Dear Z, the reason why you don’t ear any noise is because on their portable gears, Questyle use a noise gate closing after 0,5 sec when their is no signal playing. So when you stop music and try to find noise you won’t. But if you play a very low gain tune, you will hear the pretty high noise of this device. I mean of course on sensitive IEM like the project M.
Not a fan of my audio gear having internal batteries. With a battery, you're only gettin a handful of years out of your equipment. Good luck replacing the battery without breaking the glass or even being able to find that specific battery down the road.
Those batteries are usually all the same other than physical size and capacity. Get a soldering iron, a generic replacement battery, and some plastic pry tools. I kept my ES100 alive by replacing its internal battery. However I see your point.
@spamcan9208 yeah i used to be a pc/phone repair tech at local shop, i know what you mean. Most people will never do that. With phones if you break the glass opening it, you can usually find replacement parts pretty easily. With something like this, that is infinitely more niche and harder to find, not to mention will probably be fazed out by questyle in a year or so, makes that process one even i personally wouldnt want to go through a few years down the road.
Got this on Prime day with $140 off coupon and free leather case, sweet deal. I slapped a MagSafe adhesive ring on the case and voila, works perfectly with my iPhone.
The magsafe-ing it is day and night! Before Questyle made the masgsafe holder for the M15, I was always scared of breaking the USB c connectors while it was in my pocket or getting caught on something. With the massage holder, it made it waaaayy more friendly and worry free!
16:10 Violoncelli are played sitting, whilst the CONTRABASS is played in a standing position. See Sting playing his double bass in the "Every Breath You Take" video.
Glad you love this! My favourite old DAP was their QP1R (never tried 2R or Master) and the lift & enhancements in Macrodynamics + Black Background and the overall heightened emotiveness (can attest to absolute synergy with a few Empire Ears IEM as someone who used it with their old gen Legend Omega CIEM) was unheard and unmatch in other DAPs that I have tried, even for other Giants like Sony and Astell & Kern who on the otherhand holds their own in other sound aspects.
It’s been far too long since I’ve watched a Zeos video. Love my Questyle CMA4i Dac Amp. Would love to get more of their stuff but it’s 2024, for this price, I want a screen. Love their products but I need a screen
@@c34webb Hi. The Questyle CMA18 sounds great and has the widest soundstage between ifi GoBar Gold, Kensei, iBasso DC Elite and Chord Mojo2. Holography/depth and resolution are best and on par with Mojo2. It also has extremly long decay/reverb, which sounds „dreamy“ and like tubes (but not extremly analog…although not really digital). But because of this, dynamics/slam are not on the level of the other 3 (Gold also has not that great dynamics because of slowness and warmness I would say) and imaging can get a little bit diffuse in complex song parts.
I LOVE my DAC/Amp having an exposed PCB so that they can catch all the EMI possible. Looks like an ideal upgrade path from my Topping G5 in this regard.
Is it really that close to Hiby R8 II? I've heard hiby some time ago and I know I will own it someday, when it will be cheaper. It's the best sound I've heard from a portable device.
Yeah, that's my review. It definitely has a very very noticeable noise floor on both low and high gain in any mode be it USB in, Bluetooth in, optical in, or line in. Pure planar IEMs don't let as of the noise through, but even just adding a piezo driver to the planar like the Hook-X and the noise is much louder. Fantastic portable, and a 4.4mm IEMatch totally solves the issue and if you don't know much about how amplifiers work, it can actually get you more dynamic range because it can allow you get get very near max volume in low gain with IEMs using the -12db setting on the IEMatch. The noise for me is not a deal breaker for me because it's solvable, but is very very real and impossible to ignore.
@@Lost1ntheSauc3 Use a better USB cable. zero noise whatsoever. There's also a firmware update for the M15 (not M15i) that helps with the USB filtering and noise. I have absolutely zero noise on my M15 with any IEM so long as I'm using a properly shielded USB cable.
