[Guidostrunk]

I don't think Spotify is the issue. It's the output volume, DF vs HPO. I'm wondering if my HPO puts out a stronger signal , than the DF?

To use the iCan as the amplifier, your System volume and player volume has to be full and you have to use your iCans volume knob/buttons to control the volume. That's the way it works on windows anyways.

I use the dragonfly directly off my Nexus 5 and UAPP. Volumes on da lower side compared to the HP out. Need to enable hardware volume in the UAPP settings to truly take advantage of the dragonfly's amplification. Gets way louder than normal HP out.

Don't think Spotify can utilise the dragonfly as its meant to be done.

There's a limited time UAPP trial download on UAPPs website. Try it without and with hardware volume enabled. You will understand what am talking about.

PS Do keep volume low while trying hardware volume. Can get awfully loud

 

[junkers]

Question about the output. The Audioquest FAQ states the following:

 DragonFly is also capable of being employed as a traditional fixed-output source component (such as a CD, DVD or Blu-ray player), and can be connected to a standard input on a receiver or preamplifier. For this application, both the music player’s volume control and the main operating system volume control should be set to maximum. This “fixed output mode” allows your audio or AV system’s volume control to be in charge.

Does maxing the volume bypass the amp circuitry completely? I am curious if you can use the Dragonfly purely as a DAC, rather than a DAC + amp that is maxed out. Is there any way to test this, possibly by comparing 99% output to 100%?

 

[Krutsch]

  Question about the output. The Audioquest FAQ states the following:
Does maxing the volume bypass the amp circuitry completely? I am curious if you can use the Dragonfly purely as a DAC, rather than a DAC + amp that is maxed out. Is there any way to test this, possibly by comparing 99% output to 100%?

 
No, it does not. I called AQ technical support some time ago to ask the same question.

 

[junkers]

 

  Question about the output. The Audioquest FAQ states the following:
Does maxing the volume bypass the amp circuitry completely? I am curious if you can use the Dragonfly purely as a DAC, rather than a DAC + amp that is maxed out. Is there any way to test this, possibly by comparing 99% output to 100%?

 
No, it does not. I called AQ technical support some time ago to ask the same question.

Oy, that is very disappointing. Are there other DACs in this kind of smaller form factor that offer a pure DAC output, either by being just a DAC or somehow bypassing its amp if it is a combo (like the Dragonfly)?

 

[kenshinhimura]

hrt microstreamer most likely

 

[junkers]

  hrt microstreamer most likely

 
Straight from the horse's mouth:
 
Quote:

  The line output of the microStreamer is a completely separate path from the headphone amplifier and is ultimately a much better choice for an external amplifier use.  The experience of StefanG is not unexpected at all.  The DAC and reconstruction filter of the line output of the microStreamer is only bettered by devices costing many times its price and I would strongly encourage any owner of the microStreamer to not make the mistake of assuming that the two paths are similar in character.
 
Kevin Halverson
CTO
High Resolution Technologies, LLC
 

 

[Krutsch]

  Oy, that is very disappointing. Are there other DACs in this kind of smaller form factor that offer a pure DAC output, either by being just a DAC or somehow bypassing its amp if it is a combo (like the Dragonfly)?

Why is this a problem? Running the DF at max volume is similar to the fixed 2Vrms line-level output you would have with a DAC that doesn't support variable line-out.

 

[Kevin_Halverson]

"Straight from the horse's mouth:"
 
I have certainly been called worse!
 
Kevin Halverson
CTO
High Resolution Technologies, LLC

 

[junkers]

 

  Oy, that is very disappointing. Are there other DACs in this kind of smaller form factor that offer a pure DAC output, either by being just a DAC or somehow bypassing its amp if it is a combo (like the Dragonfly)?

Why is this a problem? Running the DF at max volume is similar to the fixed 2Vrms line-level output you would have with a DAC that doesn't support variable line-out.

