CMA Eighteen Master Flagship Desktop DAC/Amps

The New Flagship: CMA Eighteen Master

The Pursuit of Excellence in an Upgraded flagship

CMA Eighteen Master

CMA Eighteen Master embodies all the qualities of a new flagship with its outstanding performance, and stands at the pinnacle of Questyle desktop technology

The Pursuit of Excellence

As the flagship DAC/amp of its time, the CMA Fifteen was almost perfect in 2020. The question then arose, how to improve it further? After much exploration and research into superior designs, the result is Questyle's latest flagship, the CMA Eighteen Master.

Global PCT Patent Number: US 9,614,483 B2

Current Mode Amplification

Current Mode Amplification , referring to a Current Mode Audio Amplifier, is a patented technology of Questyle Audio. It is a state-of-the-art technology of audio amplification different from the traditional audio amplifier. As the “engine” of audio system, Current Mode Amplification,driving headphones or speakers work and has a great impact on the hearing experience.

Given that it operates in the current domain, the low impedance characteristics of the current-mode circuit result in a bandwidth of up to 1MHz and distortion as low as 0.0003%, capturing details hidden in the soundtracks.From the deepest bass of a cathedral organ,to the heaviest guitar melodies in the hard rock,it will capture the subtiest details hidden deep within tracks that makes the audience truly moved.

CMA Eighteen Master chose the latest flagship DAC ES9039Pro released by ESS, which has the highest performance of the global mass production DAC. ES9039Pro has 8 independent DAC cores. When applying on the CMA Eighteen Master, we will connect each 4 kernels to build a powerful stereo DAC link.

To dissipate the substantial heat generated by processing ultra-high-definition lossless audio data with the ES9039PRO, we decided to upgrade the PCB to Rogers material.The latest optimized Current Mode Amplifier, combined with a Rogers board with a dielectric constant only 1/10th of regular PCBs, shows a 30% improvement of performance in distortion test in the laboratory compared to the previous generation. There is also a noticeable improvement in the dynamic range and background tranquility, focusing on the subjective listening experience.

Synchronized Performance Enhancement

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

The CMA Eighteen Master powers its digital and analog components entirely seperately, ensuring the purest signal processing. An independent NORATEL toroidal transformer and Schottky rectifier provide the cleanest power to the analog side of the DAC.

Fully Upgraded Design

The CMA Eighteen Master has been upgraded to the XMOS X316 USB platform, which supports D/A conversion up to PCM768/DSD512. It also provides both USB-B and USB-C jacks for direct connection to a wide range of devices including PCs and phones.

The CMA Eighteen Master’s Bluetooth mode has been upgraded to support both aptX HD and LDAC, ensuring optimal wireless sound quality and a stable connection.

PCM 384

Exceptional D/A converting capabilities

24 Bit
ES 0 PRO

ESS Flagship DAC

XU 316

Latest XMOS USB platform

Half Reverence, Half Praise

The CMA Eighteen Master embodies Questyle's pure design aesthetic. 

Featuring a sandblasted matte CNC panel complemented by laser-engraved text, mechanical toggle switches, and amber indicator lights. The design pays homage to Questyle's previous flagship, the CMA Fifteen.

Specification

Input/Output Interface Specifications
  • Digital Input:
    USB Including a high-priority USB Type-C interface and a USB Type-B interface
    PCM: 44.1kHz-768kHz/32Bit Native
    Native DSD:DSD64,DSD128,DSD256, DSD512; DoP DSD:DSD64,DSD128,DSD256; USB input supports UAC 2.0. Supports Win XP/Vista/Win7/Win8/Win10/Win11/Linux/Android/HarmonyOS/macOS and iOS
    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: Supports PCM: 44.1kHz~192kHz/24Bit
    Coaxial Input: Supports PCM: 44.1kHz~192kHz/24Bit
    Bluetooth Input: Supports SBC, AAC, aptX, aptx-HD, LDAC(up to 96kHz/24Bit, 990kps/909kps)
  • Analog Input RCA: Standard level 2Vrms
  • Headphone Amplifier Output Interface: 4.4mm balanced headphone jack/4-PIN balanced headphone jack/6.35mm standard headphone jack 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.)
Headphone Amplifier Technical Specifications
  • Max Output Power (PO): 6.35mm: 188mW@300Ω; 1.5W@32Ω 4.4mm balanced / XLR 4-PIN balanced: 765mW@300Ω; 2W@32Ω
  • THD+N: <0.0003%
  • Frequency Response: ±0.2dB (DC-22kHz)@48kHz/24Bit
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): 6.35mm: >117dB; 4.4mm Balanced/ XLR 4-pin Balanced: >120dB
Pre-amplifier Technical Specifications
  • Maximum Analog Output Level: RCA: 2V (STANDARD), Studio mode output increased to 14dBu XLR: 4V (STANDARD), Studio mode output increased to 20dBu
  • THD+N: <0.0003%
  • Frequency Response: ±0.2dB(DC-22kHz)@48kHz/24Bit
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR): RCA: >116dB; XLR: >119dB
Design
  • Material: Sandblasted matte CNC panel
  • Color: Black
  • Size: 330[L] x 220.2[W] x 56[D] mm
  • Weight: 3.2KG

RELATED PRODUCTS