@@Lost1ntheSauc3 yeah I don't know. My M12, M12i, M15, and M15i were all completely silent. I got all of them for review and all were dead silent. Only time I ever had an issue was plugged into my PC with a poorly shielded USB cable. USB cables rated for high power charging like 240w are held to an actual standard because of the high power throughput.
@@rohanvimal2972 the CMA18 by a mile. The Gryphon was the successor to the xCAN and the xCAN was better than the Gryphon for pure sound quality. The CMA18 is leagues better than the xCAN, so there's your answer.
@@pokrog thanks a lot my friend. Considering they provide the same amount of power output balanced (I wanna use them for when I'm travelling with my Fostex T60 RP's) , and have much better sound quality, the cleaner design and simplicity just then makes sense over the gryphon. Thanks a lot for the input!
Just now u r talkin bout dis dacAmps..nowdays iem audiophiliacs r usin' sp3KT(is a player but not this) but with reals tubes military specs sumore N u r so late on doin this...butt2..Peace!
Dear Z, the reason why you don’t ear any noise is because on their portable gears, Questyle use a noise gate closing after 0,5 sec when their is no signal playing. So when you stop music and try to find noise you won’t. But if you play a very low gain tune, you will hear the pretty high noise of this device. I mean of course on sensitive IEM like the project M.
I actually have 2 "silence" tracks that can keep things active. I just have to find them.
Not a fan of my audio gear having internal batteries. With a battery, you're only gettin a handful of years out of your equipment. Good luck replacing the battery without breaking the glass or even being able to find that specific battery down the road.
You mean none replacable batteries?
@Togoth-oz5dg well any battery is replaceable. I guess the correct term would be non user serviceable battery. You know what im saying
Those batteries are usually all the same other than physical size and capacity. Get a soldering iron, a generic replacement battery, and some plastic pry tools. I kept my ES100 alive by replacing its internal battery. However I see your point.
@spamcan9208 yeah i used to be a pc/phone repair tech at local shop, i know what you mean. Most people will never do that. With phones if you break the glass opening it, you can usually find replacement parts pretty easily. With something like this, that is infinitely more niche and harder to find, not to mention will probably be fazed out by questyle in a year or so, makes that process one even i personally wouldnt want to go through a few years down the road.
@@LostMethods I agree, it's basically disposable which is madness for its price.
Got this on Prime day with $140 off coupon and free leather case, sweet deal. I slapped a MagSafe adhesive ring on the case and voila, works perfectly with my iPhone.
The magsafe-ing it is day and night! Before Questyle made the masgsafe holder for the M15, I was always scared of breaking the USB c connectors while it was in my pocket or getting caught on something. With the massage holder, it made it waaaayy more friendly and worry free!
16:10 Violoncelli are played sitting, whilst the CONTRABASS is played in a standing position. See Sting playing his double bass in the "Every Breath You Take" video.
I have been eyeing the 18 for awhile
The paintball episodes of Community, so good! Gotta watch those again. Thanks Zeos!
Nice looking deskmat, lovely image.
6:12 Man that's a good looking view into the board on this one!
Glad you love this! My favourite old DAP was their QP1R (never tried 2R or Master) and the lift & enhancements in Macrodynamics + Black Background and the overall heightened emotiveness (can attest to absolute synergy with a few Empire Ears IEM as someone who used it with their old gen Legend Omega CIEM) was unheard and unmatch in other DAPs that I have tried, even for other Giants like Sony and Astell & Kern who on the otherhand holds their own in other sound aspects.
It’s been far too long since I’ve watched a Zeos video. Love my Questyle CMA4i Dac Amp. Would love to get more of their stuff but it’s 2024, for this price, I want a screen. Love their products but I need a screen
Still waiting for your IBASSO DC elite portable Dac Amp review. 😢😢😢
what song did you play at the beginning?
nice
Im sure its lovely, but I already have a mojo 2 so its hard to even consider another portable dac amp at that level
Would love to see a comparison
@@c34webb Hi. The Questyle CMA18 sounds great and has the widest soundstage between ifi GoBar Gold, Kensei, iBasso DC Elite and Chord Mojo2. Holography/depth and resolution are best and on par with Mojo2. It also has extremly long decay/reverb, which sounds „dreamy“ and like tubes (but not extremly analog…although not really digital). But because of this, dynamics/slam are not on the level of the other 3 (Gold also has not that great dynamics because of slowness and warmness I would say) and imaging can get a little bit diffuse in complex song parts.
