[MickeyVee]

You should give the D1 a listen if you can. It's pretty close to the DF. Although I don't have a use case for it now, I'm keeping it. May add some AE speakers to my office system. The FiiO stuff is going. The main system with be Mac>rDAC>Lyr and the around the house, the MacBook Air and DF.  Actually using the DF in my main system now with the HD700 and am quite enjoying it. Just giving it time to break in.
Quote:

Interesting. Although I haven't heard the D1, I'm pretty familiar with other Audioengine electronic products (amps and USB wireless xceivers) and I've never been impressed with their lack of neutrality of transparency. Theyre more than ok when used with their speakers, but dont cut the mustard when used more critically in a quality headphone environment. Oh well, maybe they've turned a corner with the D1.

 

[aye5882]

can anyone help me configure my macbook pro?
 
i have the dragonfly and audirvana.  every time i try to play a flac file in audirvana, the rate drops from 96kHz to 44kHz but when I'm using VLC, the output stays at 96 (magenta color on the USB).  also, when i go to the audio MIDI set up, every time i use audirvana the default output goes from dragonfly to the "built in output".  i can't seem the change it.
 
does anyone know whats going on?
 
thanks so much.

 

[Chefano]

Quote:

can anyone help me configure my macbook pro?
 
i have the dragonfly and audirvana.  every time i try to play a flac file in audirvana, the rate drops from 96kHz to 44kHz but when I'm using VLC, the output stays at 96 (magenta color on the USB).  also, when i go to the audio MIDI set up, every time i use audirvana the default output goes from dragonfly to the "built in output".  i can't seem the change it.
 
does anyone know whats going on?
 
thanks so much.

When you use Audirvana, it requests exclusive access, so unless you select forced upsample it will adjust the dac sample rate according to the source file.

 

[Nicklikesmusic]

Hi All,
 
I have read the review on this new DAC and im really interested. I value a large airy 3d soundstage and strong dynamics and would be running this from a macbook pro. My question is as follows..will I notice a large improvement using the dragonfly (with HD598) compared to the standard headphone out of a macbook pro?
 
I have been dissapointed before when trialling a nuforce hdp that I thought offered a very subtle difference but ultimately was not worth the extra dollars and I am not able to demo a dragonfly unit before purchase.
 
So if you own a dragonfly and macbook pro I really value your answer. If you don't forgive me but don't want to hear from you
 
Cheers

 

[longbowbbs]

Quote:

Hi All,
 
I have read the review on this new DAC and im really interested. I value a large airy 3d soundstage and strong dynamics and would be running this from a macbook pro. My question is as follows..will I notice a large improvement using the dragonfly (with HD598) compared to the standard headphone out of a macbook pro?
 
I have been dissapointed before when trialling a nuforce hdp that I thought offered a very subtle difference but ultimately was not worth the extra dollars and I am not able to demo a dragonfly unit before purchase.
 
So if you own a dragonfly and macbook pro I really value your answer. If you don't forgive me but don't want to hear from you
 
Cheers

I am very pleased with the DF and the MBP. I did find that the DF needed a good 200 hours of burn in to reach its full potential. I had been using the NuForce uDac2 and besides the convenience factor (No USB cable to bring along) it is a better unit by far. I am using the DF with my HD650's and Toxic Cables to great effect. If I do not bring the 650's along then I can use it with my Etymotic hf3's and custom ACS ear plugs. All is good.  

 

[Chefano]

I have a macbook pro, and IMO the mac has a wider soundstage, but the dif. is minimal. The DF has more dynamics, the presentation is fuller as well, but it tends to warm side when compared to the flat response of the mb.
 
Quote:

Hi All,
 
I have read the review on this new DAC and im really interested. I value a large airy 3d soundstage and strong dynamics and would be running this from a macbook pro. My question is as follows..will I notice a large improvement using the dragonfly (with HD598) compared to the standard headphone out of a macbook pro?
 
I have been dissapointed before when trialling a nuforce hdp that I thought offered a very subtle difference but ultimately was not worth the extra dollars and I am not able to demo a dragonfly unit before purchase.
 
So if you own a dragonfly and macbook pro I really value your answer. If you don't forgive me but don't want to hear from you
 
Cheers

 

[tzjin]

I may have missed it, but has anyone compared it to the ODAC yet? I get the feeling that this would be on the warmer side, while the ODAC would be an a slightly more clinical side. I want to see if the ability to use this as an amplifier as well justifies the extra $100.

 

[highfidelity69]

I am using an iBasso D10 for my laptop DAC, how does the DragonFly compare, thanks in advance.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Wow!  I had no idea about the shift-option-volume method!  Now instead of 3 out of 16, I can work with 12 out of 64!  Impressive!
 
To me, the sound signature of the DACPort was flat and lifeless.  It was clean regardless of how loud you set it at but any instrument with any sharp sounds were dull.  I like drums and cymbals, so I wasn't very happy.  I'm a big fan of the Ray Samuels sound which is forward and vibrant.  The Centrance DACPort seemed to suck the soul out of music.
 
