[mattb888]

I got a Black just yesterday, it's the first external DAC I've used, and though I wasn't expecting much more than to be able to drive my K7XX's to a more satisfactory volume (MacBook Pro can't get them quite loud enough for my liking) the improvement in sound quality over the built-in MacBook audio port is noticeable. And while that's nice, the thing is it's still not as loud as I'd like. Is anyone else using a Black with K7XX's finding the same thing? I'm planning on getting a Schiit Fulla to try to drive them harder. It'll be fun to try the Black with my phone though.

 

[Devodonaldson]

After a couple weeks of use with UAPP and trying to see what if anything I could do to make using the red acceptable without having access to the UAPP drivers I decided to dust off my fiio e11. My portable amp of choice is my Cayin C5, however it isnt super pocketable and I choose to use it at times when sitting and relaxing. Anyway, combining the red with my e11 has proved to be more than reasonable. More than enough volume from my 32ohm V-moda m100's on Google play music, Spotify, YouTube,Netflix,HBO,Showtime,etc. And the size of e11 makes it easily pocketable for on the go use. Having an amp with the red for all around on the go use isn't IDEAL, however, I do notice the difference in sound out of the dac vs straight from headphone jack. Improved soundstage/separation for music as well as movies, etc. And the lack of extra battery drain is awesome. I own a fiio k1 tat works when connected to a usb hub, but the battery drain is ridiculous. Taking all into consideration, size, sound, battery drain, pocketability, Using red with UAPP for local music as well as streaming Tidal Hi-fi, and adding the small e11 when using other media applications, games, is worth the slightly less convenient feel,etc. Loving my red, still. V-moda m100,AKG Q701, V-MODA XS, Sennheiser Momentum,and continue to use with any other headphones I choose to add to the collection.

 

[squish72]

Okay so I've had the chance to test the v10 with and without the dragonfly red. Tried with both the m50x and a pair of nighthawks. I was only able to get the phone into medium gain and I honestly think that was the biggest difference between the two. The dragonfly seemed a touch more powerful all around and had more thump to the beat. Was very impressed with the sound on the phone. Yes the phone was better with the red, was it $200 more improved its hard to say. I do know that I don't HAVE to pack the red 24/7 to have great sounding music

 

[Devodonaldson]

Okay so I've had the chance to test the v10 with and without the dragonfly red. Tried with both the m50x and a pair of nighthawks. I was only able to get the phone into medium gain and I honestly think that was the biggest difference between the two. The dragonfly seemed a touch more powerful all around and had more thump to the beat. Was very impressed with the sound on the phone. Yes the phone was better with the red, was it $200 more improved its hard to say. I do know that I don't HAVE to pack the red 24/7 to have great sounding music

I definitely understand your point about the quality of the v10. But owning the red, we no longer have to take the audio quality of the internal dac into consideration the same way. I did not want to pick up an LG phone, but audio listening is something very high on my list. I'm happy with all other functions of my galaxy s7 edge, and with owning a red, it is no longer a thing I have to consider with my next phone purchase. Now I can solely focus on all other aspects of the phones hardware/software, knowing that my audio needs are taken care of by the red and a headphone amp when necessary.

 

[notfitforpublic]

Has anyone had the opportunity to pitch the Red Dragonfly sourced by an iPhone against a DAP like the Fiio X3ii?
 
Current portable is X3ii>e12a>Noble 3U's. Wonder how the dragonfly preforms vs the internal amp/dac of the X3ii. As much as having the extra oomph around to drive my full size cans is handy, it rarely happens. If when sourced by an idevice, the Dragonfly Red can do just as, or even close to as well as the x3ii/e12a combo, it wouldn't  be hard to move to just the Dragonfly.
 
Anyone have the chance to compare these 2 or have any input?

 

[defguy]

  Has anyone had the opportunity to pitch the Red Dragonfly sourced by an iPhone against a DAP like the Fiio X3ii?
 
Current portable is X3ii>e12a>Noble 3U's. Wonder how the dragonfly preforms vs the internal amp/dac of the X3ii. As much as having the extra oomph around to drive my full size cans is handy, it rarely happens. If when sourced by an idevice, the Dragonfly Red can do just as, or even close to as well as the x3ii/e12a combo, it wouldn't  be hard to move to just the Dragonfly.
 
Anyone have the chance to compare these 2 or have any input?

  I haven't compared the X3ii but the Red fed from my Note 3 into Noble 3u absolutely slays my original X3/E12 DIY combo.

 

[samaero]

I picked up a DF Red to use with my Macbook Pro, Late 2013 and iPhone 6 paired with DT880 250Ωs.  The cans get plenty loud for me directly from both the MBP and iPhone, but I had read a lot about how these phones need proper amplification to "sing", and felt like they weren't quite performing up to their potential.  It's my first DAC/amp, so maybe I was expecting too much, but so far, I honestly can't tell a big difference between the sources.  My conclusions are either 1) the Apple built-in components are high enough quality that an external DAC/amp is unnecessary, and this is about as good as these phones are going to sound or 2) this amp doesn't cut it for these headphones, and I need to get something with more power.
 
Will probably end up selling the Red.  It does play quite nicely with both devices, although in a week's worth of use, I've had it drop out a couple of times on the MBP, requiring an unplug-replug.  Bonus points for connecting to the iPhone flawlessly (iOS 8.4, jailbroken) via this $0.99 CCK clone!

 

[notfitforpublic]

    I haven't compared the X3ii but the Red fed from my Note 3 into Noble 3u absolutely slays my original X3/E12 DIY combo.

