Questyle CMA18P Portable DAC with Headphone Amplifier User Manual
- June 17, 2024
- Questyle
Table of Contents
CMA18P Portable DAC with Headphone Amplifier
User Manual
About the CMA18 Portable
The CMA18 Portable is a portable DAC and headphone amplifier. It inherits the
design style of Questyle’s flagship desktop DAC & amplifier, the CMA Eighteen
Master. It is battery-powered and designed with the DAC chip AK4493, which
provides up to DSD512/PCM76€8 signal processing, and also features Questyle’s
own patented Current Mode Amplifier SiP chips CC630/CA630, which allows the
CMA18 Portable achieve a caliber of performance that rivals desktop systems.
Connect the CMA18 Portable to your mobile phone or laptop, and you can enjoy
high quality lossless music anytime, anywhere.
The CMA18 Portable is certified by Apple, as a MFi product in Apple’s
ecosystem. It features a variety of input options
(USB-C/Optical/Bluetooth/Analog Balanced /Analog Unbalanced), a headphone
amplifier with 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm unbalanced outputs, as well as a
recording function.
As a portable DAC & headphone amplifier, the CMA18 Portable can be connected
to digital audio output devices such as mobile phones, computers, CD players,
and music streamers, and more. It ts capable of driving analog audio devices
like Hi-Fi headphones/Hi-Fi earbuds and active speakers.
What’s in the Box
Compatible Devices
Analog Input Recording Function
The CMA18 Portable has two stereo line-in inputs – 3.5mm (AUX IN) and 4.4mm
(BAL IN) – that can be connected to any audio equipment that has line-out
analog outputs, including vinyl record systems, pre-amps, mixing consoles, and
more. Once connected, the CMA18 Portable is capable of functioning as an
external, lossless, high-performance analog-to-digital (ADC) recording device
for either of these inputs. It also allows the user to simultaneously monitor
the input during the recording process via the 3.5mm or 4.4mm outputs.
How to use the recording function: When the CMA18 Portable is set to either
AUX IN or BAL IN mode and connected via USB to a host device (any phone,
tablet, or computer, etc that allows for recording over USB sound cards), both
the USB connection and REC indicator fights willl illuminate, signaling that
the recording function is enabled. There are no special requirements for which
recording software is used, as long as it supports recording via external USB
sound card/audio interface.
Elements of the CMA18 Portable
Front View
Side View
Bottom View
Sample Rate Indicator
| Indicator | Meaning |
|---|---|
| REG/GAIN /DATA | • REG: Illuminates amber when recording function is availablE |
• GAIN: Illuminates red for High Gain mode, amber for STD mode.
• DATA: Illuminates red for Hi-Res, amber for Normal.
BAL/AUX/USB/ OPTICAL/ BLUETOOTH| • Will not illuminate when the device is
powered-off or charging.
• When on, illuminates amber indicating source.
• In Bluetcoth mode. blinks slowly to indicate no Bluetooth connection; blinks
quickly to indicate pairing; constant illumination indicates Bluetooth is
connected.
25%/50%/ 75%/100% Battery / Volume| • Will not illuminate when the device is
power-off or under normal circumstances.
• During charging, illuminates amber to indicate charging progress.
▪ When powered on, press Power On/Off button to show battery level.
USB Connection| Illuminates amber when USB is connected.
Current Mode| Illuminates amber when the Current Mode SiPs are in operation.
USB DAC Input
- Connect the CMA18 Portable to your iPhone via the USB DAC In with a Lightning-to-Type-C cable, to your Android phone with a Type-C-to-Type- cable, or to your computer with a Type-A-to-Type-C connector.
- Press Function Button to switch to “USB” input.
- “USB” indicator light will illuminate amber.
Bluetooth Function
- Press Function Button to switch to “BLUETOOTH” input.
- The indicator blinks quickly indicating pairing. Find the CMA18 Portable in your device’s Bluetooth settings and click to pair. When the light stops blinking, Bluetooth is connected.
- The indicator blinks slowly to indicate no Bluetooth connection.
Press and hold the Function Button to start pairing.
| 4.4mm BAL Analog Input
– Press Function Button to switch to “BAL” indicator.
– “BAL” indicator lights on amber.
---|---
| 3.5mm AUX Analog Input
– Press Function Button to switch to “AUX” indicator.
– “AUX” indicator lights on amber.
| Optical Input
– Press Function Button to switch to “OPT” indicator.
-“OPT” indicator lights on amber.
Gain Control of Headphone Amplifier
There are two Gain control options:
HIGH is for high gain mode, it is used to drive high-impedance devices.
STD is for standard mode, it is used to drive devices of high sensitivity and
low impedance.
Volume Control
- Press the Volume Button “+/-” to turn up or down the volume step by step. Press and hold to adjust the volume continuously.
- There are four indicators from left to right indicating volume of 25% | 50% / 75% / 100%.
- Under each volume indication light, there are 8 volume steps to adjust, allowing for 32 steps volume adjustment in total.
Battery Indicator
- With the CMA18 portable powered on, quickly press Power On/Off button to show battery level (the lights will turn off after 5 seconds. )
- Four indicator lights indicate the battery level is 76%~100%.
- Three indicator lights indicate the battery level is 51%~75%.
- Two indicator lights indicate the battery level is 26%~50%.
- One indicator light indicates the battery level is 1%~25%.
Battery Charging **
**
- Battery indicator blinks amber while charging.
- Battery indicator blinks on amber while charging.
- When the battery is low, the first indicator light will blink continuously. Please charge the battery to continue operation.
- The CMA18 Portable cannot support playback while charging.
To use the UAC2.0 function on Win XP/Vista/Win7/Win8 operating systems, you
need to install a driver.
Please visit www.questyle.com for instructions
on how to download and install the driver.
FCC Warning
Any Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible
for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.This
device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
- This device may not cause harmful interference, and
- this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
- Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
- Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
- Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
FCC Radiation Exposure Statement:
This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an
uncontrolled environment.