AudioQuest Dragonfly Review : Affordable, Outstanding, Tiny DAC / Amp - Page 57

I tried the Dragonfly out of my Vaunix USB hub (which isolates and provides much better power) and didn't notice any huge improvement. I reckon it'd be more worth it to spend the money on a better DAC than trying to improve the Dragonfly.

 

 

p.s.

Vaunix USB-Hub the first: this device is not include ADum4160, second: power Vaunix  12-24W AC-DC wall adator in my setup really Low noise (include Schottky diode) PSU.

 

 

 

 

Very interesting experiment.

Has anyone tried this nice little DAC with Brainwavz HM5 or Fischer 003, or any clones of these kind?

I would really like to know if it is worth for my relative cheap HM5. I want just to get straight the best DAC/AMP for my headphones so I could worry less and just listen to the music.

Dragonfly looks fantastic in any aspect for me.

I love this little DAC.

 

After listening to it everyday for a month, 

I did an A/B with my MacBook's HEADPHONE OUT (built in dac).

WOW, what a huge difference: The Dragonfly is so

much more FOCUSED, and just generally more fun

to listen to for longer periods of time.  

 

Now I'm curious to know, having very little DAC experience,

how much would I have to spend on my next DAC so

that there would be an immediate "WOW!!" experience

going from DRAGONFLY to the new dac? And what would

those differences be?

 

I

 

We need a can or worms emoticon....

 

I would peruse the source forums and get a feel for the variety of options....Single ended, balanced, Chip variety, USB or not, etc.....Let the games begin!

 

The next step up in a DAC will not be as much of a difference as going from the MacBook audio out to the Dragonfly.  The MacBook audio is truly terrible.  Even my daughter who doesn't care about SQ notices the difference.  A better DAC will give you a tighter bass, more detail, a better sense of space.

 

--Mark

Any news on the Bumblebee? I haven't heard anything. I didn't dream it up did I?

Sorry, not really on topic, but I didn't want to start a new thread.

Thank you Mark, that pretty much quells my curiosity for a while.  Now if you had said going from the Dragonfly to a new Dac would be mind-blowing, my bank account would be crying right now.

Next step up can be mindblowing but then your bank account WILL cry. At the last Danish meet I heard a truly mindblowing dac compared to anything I have previously heard but the pricetag was over USD10,000.

 

The .01% of head-fier's that are the ultra ears group might be able to justify the big $$ DAC's for themselves. For me, once I got above about $1500 USD I am not sure I am able to really discern the difference. (40 years of metal might do that.. )  At that point you begin to reach the law of diminishing returns. Does it get better? Yes, is it "Mindblowing"? No, it is subtle. So, should you drop another 2X or more to get "Subtle? Your decision.

 

Considering the great review's that are being generated by the DF from TAS, Stereophile, HiFi+ (Cover photo's on all mags!) and the like it has clearly hit a sweet spot for the audio elite. No small thing given their picky demeanor and access to about anything they want.

 

I have certainly enjoyed it now for several months. Sometimes for fun I will put it in the loop on the main system and I certainly enjoy it even with the primary gear. 

This is head-fi and affordable is definitely a relative term. $250 is definitely a reasonable candidate for that designation. You're talking about a place where people regularly spend $500+ for headphones and amps.

Yeah $250 is very acceptable for something that is both a very good dac and a perfectly fine amp for most real world headphones. There is allways going to be a premium price for something this small as well

Personally, size is worth a huge premium to me. If it had a built in battery so I could use it with my S3 it would be perfect.

I'm using mine to drive my W3000NVs -- pretty nice match, really. Very immediate and focused sound. 

 

o

$250 seems expensive for what it does.Though i have not heard it yet.Checking out FAQs on the website.You have to configure the sample rate in your PC according to the music data sample rate.Apparently J River and Foobar does it automatically.Windows Vista does not support it.Windows 7 does not support 88.2 kHz.Occasional and/or consistant clicks or drop outs with Windows 8 and RT.Microsoft is working toward a fix.

Edited by Nirvana1000 - 12/16/12 at 5:00pm