[jieranli]

Little late with the quick Impression here.

I'm using CMA15 amp with IEMs only. So, my experience will be a little bit different than most audiences.

IEMs tested: UM Mason Fusang, Final A8000, Leisurely Audio E18
AMP compared: Ibasso Dx300 + Amp12 module

Build quality: Very nice to touch CNC machined aluminum. I just loved the analog dial. The CMA 15 looks great in a package, and it's compact enough as a desktop AIO. Light luminosity is just right. I have only good things to say about the build quality.

Sound quality: I find everything to sound right with my small collection of IEMs. It sounds very similar to my iBasso in almost every way, and I'm not sure how I feel about this. I had very high hope coming in, thinking a desktop solution will hand down have a leg up in every aspect, if not at least in a few areas. That didn't turn out. But on the other hand, I truly love my Ibasso dx300, it's quite a capable machine, and probably considered one of the best DAPs out there. CMA 15 like the DX300, has an airy treble, albeit not what I'd describe as sweet nor seducing, it's just accurate. Mid-range is quite nice with a full body to it that will bring any music to life. Bass is nice and without any noticeable flaw, but it's not the deepest I've heard. I have to note that headphones experience on these might be different from my IEM experience. I can't compare, because my Utopia had a broken driver recently.

Functionality: It works great with IEMs, with no noticeable noise floor issue, about the same as the Ibasso. Something I really love about this machine is the latency from the input source is non-existent. So this can get used as a good desktop audio output platform (movie, game, conference, etc). If you do anything other than enjoy music distraction-free, I think this less talked about feature is a major one for its improvement to life quality.

 

[jieranli]

A few more pics

 

[godmax]

added my "review" in the head gear section: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/questyle-cma-fifteen-dac-amp.25594/reviews#review-28086.
Questyle CMA Fifteen is really a great device!

 

[Amber Rain]

Got some answers for you guys:


@geoffalter11 At the moment, no, we are not planning on making a CMA Fifteen Master.


@Audio Addict The CMA Twelve Master is very similar to the CMA Twelve (Standard), except with a ROGERS Ceramic PCB, which helps ensure the ultimate performance for sound quality by reducing resonance. I'll list below some of the bigger differences between the CMA Fifteen and the CMA Twelve Master for your reference:

Inputs

• The CMA Fifteen now comes with a USB-C port (keeping as well the CMA Twelve's USB-B port), which replaces the CMA Twelve's AES/EBU input.
• The CMA Fifteen now has analog inputs on the back. It's the first unit in the CMA series to have analog inputs.
• The CMA Fifteen now supports MQA (full/core decoder), whereas the CMA Twelve does not.
• The CMA Fifteen has a Bluetooth 5.0 input, which replaces the CMA Twelve's 5Ghz Wireless module (which allowed wireless streaming from a companion QP2R+Super Hub SHB2). This Bluetooth module supports LDAC, AAC, and SBC.
• The CMA Fifteen has an XMOS XU216 (16 core) USB decoder, whereas the CMA Twelve Master has an XMOS XU208 (8 core) USB decoder.

DAC

• The CMA Fifteen DAC chip is now the ESS ES9038Pro, while the CMA Twelve Master has the AKM AK4490EQ.

Max Sample Rate/Bit-Depth

• PCM — CMA Fifteen supports up to 32-bit/768kHz | CMA Twelve supports up to 32-bit/384kHz
• DSD — CMA Fifteen supports up to DSD512 (native DSD) or DSD256 (DoP) | CMA Twelve supports up to DSD256 (native DSD) or DSD128 (DoP)

THD+N

• Headphone Amp — CMA Fifteen: <0.0003% @300Ω, <0.001% @32Ω | CMA Twelve Master: 0.00070% @300Ω, 0.00167% @32Ω
• Pre-Amp Output — CMA Fifteen: 0.0003% for XLR, 0.0004% for RCA | CMA Twelve Master: 0.00085% for XLR, 0.00115% for RCA

SNR

• Headphone Amp — CMA Fifteen: >117dB for 6.35mm, >120dB for 4.4mm balanced / XLR 4-PIN balanced | CMA Twelve Master: >112dB
• Pre-Amp Output — CMA Fifteen: >119dB for XLR, >116dB for RCA | CMA Twelve Master: >112dB for XLR, >109dB for RCA

@B Manoj Kumar We are still working to get the CMA Fifteen to India. At the moment, we are in talks with a couple distributors, and we hope to settle on a final distributor for India soon. Additionally, in the near future, the CMA Fifteen will be available from the Questyle official website, where we will be able to ship the item directly from our offices in China to any country.

— Questyle Team


Thank you! We are certainly glad to be back and we are very proud of the 15! Hope you can get the chance to audition it soon.

"The CMA Fifteen now has analog inputs on the back. It's the first unit in the CMA series to have analog inputs."

Errrr, I think you've forgotten about the 600i which I have in front of me!!

Do you use "just" the one DAC with the 15 (and in all the CMA series)?

Would like to have a balanced input feature for future units (a 4.4mm would not take up so much space).

