QUESTYLE M15: The Exemplary Authoritative Miniature Device
“Your big opportunity may be right where you are now.”
~Napoleon Hill, Author of Think and Grow Rich~
This quote really struck me so much when I received an opportunity to do a product review for an audio company in which I really thought that approaching them is next to impossible. I give my utmost gratitude to my audio mate who really believes in my capability as a decent audio reviewer. He is the one who's facilitating the contact between me and this audio company.
This audio company that I mentioned is Questyle (as it was already mentioned in the title above). As we all know that the brand Questyle especially to the veteran audio enthusiasts that it is a boutique audio company which has a cult following among the audio community. The brand Questyle embodies excellence in product quality and the delivery of the best possible sound quality that an ardent audiophile can derive upon.
Questyle is a Chinese premium boutique audio company whose product range mostly offers desktop amplifiers and other mobile audio solutions such as USB DAC dongles and digital audio player. It was founded in 2012 in Shenzhen by some visionary individual who wants to deliver the best audio experience with proprietary patented technologies such as CMA (Current Mode Amplification) and a 5Ghz wireless lossless audio system in a mobile and desktop-grade in a very compact form.
I'm familiar with Questyle since 2018 as their DAP, The QPR1 was a stuff of legend among the audiophiles in the audio community scene. Some even claimed that they finally found their "Holy Grail" which really even piques my interest about them even further. That's why when Questyle contacted me if I could do a review on their product, I eagerly accepted their offer without hesitation.
This is Questyle M15, It is their latest flagship headphone amp dongle which has a removable type-C connector with two types for termination jack of different power output. It is made of CNC milled aluminium alloy and has a size dimensions of 16.8mm x 27.2mm x 12mm and it is of a rectangular shape just like most typical USB DAC dongles of the same form factor. At the top of the panel, it has clear tempered glass where you can see the internals of the M15 which is quite fascinating and eye-pleasing where you can see the circuit board with its internal components like DACs, microchips, headphone jack casing, USB type-C jack casemate and their patented CMA with its transistors which I will explain later. At the both ends of this device, this is where the different types of ports situated on both opposing side, the USB type-C port on the other side and two types of termination jack, one is a 3.5mm TRS and the other one is a 4.4mm which was manufactured by Pentaconn, a Japanese brand that makes high quality audio components to other midrange and high end Hi-Fi brands like Sennheiser and Sony. At the one side of the parallel part of Questyle M15, there lies a toggle switch for adjusting the gain output manually where you can check the colour- coded status in a glass panel via its light indicator.
● GREEN LED LIGHT = LOW GAIN MODE
● RED LED LIGHT = HIGH GAIN MODE
Furthermore for decoding sampling bitrate, there is also a dedicated LED light which is also placed at the opposite side with the gain light indicator. Questyle M15 can support PCM lossless format like FLAC, WAV and ALAC up to 32-bit/ 384KHz and DSD format up to DSD256(native). MQA decoding via streaming services like Tidal is also supported and can unfold up to 8x via hardware decoder processing renderer of its DAC.
■ DATA GREEN LED LIGHT - 16-32 bit, 44.1 KHz - 48 KHz.
■ DATA RED LED LIGHT - 16-32 bit bit, 88.2 KHz - 384 KHz / DSD 64, 128 and 256.
■ DATA MAGENTA LED LIGHT - MQA decoding and unfolding (works only in Tidal)
Other component parts of the Questyle M15 are the DAC, Amplifier and a power management module which I will divide it into parts.
ES9281AC is Questyle M15's internal DAC chip. It is ESS' latest flagship DAC which is mainly used for USB DAC and other mobile applications to achieve a processing and decoding execution similar to some desktop grade DACs. It also has a built-in high performance SABRE amp to achieve up to 2 Vrms output. There is also a jack detector on it that serves as "impedance sensing" to regulate a power output to load with proper resistance value to avoid unwanted erroneous reading due to external sources such as moisture and dirt.
CMA (Current Mode Amplification) is Questyle's proprietary patented technology crown jewel. It is a System-in-Package module which has multiple "audio amplification engines" with unified parts of circuits, chips and transistors in a single enclosure of a package to deliver an accurate, excellent detail retrieval and ample dynamics for a high quality sound reproduction either from a studio or recorded live performances. With its transistors and advanced circuitry to regulate voltage output and amplification, it manages to achieve a performance peak similar to a Class A amplifier (you read it right, an almost Class A amplification performance). There are two CMA modules that are implemented in the M15 dongle. You can check more infos about the CMA technology HERE for more technical description.
