I've had my Questyle CMA Fifteen for about 1 year and I can't agree more with your review. It is on my desktop and I use to pre a pair of active monitors and of course for headphones. It is sleek, compact and I love to see it and touch it and flick switches and turn volume. The sound is wonderfully neutral but musical and dynamic. It makes my HE1000se headphones slam and my HD800S sing. In my main system I have a pair of Holo KTE edition May and Serene and a Vertere DG1 turntable and Phono1 phono pre. My phono pre and the single ended outs from May go into my Feliks Audio Euphoria AE via an RCA switch and back into single ended input 1 of Serene (May also goes in balanced XLR into Serene). I will often use my headphones into Serene headphone out but have Serene input set to pre-outs on Feliks at mid on vol. and it is sublime. I am just saying this to point out that on a ~$12k USD chain the sound is exceptional and although the CMA Fifteen not at same level, it is not a significant obvious step down. I can't AB these setups as no in proximity so maybe if I could it would be more apparent but when I'm in my office on the CMA Fifteen I'm not feeling anything missing to the point it is an obvious issue. That is exceptional given price and form factor. I seriously doubt an AB with anything in less than a 2X or even 3X price multiple will perform better in any noticeable manner. This product is an absolute no brainer purchase for desktop applications for nearfield and headphone application.
What an excellent review! I enjoyed your enthusiasm and passion for this product. And the content of the review was highly informative. More reviews of hi-fi products should looks at this one and model the process. I ended up buying the Twelve because I couldn't budget the funds for the Fifteen. But I admit, I am absolutely loving the Twelve. Thanks and best wishes.
I listened to this at CanJam London a few weeks ago. It was my surprise of the show. I can't stand ESS DACs, yet it sounded amazing. I listened with my personal ZMF Atrium for over 15 mins. It sounded incredible.
I bought one a few months ago ... Sold my Ifi Ican signature and element i2 ... It just sounds so good ... So much impact and details just flow , not pushed at you ... Just flow ... It's an incredible all in one
@@chungang7037 ifi Ican , very warm. Sometimes muffled sounding by comparison. Without the bass boost , it sound flat and lifeless , small soundstage. By comparison the cma doesn't have the bass boost , but I don't feel I need it as the presentation is already very authoritive. Seperation is muuuuch better on the cma. More air. More organic. Just a better package honestly. It's a master of what it doesn't , and the Ifi is trying to be a jack of all trades , but not reaching master level.
@@chungang7037 yeah try it out ... Personally I've always listened to my ifi Ican signature on the tube mode.. so I guess my impressions primarily from that sound sig
Such an excellent device and this was a fantastic review. I had been on the fence between this and a Burson Conductor 3X GT and it was your comments in one of the groups that aided in nudging me toward this one. Very glad indeed, it suits my headphone collection perfectly. It also feels considerably more powerful that its relatively modest 2W output would suggest..
CMA400I was my first desktop "hi-end" combo. I had a Twelve for few month's, and kind of thinking to get back to Questyle. Fifteen has a line in, wich is nice since I have a tube pre, and few dac's. The headphone output is really state of the art. Hope that Questyle will develop a stand alone amp sometime in the future. But sadly no AES\EBU or I2S, the Twelve had one. And no balanced in(they could to a 4,4 in like The Fiio K9 Pro has). Hope that the next model will be "complete". Oh and the stupid gain switches, the same annoying solution from the 400i to the Fifteen, why? Still the best combo unit on the market. And it does not take 2 hours to warm up to sound good, as my Audio Gd Master 9... Great review , substantive and detailed :)
Awesome review! Your opinion matters a lot to me. I’m curious about the vocals that you pointed out to be outside of your head and in front. Does the holo audio dac or amp does that too? Pushing the vocals out. What is your opinion on that and what other dac/amp you know does that?
Oh most definitely, something like this spring or May throws the vocals out so far ahead of you it feels like you’re in a stage Or chord Dave where every element of sound is separated with a massive space between instruments, as if you can see all around it In fact, CMA is more intimate than some of these ones. I just mention. But it’s so articulate and well done, it’s shockingly good
sounds like the perfect option for me. for various reasons i need to be able to at the very least throw my audio gear in a suitcase, and a lot of the stacked setups that people recommend for hard to drive planars are far too inconvenient to throw in a suitcase. i plan to get the abyss diana tc before the susvaras and run them off a portable dac/amp. but when i go for a true end-game setup this + susvara seems like about as good as i can get without a massive stack.