The signal would still be going through the amp though right? Thus affecting the sound (however so slightly). This would be akin to maxing out the volume of an iPod and saying that that is a proper line-out from its DAC. I would like the option to have a straight DAC that feeds the signal to a dedicated external amp for further processing.  The Microstreamer seems to do that by having completely separate paths: a DAC only path (to be used with an external amp), and a DAC + internal amp path.
 
 

  "Straight from the horse's mouth:"
 
I have certainly been called worse!
 
Kevin Halverson
CTO
High Resolution Technologies, LLC

LMAO, certainly did not expect this response.

 

[Krutsch]

  The signal would still be going through the amp though right? Thus affecting the sound (however so slightly). This would be akin to maxing out the volume of an iPod and saying that that is a proper line-out from its DAC. I would like the option to have a straight DAC that feeds the signal to a dedicated external amp for further processing.  The Microstreamer seems to do that by having completely separate paths: a DAC only path (to be used with an external amp), and a DAC + internal amp path.
 

 
Well, iPods have varying degrees of quality on their HP amps, but I know that earlier classic models had cheap / low quality implementations.  So, no, I don't agree with your analogy.
 
IMO, you had it right on the first part: affecting the sound (however so slightly).

 

[Kevin_Halverson]

   
Well, iPods have varying degrees of quality on their HP amps, but I know that earlier classic models had cheap / low quality implementations.  So, no, I don't agree with your analogy.
 
IMO, you had it right on the first part: affecting the sound (however so slightly).

The underlying concept is to bypass as much of the signal path of the iOS device as possible. By using an asynchronous converter with an actual line output path, the iOS device becomes a UI (user interface) and storage platform; these are the things that an iPad/iPhone/iPod do well.
Bypassing its conversion (DAC) and analog stages eliminates what they (the iOS device) does a poor job, effectively taking only the best from the iOS device's capabilities.
 
Kevin Halverson
CTO
High Resolution Technologies, LLC

 

[Krutsch]

^^^ see the previous posts for context; he was asking about the DragonFly, not an iPod, but was making a comparison between the two, with respect to line-level out.

 

[Kevin_Halverson]

  ^^^ see the previous posts for context; he was asking about the DragonFly, not an iPod, but was making a comparison between the two, with respect to line-level out.

Thank you for the clarification of the question and subject matter.  
 
The advantage of using an actual line output as opposed to one taken from a headphone amplifier is that one avoids the headphone amplifier's characteristics (higher noise floor and distortion levels).  By avoiding the attenuator and using a dedicated high performance line driver, the DAC's characteristics are not impacted by the headphone amplifier.  Consider that a headphone amplifier is designed to drive a much lower impedance load than would be encountered by a line driver.  One wouldn't want to use the output of a power amplifier to connect to a line level input component, rather the best would be to use the up stream pre amplifier's output. This analogy describes effectively the same situation, think of the headphone amplifier as a power amplifier (which it is), the line output is ideal in terms of level for connection to a line level input of a subsequent analog component such as an external headphone amplifier or a power amplifier (if used in a traditional audio system).
 
The degree of improvement will be dependent upon the overall component chain, but higher performance system (and a more articulate listener) should easily appreciate the difference.
 
Kevin Halverson
CTO
High Resolution Technologies, LLC

 

[Travelbug]

i seem to have lost the ability to play the audioquest dragonfly (1.2) in one of the usb ports of my laptop. it work on another port but id rather have it on the other port for ergonomic reasons. 
 
i seem to remember a discussion here aout how to get back usb functionality for the dragonfly but i cant seem to find the post now. can anyone help me out?

 

[Bostonears]

  i seem to have lost the ability to play the audioquest dragonfly (1.2) in one of the usb ports of my laptop. it work on another port but id rather have it on the other port for ergonomic reasons. 
 
i seem to remember a discussion here aout how to get back usb functionality for the dragonfly but i cant seem to find the post now. can anyone help me out?

Is one of your laptop ports USB 2.0 and the other USB 3.0? If you're on Windows (rather than Mac), did you try uninstalling and reinstalling the device driver in Device Manager?