[rickles]

Youtube is flooding with reviews, so they play the marketing game right

Ahh, I was hoping that it wasn't just astro turfing stuff. I had heard about the Laiv in an offline conversation, and clearly managed to avoid the online hype til now.

 

[Ike1985]

IDK who said it but yes Aroma Audio is a bad name lol so is awful, wheres the marketing team! = P

 

[Deezel177]

Listening to the Drive (2017) soundtrack on the Jewel. God, I'll never get tired of this album.

That film was my introduction to Gosling, Isaac and Winding Refn; one of my absolute favourites of the 2010’s.

IDK who said it but yes Aroma Audio is a bad name lol so is awful, wheres the marketing team! = P

They make some pretty darn’ good IEMs, though.

Shipping soon…

 

[RTodd]

I'll put it another way - I don't find music emotionally engaging until it's a certain volume level. That level is probably 'normal' for me, but given I have some mild hearing loss, likely 'loud' for others. Then again, I generally listen at 75-85dB, which I consider normal to slightly above normal, but by 80dB that's already too loud for most people. Unless you're measuring wrong, 80dB is definitely not low volume, although 70dB is lower than what I'd consider engaging (probably enough for meditation/sleep though).

Based on this chart I listen at 75-85dB which for me is normal/slightly louder than normal. I think most people will find 85dB too loud for them, but I can listen at 85dB all day long without any issues (unless there's too much spiky treble or shouty upper mids in the music/in the IEM).

Volume level always creeps up for me, start out at moderate levels sounds great, suddenly an awesome track, turn it up a little, and so on, eventually I notice it is very loud and back it down.

Put a couple guys in a room with speakers and that gets magnified directly proportionately to the number of guys. Till the adult in the room puts the hand out flat moving towards the earth looking right at the person with the remote.

 

[Ike1985]

Volume level always creeps up for me, start out at moderate levels sounds great, suddenly an awesome track, turn it up a little, and so on, eventually I notice it is very loud and back it down.

Put a couple guys in a room with speakers and that gets magnified directly proportionately to the number of guys. Till the adult in the room puts the hand out flat moving towards the earth looking right at the person with the remote.

HAHA YES, this is why I like jewel, treble is a but subdued so at louder volumes it's not grating and that bass go boom. I jam bro.

 

[thaslaya]

I'll put it another way - I don't find music emotionally engaging until it's a certain volume level. That level is probably 'normal' for me, but given I have some mild hearing loss, likely 'loud' for others. Then again, I generally listen at 75-85dB, which I consider normal to slightly above normal, but by 80dB that's already too loud for most people. Unless you're measuring wrong, 80dB is definitely not low volume, although 70dB is lower than what I'd consider engaging (probably enough for meditation/sleep though).

Based on this chart I listen at 75-85dB which for me is normal/slightly louder than normal. I think most people will find 85dB too loud for them, but I can listen at 85dB all day long without any issues (unless there's too much spiky treble or shouty upper mids in the music/in the IEM).

Well said! Couldn't agree more! I too find that unless I listen at louder volumes I just can't connect to the music as well. And at higher volumes those spikes in the upper mids/treble do come out a lot more. I have a coworker who uses headphones/iems sparingly and I always have him try my new stuff. He listens at such a low volume I don't understand how he can even hear the tuning. It boggles my mind.

 

[Empros]

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/takeawalk/outside
Speaking of, today marks the official release of our EP on all streaming platforms! This link takes you to Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes. Check it out and tell me what you think! Thanks a lot

Your album is simply delightful. All the tracks are chill and beautifully composed. The tones used for the instruments are really fantastic and work so well together. Production of the tracks are top-notch.

The EP sounds really amazing through the Hifiman Arya Organic. Shall listen to it again later with the Trifecta.

Please keeping making music!

 

[PinkyPowers]

That film was my introduction to Gosling, Isaac and Winding Refn; one of my absolute favourites of the 2010’s.


They make some pretty darn’ good IEMs, though.

​

Shipping soon…

Congrats on the Fei Wans!

And yeah, Drive is one of my favorite movies. It's such a singular piece of art. I need to watch it again, actually. I'm feeling that itch.

 

[gLer]

Well said! Couldn't agree more! I too find that unless I listen at louder volumes I just can't connect to the music as well. And at higher volumes those spikes in the upper mids/treble do come out a lot more. I have a coworker who uses headphones/iems sparingly and I always have him try my new stuff. He listens at such a low volume I don't understand how he can even hear the tuning. It boggles my mind.

So true, I know several people who listen at low volumes, and when I try listen at those volumes I just don't get it. Even accounting for my mild hearing loss, the volume some people listen at is basically a whisper to me. If I wanted to listen to people whispering with faint instrument sounds in the background, I wouldn't do so with any of the expensive gear I currently use and review

 

[BobJS]

Well said! Couldn't agree more! I too find that unless I listen at louder volumes I just can't connect to the music as well. And at higher volumes those spikes in the upper mids/treble do come out a lot more. I have a coworker who uses headphones/iems sparingly and I always have him try my new stuff. He listens at such a low volume I don't understand how he can even hear the tuning. It boggles my mind.