As an all in one backpack worthy, most definitely, it’s perfect for the majority of the right people to be honest All of this equipment here, and it’s my daily driver underneath the C2 monitor
Absolutely LOVING my CMA Twelve Master which I purchased largely in part of your review of this Fifteen. Wanting to squeeze every last bit of performance from my Twelve has made me consider a DDC in the same price range. Can you guess approximately when your DDC shoutout will be released? Thank you.
Thank you, it’s very much appreciated, check this out HOLO AUDIO RED STREAMER & DDC IFI NEO STREAM and ZEN STREAM. Welcome to the Network streamer wars ua-cam.com/video/3dkWOT5Pgbo/v-deo.html
Looks and sounds like a unicorn 🦄…for the money . My question is ..if not using a top tier headphone..does it work a Sen’s 650 to new and surprising levels of performance?
I don’t see why not, and it can be a nice staple and stable unit on your desk Control your monitors, whenever you get those two, I love this thing it’s never leaving my freaking desk You know what equipment we have here there is no need for me to have this here too LOL. Apart from the fact it’s fantastic
I use with HD600 as well as HD800S and HE1000se, IE600 and Fiio FH9 iems and all sound great. Can't comment specifically to HD650s though as I don't have, but the 600s do scale vs. for example my iFi Diablo in terms of resolution while not being more fatiguing.
Thank you for this great review. Love your videos. I have mine the second week and i love it. At the moment it´s on my deskop system (MBP M1 Pro + Audioquest Jitterbug + Audirvana 3.5) but i think about to replace my Gustard X26 Pro + Flux Labs FA-10 HPA in my main system to connect to a Auralic Aries G2. I´m using ZMF VC and Kennerton Rognir Planar as my main HPs. Love the overall sound quality (as you perfectly described) but for my listening volume (9-9,5 o´clock) i wish a bit more room like 11-12 o´clock range (all on Low Gain). The Gain selector at the bottom doesn´t bother me. Did you tried the Bias Mode? What´s your impression about it?
First and foremost, thank you so much I appreciate your kind words ❤️🐅 Yes I did they should have been a section in the review, but I think the footage might have gotten lost, but I am going to come back to this unit later on anyways, and I will cover certain aspects that I would like to concentrate on including Bluetooth I’ll be honest with you for the first five hours I did not detect anything But now it’s instantaneous, When the switch is up, it feels as though you get less authority in the subbase, slightly cooler sound, and as if somebody is cleaning a window, a bit more revealing Dropping the switch down, warms up the sound, and it seems to provide tremendous amounts of juice, specially on hard to drive headphones In my use case, 80% of the time, depending on the tonality of the headphones, the switch is down
One more thing, after going back and forth many, many times, I cannot tell one single bit of difference between the front panel bias switch set to high or to standard. Can anyone tell a difference on theirs?
I have had mine for almost a year now, wonderful device, but I also struggle to discern any difference. The best I could manage, and it is most likely just placebo, is not when rapidly switching back and forth but leaving it on for a while and finding it sounds slightly different after a while. But it’s a long while and I am probably just telling myself it sounds a fraction warmer.
The amp section will do a better job, but the DAC, no chance the Dave will destroy it Grab a holo bliss to pair with your Dave, it will be remarkable. I’ve had it here
I'm not sure why but the Questyle CMA headphone amps always reminded me of the Auralic Taurus MkIi even though they look nothing a like and the Taurus doesn't have a built-in DAC.
Hi, Questyle + HD800S, Is it good or maybe excellent synergy beetween this two ? Ps. I always wait with excitement for you reviews, thank you for your extraordinary work & passion !
Thanks, that will be great ! I have one more question: How you compare Questyle to Sennheiser Hdv820 and Ferrum stack (Oor+Hypsos), is it the same level of perfomance ?
@@BilllieJean-e9y CMA-15 is an all in one, I think the HTVD 820 is the better comparison than the other You might be able to grab them both for the same price these days maybe the sennhei will be cheaper I would give stage to the HTVD, but everything else these days I think we’ll go to CMA but it’s been a very long time since I’ve heard it and I sold mine years ago
I have used my HD800S on the Questyle CMA Fifteen for a year now and it pairs great. Acoustic, Jazz, vocals, classical are all extremely transparent and musical in a non fatiguing manner. For Rock or electronic you do have the slam limitation of the HD800S so my first choice for these may lie elsewhere but by no means are they bad or just ok. For this I use HE1000se and trust me there is NO issue with bass slam!
