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AudioQuest Dragonfly Review : Affordable, Outstanding, Tiny DAC / Amp

Jul 6, 2012 at 12:21 AM Post #31 of 2,514
Quote:
pekingduck said:
Is it iPad + CCK compatible?
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No, unfortunately the iPad doesn't kick out enough juice through the Camera Connection Kit to power the Dragonfly up.
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 12:48 AM Post #32 of 2,514
Quote:
sling5s said:
Thanks for the comparisons.  I do like it on the warm side rather than bright.  I was hoping to replace the Dacport but I guess I'll hold on to it.
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Don't forget Amazon has a super easy return policy if you want to check it or any other component out. That's how I audition dacs these days; they've got quite the audio selection now...
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 1:10 AM Post #33 of 2,514
Any chance of measuring its out put impedence and vrm? It is just not easy for me to believe a unit like this can do all this. I just would hate to buy this unit and be disappointed. 
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 2:52 AM Post #35 of 2,514
Quote:
jude said:
 
No, unfortunately the iPad doesn't kick out enough juice through the Camera Connection Kit to power the Dragonfly up.
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You should try the Dr Bott's T3 hub which fools the iPad into thinking you are using a powered hub when it's not, so the iPad doesn't complain about the DAC drawing too much power.  That might make it work.
 
How does it sound vs something like the DACport which I think sounds amazing (although $399).  
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 3:17 AM Post #36 of 2,514
Very interesting review.  I've just started purchasing dac/amps and like I have with iems I'm slowly but surely climbing the price/quality ladder.  This looks like a likely choice to pair with upcoming customs.
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 4:27 AM Post #37 of 2,514
Quote:
jude said:
 
The Dragonfly defeats the computer's volume control, hijacking the computer's user interface (UI) to instead control the Dragonfly's own 64-step analog volume control. So, to the user, volume adjustment feels natural and familiar, from the standpoint of UI, but with the benefit of the Dragonfly's analog volume control. 
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I'm assuming that it still uses the same volume buttons on the Macbook keyboard?  If so, that's a HUGE plus for me.  I know you can do <Shift> <Option> <Vol> to get the same 64 steps in 10.7.4; but it's so much easier with one key.  Hmmm... 64 steps.  Is that just a coincidence?
 
My only other concern with this and even USB flash drives is the way it sticks out.  I've always worried about breaking something like this, especially if used in places like a cramped airplane seat or on a lumpy bed.  But I guess you can always just get one of these short extensions.  I wonder if AQ would approve.  
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  This is pretty tempting.
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 6:30 AM Post #39 of 2,514
Quote:
jude said:
 
 
EDIT: Whoops, looks like there was a thread-pruning by a moderator while I was responding. Nevertheless, I'll keep this response intact (which is now a response to a deleted post), just in case anybody else comes to this thread with similar sentiments.
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Having been part of the "pruning," my apologies for having helped this thing veer off-topic, and my thanks to the moderator for getting it back on the rails.  As I noted above, the Dragonfly is a fine sounding unit for a home system, and for travel I think it has few if any competitors at the moment.
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 6:32 AM Post #40 of 2,514
Quote:
mkubota1 said:
 
I'm assuming that it still uses the same volume buttons on the Macbook keyboard?  If so, that's a HUGE plus for me.  I know you can do <Shift> <Option> <Vol> to get the same 64 steps in 10.7.4; but it's so much easier with one key.  Hmmm... 64 steps.  Is that just a coincidence?
 
My only other concern with this and even USB flash drives is the way it sticks out.  I've always worried about breaking something like this, especially if used in places like a cramped airplane seat or on a lumpy bed.  But I guess you can always just get one of these short extensions.  I wonder if AQ would approve.  
wink.gif
  This is pretty tempting.
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AQ has said there will be a short flexible "Dragon Tail" extension on sale in the near future to resolve the problem of the DragonFly sticking out from the side of a laptop.
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 7:56 AM Post #41 of 2,514
Quote:
judmarc said:
AQ has said there will be a short flexible "Dragon Tail" extension on sale in the near future to resolve the problem of the DragonFly sticking out from the side of a laptop.
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Of course!  
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  Thankfully, they'll probably keep it reasonable since it would be tough to see a $250 device with a $150 extension cable.  But then again...
 
There really isn't anything close to this on the market- yet.  With such an extension cable, this thing can simply hang from the laptop with only a bit more weight than the headphone cable itself.  
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 9:47 AM Post #42 of 2,514
Quote:
mkubota1 said:
 
Of course!  
tongue.gif
  Thankfully, they'll probably keep it reasonable since it would be tough to see a $250 device with a $150 extension cable.  But then again...
 
There really isn't anything close to this on the market- yet.  With such an extension cable, this thing can simply hang from the laptop with only a bit more weight than the headphone cable itself.  
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well not in this format but certainly there has been many great sounding DACs in the market in that shape format, for example USB DAC by headstage and Halide design DACS come into mind. 
 
Jul 6, 2012 at 10:39 AM Post #43 of 2,514
Don't call me crazy, but does anybody have thoughts of the Dragonfly vs iPhone for sound quality?
 
For travel I usually carry my iPhone and a portable amp to power my RE-262.  Even though I have a more expensive desktop DAC I have no problems with the DAC chip inside the iPhone.  It has some shortcomings but overall it is enjoyable.  However, I can see some advantages to having this Dragonfly on my laptop and not having to break out a separate device while I'm working on the computer.  So, I'm weighing convenience & sound quality in the context of an existing iPhone portable rig.  
 
At $250 the Dragonfly is at a price where I have to justify it in my own mind as something that has an advantage over whatever I currently have.  At $150-200 I might not even have to think 
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