Thats encouraging, could you be a little more specific in how? Have you tried any harder to drive cans with the DFR? Noble 3's are pretty easy to drive.

 

[Bianci1969]

When I bought the DFR I fully expected to have to use UAPP on Android. It is what I have to use with my Master 11, BiFrost, Mojo, HDVD800, Emotiva Stealth DAC 1. This is a Universal Problem with Android. So besides being an Audioquest problem, it is a problem for all the other DAC manufactures who want to play on Android. So if UAPP can figure this out, why has not the entire collective of DAC sellers not gotten on this? Perhaps lease the driver from UAPP and let it load when DFR is plugged in. This is a well known problem that everyone except UAPP has ignored.

Hi Defbear -- 
 
The reason that the "collective DAC sellers" have not gotten on this is that it is not a defect on the part of the DAC manufacturers. There is an inherent issue inside of Android's OS. What UAPP does is circumvent Android's audio system. So, there are two ways that the issue can be resolved (on a global level) - App developers will have to follow the same plan as UAPP. Android needs to update their OS and follow the protocols that every other OS manufacturer follows - I.E. Microsoft and Apple.
 
That said, this comes across as a cop-out. And this is not AudioQuest's style. Believe me, we're extremely frustrated by this as well. We will continue to talk with Android architects and app developers and see if we can find a solution ourselves. This is why we made the new DragonFly's software upgradable - If and when we have a solution, and if that solution needs to reside in the DAC's, we'll push that out to our customers. 
 
Onward, 
 
Steve Silberman
AudioQuest

 

[defguy]

 
Thats encouraging, could you be a little more specific in how? Have you tried any harder to drive cans with the DFR? Noble 3's are pretty easy to drive.

Sorry about the vague info, was in the middle of something  I've tried the Red with the Audeze Sine briefly in store and it worked fine. At home with my 702's, it sounds good but is probably a little volume limited. With my HD 600's it works pretty well but they could definitely use more power. When used as a DAC in my desktop system feeding a Shiit Magni, it's definitely better than my usual desktop dac, the  original Cambridge DAC Magic although that's been around for quite a few years at this point and technology marches on. I would say the Red works great for IEM's and resonably easy to drive headphones

 

[defbear]

Hi Defbear -- 

The reason that the "collective DAC sellers" have not gotten on this is that it is not a defect on the part of the DAC manufacturers. There is an inherent issue inside of Android's OS. What UAPP does is circumvent Android's audio system. So, there are two ways that the issue can be resolved (on a global level) - App developers will have to follow the same plan as UAPP. Android needs to update their OS and follow the protocols that every other OS manufacturer follows - I.E. Microsoft and Apple.

That said, this comes across as a cop-out. And this is not AudioQuest's style. Believe me, we're extremely frustrated by this as well. We will continue to talk with Android architects and app developers and see if we can find a solution ourselves. This is why we made the new DragonFly's software upgradable - If and when we have a solution, and if that solution needs to reside in the DAC's, we'll push that out to our customers. 

Onward, 

Steve Silberman
AudioQuest

Hi Steve, I don't think Audioquest is copping out at all. Not one bit. I used to be Dilbert and have decades of system analyst work experience, programming UNIX MS AIX, blah blah. No I can't solve this either . But the DAC manufactures are on their own with this problem. As long as Google/Android has a Play Store selling low res music they are not going to fix this. It's against their financial interests. Android has zero interest in solving this or it would have been done. Yet If UAPP can circumvent Nature then so can others. If a driver can be written, and it can, it could reside On the Dragonfly and load when plugged in. Or just be an installed driver like on Windows. Seems everyone has their own driver on Windows. Like Windows, Android has to sit on many different hardware platforms. Readers should know it would be very expensive for a single company like Audioquest attempt to support every flavor of Android. Even Android doesn't want to do it. Some Android Hardware Coilition could be formed between the DAC makers to resolve this. I'm sure their are some DAC makers that feel you shouldn't be fooling with Android in the first place. I'll stop, I could write a book.

 

[uncletim]

will Red work well with HD800? I may decide to travel with HD800.

 

[Devodonaldson]

will Red work well with HD800? I may decide to travel with HD800.

first question is what device are you looking to use it with? I'll try to be general. As long as your music player has the ability to control the red's hardware volume, as well as the music player's volume, you should be OK. It will play at listenable volume. However, using a 300 ohm headphone, I would assume you would be using an amp, portable or otherwise in conjunction with the dac, to pull the best out of it. I would anyway. Though you say travel, I'm assuming that since you are using open headphones you plan to be isolated st the time of use. An amp won't be necessary, but is recommended. My red can power my AKG Q701 easily, but I still like to run the dac about 70% and use my Cayin C5 on low gain for extra clean power

 

[uncletim]

first question is what device are you looking to use it with? I'll try to be general. As long as your music player has the ability to control the red's hardware volume, as well as the music player's volume, you should be OK. It will play at listenable volume. However, using a 300 ohm headphone, I would assume you would be using an amp, portable or otherwise in conjunction with the dac, to pull the best out of it. I would anyway. Though you say travel, I'm assuming that since you are using open headphones you plan to be isolated st the time of use. An amp won't be necessary, but is recommended. My red can power my AKG Q701 easily, but I still like to run the dac about 70% and use my Cayin C5 on low gain for extra clean power

I travel with DX90/Cayin C5, sometimes like to use laptop/windows. listening at home in condo alone...usually..  thanks.

 

[Hubert481]

@Bianchi1969
Hello Steve, is there a link for searching updates for the dragonfly-red files.
Any information about how to upgrade and which program to use.
My manual did not show any information therefore