I know it’s not a straight apples to apples comparison, but how would you compare the Bravura to say this and a TOTL headphone? That would be around the same price, and they’re both “ condensed” systems you seem to really enjoy
Possibly this and caldera or are used as US might be a fantastic system But you’re missing out on the electrostatic speed, transparency and resolution, which quite honestly is significantly higher than the $3000 headphones
Would you recommend QUESTYLE CMA FIFTEEN to pair nicely with HiFiMan Arya Stealth over something like Chord Quest? Great video, and fantastic channel. Insta sub :)
Hi, first and foremost welcome to the fam 🐅 I think I responded to one of your comments on another video, yes, with a stealth, it’s gonna be more than great to be honest with you
@@omenworks purifi power, amp, gold point stepped attenuator spring to from holo audio extreme addition used This might take you a little over your budget, but it will yield a higher performance level, but a lot of boxes and a lot of faffing around Including adapter, cables et cetera, but I think it might be worth it Not with stealth with V2 Ferrum lineup with HYPSOS might tally up to $2500 as well, which might be another good combo
@@omenworks honestly, jumping in the CMA telegram chat public one is the best way to get to me. I will be able to answer questions a lot more in depth, it’s very difficult to keep up with UA-cam comments at the same time LOL and I feel bad about it. I feel like that little hamster in the ball LOL. I keep running and running every time I get out of the ball it seems like I’m in the same place 😂 but I’m glad you found it useful
Apologies, that unit left a very long time ago, if it comes back in, I will place the comment here, and revisit, there’s a fantastic deal going on right now I’m hoping to snag one What if I was to hazard an educated guess, this unit is current drive sort of, I think it will power it perfectly synergy wise I can’t tell
@@ConvinceMeAudioFinally I got CMA15, it's the best bass and transient I've ever heard, so fast and punchy and intuitive, easy to operate, soundstage not the best, but enough depth. But not great synergy with Diana V2, I feel Diana V2 very congested and filled with massive amount of details in a tiny box, midrange somewhat distracted by all those details, it sounds busy and dry, while cheap ifi zen stack convey emotions better in this regard even though they don't have the same level of technical ability as CMA15 does. But CMA15 is a very very nice neutral sounding dac/amp, it serves my active speakers and other headphones very well, no complaint.
@@newkid7 unfortunately, synergy is a big thing, and sometimes it plays a role I’ve only seen Diana truly open up on very powerful amplifiers in much higher categories The benchmark for one
@@ConvinceMeAudio Yeah what a pity, it has beautiful midrange, but I'd never spend that amount of money on amplifiers like GSX mini, Xiaudio Broadway etc, so I'll probably never hear the full potential from it, have to let it go for some big sounding headphones.
Unfortunately i have already the fifteen (bought before the Bliss). So my question is how much better would the spring be with selling the fifteen. Is an exchange worth it?
@@ConvinceMeAudio I just acquired the CMA Twelve Master and set it on Standard but didn't shut it off to switch to Lo yet. I purchased it mainly due to your glowing review of the Fifteen and let me just say THIS THING IS FANTASTIC! My HEK V2 Stealth sound so freaking good on the Twelve Master that I couldn't justify keeping my Holo stack driving my Susvara. I sold the whole thing. The V2 Stealth and TM sounds like it has more speed and air than the previous Holo/Susvara system. I'm absolutely blown away. Thank you for making phenomenal content! Much appreciated.
@@mr.dynamite2543 CMA 15 is a beast, I am very glad the 12 lives up to its reputation as well I love it, it’s a unit that can do it all and does not break the bank compare to other flagship equipment
@@ConvinceMeAudio I watched the Tungsten review, and you said that you tested them with the Questyle CMA 15, so I guess they work. But does the CMA 15 drive them well?
Ok... I know it's tough to answer these kinds of questions but I have to ask. Regarding classical music, if you valued detail, spaciousness, separation of instruments on a stage and The ability to handle complex passages from a full orchestra, would you choose the CMA 15 driving a HE1000 SE or a Bravura system? Or are they even? Or is it too difficult because everything is subjective? Thank you.
The intro just drew me in. Felt like I was watching a National Geographic doc for headphone amps
🐅❤️ cheers bud,
I agree dope intro.
