AudioQuest DragonFly Red Archives
AudioQuest DragonFly Red Archives
-Audioquest DragonFly Red USB DAC (Open Box)
The Audioquest DragonFly Red USB DAC is the new addition in the DragonFly range and has a lot of improvements compared to the previous model. One of the biggest additions is the ability for it to work with Apple and Android phones and tablets due to an array of new parts and technology. To connect to Apple devices all you need is Apple's Lightning to USB camera adapter and for Android you need an OTG adapter which Audioquest manufacture called the DragonTail.
Inside a DAC is an input processor called a USB microcontroller and for the DragonFly Red Audioquest worked extremely closely with Microchip Technology to design and make a new high performance full speed microcontroller that not only significantly lowers power consumption but also improves on the signal to noise ratio.
For the DAC chip itself Audioquest decided to limit the processing to 24-bit/96kHz and they did that for a couple of reasons, one reason being that it is fully compatible with PC's as you don't have to download and install new drivers. Another reason and a more important one is that faster processing can mean more noise so even though some extremely high end DACs with the best components do offer an incredible sound quality, many DACs can actually sound better when they have been down-sampled by the computer from 24/192 to 24/96 before then sending the data onto the DAC. This means that whether the music is being played from Spotify, YouTube, Tidal, ripped CD's or Hi-res files, the DragonFly is designed to get the best out of it.
The DragonFly Red features an improved 32-bit ESS Sabre 9016 DAC chip with minimum-phase filtering which allows a more natural, detailed sound. It includes the latest ES headphone amp and a bit-perfect digital volume control that exists on the actual chip itself which then allows a better sound quality that more dynamic and a better signal to noise ratio. The bit-perfect digital volume control is better compared to a digital volume control because the DragonFly red doesn't compromise the signal, doesn't reduce finesse and subtlety and low-level detail.
2.1 volts is the output power (compared to the 1.8V on previous DragonFly models) which is perfectly enough to easily drive all preamplifier input circuits and an even wider range of headphones
Headphone Amp/DAC Reviews
RED
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
BLACK
Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
AT A GLANCE (RED)
Plus
Step-up USB amp/DAC
For computers and smartphones
Digital volume control on chip
Minus
No bit rates above 96 kHz
No DSD
AT A GLANCE (BLACK)
Plus
Affordable USB amp/DAC
For computers and smartphones
Analog volume control
Minus
No bit rates above 96 kHz
No DSD
THE VERDICT
Among AudioQuest’s latest round of compact USB amplifier/DACs for headphones, the Red has more fine-grained premium sound, while the Black is a superb under-$100 hi-res entry point.
Having made tons of money as one of the pioneers of the premium cable industry, AudioQuest has little left to prove. So it came as a surprise four years ago when the company turned its attention to signal sources and developed the compact DragonFly USB headphone amplifier/DAC with respected audio designer Gordon Rankin. But the move made sense for AudioQuest, whose very existence rides on the proposition that sweating the details can make an audible difference. The DragonFly took aim at the digital chaos of USB-delivered audio, found a way to straighten it out for a reasonable price, and in doing so made life better for penny-pinching music lovers. The original DragonFly gave birth to a dynasty of products that continued with the DragonFly v1.2. Now come the DragonFly Black v1.5, the third generation of a noble line, and the DragonFly Red, a step-up model.
Not Just Another Stick
If you’re a new reader who has no idea what I’m talking about, you’re probably thinking that the DragonFlys look like USB flash drives. But whereas each DragonFly does indeed plug into the USB jack of a computer, it is an audio device, not a storage device. The purpose of an outboard DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, is to provide a superior alternative to your computer’s headphone jack. Why bother? Because your computer’s constant multitasking—which makes it such a useful beast of burden—also makes it a lousy audio source. It tends to provide digital audio in a chaotic state, marred by jitter, or rampant timing errors that smear sound. A DragonFly’s asynchronous DAC grabs onto that crude signal, imposes its own clock, and delivers cleaned-up sound to your headphones or audio system. Compare the analog output of a computer’s fidelity-as-an-afterthought soundcard with that of a DragonFly, and the improvement is unlikely to escape you.
