[RodC]

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.

And I was just hesitating to buy one, thank you very much for your feedback ! I'm now a 100% sure .

 

[timeslip]

2024 highlights...ie., flex.

2024 highlights - 4 of my favourite sets

In slightly following the theme and my buddy @Crazeee here are the purchases for 2024, of which each has a story with some more significant than others.

Viking Ragnar: I kept hearing @Delitia talking about how this is one of his favorite iems, especially when it's paired with the centurion. I respect his reviews and opinions even if I may not always agree with them. So I demo'd this to try to better understand where he is coming from and I had not heard a Noble iem since I owned the Kaiser Encore in 2016. To my surprise, the centurion does such an amazing job to control the treble and delivers a stunning reproduction of high notes from female singers. The song that sold me on this was an opera performed by Anna Netrebko. You don't have to like opera, but if you can listen to a track on the album "Amata dalle Tenebre", it is an incredible experience. This led me to the purchase and see if it lasts >1yr, which may tempt me to get a prestige version.

Mason FS ST: The UM AP was my introduction to uber crazy SummitFi iems, so I was curious what another UM wacko $ iem could sound like. I purchase this as iem only (thank you Andrew @ MusicTeck) since I had quite a few cables to pick from. No matter what I tried, I could not find the perfect sound and re-read reviews from @twister6 to see what I was missing. It turns out the bundled PWA FTS Pro is in fact the perfect pairing for it and sat in the middle between what I heard on the orpheus and shiro 8w. I spent weeks listening, but was not convinced it was worth keeping.... until I heard it off the P6P Ti. This ended up being my iem of choice that kept me company on a 3w trip to japan. Incredible mid range focused iem without sacrificing resolution / transparency when it's paired with the right source. P6P Ti being my favorite, and then Mjolinr. On a side note, this was probably the most over the top and incredible experience to unbox. It was a good thing I did it after my wife went to sleep, or she might have thought I was hiding a gift for her based on the packaging and bag. Beautiful IEM!

Trailli: The one that started it all in the SummitFi IEM! I know people love it, but the bird has never been my first pick. BUT when I do put it in my ears, I can't seem to take it out. It has a lot of history and I loved the cherry blossom design that was floating around on this site. Through months of discussion with @tone.texture.soul, he was kind enough to consider selling it to me. It still doesn't get much use, but it is a reference point and it will be hard to find another iem in it's size with it's sound.

Creator: This was a frustrating IEM! The week before my 3w japan trip, I had planned to stay up later to help adjust quicker to the japan timezone. Several guys (ahem @RonaldS86) kept raving about this thing that was creator / DC Ti. This is the TOTL iem from FitEar that is made of titanium and midrange focused with a smokey intimate sound. After several conversations, I was set to demo this at e-earphone and possibly purchase it. The song that sold me on it was Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven with how it reproduced Clapton's voice and guitar strums with character that is the opposite of smooth. I was sold! I had to have it! But wait.... apparently this is only available as a CIEM in japan AND it is only available to residents in japan. There is no way around it! They will not even allow you get an ear mold at e-earphone or a suyama hearing aid shop if you are not a resident. How do I know? I tried and was turned down at two locations. I went to sleep several nights during that trip thinking about what I had heard and how none of my IEMS gave me that same sound. Long story short, Jaben HK overnighted a creator to me in Kyoto and I was able to bring it home. Now I am on a mission to find a cable pairing that I like with it. Current ones will be Beat Oslo, DHC custom silver, Chang's silver cable that was raved about at SG CJ, and hopefully @Crazeee's friends cable. If you listen to acoustics, jazz, or vocals... This is an IEM you must demo!

Fei Wan: Exciting IEM that I can see keeping around as a general purpose for all genres, which led me to get a custom universal. This is a graphic I had used on a CIEM a18s that I don't listen to anymore. The main reason I kept it around was for the graphic. I can finally let it go! Not much to say here that hasn't already been reviewed to death by many people. The only comment I will add is Nightjar BlueHour cable is such a match made in heaven for it. Thanks @aaf evo for that introduction.

There you have it! As we approach the middle of 2024, this is where I am. I could be wrong, but these are the IEMS that I would like to keep as I enter 2025.

 

[warrenpchi]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sajid-owns-topping-lol.972689/ @Sajid Amit

 

[gLer]

Just been doing some pondering about the whole 'reproducing the live experience' thing with audio gear.

Decibel levels at an average live event regularly hit 100dB. At a rave or EDM concert, up to 120dB. There's just no way we're recreating anything approaching the live experience at low volumes.

That's why when I test for reviews, I regularly listen loud (or at least louder than normal) but for brief periods (always be mindful of ear health), because low volume listening isn't really telling me anything about the maximum performance of an IEM and other parts of the chain.