I've had my Questyle CMA Fifteen for about 1 year and I can't agree more with your review. It is on my desktop and I use to pre a pair of active monitors and of course for headphones. It is sleek, compact and I love to see it and touch it and flick switches and turn volume. The sound is wonderfully neutral but musical and dynamic. It makes my HE1000se headphones slam and my HD800S sing. In my main system I have a pair of Holo KTE edition May and Serene and a Vertere DG1 turntable and Phono1 phono pre. My phono pre and the single ended outs from May go into my Feliks Audio Euphoria AE via an RCA switch and back into single ended input 1 of Serene (May also goes in balanced XLR into Serene). I will often use my headphones into Serene headphone out but have Serene input set to pre-outs on Feliks at mid on vol. and it is sublime. I am just saying this to point out that on a ~$12k USD chain the sound is exceptional and although the CMA Fifteen not at same level, it is not a significant obvious step down. I can't AB these setups as no in proximity so maybe if I could it would be more apparent but when I'm in my office on the CMA Fifteen I'm not feeling anything missing to the point it is an obvious issue. That is exceptional given price and form factor. I seriously doubt an AB with anything in less than a 2X or even 3X price multiple will perform better in any noticeable manner. This product is an absolute no brainer purchase for desktop applications for nearfield and headphone application.
I am looking forward to hearing the new Eighteen Master at CanJam London this year 😊
Looks like a very legit All in One DAC/Amp combo. I'd consider this if I was looking for an All in One. Nice Review
What an excellent review! I enjoyed your enthusiasm and passion for this product. And the content of the review was highly informative. More reviews of hi-fi products should looks at this one and model the process. I ended up buying the Twelve because I couldn't budget the funds for the Fifteen. But I admit, I am absolutely loving the Twelve. Thanks and best wishes.
A heartfelt, thank you I appreciate it
I hope you enjoy the product, and welcome to the fam 🐅
Queststyle came out with an update called the cma 18 master. They actually have balanced outputs now 🎉. I hope you will be able to review this one.
I listened to this at CanJam London a few weeks ago. It was my surprise of the show. I can't stand ESS DACs, yet it sounded amazing. I listened with my personal ZMF Atrium for over 15 mins. It sounded incredible.
I bought one a few months ago ... Sold my Ifi Ican signature and element i2 ... It just sounds so good ... So much impact and details just flow , not pushed at you ... Just flow ... It's an incredible all in one
I am currently considering an IFcan signature, can you describe the differences?
@@chungang7037 ifi Ican , very warm. Sometimes muffled sounding by comparison. Without the bass boost , it sound flat and lifeless , small soundstage. By comparison the cma doesn't have the bass boost , but I don't feel I need it as the presentation is already very authoritive. Seperation is muuuuch better on the cma. More air. More organic. Just a better package honestly. It's a master of what it doesn't , and the Ifi is trying to be a jack of all trades , but not reaching master level.
@@mikylenaidoo1779 I guess the question is more if someone would miss the tube modes. Thanks, I will have to try both out...
@@chungang7037 yeah try it out ... Personally I've always listened to my ifi Ican signature on the tube mode.. so I guess my impressions primarily from that sound sig
Yet another descriptive, thorough and well worded review. Well done, sir.
Such an excellent device and this was a fantastic review. I had been on the fence between this and a Burson Conductor 3X GT and it was your comments in one of the groups that aided in nudging me toward this one. Very glad indeed, it suits my headphone collection perfectly. It also feels considerably more powerful that its relatively modest 2W output would suggest..
CMA400I was my first desktop "hi-end" combo. I had a Twelve for few month's, and kind of thinking to get back to Questyle. Fifteen has a line in, wich is nice since I have a tube pre, and few dac's. The headphone output is really state of the art. Hope that Questyle will develop a stand alone amp sometime in the future. But sadly no AES\EBU or I2S, the Twelve had one. And no balanced in(they could to a 4,4 in like The Fiio K9 Pro has). Hope that the next model will be "complete". Oh and the stupid gain switches, the same annoying solution from the 400i to the Fifteen, why? Still the best combo unit on the market. And it does not take 2 hours to warm up to sound good, as my Audio Gd Master 9... Great review , substantive and detailed :)
Awesome review! Your opinion matters a lot to me.
I’m curious about the vocals that you pointed out to be outside of your head and in front. Does the holo audio dac or amp does that too? Pushing the vocals out.