 

[OldRoadToad]

added my "review" in the head gear section: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/questyle-cma-fifteen-dac-amp.25594/reviews#review-28086.
Questyle CMA Fifteen is really a great device!

Thank you! I shall read it later in the day when I am fully awake. Oh...And thank you for the nice photography as it does make one give pause to notice the equipment and to some degree the environment in which you use it. Very nice, indeed!

ORT

 

[jieranli]

I just posted my review in the review section. Feel free to ask anything if there's a question.

 

[Questyle]

Thank you Jieran, it's a very well thought out review, very clear you put a lot of time into it. Your honesty is much appreciated! And it's very true... the DAPs these days are really getting up there!

 

[AlexSr]

Hello everyone,

Someone has tested the Questyle cma Fifteen as preamp with a power amp on speakers system ?
I looking for dac/preamp with usb into a pc with roon, but i don’t find any feedback.
I want to replace my current preamp who isn’t transparent as i want.
(stability with windows, sound quality, transparency).

Thank you

 

[jeffhawke]

Hello everyone,

Someone has tested the Questyle cma Fifteen as preamp with a power amp on speakers system ?
I looking for dac/preamp with usb into a pc with roon, but i don’t find any feedback.
I want to replace my current preamp who isn’t transparent as i want.
(stability with windows, sound quality, transparency).

Thank you

I have tested the CMA Fifteen for almost 2 weeks (I still have to finish writing my review, I know...) as a headphone amp as well as a preamp connected to my desktop power amp Audio-gd Precision 3. As with headphones, the qualities that rally make the CMA Fifteen stand out among the competition are resolution and transparency. My trusted CMA 600i (which I still use, btw) was already excellent in those areas, but this one is clearly a couple of steps above. You will not regret the choice, if you make it.

 

[Amber Rain]

I have tested the CMA Fifteen for almost 2 weeks (I still have to finish writing my review, I know...) as a headphone amp as well as a preamp connected to my desktop power amp Audio-gd Precision 3. As with headphones, the qualities that rally make the CMA Fifteen stand out among the competition are resolution and transparency. My trusted CMA 600i (which I still use, btw) was already excellent in those areas, but this one is clearly a couple of steps above. You will not regret the choice, if you make it.

Looking forward to your review then, as I also have the CMA600i.

However, I would have liked a balanced input and may hold out until Questyle release a unit with one before I upgrade.

 

[jeffhawke]

Looking forward to your review then, as I also have the CMA600i.

However, I would have liked a balanced input and may hold out until Questyle release a unit with one before I upgrade.

I hear you, however I personally don't feel the need for a balanced input, as I connect my sources digitally and I find the Questyle DAC section very good. On my main system I have separates (DAC+headphone amp-preamp+power amp), but on my desktop, DAC/headphone amp all-in-one is more convenient, only the power amp is separate.

 

[Amber Rain]

I hear you, however I personally don't feel the need for a balanced input, as I connect my sources digitally and I find the Questyle DAC section very good. On my main system I have separates (DAC+headphone amp-preamp+power amp), but on my desktop, DAC/headphone amp all-in-one is more convenient, only the power amp is separate.

I would like the option, as it gives the ability to compare the DACs of the CMAs and that of the transport / DAP and would (presumably) give different "flavours" to the sound.

I also connect my DAPs via the digital inputs (USB mainly). This is the only (desktop) DAC/Amp I have, and I would need to have a really good reason to upgrade from it!

 

[jeffhawke]

I would like the option, as it gives the ability to compare the DACs of the CMAs and that of the transport / DAP and would (presumably) give different "flavours" to the sound.

I also connect my DAPs via the digital inputs (USB mainly). This is the only (desktop) DAC/Amp I have, and I would need to have a really good reason to upgrade from it!

The CMA 600i is an excellent piece of equipment, and honestly I could hear a better resolution on the CMA Fifteen only while using high-end headphones such as my Spirit Torino. My desktop loudspeakers do not match the quality of the headphones and I could therefore not notice a difference. I am in fact going to upgrade them, most likely to a pair of Audel Nika (I have a pair of standmount Audel speakers and I love them).

 

[Amber Rain]

The CMA 600i is an excellent piece of equipment, and honestly I could hear a better resolution on the CMA Fifteen only while using high-end headphones such as my Spirit Torino. My desktop loudspeakers do not match the quality of the headphones and I could therefore not notice a difference. I am in fact going to upgrade them, most likely to a pair of Audel Nika (I have a pair of standmount Audel speakers and I love them).

Thanks for the info. Glad to hear the 600i compares so well.

 

[ra990]

Just got my hands on one. I was A/Bing between USB and optical (thanks to Roon and the Questyle remote, it's easy to do) and thought I noticed better depth over the optical connection. Anyone else compare between inputs? It should be the same digital stream, but my source is a noisy PC so maybe that's contributing to the difference. Does the USB implementation on the Fifteen have any kind of galvanic isolation? Also, I'm happy to report that optical locks into a 192k bitstream instantly on the Fifteen.