Great review! I own the Dan Clark E3. I tried the Mojo2 with it and I don't like it with the E3. The Aeon 2 Noire plays better with the Mojo2. The power is ok, but it lacks a bit to bring out all the qualities of the E3. Does the CMA 18 perform better than the Mojo2 with the E3 with its extra 400mw?
So I heard him talk about the hissing and such with sensitive iems. Earlier in the video he talks about putting it to max volume and adjusting via your connected device. I’m wondering if that might be the cause for that interference. I usually max my phone and use my dac to adjust the volume to my liking. I’m not hearing any hiss with my hype 4. I would definitely say, play around with it.
Cannot speak of M15 but M15i. Should sound roughly the same I guess. Biggest difference between M15i and 18p is soundstage size. With M15i soundstage is cohesive and likeable, voices are slightly forward in the mix and I feel like the midbass is bumped up. Switching to 18p you get a much wider and also deeper sound field. More holographic. Naturally there is more space to place layers of the frequency range in it, so instruments, voices, all sound more distinct and not as melted as it is listening with M15i. Detail rendering goes up a step too. I feel subbass and midbass is more evenly weighted than m15, but still feels slightly boosted, for me this is good. Or it is due to the cma amplification, could also be the case. In the mids 18p doesn't sound as forward as M15i but still lovely and not dry or thin at all! Treble is more extended, sounds clearer. In comparison M15i sounds slightly veiled. At the end it's all about synergy with the used gear (headphone, iem). For what it's worth I really like IBasso DC Elite with my Meze Audio Elite headphones. M15i sounds lovely with my ZMF Vérité - but so does the 18p. I'm still on the fence with the mojo 2. It sounds great but sometimes to fatiguing, a little to sterile and sometimes a little too "bloomy" to my ears. I feel like notes often get this rounded character which can sound really good but also the other way around.
Yeah, I'd recommend just sticking with the M15i for IEMs in most cases. CMA18 does sound better, but the background noise is going to be an issue, especially for classical music.
Shout out to Steve rocking the ZMF shirt !! Much respect :) love my atrium
The fact that it can be used as an amplifier like the topping g5 makes it very appealing
Great review! I own the Dan Clark E3. I tried the Mojo2 with it and I don't like it with the E3. The Aeon 2 Noire plays better with the Mojo2. The power is ok, but it lacks a bit to bring out all the qualities of the E3. Does the CMA 18 perform better than the Mojo2 with the E3 with its extra 400mw?
So I heard him talk about the hissing and such with sensitive iems. Earlier in the video he talks about putting it to max volume and adjusting via your connected device. I’m wondering if that might be the cause for that interference. I usually max my phone and use my dac to adjust the volume to my liking. I’m not hearing any hiss with my hype 4. I would definitely say, play around with it.
with the hissing you observed would then not recommend it much for iem use mainly?
Yeah, I definitely would not recommend for IEMs with impedance under 32ohm. Higher impedance IEMs like Kinera Nanna 2.0 sounded good to me.
Would love to see this kind of product from hiby like a fc8. I do own the fc6 and would really admire a stronger and more refined version.
Thank you for comparing it to Mojo2 ❤
I rock my Dali io12s and Hifiman HE1000SE with my Questyle M15. Is it worth upgrading to the CMA18?
CMA18 Portable will definitely be an upgrade for the HE1000SE. You're going to get both more detail and dynamics out of it with the 18 over the 15.
@@BloomAudio Thank you 😊
Cannot speak of M15 but M15i. Should sound roughly the same I guess.
Biggest difference between M15i and 18p is soundstage size. With M15i soundstage is cohesive and likeable, voices are slightly forward in the mix and I feel like the midbass is bumped up.
Switching to 18p you get a much wider and also deeper sound field. More holographic. Naturally there is more space to place layers of the frequency range in it, so instruments, voices, all sound more distinct and not as melted as it is listening with M15i. Detail rendering goes up a step too.
I feel subbass and midbass is more evenly weighted than m15, but still feels slightly boosted, for me this is good. Or it is due to the cma amplification, could also be the case.
In the mids 18p doesn't sound as forward as M15i but still lovely and not dry or thin at all!
Treble is more extended, sounds clearer. In comparison M15i sounds slightly veiled.
At the end it's all about synergy with the used gear (headphone, iem).
For what it's worth I really like IBasso DC Elite with my Meze Audio Elite headphones.
M15i sounds lovely with my ZMF Vérité - but so does the 18p.
I'm still on the fence with the mojo 2. It sounds great but sometimes to fatiguing, a little to sterile and sometimes a little too "bloomy" to my ears. I feel like notes often get this rounded character which can sound really good but also the other way around.
@@joggometer5393how would you say the cma18 compares to the dc elite?
in terms of price to performance ratio would you prefer this over cayin ru7 for easy to drive headphones?
RU7 is a little more "bang for your buck" but CMA18 is definitely stronger in terms of performance and sound quality.
So it’s recommended for full sized cans rather than iems?
Yeah, I'd recommend just sticking with the M15i for IEMs in most cases. CMA18 does sound better, but the background noise is going to be an issue, especially for classical music.
@@BloomAudio perfect.
It’s finally here! 😅
Told u, iem indeed the most sensitives transducers currently.. Peace!
Btw how's bout Muse m4.. it has aesthetics match indeed.. Peace2!
Waiting for Noble audio XM-1 IEM review.
Sidetone with the interface as a headset?
I don't think that it supports Sidetone or anything similar for connected headphones.
ZMF 4 LIFE
SHABBAT SHALOM! 🕎
HAPPY SABBATH! ✡️
so mojo 2 > cma18p > griffin?
In terms of pure sound quality, yes, I'd say that's accurate.
@@BloomAudio, I think Mojo 2 also has more beautiful musicality.
I don't know how, but it sounds different from other DACs.
It's a swing and a miss (IMO).