What is your opinion on that and what other dac/amp you know does that?
Oh most definitely, something like this spring or May throws the vocals out so far ahead of you it feels like you’re in a stage
Or chord Dave where every element of sound is separated with a massive space between instruments, as if you can see all around it
In fact, CMA is more intimate than some of these ones. I just mention. But it’s so articulate and well done, it’s shockingly good
I have the questyle cma800r golden and have been quite happy. Pairs well with hd800s, Utopia, and AT adx5K
I tend to favour tube amps for my HD800s. This review makes me think I might want to give this a try though...
sounds like the perfect option for me. for various reasons i need to be able to at the very least throw my audio gear in a suitcase, and a lot of the stacked setups that people recommend for hard to drive planars are far too inconvenient to throw in a suitcase. i plan to get the abyss diana tc before the susvaras and run them off a portable dac/amp. but when i go for a true end-game setup this + susvara seems like about as good as i can get without a massive stack.
As an all in one backpack worthy, most definitely, it’s perfect for the majority of the right people to be honest
All of this equipment here, and it’s my daily driver underneath the C2 monitor
Great Intro°!
Hi great review as always. How close do you think the CMA Fifteen can power the Abyss 1266 TC Phi headphones to their full potential.
Absolutely LOVING my CMA Twelve Master which I purchased largely in part of your review of this Fifteen. Wanting to squeeze every last bit of performance from my Twelve has made me consider a DDC in the same price range. Can you guess approximately when your DDC shoutout will be released? Thank you.
Thank you, it’s very much appreciated, check this out HOLO AUDIO RED STREAMER & DDC IFI NEO STREAM and ZEN STREAM. Welcome to the Network streamer wars
ua-cam.com/video/3dkWOT5Pgbo/v-deo.html
@@ConvinceMeAudioThanks buddy!
Looks and sounds like a unicorn 🦄…for the money .
My question is ..if not using a top tier headphone..does it work a Sen’s 650 to new and surprising levels of performance?
I don’t see why not, and it can be a nice staple and stable unit on your desk
Control your monitors, whenever you get those two, I love this thing it’s never leaving my freaking desk
You know what equipment we have here there is no need for me to have this here too LOL. Apart from the fact it’s fantastic
@@ConvinceMeAudio well, you’ve given me food for thought..a veritable banquet!
Thank you Koji .
I use with HD600 as well as HD800S and HE1000se, IE600 and Fiio FH9 iems and all sound great. Can't comment specifically to HD650s though as I don't have, but the 600s do scale vs. for example my iFi Diablo in terms of resolution while not being more fatiguing.
@@mimofi interesting 🤔, thanks for the feedback 🍕👍
Thank you for this great review. Love your videos. I have mine the second week and i love it. At the moment it´s on my deskop system (MBP M1 Pro + Audioquest Jitterbug + Audirvana 3.5) but i think about to replace my Gustard X26 Pro + Flux Labs FA-10 HPA in my main system to connect to a Auralic Aries G2. I´m using ZMF VC and Kennerton Rognir Planar as my main HPs. Love the overall sound quality (as you perfectly described) but for my listening volume (9-9,5 o´clock) i wish a bit more room like 11-12 o´clock range (all on Low Gain). The Gain selector at the bottom doesn´t bother me.
Did you tried the Bias Mode? What´s your impression about it?
First and foremost, thank you so much I appreciate your kind words ❤️🐅
Yes I did they should have been a section in the review, but I think the footage might have gotten lost, but I am going to come back to this unit later on anyways, and I will cover certain aspects that I would like to concentrate on including Bluetooth
I’ll be honest with you for the first five hours I did not detect anything
But now it’s instantaneous,
When the switch is up, it feels as though you get less authority in the subbase, slightly cooler sound, and as if somebody is cleaning a window, a bit more revealing
Dropping the switch down, warms up the sound, and it seems to provide tremendous amounts of juice, specially on hard to drive headphones
In my use case, 80% of the time, depending on the tonality of the headphones, the switch is down
One more thing, after going back and forth many, many times, I cannot tell one single bit of difference between the front panel bias switch set to high or to standard. Can anyone tell a difference on theirs?
Don’t do that, set it on one listen for an hour change it. It will take a couple of days genuinely took me six hours LOL
Once you hear it, and you realise the difference, you will never be able to and hear it LOL
@@ConvinceMeAudio okay, I'll try it. Thank you.
