Known primarily for their current mode personal audio devices and wireless amps, Questyle announced a sonic boom at CES. From their 29th floor suite in Tech West (a.k.a. the Venetian and Sands Expo) VP Bruce Ball gave us the lowdown on everything new that was coming out from the company.
Some of the items were fresh off the prototype circuit, having been just recently been assembled and not quite ready for listening, while others were completely flushed out and ready to rock. One of the former items was introduced as the new Air Fidelity Evolution wireless speaker unit.
More than just another Bluetooth portable, the Evolution harnesses the power of Questyle’s proprietary 5.8 GHz connectivity that it utilizes with its other pricer amplifiers. Not to leave lesser technologies out in the cold, the unit also can tap into WiFi and BT signals for a wide variety of options to comply with any given situations that it might find itself in.
Internally you will find two sets of tweeters and mid range woofers pushing tunes out from the metal housing. Each channel set is individually suspended and can be rotated around for fine tuning of the projected beams. The estimated price of the Evolution will be approximately $500 and should hit the streets around April of this year.
Sporting the same AKM4490 chipset as the flagship offerings from the DAP company Astell & Kern, the new CMA600i ($1,299) pairs the company’s current mode headphone amplification with a digital section that includes high resolution and DSD playback via USB. The new headphone combo includes dual SE outputs as well as a 4 pin balanced connection on the front panel.
The new flagship of Questyle’s headphone offerings tethers together some upgrades on their previous offerings along with some new products that have yet to hit the streets. The new “Golden” line features the previously-released CMA 800R headphone amplifier and the CAS 192D DAC. For $3k each, the upgrade from the standard silver line will get you hand-selected, matched parts including a custom ROGERS Ceramic PCB board and a lower measuring THD+N overall. Questyle is now even offering a CMA 800P pre amp ($3,500) for the stack to help with channel balancing across the rig’s dual mono setup. The entire audiophile sandwich will be available for purchase in the original silver edition for approximately $1k less per component.
Even Questyle’s R200i wireless loudspeaker amplifiers ($1,500) are seeing a facelift in the coming months. LED indicator lights let you know exactly what you are getting from the source at the amp level (including DSD). The amps can be arranged in a multitude of configurations including multichannel theater setups and can be easily hidden behind loudspeakers or attached to a wall.
The upcoming T8 transmitter (approx $3k) will send up to eight signals to the receiver amplifiers wirelessly for even more complex setups. The T8 does not act as a A/V processor, but attaches to your current setup via balanced or SE connections in the rear. A separate power supply is housed in a matching case and is included in the list price. Expect shipping for the new unit to begin in May.
Bruce and team are shelling out lots to love in the coming months. The R200i wireless amps paired with the Maestro Utopia made for a tasty combination in the mid sized room. Bruce’s percussion demo is always a treat for spacial placement and sonic imaging. The was no shortage of dynamic response and absolutely no hint of wireless interference from the new amplifiers quietly resting on the ground. Questyle is quickly filling a niche with an increasingly broad range of products to suit audiophiles who want the very best without a hardwire connection, exciting stuff.
More info: http://www.questyleaudio.com