[baskingshark]

M15: the musician is the instrument
The M15 has arrived and so it's time for me to let you know what I think. When the M15 came out, maybe many like me thought... the usual dongle with the ESS (yet another) with a low power on paper and an "exaggerated" cost. Yet I should have realized something was wrong, after all I have QP2R and it's anything but the usual dap. The M15 looks like a minimal dap, no display, no volume control, no selectable filters, only the gain switch, basically nothing at all... instead it has it all. Some criticize it for the "classic" background noise of the Questyle Current Mode Amp, with my Mest MKII 12.3 Ohm no problem and perhaps it will also have it with iems that approach 0 Ohm but this is at most a problem of the iem and a feature of the CMA Questyle which, among other things, makes this dongle really special. The ESS chip has been completely emptied of all its "normal" characteristics and filled with the musical wisdom of Questyle engineers, we can say that it is the ESS chip with the furthest sound from an ESS chip. There are three characteristics that immediately catch the ear: Refinement, Musicality, Dynamics (it is no coincidence that I wrote them all in capital letters). Precise as a delta-sigma with a musicality that brings it close (but not too much) to a R2R with a simply reference dynamics (that's what the CMA Questyle was for, not to make 0.5 Ohm iems hiss). Defined, powerful and taut bass, reference mids and highs that are never offensive but very extended. It does not have an L, U, V or W sound, all frequencies are of the same level, it does not favor any frequency, it enhances them all. Once listened to and tried with the IEMs, due to the power it has, you will have the impression of having a pocket nuclear power plant... be careful!!! No kidding!!! One reviewer compared it to an iBasso DX300 and couldn't figure out which sounded better...now I know he wasn't kidding. Using an ESS chip doesn't mean playing like an ESS, having a miniaturized amplifier doesn't mean it's not really powerful and above all extremely dynamic, not being a dap doesn't mean you can't play at those levels (in some cases even much better). Costing 250 euros for a dongle doesn't mean it's expensive. If there is one dongle that can truly complement the RU6 it is the M15. Congratulations to Questyle musicians for creating this instrument!

Based on the specs the Questyle M15 seems not that powerful compared to other dongles.

But apparently the Questyle M15 is a current-biased amplifier, not voltage-based, so their amplification technology is very different from the usual source specs, they call it "Current Mode Amplification". So the M15 maximizes the current but not the voltage. Apparently these current-biased amplifiers only deliver juice when needed, and just enough to avoid clipping of the signal.

It seems to drive some of my harder to drive gear decently on high gain/4.4mm (eg Final E5000), but the RU7 is definitely more powerful with regards to driving power.

 

[linknet]

Don't you need W4 ?
Edit : Just thought it will be another precious stone to add to your crown

 

[Polky74]

Don't you need W4 ?
Edit : Just thought it will be another precious stone to add to your crown

It's really the decision not to take the W4 that prompted me to invest a little more than its price to buy the DC04PRO, the RU6 and the M15... then the RU7 was a brainstorm. When spending money, I prefer to have more musical signatures to choose from to look for new synergies, rather than concentrate spending on a single object whose musical signature I already know, good or bad, having the W1.
The W4 is, in my opinion, nothing more than a W1 taken to its maximum limits, but I already knew what to expect... more resolution, more cleanliness, more power, more technicalities, perhaps the only real novelty I could discover is improved battery management (in any case not much lower than the W1) and which in any case has little importance for me because I prefer to use dongles with a PC and having purchased an LG V50 purely to use it with dongles. Basically... the last stone would have cost me almost as much as the whole crown... lol

 

[Polky74]

Bread, butter and jam...

 

[Polky74]

For those looking for cheap and really excellent USB cables for your dongles, consider the Lindy Black Line. Exemplary shielding and very low cost compared to USB cables that promise miracles, but much worse and more expensive.

 

[glpsace]

If you are looking for at least 0,50m cable, they're nice. Nevertheless for around 0,10m cables, ideal for dongles connected to Iphone, they don't have viable options, to my knowledge. Plus, if you consider dongles like the RU6 or RU7, you carefully have to choose an OTG cable that will stand 5V, or it just won't work. So not many choices for the RU7, when connected to a dongle.

 

[Polky74]

The M15 (unlike the RU6) seems made for the IER-Z1R. The M15 thanks to the incredible dynamics, drives the Sony flagship even in low gain in an exemplary way (almost no dap can do it). For those who have the IER-Z1R and love it like me, the M15 is an absolute best-buy. For 250 euros there is nothing that drives the Sony like the M15 does... and (in my opinion) it is not certain that much more expensive dac/dap/dongle can do it either.

 

[vurtomatic]

Hi @Polky74 ! How's the DC04Pro compared to the M15?

 

[Polky74]

Hi @Polky74 ! How's the DC04Pro compared to the M15?

