll be posting my impressions on that page and I’ll post a link here.

 

[Slim1970]

I just posted my thoughts on the CMA Twelve Master here

 

[Reactcore]

Hi all,
For the ones wanting to connect an external dac i wrote up a howto in the DIY place of headfi. Offcourse it voids your warranty but just to keep in mind its possible for low additional cost.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/adding-an-analog-input-to-an-dac-amp-which-doesnt-have-one.912647/

Its quite simple.
If youre not handy, im sure theres a local repair shop that can execute it by showing this plan.

The upgrade is really worth it

 

[drummerdimitri]

Does anyone know where to buy a CMA twelve master online other than Moon Audio?

 

[Reactcore]

Hi
If u can, try to audition it aside the CMA400i.
I can't hear the difference other than twelve has more spare power. The 400i can be found 2nd hand.

 

[drummerdimitri]

Hi
If u can, try to audition it aside the CMA400i.
I can't hear the difference other than twelve has more spare power. The 400i can be found 2nd hand.

I already have the CMA400i and wanted to upgrade to something better. The remote control feature is also a big plus.

Not worth the upgrade?

 

[Reactcore]

For the sound its nothing to add. Unless you really need the extra power.
Ive tried both with senns HD800 in A-B setup and picked the 400i easily cause of the price. Adding a analog input and use a better DAC really betters it. The amp section is sublime.

 

[Reactcore]

Btw is your optical cable issue solved?

 

[drummerdimitri]

Btw is your optical cable issue solved?

No the issue is still there and I've run out of ideas/energy to fix the issue by getting a different unit hence my interest in the CMA Twelve.