I have had mine for almost a year now, wonderful device, but I also struggle to discern any difference. The best I could manage, and it is most likely just placebo, is not when rapidly switching back and forth but leaving it on for a while and finding it sounds slightly different after a while. But it’s a long while and I am probably just telling myself it sounds a fraction warmer.
Thanks for making this great video! I wonder what are your top 3 pick amps which under $3000 price range? 🙏
Hmmm HoloAudio Bliss
Benchmark ahb2
Ferrum OOR
@@ConvinceMeAudio will u prefer oor with hypsos than soloist 3x gt for considering the smaller form factor?
@@RussellWong2010 unfortunately, I’ve not reviewed any of the products from the first one, so I really find it difficult to say
@@ConvinceMeAudioreally appreciate for yr sharing, u already help me alot for choosing the proper amp!🙏🏼
Hi, Great review
Would thus stand up to the Chord Dave, which I currently have had for the last 3 years ?
Regards, Dean.
The amp section will do a better job, but the DAC, no chance the Dave will destroy it
Grab a holo bliss to pair with your Dave, it will be remarkable. I’ve had it here
I'm not sure why but the Questyle CMA headphone amps always reminded me of the Auralic Taurus MkIi even though they look nothing a like and the Taurus doesn't have a built-in DAC.
Questyle CMA800 and Violectric V280/1 were the Taurus Mkii's ubiquitous main competition back then.
Hi, Questyle + HD800S, Is it good or maybe excellent synergy beetween this two ? Ps. I always wait with excitement for you reviews, thank you for your extraordinary work & passion !
I have both of them set up, I’ll have a listening session for you and give you 100% accurate description, in a moment, but yes it does a good job
Thanks, that will be great ! I have one more question: How you compare Questyle to Sennheiser Hdv820 and Ferrum stack (Oor+Hypsos), is it the same level of perfomance ?
@@BilllieJean-e9y CMA-15 is an all in one, I think the HTVD 820 is the better comparison than the other
You might be able to grab them both for the same price these days maybe the sennhei will be cheaper
I would give stage to the HTVD, but everything else these days I think we’ll go to CMA but it’s been a very long time since I’ve heard it and I sold mine years ago
I have used my HD800S on the Questyle CMA Fifteen for a year now and it pairs great. Acoustic, Jazz, vocals, classical are all extremely transparent and musical in a non fatiguing manner. For Rock or electronic you do have the slam limitation of the HD800S so my first choice for these may lie elsewhere but by no means are they bad or just ok. For this I use HE1000se and trust me there is NO issue with bass slam!
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thanks I know it's not fair but if you can compare ferrum stack and Questyle :) ?
Amazing review, how does it match with the Meze 109 Pro?
Awesome vid! Is it enough power for Dan Clark Expanse?
It shouldn’t be any problem, yes.
Thanks! 🙌🏽🙌🏽@@ConvinceMeAudio
I know it’s not a straight apples to apples comparison, but how would you compare the Bravura to say this and a TOTL headphone? That would be around the same price, and they’re both “ condensed” systems you seem to really enjoy
Possibly this and caldera or are used as US might be a fantastic system
But you’re missing out on the electrostatic speed, transparency and resolution, which quite honestly is significantly higher than the $3000 headphones
@@ConvinceMeAudio ah ok so the bravura does still offer quite a bit more. Thanks!
@@MMRSean as it stands yes, but you can grow with SUS. That’s the thing if you get a used one and a CMA 15
Hi again, i know you didn’t review Utopia 2022, but what you think, it will be the synergy with this Dac/Amp ?
I don’t see it being an issue I think you’ll be fine absolutely no problem
Thanks, and what you think about comparison with Chord hugo TT2, it will be so much better than Questyle especially with the New Utopia ?
.... And Burson Conductor GT :)
Would you recommend QUESTYLE CMA FIFTEEN to pair nicely with HiFiMan Arya Stealth over something like Chord Quest?
Great video, and fantastic channel. Insta sub :)
Hi, first and foremost welcome to the fam 🐅
I think I responded to one of your comments on another video, yes, with a stealth, it’s gonna be more than great to be honest with you
Thank you for the swift reply. Would you recommend other setups that will bring the most out of Arya's in a similar price range to Queststyle?
