AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt Review (Portable Headphone Adapter)

[Soundstage]

It looks great with regards to euphoric harmonic distortion and low noise. Better than any toob preamp?

 

[Veri]

It looks great with regards to euphoric harmonic distortion and low noise. Better than any toob preamp?

Why would you think that massive spray of distortion is necessarily euphonic, though. Just because H2 is most dominant?

 

[PuX]

Well crumbs, somehow it's even less good than the dragonfly red I rather embarrassingly own. Don't be an AudioQuisling folks!

same, it doesn't make sense, why would it be worse than the Red, which is $100 cheaper?

 

[NYfan2]

Where is the disagreement?
We now already know AudioQuest is a total Scam.
(Everyone should know since they sell 1000$ SPDIF cables)
So just avoid everything from AudioQuest even if they would suddenly make decent product i would still recommend to stay away from it since its a Scamy company with a Scamy business model and you would support this legal "fraud".

"fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me".

I completely agree with this, the problem is that many people believe reviewers that claim that a $1000,- SPDIF cable will improve the sound.
Actually this week I read a test on one of the online Dutch audio sites where an Audioquest power conditioner, a power cable, an interlink and an €1000,- AES/EBU cable were tested, the reviewer claims that with all the cables combined the sound system improves 5 to 10%! Also the AES/EBU cable gave a big improvement according to the reviewer.
It is a pity that this kind of BS is published and that people will spent their money because they believe the reviewer and think that he is unbiased.

 

[respice finem]

Maybe they meant the sound of the cash register

 

[Billy Budapest]

Bested by the $9 Apple dongle.

Well, the $9 Apple dongle offers good performance and for the price, incredible performance. A lot of dongle DACs are bested by the Apple dongle. Given the tiny size and budget constraints of the Apple dongle, obviously compromises had to be made but the level of engineering is very high, evidenced by its good performance.

 

[LaL]

Good timing @amirm ,
looks like Zeos just reviewed this yesterday
He says "it sounds phenomenal... but should only cost $100"

 

[Billy Budapest]

Why would you think that massive spray of distortion is necessarily euphonic, though. Just because H2 is most dominant?

I don’t buy the “euphonic distortion” concept. What people are hearing in tube amplification that they find agreeable is the high end and low end roll off.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Many thanks for the review.

Well, it's worse than the Red, while I didn't even think it was possible... Trust be told, I owned one (DFR) and it sounded OK, but hardly capable to drive anything but sensitive closed-back cans.

... Next step, @amirm : YT review of this, to tell the world what is going on.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Good timing @amirm ,
looks like Zeos just reviewed this yesterday

Zeos is good for entertainment value. However, his female superhero anime stuff is creepy.

 

[Soundstage]

Why would you think that massive spray of distortion is necessarily euphonic, though. Just because H2 is most dominant?

This product is attractive for people looking to pure harmonic distortion without noise, that is what I mean.

 

[grauskala]

This is one of the darlings of the YouTube Expert. jajaja Where is Darko and Hans when you need them.

Probably disabling their comment sections as we speak...

 

[Sonny1]

Wasn’t this one designed by the guy from Wavelength Audio? I don’t reca his name, Gordon? He’s supposed to be the guru and original pioneer of USB audio. Very disappointing performance. Not surprising after seeing the Red’s dismal showing.

Nice work Amir! As usual.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

This review is in no way a reflection on the excellence of their multi-killobuck cables.

 

[mansr]

He’s supposed to be the guru and original pioneer of USB audio.

There is no evidence of him having had anything to do with the development of that spec. A lot of other people are named, though.

 

[3125b]

without noise

... and power.

Certainly not the worst thing anyone ever made, but at 300$ it's just way, way overpriced. The 50$ Sonata HD Pro is way better.

 

[brandall10]

... and power.

Certainly not the worst thing anyone ever made, but at 300$ it's just way, way overpriced. The 50$ Sonata HD Pro is way better.

The Sonata HD is better than some $10k DACs... this industry was quite a wild west until instrument grade measurements became a thing, for sure. Probably the only thing I ever owned that actually performed well enough to significantly exceed 16 bit resolution back in the day was one of the original Sabre DAC implementations (Anedio D1).

I do remember the development of the original Dragonfly, owned one, seems like it was about a decade ago. I remember Gordon waxing poetic about things done to make jitter vanishingly low and to make this a game changing device, which I and everyone else certainly thought it was.

Really curious to see what Meridian's Explorer would measure (their answer to the Dragonfly).

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

I am suprised it performs so poorly. I'm an idiot an believe in these companies though.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Wasn’t this one designed by the guy from Wavelength Audio? I don’t reca his name, Gordon? He’s supposed to be the guru and original pioneer of USB audio. Very disappointing performance. Not surprising after seeing the Red’s dismal showing.

Nice work Amir! As usual.

Gordon Rankin wrote code for asynchronous USB audio transport. I believe it was called “Streamlength” and was licensed to a lot of different audio manufacturers. Not sure if I’d call him a “guru” or “pioneer,” but his implementation was popular and I am sure he made a lot of money from the licensing fees. He makes very beautiful looking DACs and sells them from a pretty ugly website:

https://www.usbdacs.com/products/

 

[mansr]

Gordon Rankin wrote code for asynchronous USB audio transport.

Wow, I'm impressed. It takes days to do that kind of thing.