Questyle has been one of the premier high-end headphone amplifier manufacturers for many years and their state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Shenzen produces excellent quality components that can compete with anything in the category regardless of price. Their lineup of DAPs were all the rage a few years ago giving rival Astell & Kern some serious competition. The new Questyle M12 Dongle DAC/Headphone Amplifier is going to be a huge PITA for AudioQuest, THX, and Clarus if it delivers the same kind of quality of its desktop range. $139 for this is borscht.
One of the strengths of the Questyle range is that it was designed for both low and high impedance headphones; the brand has demonstrated its products over the years at CanJam with almost every major high-end headphone brand from Audeze through to ZMF. Power is never the issue.
The Questyle M12 features an unmatched level of technical sophistication and sonic performance, utilizing Questyle’s proprietary technologies:
Current Mode Amplification:
The patented SiP amplifier module provides high current output, vanishingly low distortion of 0.0003% THD and astonishing noise levels of -130 dB. The extended frequency response and wide dynamic range will bring out the best from any headphone.
Smart Impedance Detection:
The M12’s smart detection system measures the headphone’s impedance and automatically sets the gain level to match: low gain for low-impedance/high sensitivity headphones, high gain for high-impedance headphones. LED indicators show which level is in use.
Optimized ESS Flagship DAC:
Questyle collaborated with ESS for two years to maximize performance of the ESS ES9281AC DAC chip, able to process PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz, DSD 256, and decode MQA.
Optimized Compatibility:
The M12’s USB-C interface works perfectly with all major operating systems: iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS, providing ideal audio and video performance with zero latency.
“Questyle products have always offered incredible performance, terrific value, and unmatched build quality from Foxconn,” said Jay Rein, President of Bluebird Music. “The M12 offers the best sound quality and functionality of any mobile headphone amp/DAC, and at $139 retail in the US, is an unbelievable bargain. We’re excited to offer it.”
For more information: Bluebird Music