@@omenworks purifi power, amp, gold point stepped attenuator spring to from holo audio extreme addition used
This might take you a little over your budget, but it will yield a higher performance level, but a lot of boxes and a lot of faffing around
Including adapter, cables et cetera, but I think it might be worth it
Not with stealth with V2
Ferrum lineup with HYPSOS might tally up to $2500 as well, which might be another good combo
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thank you so much for the recommendations :)
@@omenworks honestly, jumping in the CMA telegram chat public one is the best way to get to me. I will be able to answer questions a lot more in depth, it’s very difficult to keep up with UA-cam comments at the same time LOL and I feel bad about it.
I feel like that little hamster in the ball LOL. I keep running and running every time I get out of the ball it seems like I’m in the same place 😂 but I’m glad you found it useful
Looking at the power specs, the 15 doesn't seem that powerful at all for the money. Are the current output specs somehow interpreted differently?
It’s a current drive
How does Diana V2 sound on this? Highly recommend?
Apologies, that unit left a very long time ago, if it comes back in, I will place the comment here, and revisit, there’s a fantastic deal going on right now I’m hoping to snag one
What if I was to hazard an educated guess, this unit is current drive sort of, I think it will power it perfectly synergy wise I can’t tell
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thanks for the reply!
@@ConvinceMeAudioFinally I got CMA15, it's the best bass and transient I've ever heard, so fast and punchy and intuitive, easy to operate, soundstage not the best, but enough depth. But not great synergy with Diana V2, I feel Diana V2 very congested and filled with massive amount of details in a tiny box, midrange somewhat distracted by all those details, it sounds busy and dry, while cheap ifi zen stack convey emotions better in this regard even though they don't have the same level of technical ability as CMA15 does. But CMA15 is a very very nice neutral sounding dac/amp, it serves my active speakers and other headphones very well, no complaint.
@@newkid7 unfortunately, synergy is a big thing, and sometimes it plays a role
I’ve only seen Diana truly open up on very powerful amplifiers in much higher categories
The benchmark for one
@@ConvinceMeAudio Yeah what a pity, it has beautiful midrange, but I'd never spend that amount of money on amplifiers like GSX mini, Xiaudio Broadway etc, so I'll probably never hear the full potential from it, have to let it go for some big sounding headphones.
Is CMA fifteen as DAC for the HoloAudio Bliss a good combination?
Don’t buy it for that purpose, no it’s a fantastic all in one, but if you already have Bliss I recommend getting spring 3 KTE around the same price
Unfortunately i have already the fifteen (bought before the Bliss). So my question is how much better would the spring be with selling the fifteen. Is an exchange worth it?
@@inn3B as a DAC exclusively yes, the spring is definitely a big jump up
@@inn3B more organic, realistic, smooth, much bigger stage, and life like
Thanks for your help. The Bliss blows me away, cannot imagine that this could be even better.
I have the HiFiman HE 1000 V2 Stealth at 32ohms and 93db.
Should I use the "Lo" or "Standard" settings for the gain switches on the bottom?
Definitely standard 100%
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thank you sir.
@@mr.dynamite2543 you’re welcome 😎🐅
@@ConvinceMeAudio I just acquired the CMA Twelve Master and set it on Standard but didn't shut it off to switch to Lo yet.
I purchased it mainly due to your glowing review of the Fifteen and let me just say THIS THING IS FANTASTIC! My HEK V2 Stealth sound so freaking good on the Twelve Master that I couldn't justify keeping my Holo stack driving my Susvara. I sold the whole thing.
The V2 Stealth and TM sounds like it has more speed and air than the previous Holo/Susvara system.
I'm absolutely blown away.
Thank you for making phenomenal content! Much appreciated.
@@mr.dynamite2543 CMA 15 is a beast, I am very glad the 12 lives up to its reputation as well
I love it, it’s a unit that can do it all and does not break the bank compare to other flagship equipment
Has anyone tried this with the Modhouse Tungsten yet?
The review is on the channel
@@ConvinceMeAudio I watched the Tungsten review, and you said that you tested them with the Questyle CMA 15, so I guess they work. But does the CMA 15 drive them well?
Ok... I know it's tough to answer these kinds of questions but I have to ask.
Regarding classical music, if you valued detail, spaciousness, separation of instruments on a stage and The ability to handle complex passages from a full orchestra, would you choose the CMA 15 driving a HE1000 SE or a Bravura system? Or are they even? Or is it too difficult because everything is subjective? Thank you.
It’s not even close bravura for technicality
@@ConvinceMeAudio Thank you.