The DragonFly does not compare in terms of instrument separation and soundstage but it's got a great energy to it.  The portability of the DragonFly is also just amazing.  It makes the Centrance DacPort look ridiculously huge. 

 
I don't agree that the DACport sounds flat and lifeless, but I agree it doesn't have the aggressive RSA sound signature.  With my LCD-2 and HE-500 I prefer to feed the DACport into my RSA SR-71b balanced amp, but that's because these orthodynamic phones demand a lot more power and current to drive them than a 5v USB provides.  The Audioengine D1 does better with my low impedance high current phones (including D7000) than DACport, but it doesn't have the instrument separation and soundstage of the DACport.  So in some areas we agree, but soul sucking it is not.
 
Quote:

Interesting. Although I haven't heard the D1, I'm pretty familiar with other Audioengine electronic products (amps and USB wireless xceivers) and I've never been impressed with their lack of neutrality of transparency. Theyre more than ok when used with their speakers, but dont cut the mustard when used more critically in a quality headphone environment. Oh well, maybe they've turned a corner with the D1.

 
The Audioengine D1 is actually pretty good as a DAC, I think you would like it.  The headphone amp is not as good as the DAC, but it's very useable.  Their D2 wireless DAC is a noticeable step up from the D1, and compares favorably vs my CEntrance DACmini and Apogee miniDAC when driving my single ended ZDT amp.

 

[belisk]

After some research, the Dragonfly, Calyx Coffee, E-DAC and ODAC all use this ES9023 Sabre chip.
 
Was a tossup between the DF and the Calyx Coffee, so i chose the DF, awaiting delivery.

 

[MickeyVee]

I like the D1 but prefer the DF.  The DF a touch more open and airy with a little better low end extension.  For me, they're both keepers.
Wold have been perfectly happy with the D1 but had to try out the Dragonfly just for its sheer portability. Glad I did.
Quote:

 
The Audioengine D1 is actually pretty good as a DAC, I think you would like it.  The headphone amp is not as good as the DAC, but it's very useable.  Their D2 wireless DAC is a noticeable step up from the D1, and compares favorably vs my CEntrance DACmini and Apogee miniDAC when driving my single ended ZDT amp.

 

[utdeep]

HeadphoneAddict,

It's a pleasure to have you join this thread. I've used your massive review thread for direction so many times over the past few years.

Are you planning to get a DragonFly anytime soon? Would love your feedback. I knew what I was getting into after I bought the DacPort when I read your review (especially compared to the RSA predator). Having the DragonFly in your review thread would really help prospective buyers.

I think the DacPort is a neutral sounding dac/amp while the DragonFly is darker.

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

I think the DacPort is a neutral sounding dac/amp while the DragonFly is darker.

 
Just curious have you *only* listened to your JH16s with the DF?  I still believe the output impedance on this guy is high (as another member measured 4.6), which would make it way too high for your JH16s.
 
I found the DF overly warm/muscular, lacking low end detail but more 'oomph' on my EPH-100s and definitely congested on faster music.  I found none of this character driving my Thunderpants.  And then using only the DF as a DAC -> O2 and driving both the same I did not find this effect.

 

[tzjin]

Quote:

I found the DF overly warm/muscular, lacking low end detail but more 'oomph' on my EPH-100s and definitely congested on faster music.  I found none of this character driving my Thunderpants.  And then using only the DF as a DAC -> O2 and driving both the same I did not find this effect.

 
Muscular!

 
So it kind of sounds like an output impedance issue, but Gordon definitely knows what he's talking about, and he says no. I guess it's just bad with the EPH-100. Do you have any other cans or IEM's you can try?

 

[bobeau]

Quote:

 
Muscular!

 
So it kind of sounds like an output impedance issue, but Gordon definitely knows what he's talking about, and he says no. I guess it's just bad with the EPH-100. Do you have any other cans or IEM's you can try?

 
Unfortunately I don't have any other low impedance cans/IEMs to test with, but if you look at comments about congestion in this thread they do seem to correlate with low impedance IEMs.  My Thunderpants do sound wonderful with it slightly tipped the other way... a bit lean, but certainly none of that congestion or bloat and leave little on the table compared to the ODAC/O2 combo.
 
I dunno, I don't necessarily trust that response Gordon wrote.  It was antagonistic and hand waved away a real measurement because... a mid grade fluke measures impedance so poorly that it would get it wrong by an order of magnitude?  I don't buy it.  They don't publish the spec.  Gordon ignored this question outright when asked on CA - quoting the 12 ohm compatibility on the spec sheet -, Steve Silberman ignored it twice in my emails to him (suggesting my computer was somehow improperly setup), and Gordon only responded when someone actually published something to tear down the effort.  It's fishy.