Questyle CMA Fifteen DAC/Amp

CMA Fifteen​ Flagship DAC / Headphone Amplifier (Standard 110V)

Concept

Evolution never stops. We as humans have never stopped questing, and neither should a true flagship device.

With an outstanding performance level, and all the ingredients for a new groundbreaking device, we present you our new Flagship DAC/Headphone Amp:

The CMA Fifteen

Commemorating the 15^th anniversary of Questyle’s revolutionary Current Mode Amplification Technology.

At its core, Current Mode Amplification uses current, instead of voltage, to amplify audio signals. It is a state-of-the-art technology in audio amplification, leading to tremendous performance differences when compared to traditional audio amplifiers. As the “engine” of the audio system, Current Mode Amplification features a fully discrete and topological structure, and can achieve ultra-high sound performance that reproduces music so faithfully, it feels like you are in the original recording room. Using Current Mode Amplification technology, listeners can attain a much better listening experience, even when using consumer-grade headphones and speaker systems.

Current Mode Amplification Meets Current mode DAC=Current Mode²

To chase extreme performance, almost all high-end DAC chips from world-renowned manufacturers feature current-type output, which in most traditional amplifiers, is then coupled with an IV converter and classical amplifier architecture. But we at Questyle wondered: if the DAC’s output is already current-type, why don’t we also amplify that signal in current-mode? And that’s exactly what we did in the CMA Fifteen: we use the ES9038PRO current-mode DAC, and couple that to four Current Mode Amplifiers, which together operate in fully balanced mode to achieve “system-level lossless” purity.

CMA Fifteen supports MQA full decoding

MQA is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of
the original master recording. The master MQA file is fully authenticated and is yet small enough to stream or download.

The CMA Fifteen includes MQA technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording.

CMA Fifteen supports LDAC Bluetooth

As a global member of Sony, we equipped the CMA Fifteen with LDAC Bluetooth. LDAC™ is a new audio technology from Sony that allows you to enjoy high quality wireless audio via Bluetooth. With 3x data transmission rates as compared to traditional Bluetooth, LDAC provides an enhanced wireless listening experience for all your music.

Bring Apple music lossless work to your high-end audio system

The CMA Fifteen supports Apple Music Lossless. In addition to the classic USB Type-B input, the CMA Fifteen now also features a USB Type-C input to solve the wire conversion loss through cables. You can finally enjoy the new experience of high resolution lossless audio online, anytime, anywhere.

*USB Type-C input has priority. When USB Type-C and Type-B are connected at the same time, the system will process the Type-C audio source by default.

CMA Fifteen as a Preamp for your record player

CMA Fifteen now comes with analog inputs on the back of the unit. Connect CMA Fifteen to your record player as a preamp, you can enjoy the best possible sound quality. If you ever get tired of your digital music, the CMA Fifteen can now also take you back to the golden age of records.

Continuity and Inheritance

Questyle believes that the greatest products are born from the smallest details. The CMA Fifteen continues the classic design concept and perfect manufacturing technology of its previous lines of products, while further improving on all the details. Resonance, for example, is always a detail that could easily be ignored in the design process. However, mechanical vibration does indeed affect audio signal processing and the resulting sound. To avoid this resonance, the CMA Fifteen chassis is formed from 10mm-thick aircraft-grade Aluminum 6063, with precise machining tolerances of ±0.02mm.

In designing the CMA Fifteen, we’ve also analyzed the layout balance before and after the machine is connected to cables, to ensure that any inherent resonance is minimized. The CMA Fifteen also has a complete output protection function: if the device fails for any reason or detects other abnormalities, it will automatically cut off the output to protect your headphones and stereo system.

• 10mm aircraft-grade Aluminum 6063
• CNC foot with high density rubber
• Laser etched text for status and volume knob
• LED status indicator

Where to use

• Best partner of headphones
• Preamp for active speaker
• Preamp for Classic HiFi system
• AS Studio monitor

Technical Specifications

Note: Audio specs are based on the test result from Audio Precision AP2722 in Questyle lab, not the theoretical values or the theoretical values of DAC chip.

• AC Input: 100-120V / 220-230V (switchable)
• Power Consuming: <30W
• Size: 330*200*55mm (Jacks are not included.)
• Digital Input:
• USB x 2 (Including a high-priority USB Type-C interface and a USB Type-B interface.)
• PCM: 44.1khz-768kHz/32bit
• DSD: Native DSD 512; DOP DSD 256
• MQA: Full / Core decoder

USB input supports UAC 2.0. It supports Win XP, Vista, Win7, Win8, Win10, Linux, MAC OS and other operating systems. It also can be connected to smartphones supporting OTG audio output.

Note: Windows system under Win10 will need to install the ASIO driver developed by Questyle. Win10 system supports DOP DSD 256 without installing the driver, and supports Native DSD 512 with the driver installed.

• Optical Input x 1: PCM: 44.1kHz~192kHz/24bit
• Coaxial Input x 1: PCM: 44.1kHz~192kHz/24bit
• Bluetooth Input x 1: SBC, AAC, LDAC (At the highest level of 96kHz/24bit, 990kps/909kps)
• Analog Input: RCA x 1, 2Vrms standard level

Headphone Amplifier Output Interface:

• 6.35mm standard headphone jack x1
• 4-PIN balanced headphone jack x1
• 4.4mm balanced headphone jack x1

Note: You can set High/Standard bias through the BIAS switch on the front panel of the headphone amplifier, and set Standard/Low gain through the four Gain switches on the bottom of the headphone amplifier.

Pre-Amp Output Interface:

• XLR x 1
• RCA x 1

Note: The output level can be set by Standard/Studio switch and volume can be controlled by ADJ/FIX switch on the rear panel.

Pre-Amp Output Specs

• Max Analog Output Amplitude:
• RCA: 2V (Standard), Studio mode output up to14dBu
• XLR: 4V (Standard), Studio mode output up to 20dBu
• THD+N:
• RCA: 0.0004%
• XLR: 0.0003%
• Frequency Response: ±0.2dB (DC-22kHz)@48kHz/24bit)
• SNR:
• RCA: >116dB
• XLR: >119dB

Headphone Amplifier Output Specs

• Max Output Power：
• 6.35mm: 188mW @ 300Ω 1.5W @ 32Ω
• 4.4mm balanced / XLR 4-PIN balanced: 765mW @ 300Ω 2W @ 32Ω
• THD+N：
• <0.0003% @300Ω
• <0.001%@32Ω
• Frequency Response: ±0.2dB (DC-22kHz)@44.1kHz/24bit
• SNR：
• 6.35mm: >117dB
• 4.4mm balanced / XLR 4-PIN balanced: >120dB