Regarding listening volumes --- I figure you're allotted a certain number of decibel-hours for your lifetime. How you want to spend them is entirely up to you.

 

[twister6]

Just wanted to drop some impressions on a relatively unsung product, the Questyle CMA18P, but damn, it sings.







Spec Highlights:

• AKM 4493SEQ (departure from the ESS sabre chip used in the M12 and M15)
• Equipped with four sets of patented PCT-class current-mode SiP chips.
• Peak power of 1W @32 ohms. Questyle uses bespoke current mode amplification, so power figure numbers differ from traditional amplifiers.
• Supports up to PCM768kHz/32bit and DSD512 playback. Questyle, interestingly, has dropped MQA support this time.

Price: $699

Connectivity Options and features:

• USB-C, Optical/TOSlink, and Bluetooth inputs (aptX-HD + LDAC)
• Vinyl to Digital recording function
• 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone outputs and line outs.

Looks-wise, the CMA18P is compact and its outer body features sandblasted aviation-grade aluminum surfaces with silver high-gloss buttons and side panels. It has custom corning glass coatings on both front and back panels. The transparent front panel highlights the PCB in an aquarium-like effect, which is quite pleasing to the eye.

Now to come to sound, the CMA18P surprised me with how "analog" it sounds. I hate starting a sound section discussion with such a trite and oft-discussed term but I honestly can't think of any other word to best encapsulate its sonic profile. There is no perceptible digital sheen anywhere in the frequency spectrum. The bass sounds full, tight, detailed; the midrange is rich and ever-so-slightly warm; and the treble is beautiful in its presence and sophistication.

First time I heard this, right after listening to my prized Sony WM1ZM2, it actually sounded like a mini-ZM2. Kid you not. Even my partner-in-rhyme, @BonGoBiLai, noticed the similarities in presentation with some obvious differences like the ZM2's unrivaled soundstage width. That being said, the CMA18P is the widest sounding portable DAC AMP in the sub-$1000 price class that I have heard. It easily beats for width as well as balanced and natural tonality, DAPs like the iBasso DX260 (I own one; review forthcoming) and devices such as the Gryphon; Mojo 2; and the iFi Diablo.

Resolution-wise, it is pretty much the same level as the Diablo and touch above the Gryphon and Mojo 2.

It does have a con though, and it's the fact that the corning glass is slippery to hold. It bothered me very initially but not so much, anymore.



I do want to mention that that 1 Watt output power rating is misleading because unlike iFi, whose power ratings promise more than they deliver; Questyle tends to go the opposite way. The CMA18P has driven all my headphones other than the Susvara, beautifully. The Utopia 2022 and the Empyrean II sound beautiful on it, as does the HD650. I really liked the HD650 synergy with the CMA18P as its soundstage opens up a bit more and the overall experience sounds more hifi! Another trite expression but I wanted to risk using it because it is worth a bit of hype.

Have you tried it with any sensitive IEMs? I talked to a few people who praised CMA18p for use with headphones, even some demanding ones, and less picky average sensitivity (or single DD) IEMs. But I have been told this dongle hisses with sensitive IEMs and some lower impedance hybrid IEMs.

 

[aaf evo]

#lowvolumegang here, if I can’t enjoy or connect to something at low to moderate volumes then it’s likely not something I am interested in. I do crank it up every now and then though for some fun

Going to CanJam and seeing people use chains I was familiar with and looking at their volume levels was quite eye opening for me. I know with the show floor noise you have to listen louder than normal but some of the stuff I saw was straight up frightening

 

[rush1]

They make some pretty darn’ good IEMs, though.

​

Shipping soon…

Beautiful FW man… love them in blue like that.

 

[gLer]

Regarding listening volumes --- I figure you're allotted a certain number of decibel-hours for your lifetime. How you want to spend them is entirely up to you.

This is true - to a point. There's safe listening time for even louder volume levels (I think it's 2-3 hours at 80-85dB). So as long as you take regular breaks and don't listen too loud, you can easily prolong your ear health. What's less healthy, for example, is pressurised IEMs without any venting. That will mess your ears up quickly even at lower volumes. Also, many of us incurred mild to moderate hearing loss in our teens, so listening louder than the average person (with good hearing) isn't actually doing any further damage. Unfortunately at some point, once you have hearing loss, the only way to actually prolong hearing health is with hearing aids.

 

[gLer]

Have you tried it with any sensitive IEMs? I talked to a few people who praised CMA18p for use with headphones, even some demanding ones, and less picky average sensitivity (or single DD) IEMs. But I have been told this dongle hisses with sensitive IEMs and some lower impedance hybrid IEMs.

I have and I can't hear any noise even with the likes of Rn6 and N8 (both low ohm hybrids). But... 1) I don't use ultra sensitive IEMs in principle and 2) my tinnitus is louder than any faint amp noise at any given point, so my tolerance for 'minor' hissing is probably much higher than many.