AUDIOQUEST DragonFly BLACK

Hi-Fi USB DAC Converter. Plays any audio format Compatible with Android and Apple. Output level of 1.2V

Almost four years have passed since the first DragonFly (v1.0) changed the concept of DACs, creating a whole new type of product, a high-performance DAC as compact as a USB memory stick. Only 249 Euro to get hold of: high-quality components and incredible performance made DragonFly a unique product. A year and a half later Audioquest amazed the audio community again, introducing DragonFly v1.2 for only 149 Euro and offering unequivocally better performance. The lower price allowed many more people to listen to their favourite music at a higher level of reproduction. Now two new models of DragonFly are even better performing and affordable and compatible with any Apple and Android device. This last point is crucial at a time when smartphones are the main source of music. Indeed, since the day DragonFly was introduced, there have been numerous requests to use it in conjunction with the latest generation of phones. Thanks to the availability of new components, the absorption of the new DragonFly is low enough to be accepted by most of the latest generation of smartphones. In fact, the new DragonFlys were developed by Audioquest with Microchip Technology in order to develop a high-performance, high-speed USB micro-controller (the input processor of a DAC), capable of guaranteeing a better signal-to-noise ratio and at the same time much lower power consumption. The results were excellent, as the new Microchip MX micro-controller consumes 77% less power than the one used in DragonFly 1.2 and allows full compatibility with Apple and Android phones and tablets. For use with Apple iOS devices, the USB adapter for Apple cameras is required while for use with Android devices, a Made for Android (OTG) adapter such as Audioquest DragonTail is sufficient. In DragonFly all aspects have been maniacally taken care of, the noise control, the type of regulation for the power supply, the quality of the passive components. And even though the DAC chips used in the DragonFly Red and Black project allowed any resolution, Audioquest preferred to limit it to 24-bit/96kHz, making them easy to use and fully compatible with any device, without having to download and install specific support programmes. Moreover, compatibility with higher resolutions usually means more noise, so the best choice for Audioquest was to limit compatibility to 24/96. DragonFly is designed to be the best emotional transport for music; whether with Spotify, a YouTube movie, Tidal, CD, or state-of-the-art high-resolution content.

The new DragonFly models use the new 32-bit ESS Sabre DAC 9010 for the Black model and the more sophisticated 9016 for the Red model; both employ minimal filtering to achieve natural detail and a more realistic sound. While DragonFly Black uses the same high-quality analogue amplifier and volume control used in DragonFly 1.2, DragonFly Red employs the ESS headphone amplifier with bit-perfect digital volume control inside the 9016 DAC, a sophisticated implementation that guarantees maximum fidelity, high dynamic contrast and excellent signal-to-noise ratio.

DragonFly Black's output is capable of 1.2 volts, which is enough to effectively drive most pre-amplifier input circuits and all reasonably efficient headphones. DragonFly Red's 2.1 volts is compatible with an even wider range of headphones, including low-efficiency models that are typically power-hungry. As a reference, remember that DragonFly 1.0 and 1.2 are capable of 1.8 volts. The higher output level provided by the Red model becomes a significant advantage with some particularly low-efficiency headphones on the market, but Red offers above all superior sound quality, much more 'torque' 'grip' and 'strength' than the Black model. Red sounds cleaner and clearer overall, allowing for a larger soundstage, with each instrument or voice having its own space.

The new DragonFly can be updated via a free application compatible with Windows and OS X. As new music players, next-generation audio stream protocols, or other associated software become available, DragonFly customers will be able to implement the updates themselves without difficulty.