For its power supply module, It uses an analogue IC voltage regulator from Torex Semiconductor which is a Japanese firm that has years of experience in IC manufacturing and with extensive R&D to provide a better power efficiency and regulates well the temperature inside of the Questyle M15 to avoid overheating.
Questyle M15 packaging is quite simple when it comes to inclusions but still looks premium and elegant in presentation on how its contents inside are properly stacked in order.
Here are the included accessories inside of the Questyle M15's packaging box:
■ Questyle M15 USB dongle.
■ Short USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable.
■ Short USB Type-C to USB Type-C OTG cable.
■ Basic instruction manual.
■ Warranty card.
Bonus: Questyle also included an M15 Leather Case in green colour.
Like all USB DAC/Amp dongles, M15 is also a plug-and-play device with its handshake protocol to bypass any devices' stock audio resampling system by using a specific apps (for Android OS), streaming apps setting options (Tidal, Apple Music and Amazon Music) and Desktop OS settings (Mac OS, Windows and Linux). With a plethora of supporting devices like Android smartphones, Laptops, Personal Computers, Tablets (Android and iOS) and DAPs, Questyle M15 is indeed a very versatile tool for a mobile hi-fi tool.
If you are an iPhone user, you need a Lightning to Type-C cable which can be purchased from Questyle's official site.
Here are some information regarding the prerequisites on recommended versions of major operating systems and required apps for supporting playback for M15 in Android.
Android OS - you need at least a 5.0 version up to the latest one. The music apps that support Questyle M15 dongle are UAPP (USB Audio Player PRO), Hiby Music Player, Neutron App and Onkyo HF Player.
Windows OS - at least Windows 10 version 8.13 with no additional driver installation.
Apple MacOS - works mostly in all versions without any additional driver installation requirement in the system.
Linux OS - like MacOS, it works pretty well in all distros like Ubuntu, Debian and Linux Mint without any necessary driver installation requirements.
iOS/iPadOS - latest OS version that supports Apple Music app in lossless mode.
Regarding its power output delivery, Questyle M15 currently has the strongest power output in my current collection and some USB DAC/Amp dongles that I've tested in the past. Planars IEMs can be driven properly without breaking a sweat with impressive results. So harder-to-drive cans and some power demanding IEMs will be amplified properly. Even on some super sensitives, low impedance finicky IEMs, there is no hissing nor scratching sound present within its sonic background.
Here are more technical specification in power output rating on both audio jacks (Datas are provided by Questyle)
● 3.5mm TRS/SE= 300 ohms, Po= 11.97mW
VDF=1.895 Vrms, THD+N= 0.0045%
● 4.4mm TRRS/Balanced= 300 Ohms, Po= 22.60 mW
VDF= 2.624 Vrms, THD+N= 0.00057%
Due to the absence of hardware volume key buttons on M15. Adjusting its volume level will be done via volume key buttons or knobs of a device source. Android music apps that supports USB DAC dongle has better volume steps with gradual incremental gain while adjusting the volume amount based on your preferred listening level.
Another reminder that Questyle M15 doesn't have a built-in battery and it acts like a parasitical implement with its host device's core power source to syphons off some amount of power to amplify the head/earphones. Due to the Torex power management system tech, Questyle M15 power extraction on its device host is well-regulated and its draining power is somewhat minimal with efficiency. So it is advisable to have a mobile device that at least has a high capacity battery for a longer usage to act as host for this implement.
As for tonality aspect, Questyle M15 has a balanced-neutral tuning with very clean, flawless, organic, sufficiently crisp with high degree of resolving yield. This is one of the most uncoloured sounding devices that I've encountered to a greater degree.
LOWS/BASS:
When it comes to bass quality, it is very clean, articulate and very responsive with adequate texture in both parts of the bass region.
Sub bass has excellent depth reach as I discerningly felt those rumbling sound. Listening on sub bass focus tracks from some genres like Hip-hop, RnB and Synth-pop has a very detailed reverberation produced by low tuned bass guitar, synthesizers and some electric drums.
Mid bass has an ample texture to give a body on these specific instruments like bass trumpets, bass guitars and bass drum kicks. Bass trumpets has this realistic tone as sound very intense, warm and full sounding just Ive listen to orchestras and military parades, bass guitar has a very topping quality that its growls have these crunchy dark, heavy and very resonant and even slapping, fretless and other type on picking on every strand is even well-detailed. And the bass kicks are very authoritative that exudes being thunderous and pounding one as the bass kick drum sounds like that as realistic as possible. (I usually attend on some underground musical gigs from Metal to Skas)
Bass-Baritone vocals have even garnered my attention on how it is presented in a guttural and strong manner. This bass quality should be presented in a very organic way, not too boomy nor too lean sounding.
