Questyle CMA18 Portable DAC with Headphone Amplifier
Mar 2, 2024 at 10:31 AM Post #226 of 338
Great feedback I have one ordered but still waiting for my retailer to have it restocked...
 
Mar 4, 2024 at 2:41 AM Post #228 of 338
Just thought I'd say I got in touch with Questyle here in China, sent in my CMA18 model and they updated the firmware and sent it back for free. So now my one can charge and play as per the newer models :)

Great support!
 
Mar 6, 2024 at 11:18 AM Post #229 of 338
It was touched upon earlier in the thread that there are only 32 volume steps available in the unit itself, with some leeway using an iPhone's volume. 32 is NOT good especially at this price point and am hoping someone can shed a bit more light on this topic while using PC, Android, iPhone as this could be a big deal breaker. Thank you in advance!
 
Mar 6, 2024 at 12:12 PM Post #230 of 338
I would be using with USB Audio Player Pro on Android, should be able to take over volume control and offer more steps. Hopefully someone with an Android device can confirm.
 
Mar 10, 2024 at 6:39 AM Post #231 of 338
I received my CMA18P yesterday and here are my impressions


So... at long last Questyle CMA18P is in the house :heart_eyes: thanks to Pierre at Headonist.fr

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CMA18P features a beautiful build quality and such a sexy design with the view on the internal design 🤩 but maybe that's the nerd talking :nerd:

In terms of size I had seen pictures of CMA18P stacked with iPhone and wondered if the pic was a Max, and yes it's the iPhone 15 Pro Max here so it matches.
A smaller phone won't be as good an experience obviously...

I used a magsafe magnet with 3M tape fixed to the CMA which is to me such a handy way to stack it !
I wished I could magnet both ways as it would be slimmer but still very very convenient...

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Now all this is good and all but how does it sound?

Well I'll cut to the chase and after a few hours with it out of the box I am very impressed by the SQ.

The stage is vast and imaging is precise, PRaT is top notch which makes it quite engaging and it’s not a colored source in USB mode. It’s reference done right in my book with plenty of authority down low and a lot of headroom as well. It's a very dynamic brand of sound with fast transients and dynamic range is quite impressive. Resolution is fairly impressive as well, with a clean black background. Questyle managed to avoid going the clinical road, it's really accurate and will reflect the pure nature of your gear, at least that's the impression I get from my trusted Elysium and DCA Stealth which in my collection are less organic than my usual stuff. So YMMV but you won't get a smoothed or relaxed presentation from the CMA18P : it's fast, clean and accurate and won't add or substract anything.

In BT mode you loose a bit of this with a smoother presentation with a touch of warmth but not a total signature change altogether… note that I obviously don't have APTX HD so there is that, but even in the weaker quality BT from the iPhone I do still get a lot from the CMA18P and aside from a slightly smoother and less punchy and resolved presentation honestly aside from cricital listening during a commute BT does the job very well and is more convenient than stacking which can be very handy so kudos for making this a feature ! Last but not least, I had initial worries about taping a magsafe magnet to the CMA for interference so I was not sure this would work out. But this baby is properly shielded as it doesn't even affect the BT connection :thumbsup:

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So all in all I am so very happy with the purchase and very very impressed by the CMA18P.

I expected good stuff but that good? No... Maybe it's a bias since the CMA features AKM4493 but... well amplication plays such and important part as well...
I mean I started A/B with R8II and even... N30 and I must say this baby delivers quite the value at the asking price 🤩 Sure, I get more body from R8II but it's more of a different signature than performance bracket difference which honestly impresses me. Now N30 has a "soul" that well is on top of everything that the CMA18P can offer but honestly on technical fundamentals well the gap is not one might think it is (which is damn impressive considering the comparison).

I would even dare say that at this price point (well even twice the price) no DAP can compete... you get fantastic SQ and flawless technicalities and the amp section is something to behold... Now in my view this is one heck of a highly recommended from me to any audiophile looking for a clean, fast, dynamic reference source. You get 1W power at 32ohm which is nothing to sneeze at but also clearly you get quality current and we all know how important this is for multi driver and low impedance IEMs.

So hats off to Questyle for this little gem !!!

And maybe it's the geek in me but while I listen I often find myself looking at the circuit board with all this lights that give off a tubey vibe (signature does not but hell, I love it anyway).

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Mar 10, 2024 at 10:18 AM Post #232 of 338
At the moment I have at hand the Mojopoly (original Mojo), Violectric Chronos and Aune Yuki.

I'm waiting to have a bit more time with the CMA18p before putting anything down, although unfortunately I probably won't get much listening done until later in the week. But of course I'll post some comparisons once I've had some time to compare each.

Another interesting comparison would actually be the Fiio Q15 or Q7, as they're both USB and Bluetooth DAC/amps too, but I don't have either.

Hi guys, bumping this as I would be interested too in that comparison between the CMA18p and the Q7 specifically ; anyone here who has heard both ?
 
Mar 11, 2024 at 2:31 AM Post #233 of 338
Hi guys, bumping this as I would be interested too in that comparison between the CMA18p and the Q7 specifically ; anyone here who has heard both ?
I've got a Mojo2 and BTR7. I'll be replacing my BTR7 with this bad boy and giving it away :)
 
Mar 11, 2024 at 2:36 AM Post #234 of 338
Other then the form factor the CMA18 is very close in spec to the Fiio Q15, the Q15 is nearly half the price and does have PEQ in its app. Would love to hear a comparison between these when the reviews finally start coming out, and between these and the Mojo 2.
It's also much larger and thicker. This CMA18 is pocketable without being intrusive. The Q15 is the size of my S23 Ultra and 3x the thickness. Quality internals and sound though.
 
Mar 11, 2024 at 2:38 AM Post #235 of 338
Mar 11, 2024 at 3:17 AM Post #237 of 338
Could you also evaluate the line-in (mojo 2 -> 18p)?
I could... line out the mojo2 to line in CMA lol. I'd have to get a cable though. Seems like a needless function when USB exists. (what exactly is your use case for this where a USB connection also does not exist? I have nothing that would send SPDIF over 3.5mm)
 
Mar 11, 2024 at 3:21 AM Post #238 of 338
I could... line out the mojo2 to line in CMA lol. I'd have to get a cable though. Seems like a needless function when USB exists. (what exactly is your use case for this where a USB connection also does not exist? I have nothing that would send SPDIF over 3.5mm)
I mean I would like to know how'd the mojo 2 as a dac and 18p as an amp combo-ed together to see if the 18p can be improved further with an external dac.
 
Mar 11, 2024 at 6:46 AM Post #239 of 338
Mar 11, 2024 at 9:11 AM Post #240 of 338
Sorry wrong thread🤣

NOMAX

PS.lol lol lol
 
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