DragonFlys of all generations have a USB Type A plug at one end and an 1/8-inch analog phone jack at the other, with a slight bulge in the housing to accommodate the jack. With showmanship both flamboyant and practical, the DragonFly logo lights up green for signals with a 44.1-kilohertz CD-quality bit rate, blue for 48 kHz, amber for 88.2 kHz, and magenta for 96 kHz. If the DAC receives a signal with a higher bit rate, your computer will have to decimate and convert it. An advantage of the 96-kHz limit is that the necessary computer audio driver installs automatically. You may need to manually designate the DragonFly as the playback device in your operating system’s settings, though.
The new DragonFly Black and step-up DragonFly Red are different from previous models—and from each other. They are the first DragonFlys to work with smartphones and tablets, thanks to the lower USB power draw of their Microchip PIC32MX microcontroller. You’ll need the Android OTG or Apple Camera Adapter to accommodate the portable device’s smaller MicroUSB or Lightning jack. Android users, be warned: AudioQuest has found that some devices using Android OS 4.1 and up lack native support for asynchronous USB audio. Check your device at tauruslabs.usbhostcheck.
Both DragonFlys use new Sabre DACs—ESS 9010 for the Black and ESS 9016 for the Red. Like the two previous DragonFlys, Black has an analog volume control that replaces the one in your music software. Red’s digital volume control lives on the 9016 chip. Red also has higher maximum output than Black. While Black is almost on a par with previous generations, Red’s greater output allows it to feed more demanding headphones. In another twist, the two new models are the first DragonFlys to be software upgradable through a dedicated Windows or Mac app. This will allow for future development, though no specific updates are planned right now.
Fifth Times Thirteen
Tackling my comparison of the Red and the Black head on, and bringing along last year’s now discontinued v1.2, I tried each with a pair of HiFiMan Edition X headphones and my Lenovo Windows 10 desktop PC (which I use for music) and played Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony all the way through. (I can never thank HDtracks enough for the FLAC 88.2/24 files of that recording, with Carlos Kleiber conducting the Vienna Philharmonic—the greatest Fifth of all time.) The Red’s refinement and musicality made themselves known within seconds. But they became even more apparent when I switched to the Black. It still sounded excellent, but it wasn’t as fine-grained, and it added a hardening at peaks, which required more care and revisionism in volume setting. The older v1.2 sounded similar if not identical to the Black, despite the v1.2’s somewhat higher output—but the Black costs 50 bucks less, and you can use it with a phone.
AUDIOQUEST
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USB DAC + Preamp + Headphone Amp
From MP3 to MQA and High-Res: Naturally Beautiful Sound at Your Fingertips—
Whenever and Wherever You Want It
DragonFlys Black and Red
DragonFly Black, the most affordable model of the award-winning DragonFly family, has been praised by Darko.Audio as “the quintessential everyman hi-fi product,” while its more sophisticated sibling, DragonFly Red, combines significantly improved performance with still exceptional value. The ESS 9010 DAC chip in Black and the higher-performance 9016 chip in Red employ minimum-phase filtering for naturally detailed sound.
While DragonFly Black uses a high-quality headphone amp and analog volume control, DragonFly Red includes a more advanced ESS headphone amp and a bit-perfect digital volume control that resides on the 9016 DAC chip itself—a sophisticated implementation that gives Red a unique combination of power and grip over the music. DragonFly Black outputs 1.2 volts—enough power to successfully drive all preamplifier input circuits and a wide range of today’s efficient headphones. With its higher 2.1-volt output, DragonFly Red is compatible with a wider range of headphones, including power-hungry, low-efficiency models.
DragonFly Cobalt, our new flagship DAC, takes what music lovers around the world have come to expect from the multi-award-winning DragonFly family—naturally beautiful, seductive sound—and strips away fuzz and fog that weren't even noticeable until Cobalt removed them.
How is this possible? Like the critically acclaimed DragonFly Red, Cobalt has the robust 2.1-volt output to drive almost any headphone, uses a bit-perfect digital volume control for outstanding signal-to-noise ratio, enables seamless compatibility with Apple and Android devices, and is an exceptionally competent and affordable MQA Renderer.