How loud do you listen to music, especially for shorter (1-2 album) sessions?

 

[chickenmcnug]

Just been doing some pondering about the whole 'reproducing the live experience' thing with audio gear.

Decibel levels at an average live event regularly hit 100dB. At a rave or EDM concert, up to 120dB. There's just no way we're recreating anything approaching the live experience at low volumes.

That's why when I test for reviews, I regularly listen loud (or at least louder than normal) but for brief periods (always be mindful of ear health), because low volume listening isn't really telling me anything about the maximum performance of an IEM and other parts of the chain.

How loud do you listen to music, especially for shorter (1-2 album) sessions?

Just about loud enough to where lows start to give that thumping feeling if that makes sense.

That’s why I need that DD.

 

[Neweymatt]

Here's a fun one. I think that non-Chinese speakers tend to look at Chinese transcriptions at phonetic face value, because of course they would without knowing what those words are. But given that English has no intonation marks, looking at these transcriptions are often somewhat cryptic for Chinese speakers as well. For example, looking Fei Wan, but not given any pronunciation hints, here are some possibilities (in Mandarin):

Fei​	Wan​
Fly Fat Useless (or unnecessary) Lung​	Bend Play Bowl Late -or- Tardy 10,000​

So do we know which was intended by Aroma? Of course it’s probably not Uselessly Late…

 

[chickenmcnug]

So much this!



Ugh, I can't unsee that!!

---

Here's a fun one. I think that non-Chinese speakers tend to look at Chinese transcriptions at phonetic face value, because of course they would without knowing what those words are. But given that English has no intonation marks, looking at these transcriptions are often somewhat cryptic for Chinese speakers as well. For example, looking Fei Wan, but not given any pronunciation hints, here are some possibilities (in Mandarin):

Fei​	Wan​
Fly Fat Useless (or unnecessary) Lung​	Bend Play Bowl Late -or- Tardy 10,000​

In my head it’s “飞王” cause of the crown design looking thing. Just non Mandarin speaking people would think of it as a joke with it named “wang” and decided against it

 

[gLer]

Just about loud enough to where lows start give that thumping feeling if that makes sense.

That’s why I need that DD.

You and me both. It also helps when treble isn't piercing and vocals aren't shouty at that point, which is why I tend to prefer warmer, smoother IEMs to detail monsters.

 

[warrenpchi]

So do we know which was intended by Aroma? Of course it’s probably not Uselessly Late…

Fly 10,000?

In my head it’s “飞王” cause of the crown design looking thing.

Yeah but because they didn't add the trailing g, I had to leave out all of those options.

 

[Kobe4ever]

First days with my WM1ZM2 : I'm repeating myself because I've waited so long to get a Sony DAP .
This DAP ( my first Sony DAP in my life ) literally shocked me, in a very positive way.
I'm using it both with my Jewel with Orpheus, and with my Thunder with Pwa First Times.
All through Qobuz . The sound I immediately heard is really incredible, so engaging, natural, musical, rich in details and with that warmth in tube style.
Amazing !
The various DSPs are all superb, adding each of the nuances to an already simply fantastic sound. You would never stop listening to your favourite music
The battery has a much longer life than the DAPs I've had in the past and the DAP also recharges very quickly. Super !
I think I found the DAP with the sound I've been looking for for some time.
And I think I'm now officially a fan of Sony sound . Now I understand why a lot of people love it
Last thing: the WM1ZM2 is simply beautiful !

 

[zlayde]

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.

I know you reviewed the Aroma Air in the past and loved it. Curious how they compare.

 

[Sajid Amit]

I know you reviewed the Aroma Air in the past and loved it. Curious how they compare.

I think this sounds better to me. I perceive greater technical performance with regard to detail and stage width. Tonality-wise, they trade blows because the Air is surprisingly nice sounding for a BT-only product.

 

[fidgeraldo]

which is why I tend to prefer warmer, smoother IEMs to detail monsters.

If it's warm, does that mean it can't be detailed?

Cheers!

 

[chickenmcnug]

You and me both. It also helps when treble isn't piercing and vocals aren't shouty at that point, which is why I tend to prefer warmer, smoother IEMs to detail monsters.

I still don’t quite understand how differently we perceive the Z1R

Fly 10,000?



Yeah but because they didn't add the trailing g, I had to leave out all of those options.

Oh the missed opportunites

 

[fidgeraldo]

I still don’t quite understand how differently we perceive the Z1R

Nothing strange there...
We don't perceive anything the same as individuals. We don't see the same, taste the same, feel the same, or hear the same.

Our brains don't work the same...nothing to worry about...

I will be really worried if the time comes when we are all the same

Cheers!