MIDRANGE:
Unequivocally, this is a very impressive and awe-inspiring midrange quality. Pristine, neutral and translucent that I even sense those layering elements of instruments and vocals. (I'll explain later in the layering aspect on technicalities part of this review).
Male vocals has an ample texture that gives a definition of being cohesive to all vocal types and ranges from a guttural bass voice to stately tenor vocals with its brassy and dazzling nature (love to hear those Three Tenors vocals especially Pavarotti). As for female vocals it has this sense of being organic, clean, very detailed, rangy and energetic. I'm a midcentric type of listener so I want my female vocals to be articulate, delineated and dynamically vivid. To describe the qualities of female vocals, I can enumerate in many possible descriptions. angelic, euphonic, luscious, well-modulated and sensuous that it really pleases my hearing senses in a very captivating and pleasant manner. All these descriptive characteristics exhibited in all female vocal ranges from a soulfully and sombre contralto to a vibrant and vigorous sopranos.
All types instruments ranging from percussives to strings have very natural and life-like sounding in a very engaging not to sound exaggerated and inaccurate tone that most coloured sounding usually exhibits as M15 maintain to sound uncoloured and equitable as possible. On percussive side, tom drums have this hard and majestic sound every hit by a drumstick, snare drums sound very precise, sharp and penetrating that its rhythmic attack is well-appreciated with accuracy. While timpani has this dull,dry and velvety sound depending on how it will be executed in different note ranges. As for strings instruments, it is so detailed that I clearly hear every pluck in each string of a guitar (Tears in Heaven live by Eric Clapton) and surprisingly, if you are aware the different tonal attributes of a guitar (acoustic) and very familiar with its choice of material usually types of wood that affects the guitar's overall tonality, you will notice the different tuning of it either it is warm sounding, balanced, dark, meaty or crisp. Violins have these different sound characteristics like lively, brilliant, rough or austere as it depends on the quality of construction and tuning of it. Brass and woodwinds are depicted in a natural and realistic manner that trumpets has that metallic and brilliant sounding, Horns has this muffled and velvety sound, Flute and fife has this bright, whistling with a sense of airiness and lastly, the sound of clarinet has these characteristic of lustrous and lively sounding.
It's too long to elaborate on how the midrange quality of Questyle M15 is beautifully well-rendered, and that it is very accurate, has an excellent detail restoration with greater degree of resolving without some colouration.
HIGHS/TREBLE:
As a neutral sounding DAC/Amp, Questyle M15 exceeded my expectation of the quality of treble. It is very natural and inoffensive, neither too smooth nor aggressive in presentation. I contentiously believe that this is the truest representation of treble quality. Exceptionally detailed, with just a sufficient amount of shimmer not too make it more brighter and very airy with lots of harmonics.
Cymbals' sounds are precisely depicted in an instinctive manner as their sounds are very metallic, glistening, brilliant and sizzling. Hi-hats has this raw sound that it portrays its innate sound to have this shortened sizzle and buzzing characteristic.
Of all these impressive feats of Questyle M15 on how the treble quality was tuned. It managed to balance out and even improved those inherent character weaknesses of both aggressive and dull, dark tuned treble.
GENERAL TECHNICALITIES:
As highly resolving DAC/Amp mobile Hi-Fi dongle with the highest degree of superb technical performances, Questyle M15 is a highly capable that it has a good gap and spacing of all the elements inside of a track with a very orderly placement of every distinction of dynamic and frequency layering with in a clear, pitch-black sonic canvas. Imaging is very perfectly executed as I clearly locate the placements of vocal(s) and instrument with no sense of haziness and obstruction in a 3D-like sense of immersion.
Regarding its soundstage proportion, its width dimension is fairly more of an above average, with excellent height and a well-defined placement between front and rear as it does have less reverberation with just sufficient amount of projecting energetic streak to have that sense of immersion and envelopment. Despite of that above average soundstage, it does have a spacious head stage within its perceived spatial field.
As for tonal colour, Questyle M15 is certainly neutral with almost to none amount of colouration. And with its exceptional resolving on detail retrieval on both micro-details and macro-dynamics and superb clarity, Questyle M15 is a fine piece for audio reviewers, audio professionals and audiophiles alike that a terribly produced and defectively mixed track will be thoroughly dissected to expose its flaws from sonic artefacts to audio clippings.
