AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt Review (Portable Headphone Adapter)

[cbxbiker61]

I ordered the Cobalt a few days before this review came out. It should show up tomorrow. Just today I ordered the THX Onyx due to this review which should be here early next week. It'll be interesting to do a subjective test between the "bad" Cobalt and the "good" Onyx. No doubt I'll be sending the Cobalt back, but I might as well check it out a bit beforehand. One of my uses will be to get high quality Tidal streaming working in my 2001 BMW 330xi. I'm installing an AUX adapter in the Beemer. I like the clean look of the factory dash and don't want to "hack" one of the modern Android head units in. I'll be able to use my Samsung A51 with the dongle and get top quality audio out of the old car (Speakers have already been upgraded).

 

[welsh]

AudioQuest, a company of infinite jest

Fraudioquest. (Not mine, but wish I’d thought of it).

 

[AudioSceptic]

I wish I'd had this review a few months ago when a reddit user was dissing my LG G7 and telling me how much better his DF Cobalt was

You didn't do any searches at the time looking for objective reviews? Archimago measured the Cobalt in August 2019 <https://archimago.blogspot.com/search?q=dragonfly+cobalt>

 

[AdamG]

I ordered the Cobalt a few days before this review came out. It should show up tomorrow. Just today I ordered the THX Onyx due to this review which should be here early next week. It'll be interesting to do a subjective test between the "bad" Cobalt and the "good" Onyx. No doubt I'll be sending the Cobalt back, but I might as well check it out a bit beforehand. One of my uses will be to get high quality Tidal streaming working in my 2001 BMW 330xi. I'm installing an AUX adapter in the Beemer. I like the clean look of the factory dash and don't want to "hack" one of the modern Android head units in. I'll be able to use my Samsung A51 with the dongle and get top quality audio out of the old car (Speakers have already been upgraded).

Welcome Aboard @cbxbiker61.

 

[norcalscott]

You didn't do any searches at the time looking for objective reviews? Archimago measured the Cobalt in August 2019 <https://archimago.blogspot.com/search?q=dragonfly+cobalt>

I probably did, but this guy was quoting ASR for some of the other parts of his system, and totally disagreeing with Amir's take on the G7.

And, it was reddit so I was only going to take it so far considering the lunacy that springs forth there.

 

[Weeb Labs]

Well, this certainly hasn't aged well.

 

[dtaylo1066]

Well, it has convenience and small size on its side.

 

[Count Arthur]

Well, it has convenience and small size on its side.

That's what she said.

 

[AudioSceptic]

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).

2012: original Dragonfly
2016: Red
2019: Cobalt
I think that when the Red came out the original was slightly upgraded and renamed Black (it was black all along but wasn't called that before the Red).

 

[AudioSceptic]

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/

DACs using valves (tubes): one of the great ironies in audio.

 

[Ler0ck]

Why always Audioquest? I’m tired of seeing a review about AQ product. Can you review a Nordost product? Or Nordost or other guys pay you for killing AQ? Hope to see a Nordost product soon.

 

[Kegemusha]

and in YT some brilliant adio revieweres complain about the Rpi not having "so" good sound from the USB and they recommend to add these dragonfly

 

[Veri]

Can you review a Nordost product? Or Nordost or other guys pay you for killing AQ? Hope to see a Nordost product soon.

I don't think Nordost makes portable headphone adapter dongles

 

[AudioSceptic]

Why always Audioquest? I’m tired of seeing a review about AQ product. Can you review a Nordost product? Or Nordost or other guys pay you for killing AQ? Hope to see a Nordost product soon.

I would love to see Nordost stuff measured here, but who here is likely to buy any to send to Amir?

Edit: this would be cables and cable accessories, not active hardware.

 

[Loathecliff]

If that outfit is B&O, I'd agree and strongly disagree, especially on mediocre internals. SOME of their products were excellent in their day, but obviously with a price premium for the casework when 'we' were all rather younger and happy with piles of badly finished unmatched black boxes by and large. Other products were misjudged I grant you. The company today is outrageous I feel, but continues a model they began in the 80's of 'less clients but each one spending more.'

Did I say "most"? - Yes I did, and I was deliberately flaming .....I might one day have a real go at Linn (it's a swear word here. ref the court case) &.... AMS Trading, post the Sugar lump's budget HiFi separates.
OK, that company from Denmark was a cracking dealership to have (partner's late father was very well rewarded) once they were beyond their 'Which?' IIRC accolade for the most self-immolating colour TVs per number sold.
I'm old enough to remember the 'piano key' tuner amp (1965?) that they refused to let anyone test.
I had a 1962 EMG year book with a B&O ad featuring a tape recorder with .......a ..... BSR deck!
It was thus probably their most reliable tape machine ever, though hardly high-end.
There's more, but I'm way off topic.

 

[Ler0ck]

A forum is flooding about AQ product review. I don’t know it’s random or so. I would like to see review on Nordost product to make something fresh for us

 

[Jazz]

One of my uses will be to get high quality Tidal streaming working in my 2001 BMW 330xi. I'm installing an AUX adapter in the Beemer. I like the clean look of the factory dash and don't want to "hack" one of the modern Android head units in. I'll be able to use my Samsung A51 with the dongle and get top quality audio out of the old car (Speakers have already been upgraded).

I did this with a 2004 Mazda 6 via the unused tape/MiniDisc plug on head unit back with a $50 Sylfex AuxMod adaptor board to 3.5 out. At the installer I plugged in a free (but decent) Lightning to headphone DAC I got with an iPhone case for him and me to test the install (an easy job for him, but not for me). As we played music you could tell, his jaw was dropping. Then he said: This sounds incredible! This result on 2004 Bose factory speakers no less. I now use the Apple Lightning to 3.5 adaptor, which, in a car is fine! I use Apple Music AAC which, in a clunker or any car, is fine! Paying attention to the road is more critical than to your audio system.

 

[Jazz]

I am glad I passed on a chance to buy a used Red from a local seller last year. I was about to meet them to buy it (decent price) when, the pandemic started! So we both decided to wait. They sold it later to someone else.
This might be the only good thing for me (other than being fully vaccinated recently) I got out of the past 14 months. Thanks fate!

 

[norcalscott]

A forum is flooding about AQ product review. I don’t know it’s random or so. I would like to see review on Nordost product to make something fresh for us

Send Amir a Nordost product and I am sure he will review it. I'd love to see how the "mechanically tuned construction" of these compare to the zip cable I use.

 

[RayDunzl]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/29/arts/disaster-girl-meme-nft.html