Review: AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB DAC Headphone Amplifier
Cobalt's precedent-setting performance is made possible by multiple significant upgrades:
- New, more advanced ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound.
- Microchip's superb PIC32MX274 microprocessor draws less current and increases processing speed by 33%.
- Improved power-supply filtering that specifically increases immunity to WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular noise.
- Includes a form-fitting DragonTail female USB-A to male USB-C Adaptor.
All DragonTails use AQ's Carbon-level USB cable.
AudioQuest, Gordon Rankin: A Beautiful Partnership
Like all previous DragonFly models, Cobalt uses Gordon Rankin's precedent-setting StreamLength® asynchronous-transfer USB code. Further, in Gordon's monoClock® technology, a single ultra-low-jitter clock generated from the ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip runs the ESS chip functions as well as all microcontroller functions. This superior clock enables DragonFly Cobalt to provide greater resolution and clarity than DACs with multiple clocks.
Why the "Slow Roll...?"
Cobalt employs ESS's new flagship ES9038Q2M DAC chip. While the chips used in DragonFlys Black and Red are unbeatable for the price, the minimum-phase slow roll-off filter in the 9038 results in naturally expressive sound that is always emotionally engaging and never fatiguing—a beautiful combination of warmth and detail that we find equally exciting and soothing.
Killing the Noise
In Cobalt, we've taken what we've learned from our recent research and development in noise dissipation to employ power-supply filtering specifically designed to dramatically reduce the increasingly prevalent noise from WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular signals. Successfully combating this noise is absolutely crucial to the preservation of the lowest-level musical details, particularly when it comes to high-res audio—and especially when applied to a portable-audio device such as DragonFly.
Bit-Perfect Volume Control and 2.1-Volt Output
Cobalt features the same ESS Sabre 9601 headphone amp and bit-perfect volume control that give DragonFly Red its unique combination of power and grip over the music. This solution ensures maximum fidelity, thrilling dynamic contrast, and excellent signal-to-noise ratio. The 2.1-volt output makes Cobalt and Red compatible with a wide range of headphones, including power-hungry, low-efficiency models.
Firmware Upgradeable
DragonFlys Black, Red, and Cobalt are firmware upgradeable via our free Desktop Device Manager. In today's fast-paced digital world, longevity in a hi-fi component is increasingly rare—at any price. AudioQuest believes that today's digital devices should evolve as technology itself evolves, thereby delivering musical pleasure for many years to come. Our Desktop Device Manager will also allow you to identify your DragonFly's serial number and software version to ensure that the device is up to date. Click here to download the latest Device Manager available for your operating system.
Beautiful Sound in a Smaller Package...
and now with a Tail
All this goodness is packed into a sleek new case that measures just 2.26" x 0.73" x 0.47" (57.5mm x 18.6mm x 11.9mm), making the latest DragonFly 10% smaller and even a bit more pocket-friendly.
Finally, to easily accommodate the increasing number of electronic devices that feature USB-C ports, DragonFly Cobalt comes with AudioQuest's USB-A to USB-C adaptor.
The Rest of the DragonFly Fleet:
DragonFlys Black and Red
While the original DragonFly created a new category of portable DAC, its USB power draw made it compatible with computers only. Black and Red answered the call of music lovers everywhere for DragonFlys that could be used with Apple iOS mobile devices and Android smartphones and tablets. These DACs proved for once and for all that convenience and performance need no longer be mutually exclusive.
All current-production DragonFly models incorporate 32-bit ESS Sabre DAC chips.
The DAC chips we’ve selected are remarkably powerful and sophisticated, yet we’ve intentionally limited DragonFly’s processing capabilities to 24-bit/96kHz resolution. This makes using DragonFly as simple as it’s always been: All models are fully compatible with PCs without having to download and install new drivers. Most importantly, DragonFly is designed to honor the music you already own and love. Whether you’re listening to Spotify, YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, ripped CDs, or state-of-the-art high-resolution files, DragonFly will deliver a more emotionally compelling and enjoyable experience.
