[vrln]

Has anyone measured the new versions output impedance yet? Wondering if it would be a good match for highly sensitive low impedance BA-IEMs.

 

[orb2k]

Hopefully you pulled the trigger....agree with others on the thread that for ~$80 you can't go wrong.  Spend the extra cash on your PC audio s/w and wait for the upgrade bug to bite.

I love my Dragonfly and use with with Grado's when at office and Ety 4Ps when travelling.  Mirror my music library on a portable drive so I can listen when on work trips.  Best listening experience regardless of what hotel in what part of the world I'm in that i can squeeze into a carry on bag without blinking an eye.

Drew

Are you using your DF through a LAPTOP? what's your portable rig?

 

[aprairie]

"Rig" seems like to big a word. When I travel I use a vizio windows 8.1 laptop (full disclosure, I work for AMD and the laptop uses our processor), a portable USB 3 HDD with my media library (alac or flac, some 24/96 or greater), dragonfly and then either directly into the ER4-P or into a Leckerton UHA4 and then into the phones.

Music player is Jriver 19. The dragonfly, headphones, and HDD all go into the carry on bag and barely add any weight. Amazing the portable quality and size of library I can travel with vs just 5 years ago. Jriver allows me to keep a "travel" library and a "work" library which is great too.

Drew

 

[zoso86]

I just have this amazing little device. currently I am running windows Xp and using dragonfly with asio4all. do I need install windows 7 for wasapi output? does it make a difference? which is better for me. asio output or wasapi output? is there a huge sound quality difference? thanks

 

[Speakerphile]

  ok thanks. i didnt think i needed a amp to go with the dragonfly but i get it when i can. is there any u recommend beside the fiio e11? i need to save money up for it now.

Not to throw a curve ball after it appears that you made your decision, but being a Best Buy employee you can also get the DF 1.2 for a discount.  Either way, it is very much worth it.  Shoot me a PM and I will give you the details.  

 

[NotAnAngel]

  Wow, when i plug my se535 to Dragonfly, there is pretty bad background his. And volume is okey when its set to 0 in windows for the DF, going up from that makes it too loud . Can't use it with se535 unless i put amp in between to tame the loudness and get rid of the hiss.
 
Anyway i use DF home with K550, and that's a pretty sweet combo.

 
 

 
That is weird. I use it with Macs (2009 MacBook Pro and 2011 iMac) and both are perfectly quiet/black - no hiss or anything I could hear, even if I max out volume. I use Audirvana (normal volume at about 9AM (the range is 7AM to 5PM) but I don't think it matters in this context.
 
Have you tried it with other computers? When did you buy DF? Mine is about one week old, version 1.0c as reported by Mac.

I have to clarify/correct my own post about the hiss/noise with Shure SE535: "no hiss" is not exactly right.
 
1. DF: At the normal listening level, if I try very hard, I can detect it (plug/unplug headphones) - Whippler had a point here (my hiss level seems to be lower).
 
Practically, it is virtually nonexistent (unless you unplug headphones, you cannot tell it is there, and even then, it borders with outside background noise I can still hear through the foam ear sleeves (-37dB of attenuation I think).
 
If I max out volume though, I do get quite audible hiss/noise/static. Usage wise, I will never be able to listen at the volumes where the hiss exists (higher than 9-10AM, with the 7AM-5PM range on Audirvana Plus).
 
2. I do get a bit of audible hiss with SE535 driven by all of my external amps (Beyerdynamic A1, Graham Slee Novo, and Musical Fidelity M1HPA). The hiss comes from the amps though, not from DF (meaning it exists even if I unplug DF; also maxing out DF volume to put it in "fixed" mode does not change the level of noise). I can only hear this kind of hiss when there is no music (as ususal).
 
To summarize, DF has the least amount of hiss/noise out of all of my external amps, at the normal listening level and while driving Shure SE535. I guess I am OK with that

 

[ramadugu]

Sorry for asking this question:
Does the version 1.0 work with USB Audio Recorder Pro app and OTG cable. My music player being Samsung Galaxy S4.
Thanks in advance!

 

[aprairie]

Have not tried on an S4 (don't have one) but on my S3 it was a no go....at least directly connected to the phone.  Might be able to make it work with a powered hub, but that defeated the purpose of being mobile for me so I haven't bothered to try it.
 
Drew

 

[CNB3]

Ordered the $99 dragonfly off amazon (great deal, given I'd already been mulling it over at $250); just received it and it's v1.2.  So even better deal!
 
Question - any downside to using it in a powered usb hub, rather than plugged directly into my macbook?

 

[ramadugu]

  Ordered the $99 dragonfly off amazon (great deal, given I'd already been mulling it over at $250); just received it and it's v1.2.  So even better deal!
 
Question - any downside to using it in a powered usb hub, rather than plugged directly into my macbook?

Do you know which seller was it that shipped the product? The $99 is sold by KraftStudio and AudioAdvisor.
If I know, I am thinking to buy one as well.
Thanks,
Sai

 

[lextek]

Ordered the $99 dragonfly off amazon (great deal, given I'd already been mulling it over at $250); just received it and it's v1.2.  So even better deal!
 


Question - any downside to using it in a powered usb hub, rather than plugged directly into my macbook?

Great deal. I've used mine with and without a powered hub and it sounded the same. Very, good. Even the "old" 1.0 version.

 

[henriks]

Maybe a dumb question, i saw that Blue microphones works with ipad through "Apple's camera connection kit" any chance that DF does too??

 

[lextek]

Maybe a dumb question, i saw that Blue microphones works with ipad through "Apple's camera connection kit" any chance that DF does too??

I had to use a powered hub with the iPad to work with the Dragonfly.

 

[NotAnAngel]

  Question - any downside to using it in a powered usb hub, rather than plugged directly into my macbook?

 
I would not. On the power side, my Mac says that DF v1.0c requires only 200 mA (with 500 mA being available) so there seem to be no reason for that - unless you would want to use some crazy, audio-grade, clean USB power supply. Also, I remember reading on some DAC manufacturer website that they did not recommend using any USB hub but don't quote me on this one
 
 
If you did use the hub, consider that USB Audio would have to travel through a (not very good quality, audio wise) USB cable of the hub, plus possibly the effect of the hub itself. One of the advantages of DF is that no USB cable is necessary. In my main system, for example, I use Wireworld Starlight 7 USB cable so I know the difference between a regular and a good USB cable.
 
 
Practically, I did some experiments with DF and a good quality Belkin USB hub ($30+) out of pure curiosity, and there was quite a noticeable difference in the sound (plugged in directly sounded better). I even replaced USB hub's cable with a Wirewold one and it still did not sound as good as the direct connection.
 
 
At the end of the day though, I would try both scenarios and see if you could tell any difference SQ wise.

 

[wbree]

How can you check if the Dragonfly USB stick is version 1.2 instead  of 1.0 and not by looking at the sticker on the box.