Hi, it depends on how you want to use it ... the DC04PRO is like a tank, manageable flawlessly from the smartphone thanks to its dedicated app, with the mids highlighted and it sounds really good ... the M15 for its part is a jewel, very powerful, without volume and without any filter adjustment or anything else except the gain (no frills), it consumes less battery but having the glass it is certainly more delicate. Do you need it to connect it to your smartphone on the go without worrying too much, also because it costs half (DC04PRO), do you want to listen to it at home in peace, treating it with care but receiving much more than you paid for? (M15)

 

[ducnsh]

Hi, it depends on how you want to use it ... the DC04PRO is like a tank, manageable flawlessly from the smartphone thanks to its dedicated app, with the mids highlighted and it sounds really good ... the M15 for its part is a jewel, very powerful, without volume and without any filter adjustment or anything else except the gain (no frills), it consumes less battery but having the glass it is certainly more delicate. Do you need it to connect it to your smartphone on the go without worrying too much, also because it costs half (DC04PRO), do you want to listen to it at home in peace, treating it with care but receiving much more than you paid for? (M15)

I did not find that DC04PRO highlights the mids, DC04PRO is really neutral and detailed with the perfect black background unlike the noisy M15 (when use with sensitive IEMs), btw, M15 is also sensitive with RF too.

 

[Polky74]

I didn't compare the DC04PRO with the M15 when I was talking about highlighted mids but with the flatter L&P W1, in addition to this it does an excellent job on maximizing the bone conduction of the Unique Melody. As for the M15 with all its flaws (and who doesn't have them) I find it not comparable to the DC04PRO and not just for a matter of price. In the DC04PRO you find everything a dongle should have to be perfect... in the M15 you find things that don't exist not only at the dongle level, but often also at the dap level.
Having said that, perfection does not exist in this world, as we all know very well by now.
The DC04PRO is an all-weather suit… the M15 is not.
Obviously everything I wrote is just my personal opinion and absolutely not meant to be the "truth". Music is made of perceptions... and of course everyone has their own.

 

[hepatus1234]

Hi
Would love a comparison of M15 with RU6.

 

[vurtomatic]

Hi, it depends on how you want to use it ... the DC04PRO is like a tank, manageable flawlessly from the smartphone thanks to its dedicated app, with the mids highlighted and it sounds really good ... the M15 for its part is a jewel, very powerful, without volume and without any filter adjustment or anything else except the gain (no frills), it consumes less battery but having the glass it is certainly more delicate. Do you need it to connect it to your smartphone on the go without worrying too much, also because it costs half (DC04PRO), do you want to listen to it at home in peace, treating it with care but receiving much more than you paid for? (M15)

Hi @Polky74 thanks so much for replying I'll use them at home with an M1 Pro MacBook Pro. I'm more curious about their sound differences. The DC04Pro sounds more musical and warm? I'm using the M15 right now with my Mac but I'm getting a skipping/stuttering issue when I listen to music. It seems to be Mac related, but I thought I'd try a new DAC to see if it helps.

 

[Polky74]

Hi
Would love a comparison of M15 with RU6.

Comparing the RU6 to the M15 is like comparing Beauty and the Beast or Dr. Jekil and Mr. Hide...they're basically the two most complementary dongles out there. The RU6 (R2R) has a warm, full-bodied, relaxed, musical, organic, liquid sound, with good extension in both bass and treble...basically it has a sound reminiscent of vinyl, marked by the resolution of single instruments but especially to the resolution of voices, both male and female. The M15 (delta-sigma) on the other hand is simply the dongle with the best resolution, the best detail, the greatest extension both high and low, the best definition and the best instrumental textures that I have ever heard and drives almost everything thanks to its extreme dynamics (at the level of the best daps). Having said that you will understand that they are practically incomparable... and if I were in your place I would pretend to buy a W4 and with that amount I would buy them both (as I did), both the RU6 and the M15. In one fell swoop you will have the best of both worlds... the only thing you have to keep in mind is that also the synergy with iems/headphones is completely different... for the RU6 you need iems/headphones neutral, balanced, without any boost on frequencies, sterile in a word boring. It will transform them into something you didn't think possible, it will give them a soul... which they themselves don't have... the soul of vinyl and musicality basically the RU6 needs an empty box to fill with what it it has inside. For the M15, instead being one of the best delta-sigma I've ever heard, the operation will be simpler... it will simply maximize all the features that the IEMs/headphones already have. The choice is yours... although I advise you not to choose...

 

[Polky74]

Hi @Polky74 thanks so much for replying I'll use them at home with an M1 Pro MacBook Pro. I'm more curious about their sound differences. The DC04Pro sounds more musical and warm? I'm using the M15 right now with my Mac but I'm getting a skipping/stuttering issue when I listen to music. It seems to be Mac related, but I thought I'd try a new DAC to see if it helps.

If you have the M15 and find these defects, try to do a few things... buy a longer cable that keeps it further away from the Apple (like a one meter Lindy Black Line that I'll add below), check if the noise it does them even when you don't surf the internet, and in any case keep it away from sources of radiation, mobile phones / PCs / tablets. The M15 because of its beautiful glass has very little EMI shielding and therefore even a little distance could solve the problem. To then answer your question, as you may have already read above, the dongle that I suggest you try, also because the most complementary with the M15, is the RU6. The only reason you would have to take the DC04PRO could be that being cheaper and smaller it could be used better on the go, but in the end you will have a dongle with more functions, fewer problems, more integrable with the smartphone, but which basically does not differ much from what the (however better) M15 already offers you. With the RU6 you would have the dongle with the furthest possible sound signature from the M15, but also at the same level of sound quality. At that point you could decide to make the M15 the walking dongle, due to its low consumption and keep the RU6 connected to the Mac, which makes relaxed and musical listening its best weapon.

https://www.amazon.it/Lindy-36917-1...d2-a7f0-692d57773650&pd_rd_i=B07FMYV5H6&psc=1