[Charlovski]

Is the audio quest dragonfly red as good as a mid dap sound quality wise or would something like a Fiio m11 or hiby r6 pro be better ?

Thanks for any info

 

[bland125]

Is the audio quest dragonfly red as good as a mid dap sound quality wise or would something like a Fiio m11 or hiby r6 pro be better ?

Thanks for any info

I guess it comes down to what "better" means to you and with your usage. I owned the dragonfly red for quite some time and the Cobalt for a short time. I liked the red better. I use a DAP now, a Sony NW-ZX507 and I won't go back to dongle DACs, I was tired of the fiddling and EQing and never ending adjustments. I want to play with my music, not my app and device settings. Never heard the Fiio or Hiby DAP so I can't say for those.

 

[Charlovski]

Thanks for all the info. What I really want to know is it worth me spending £500 on a dap when I already use my iPhone and dragonfly red combo.

I mostly stream on tidal

 

[bland125]

Thanks for all the info. What I really want to know is it worth me spending £500 on a dap when I already use my iPhone and dragonfly red combo.

I mostly stream on tidal

I'm not sure I would use a DAP just for streaming, even if it's Tidal. It seems many DAPs are a hit or miss with wifi (both the reception and battery life) and the Google Play store when not using old Android versions. The ease of use of your iPhone and the dragonfly is hard to beat.

 

[corgifall]

It comes down to whether or not you're willing to carry a second device with you or not. I got irritated killing my iphone battery using a dongle DAC/amp so I eventually caved on the m11. It's great cause I can use higher demanding headphones on the go without power problems. The drawbacks to a good mid range DAP is that they're huge and thick. My iphone x with the official apple battery case on is the same thickness as my M11 and to me that is quite silly. So if you need more power for headphones and can handle having to carry and extra device then I say go for it. Fiio lets you use the play store now and it works pretty well.

 

[musicday]

Is the audio quest dragonfly red as good as a mid dap sound quality wise or would something like a Fiio m11 or hiby r6 pro be better ?

Thanks for any info

No it's not, because of the limited space inside for electronics. Dragonfly red was okay when was released for it's size and price, but now if you want to stick with the form factor and low price you should be looking at the most advanced USB dongle DAC and amplifier Lotoo Paw S1.

 

[cuiter23]

I've only heard and owned the DF black extensively. Really doesn't compare to a mid-range (i.e. Sony ZX300 etc etc) fully featured DAP. That being said, I'm sure the Red and the Cobalt have made strides in terms of sound quality.

 

[om letap]

I have a question lets say i have a astell kern dap that has a dac already inside it. if i add a dragonfly to my setup would that add both dacs together or would one substitute the other ? Thanks in advance sorry if its a stupid question LOL

 

[purplesun]

Is the audio quest dragonfly red as good as a mid dap sound quality wise or would something like a Fiio m11 or hiby r6 pro be better ?

What I really want to know is it worth me spending £500 on a dap when I already use my iPhone and dragonfly red combo

When comparing my DFR to DAPs (R3Pro or SR25), the DAPs sound airier with better resolved highs when playing well-produced, high bitrate music content. Other than that, it's mostly down to sound signature preferences for me. Caveat: Most, if not all, my earphones/IEMs are quite easy to drive - so strong amplification is not a vital requirement.

When out & about in town, I use a cheap/tiny ALC4040 dac dongle with my google phone for music playback. But when travelling out-of-town, I bring along an additional DAP to save phone battery life and have better SQ while on the road. IMO, the R3 Pro is quite a good solution with its small size, good SQ/battery life and relatively low price.

 

[Barndoor]

If you are happy to use your phone then by buying a DAP you are spending on hardware and software you don't need.
Maybe a portable DAC/AMP like the iFi micro iDSD Black Label or Chord Mojo could be an option.

 

[max232]

How's the battery in your phone. You might consider the Radstone es100 or something else with a built in power supply. I have a Dragonfly Red. I use it at home because I have an old phone and the battery is not that good.

 

[3Putter]

How's the battery in your phone. You might consider the Radstone es100 or something else with a built in power supply. I have a Dragonfly Red. I use it at home because I have an old phone and the battery is not that good.

I have the Dragonfly Black and Blue for use at home on a desktop amp. I use the ESS100 with my phone as the source at the gym and on walks. Sounds terrific either way. Still just bought the Hiby R5 II.

 

[Andrewteee]

Watching this thread. I decided I want a high quality portable system for travel or even mobility around the house. Just traveled with iPhone and iPad + Dragonfly Cobalt + IEMs. Workable but clunky.

Considering a different solution. DAP or something else. Ideally Roon Ready and Qobuz streaming but I understand those are rare in DAPs. I can also store music files but like the flexibility that streaming opens up.

The world of DAPs is new to me—still soaking it all up. Lots to learn. Any bullet points of advice appreciated

 

[3Putter]

My new Hiby R5G2 was $399. Love it. Rarely use my iPhone or Cobalt now. Sounds better, has storage for offline listening, and works great. Figured for $400 I could see how much I use it and upgrade in a few years if I love it. If I don't I can sell it and not be hurt too badly. I am not sure I'll ever be high end DAP customer. Too many other interests. But if I spent hours a day listening to music I'd go for a DAP. Khadas has a amp/dac attachment that magnet attaches to iPhones that is getting positive reviews, too.

 

[psikey]

My new Hiby R5G2 was $399. Love it. Rarely use my iPhone or Cobalt now. Sounds better, has storage for offline listening, and works great. Figured for $400 I could see how much I use it and upgrade in a few years if I love it. If I don't I can sell it and not be hurt too badly. I am not sure I'll ever be high end DAP customer. Too many other interests. But if I spent hours a day listening to music I'd go for a DAP. Khadas has a amp/dac attachment that magnet attaches to iPhones that is getting positive reviews, too.

I have both and both sound excellent. Khadas Tea will hiss if you have sensitive IEM's. My SE846's reveal backgeound hiss during nearly silent passages in tracks.