PEER COMPARISON:
AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt (£258/US$300)
● Currently, the most expensive USB DAC Dongle that I have tested until now. Cobalt has a smaller form factor compared to Questyle M15 and it has hardware volume control button which is a more logical and more convenient implementation. But there are some caveats on Cobalt, it has only one single jack output and it is a 3.5mm SE and it is certainly designed for PC or laptop usage as it has a USB-A as its main connector which if you are a smartphone user, you really need some adapters which add more complexity and hassle.
● Regarding its tonality, Cobalt has a tad of colouration with its overall frequency range spectrum compared to M15 which is more neutral and organic sounding but Cobalt has still a clean and clear delivery. Different tuning for different folks, which you will choose? A warmer and musical Cobalt or an unadulterated and a bit clinical tonality of M15?
● On paper, Cobalt has limited playback resolution as it was only capped up to 24-bit/96KHz but it has Tidal MQA playback support. Both Cobalt and M15 has ESS DAC on their internals but different model, Cobalt uses a popular and reputable ES9308Q2M on its system and microcontroller power management chip from Microchip Technology Incorporated which is also a reputable company (they even have manufacturing plant here in my country). Cobalt has a bit wider soundstage but M15 has better imaging, separation, layering and resolution capability. Cobalt's power output is a bit underwhelming compare to M15.
LOTOO PAW S1 (£146/US$169)
● I've tested this one a few years ago from a friend, Paw S1 has also a solid built device like M15 and it's also made of metal alloy and if my memory serves right it's a bit more weighty compared to M15. It also noted that it has a small LED display to check the volume level and EQ mode…Yes, it has a volume control button and EQ system. PAW S1 uses a DAC chip from highly regarded audio solution maker, Asahi Kasei with its AKM4377 model.
● As for tonality, S1 is more coloured sounding due to added warmth but it has a velvety and luscious midrange in which AKM DAC is known for with its Velvet Sound tech. I can safely say that Lotoo PAW S1 is more for fun sounding and pleasurable musical tuning rather than for critical listening.
● It has lesser power output compared to M15 in both 3.5mm and 4.4mm but good enough for IEMs and earbuds. Most technical aspects are a bit inferior on S1 but at least it has a wider soundstage and even more spacious headspace.
As I end my review and put a verdict on this one, All I can say is that Questyle M15 is an absolutely outstanding mobile device in another higher-tier category. It has tremendous sonic quality performance and top-notch technical performance which only rivals some desktop-grade DAC/Amps in midrange and even some top-of-the-line Hi-Fi range ones in my humble opinion. (Still desktop DAC/Amps and Preamps has many functionalities and has a proper amplification within its circuitry to handle high powered and demanding speakers and headphones).
And now regarding the tale that I've mentioned a while ago about the "Holy Grail" thing on a Questyle DAP. Looks like that I finally have an enlightenment on how great Questyle products are, and my scepticism on that man's claim seems to be eroded and shattered and I became a true believer in Questyle (I'm an irreligious bloke though). Once again, Questyle M15 delivers a truly marvellous neutral tonality and a life-like timbre with a highly-resolving and terrific technical performance that truly Questyle will be proud of their prowess and elan in audio engineering.
Questyle M15 is currently available to all online stores in popular e-commerce platforms. If you are really interested in purchasing this device, you can order them directly from Questyle in the link below this description.
PROS:
● A sturdy device with metal casing chassis made of high quality aluminium alloy.
● That window glass panel which you can see the inner workings of its circuitry which is quite fresh and aesthetically eye-pleasing.
● Removable Type-C cable connector.
● Manual gain toggle switch.
● A versatile device supports and compatibility on either software applications level or hardware devices.(Operating Systems and media devices such as PCs, Smartphones, Tablets and Laptops)
● Impressive driving power output for such a tiny device.
● Tremendously uncoloured, unsullied neutral tonality.
● Up to par technical performance.
● High quality 4.4mm TRRS made by Pentaconn.
● 8x unfolding MQA support for Tidal streaming (For MQA listeners)
CONS:
▽ Absence of hardware volume key buttons.
▽ Yearning for at least a tad wider soundstage. (it's just my slight quibbling nature in regards of my concern but I can live with it)
Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)
Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
P.S.
I am not affiliated to QUESTYLE nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.
Once again, I would like to thank QUESTYLE for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate their generosity towards me and other reviewers.
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