[Questyle]

Hello everyone!

About the CMA 18 Portable (the small one with the battery) and CMA 18 Master (the desktop unit)... well, first of all, yes apologies about the confusing names. They confused me at first too.

Second, we are still in the process of designing both of them, there are small details and lots of testing still to be done, so I won't disclose too much more information other than what was in the official release videos already. I will say though, that the CMA 18 Portable will indeed come with a balanced input! (@CMA Fifteen should be quite happy to hear that ）The CMA 18 Master though, to be honest, I'm not sure just yet... I haven't had a chance to test one out for myself actually. I'll check with the engineers.

That's all for now about those two though, I do not have an official release date or price for either of them as of yet. I was told Q4 2023 at first, but we all know how product development goes... I would say it'll be Q1 or Q2 2024 before we see them, to be very honest with you.

@xiled10 Let me PM you about the 24 bit issue.

@turururu and also @xiled10 Also very sorry that your emails were not replied to.... could you let me know what email account(s) you messaged?

 

[gonzfi]

Please try and get a 4.4mm balanced line in!!!!!!

 

[Questyle]

Please try and get a 4.4mm balanced line in!!!!!!

Hey everyone, just for the record, I made a document filled with all of these requests for a balanced line-in, plus some from other sites as well, and sent it to the lead engineer... but he said that at the testing and production validation stage that they are in, unfortunately no design changes can be made at this point. I really did try to fight for it though, I want one as well!

And although this won't soften the blow or make anything better, he did say that they will add this 4.4mm balanced line in to the next table-top series, starting right at the drawing board.

Sorry about that.

But also on that note, are there any other "wants" for the next round?

 

[up late]

ample power to drive the susvara well would be welcome

 

[someyoungguy]

Hey everyone, just for the record, I made a document filled with all of these requests for a balanced line-in, plus some from other sites as well, and sent it to the lead engineer... but he said that at the testing and production validation stage that they are in, unfortunately no design changes can be made at this point. I really did try to fight for it though, I want one as well!

And although this won't soften the blow or make anything better, he did say that they will add this 4.4mm balanced line in to the next table-top series, starting right at the drawing board.

Sorry about that.

But also on that note, are there any other "wants" for the next round?

Maybe if it has USB-B and USB-C inputs, you could choose which is active rather than the USB-C overriding (which is how it works on the CMA15 I believe?)

 

[Questyle]

Oh these are good ones, going to hand them over for sure! I'll start amending that document

 

[CMA Fifteen]

And although this won't soften the blow or make anything better, he did say that they will add this 4.4mm balanced line in to the next table-top series, starting right at the drawing board.

It's already in my cart

But also on that note, are there any other "wants" for the next round?

In the short term, I would like to see an increase in headphone output (at least double the current).
In the long term, I'd like to see increased networking capabilities to make it a true "stand-alone" device.

 

[corentin]

So the cma18 master would be above the cma 15 I take it?
while on the subject, how would the cma15 pair with the Diana mr? has anyone tried? how does it stack up against a Hugo 2 for example?

 

[glassmonkey]

Please try and get a 4.4mm balanced line in!!!!!!

This makes sense for the CMA18 portable, but not really for a desktop unit. There are tons of of 4.4mm to dual XLR adapters out there, and a setup that uses standard microphone cables is more desirable for most on a desktop setup.

My old CMA600i gets blips when acting as a source to another output. I think this is due to the variable gain. I'd like to ensure that there is an adjustable balanced fixed voltage line-out. This would ensure clean sound when using an external headphone amp for things like the Susvara. I'd love if the CMA18 would power the Susvara well right out of the box, but I just don't see that coming.

 

[brams]

Yes, I purchased the Twelve Master new from an authorized dealer.
I figured maybe the TM would give me the most bang for my buck in the Questyle family. Maybe I am wrong. But one thing I definitely am, is happy.

I sold my Susvara/Holo stack retailing over $12K and I miss absolutely nothing. Not only that, in terms of speed, air, resolution and expansiveness of stage, this TM driving an HEK V2 Stealth beats out the other system. In fact, even if money was not a concern, I'm enjoying this system more and I would take this over the previous in a second.
I simply can't believe it. This is a damn fine sounding piece of equipment.

@devilboy Can you advise where you ordered the clear top for the CM12 Master? I love my CM12M because it pairs well with all my headphones. Also, I use the 5Ghz feature as an input from my SHB2 Master dock. Unless Questyle includes the 5Ghz option on other products (highly unlikely) I will stick with the CM12 Master for the forseeable future.

 

[George Hincapie]

Oh these are good ones, going to hand them over for sure! I'll start amending that document

Any update on CMA Eighteen release?

 

[Questyle]

@George Hincapie We are still working on fine tuning some firmware. Please hang in there, we don't have a definite release date just yet. We're making some fixes based off previous pre-release reviewers' feedback to make it as good as possible before we officially launch it for sale overseas.

 

[George Hincapie]

@George Hincapie We are still working on fine tuning some firmware. Please hang in there, we don't have a definite release date just yet. We're making some fixes based off previous pre-release reviewers' feedback to make it as good as possible before we officially launch it for sale overseas.

Thanks for the response. Is it likely to be released during 2024? Just so I can try and plan a way forward.

 

[goodvibes]

I know this is the Fifteen thread but I didn't see a Twelve thread so here goes...

I sold off a Susvara driven by a Bliss KTE and Spring 3 KTE and needed a replacement. I figured I would pocket some serious money and "settle" for something that would give me some nice tunes. I was watching all the YouTube videos and reading all the threads trying to find something that would be adequate after leaving the Sus/Holo combo.

I bought a brand new HiFiman HEK V2 Stealth and Questyle CMA Twelve Master.

I had the Twelve Master for almost two weeks. I have to say, the speed, resolution, air and detail is off the charts. I would even say that it surpasses my previous setup. Not only that but it rivaled my Bravura system that I had very recently. I would have kept the Bravura if the clamping force wasn't so hard on my head... But anyway.
Frankly, I feel like I have all the attributes that I mentioned above of the Bravura system with added comfort and slightly less price tag.

I am thrilled with the current setup. Just for s***s and giggles, I compared it to a Denafrips Ares 12th-1 and Burson Soloist 3X and the Questyle just beats it out easily.

I also really liked the 12 master but I can confidently say that the CMA15 was a clear upgrade. I don't expect a large jump on the 18 (since the DACs are almost identical) unless you use it with a PC. That said, I do expect a bit of improvement as that board material did make a noticeable difference in the 12. Honestly, The 15 is so good that there's not a lot of room for upgrade as a DAC. Not so sure about the headphone stage as I don't use it that way.

 

[goodvibes]

oh gosh the clear top looks amazing... I might have to buy one too!

I wouldn't. It does look great but the case is it's heatsink via the bottom panel.