I LOVE my DAC/Amp having an exposed PCB so that they can catch all the EMI possible.
Looks like an ideal upgrade path from my Topping G5 in this regard.
Hiby FD5 review?
Yes. Soon.
Watch them oled the v2 of this bad boy
Is it really that close to Hiby R8 II? I've heard hiby some time ago and I know I will own it someday, when it will be cheaper. It's the best sound I've heard from a portable device.
Is there anything coming to market that could replace my ifi go blu? No cable to phone and aptece loseless.
amazon review indicates a noise floor and clicking noises to iem's. I guess that could be a dealbreaker for most people who use this for iem's.
I've noticed that with my M15 too unfortunately :/
It's amazing other than that.
Yeah, that's my review. It definitely has a very very noticeable noise floor on both low and high gain in any mode be it USB in, Bluetooth in, optical in, or line in. Pure planar IEMs don't let as of the noise through, but even just adding a piezo driver to the planar like the Hook-X and the noise is much louder. Fantastic portable, and a 4.4mm IEMatch totally solves the issue and if you don't know much about how amplifiers work, it can actually get you more dynamic range because it can allow you get get very near max volume in low gain with IEMs using the -12db setting on the IEMatch. The noise for me is not a deal breaker for me because it's solvable, but is very very real and impossible to ignore.
@@Lost1ntheSauc3 Use a better USB cable. zero noise whatsoever. There's also a firmware update for the M15 (not M15i) that helps with the USB filtering and noise. I have absolutely zero noise on my M15 with any IEM so long as I'm using a properly shielded USB cable.
@@pokrog Unfortunately it's not regular noise. It's a little buzzing crackle that only seems to happen when it feels like it. Happens on the M12 too.
@@Lost1ntheSauc3 yeah I don't know. My M12, M12i, M15, and M15i were all completely silent. I got all of them for review and all were dead silent. Only time I ever had an issue was plugged into my PC with a poorly shielded USB cable. USB cables rated for high power charging like 240w are held to an actual standard because of the high power throughput.
Z is this better than Fiio Q15? Please answer I'm from Philippines.. Thnank you
I don’t know if you’ll see this comment but how do you record??? What device do you use to record and is it on a chest or head mount?
review the beyerdynamic dt 770 pro x limited edition
This vs the gryphon? What would be your choice Zeos?
This has less features, but simplicity can be a huge selling point.
@@ZReviews and based on sound quality purely, who do you think comes out on top?
@@rohanvimal2972 the CMA18 by a mile. The Gryphon was the successor to the xCAN and the xCAN was better than the Gryphon for pure sound quality. The CMA18 is leagues better than the xCAN, so there's your answer.
@@pokrog thanks a lot my friend. Considering they provide the same amount of power output balanced (I wanna use them for when I'm travelling with my Fostex T60 RP's) , and have much better sound quality, the cleaner design and simplicity just then makes sense over the gryphon. Thanks a lot for the input!
Ummmm 🤔 no please But Thanks for the review Z 👍
I am walking with lotoo mjolnir it's my portable people with airpods don't understand what's going on when they see me
The mojo 2 is better
The fiio m23 should be a contender
Yard Sale
nope
I may leave ^^
Where will you go?
Just now u r talkin bout dis dacAmps..nowdays iem audiophiliacs r usin' sp3KT(is a player but not this) but with reals tubes military specs sumore N u r so late on doin this...butt2..Peace!
I love how this comment was edited but it's still completely incomprehensible to read.
I'd love to meet Master Azlan, must be quite the character.
I don’t think he is that late at this. Most reviewers didn’t try the CMA18 at all… Furthermore DAC/Amps and DAPs aren’t really the same.