Stream Tidal Masters Everywhere
DragonFlys Black, Red, and Cobalt support Tidal Masters (MQA) playback from iPhones and Android smartphones. MQA's technology folds high-resolution files into smaller files that can be streamed on the go. As MQA Renderers, DragonFlys Black, Red, and Cobalt complete the unfolding process, allowing music lovers to enjoy a wider selection of high-res music. Click here to learn more about how MQA works.
Stream QOBUZ’s Vast Catalog Of Outstanding HI-Res Music
DragonFlys Black, Red, and Cobalt support Qobuz high-res playback from iPhones, Android smartphones, and MacOS and Windows computers. Qobuz streams and downloads music in bit-perfect FLAC, the most widely used format for mastering and archiving, at resolutions of up to 24-bit/192kHz. With DragonFlys Black, Red, and Cobalt, listeners can enjoy more than 40 million tracks in lossless 16-bit CD resolution and over 2 million hi-res files. Click here to learn more about how Qobuz works.
Naturally Beautiful Sound is Right at Your Fingertips
Whatever music turns you on, wherever you are, an AudioQuest DragonFly USB DAC delivers inspiring, dynamic, and beautiful sound to earbuds, headphones, powered speakers, or complete audio systems.
With a DragonFly, music appreciation and exploration are limitless: Plug into an Apple or Windows® computer or connect to an iOS® or Android mobile device. Play YouTube or Vimeo videos. Go hunting on Bandcamp or SoundCloud. Explore playlists on Spotify or Pandora. Stream high-res audio from Tidal or Qobuz. No matter the choice of musical pleasure, DragonFly delivers beautiful sound, unraveling the emotional expression and nuance that makes music and movies so enjoyable.
Now, more than ever before, naturally beautiful sound is right at your fingertips—however you want it, whenever you want it.
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Capabilities
- Plays all music files: MP3 to MQA and High-Res
- Compatible with Apple® and Windows® PCs
- Compatible with iOS devices (requires Apple Camera Adapter/Connection Kit)
- Compatible with Android devices (requires DragonTail or other USB Adaptor for Android Devices)
- MQA Rendering
- Drives headphones directly
- Fixed output feeds preamp or AV receiver
- Asynchronous transfer ensures digital timing integrity
Specifications
- DragonFly Black and Red - Status/Sample rates supported (LED indicator color code): Standby (Red), 44.1kHz (Green), 48kHz (Blue), 88.2kHz (Amber), 96kHz (Magenta), MQA (Purple)
- DragonFly Cobalt - Status/Sample rates supported (LED indicator color code): Standby (Red), 44.1kHz (Green), 48kHz (Blue), 88.2kHz (Yellow), 96kHz (Light Blue), MQA (Purple)
- Volume Control: Analog Volume Control (Black); 64-position, 64-bit, bit-perfect (Red, Cobalt)
- Output voltage: 1.2 (Black); 2.1 (Red, Cobalt)
- Headphone Amp: Texas Instruments TPA6130 (Black); ESS Sabre 9601 (Red, Cobalt)
- DAC Chip: 32-bit ESS 9010 with minimum-phase fast roll-off filter (Black); 32-bit ESS 9016 with minimum-phase fast roll-off filter (Red); ESS ES9038Q2M with minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound (Cobalt)
- Microcontroller: Microchip PIC32MX (Black, Red); Microchip PIC32MX274 reduces current draw and increases processing speed by 33% over DragonFlys Black and Red (Cobalt)
- Dimensions: 12mm H x 19mm W x 62mm L (Black, Red); 12mm H x 19mm W by 57mm L (Cobalt)
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What’s New in the AudioQuest DragonFly Red Archives?
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System Requirements for AudioQuest DragonFly Red Archives
- First, download the AudioQuest DragonFly Red Archives
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You can download its setup from given links:
AudioQuest DragonFly Red Archives & Key Download
AudioQuest DragonFly Red Archives& for Laptop
AudioQuest DragonFly Red Archives
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