Delivery time approx. 2 weeks

Reviews

"I think Questyle has a knockout on their hands. The CMA Eighteen Master is a top of the line performer that scales up headphones and delivers great sound quality. If you want a great sense of space and imaging, a neutral yet impactful sound signature, and to just get lost in the music, this is a great product to check out."

Questyle CMA Eighteen Master Review - Major HiFi

Craftsmanship in pursuit of perfection

Since the launch of the first CMA800 in 2012, every flagship in Questyle's CMA series shares a common soul: current mode amplification technology.

The CMA Fifteen, launched in 2020, was the first to use the flagship ESS current-mode DAC ES8038PRO and combined it with a current mode amplifier. This established the entire current path of the device, and the CMA series entered a new era of full current processing, realizing the design philosophy of "lossless across the entire chain."

Since the flagship DAC/amplifier CMA Fifteen was already nearly perfect three years ago,
the question arose: How can the device be further improved? The answer lies in continuous development. Over the past three years, we have searched for and researched superior designs. The good news is that our latest flagship, the CMA Eighteen Master, meets this demand.

Current Mode Amplification

Current Mode Amplification, which refers to a current mode audio amplifier, 
is a patented technology from Questyle Audio. It is a state-of-the-art audio amplification technology that differs from conventional audio amplifiers.

As the "engine" of the audio system, current mode amplification, with its fully discrete and topological structure, achieves an extremely high sound quality that closely resembles the recording situation and truly moves the audience. 

At the same time, users can achieve a significantly better listening experience based on current mode amplification technology than with conventional devices, even when using their own headphones or speakers instead of the original equipment.

To dissipate the significant heat generated during the processing of ultra-high-resolution
To achieve lossless audio data with the ES9039PRO, we decided to upgrade the circuit board to Rogers material. This material, originally developed for military equipment, rockets, and specialized instruments, costs about 20 times more than conventional materials.

Synchronized performance boost

The performance of the headphone amplifier and the separate preamplifier is improved simultaneously. The latest optimized current-mode amplifier combined with a Rogers circuit board, whose dielectric constant is only one-tenth that of conventional circuit boards, shows a 30% performance increase in distortion tests in the lab compared to the previous generation.

A noticeable improvement is also evident in dynamic range and background noise, which brings the subjective listening experience to the forefront.

• Dielectric constant compared to conventional circuit boards: 1/10
• Improvement in distortion performance by 30%

The headphone amplifier features a fully symmetrical architecture as well as APLS quad analog potentiometers and a peak current output of up to 3 A, allowing the CMA Eighteen Master's headphone amplifier to unleash the full potential of all high-end headphones.

The digital power supply and the amp/DAC power supply of the CMA Eighteen Master are completely independent, ensuring the purest signal processing. An independent NORATEL toroidal transformer and a Schottky rectifier supply the analog side of the DAC with the purest power.

The new flagship: CMA Eighteen Master 

The CMA Eighteen Master has been upgraded to the XMOS X316 USB platform and supports D/A conversion up to PCM768/DSD512. It also supports both USB-B and USB-C interfaces, avoiding quality loss and unstable high-resolution data transfers caused by the need for conversion adapters related to the recent switch to
USB-C ports on PCs.

• Exceptional D/A converter capabilities: PCM768 | 32 bit
• Latest XMOS USB platform: XU316

The Bluetooth mode of the CMA Eighteen Master has been updated and now supports both aptX HD and LDAC, ensuring optimal wireless sound quality with a stable wireless connection.

Part tribute, part praise

The CMA Eighteen Master embodies Questyle's clear design language and impresses with a sandblasted, matte CNC front panel, complemented by laser-engraved dark lettering, mechanical toggle switches, and amber control lights – a tribute to the previous generation, the CMA Fifteen.

Technical Data  

Specifications of Inputs and Outputs

Digital Inputs

• USB: With a high-priority USB Type-C interface and a USB Type-B interface.
• PCM: 44.1 kHz–768 kHz/32 Bit
• Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DSD512; 
• DoP DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256; 
• The USB input supports UAC 2.0.
• Supports Win XP / Vista / Win7 / Win8 / Win10 / Win11 / Linux / Android / HarmonyOS / macOS and iOS

Note: On Windows systems under Win10, the ASIO driver developed by Questyle must be installed. Win10 supports DoP DSD 256 without driver installation and Native DSD 512 with the driver installed.

• Optical Input: Supports PCM: 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz/24 Bit
• Coaxial Input: Supports PCM: 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz/24 Bit
• Bluetooth Input: Supports SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-HD, LDAC (up to 96 kHz/24 Bit, 990 kbps/909 kbps) 

Analog RCA Input: Standard level 2 Vrms

Headphone Amplifier Output Interface: 4.4 mm headphone jack (balanced)/4-pin headphone jack (balanced)/6.35 mm standard headphone jack

Note: The BIAS switch on the front of the headphone amplifier allows you to set the gain to "High" or "Standard," and the four gain switches on the bottom of the headphone amplifier allow you to set the gain to "Standard" or "Low."

Preamplifier Output Interface: XLR x 1, RCA x 1

(Note: The output level can be set via the Standard/Studio switch and the volume adjusted via the ADJ/FIX switch on the back.)

Technical Data Headphone Amplifier

Maximum Output Power (PO): 6.35 mm: 188 mW at 300 Ω; 1.5 W at 32 Ω
4.4 mm balanced / XLR 4-pin balanced: 765 mW at 300 Ω; 2 W at 32 Ω

THD+N: <0.0003%
Frequency Response: ±0.2 dB (DC–22 kHz) at 48 kHz/24 Bit
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): 6.35 mm: >117 dB; 4.4 mm balanced/XLR 4-pin, Balanced: >120 dB

Technical Data Preamplifier

Maximum Analog Output Level: RCA: 2 V (STANDARD), output increased to 14 dBu in Studio Mode XLR: 4 V (STANDARD), output increased to 20 dBu in Studio Mode

THD+N: <0.0003%
Frequency Response: ±0.2 dB (DC–22 kHz) at 48 kHz/24 Bit
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): RCA: >116 dB; XLR: >119 dB