[max232]

What other option is there for an ultra portable that works seamlessly with USB Audio Player Pro "Bit Perfect" and Tidal / MQA?

 

[McCol]

Just to balance things a little. I've been using the Cobalt for a couple of weeks and think it's outstanding for the price.
Using with a Samsung S10+ and it greatly improves the sound quality, it is also in my opinion more than a match for the Fiio Q5.

 

[AudiophileKing]

Just to balance things a little. I've been using the Cobalt for a couple of weeks and think it's outstanding for the price.
Using with a Samsung S10+ and it greatly improves the sound quality, it is also in my opinion more than a match for the Fiio Q5.

That's all good. As long as you are happy it's okay. However, we all want Audioquest to improve the audio quality and reduce the price. It has fallen behind in overall audio fidelity (due to multiple measurements inferiority) back to pre-Dragonfly Red models.

 

[David Pritchard]

I have the Audioquest Cobalt, Audioquest Red, Chord Mojo,and Fiio Q5. I am quite happy streaming Qobuz and Spotify using the Cobalt. A great combination with the iPhone. Minimal extra weight, easy to connect , and thin enough to fit easily in the back pocket. The improved spacious soundstage of the Cobalt makes my IEM's sound wonderful.
I suggest giving the Cobalt an audition.
David Pritchard

 

[AudiophileKing]

I have the Audioquest Cobalt, Audioquest Red, Chord Mojo,and Fiio Q5. I am quite happy streaming Qobuz and Spotify using the Cobalt. A great combination with the iPhone. Minimal extra weight, easy to connect , and thin enough to fit easily in the back pocket. The improved spacious soundstage of the Cobalt makes my IEM's sound wonderful.
I suggest giving the Cobalt an audition.
David Pritchard

Could you please also demo Q5s with THX module and give us some feedback comparison of all your stated DACs ? Isn't the chord mojo superior to the cobalt - being cleaner and better overall sound quality ?

 

[McCol]

That's all good. As long as you are happy it's okay. However, we all want Audioquest to improve the audio quality and reduce the price. It has fallen behind in overall audio fidelity (due to multiple measurements inferiority) back to pre-Dragonfly Red models.

I don't see that it has fallen behind. They have created a DAC that has a really nice small form factor that to my ears easily competes with the Fiio Q5/s range for slightly less cash, not as many features as the Fiio but the form factor is what I am more interested in.

Measurements make no difference to me and play no part in my decision making process, just my ears and form factor.

 

[Haden2866]

I really like mine - had it a week now playing out of my work iPhone 5SE with a pure silver Lightning-USB cable. I can't compare it to Red, Black or the original Black but I can say that I prefer it to Mojo - sold mine after a couple of years and don't miss it. Soundstage was narrow and it lacked vibe, for me, or 'mojo' if you like . Too much maths going on, perhaps. I had mine playing into a Neco Soundlab v5 portable amp, which increased the soundstage width somewhat and added much needed (IMO) bass texture. But wires! Batteries! Buttons! Cobalt is neat - I like that.
Measurement, and the idea of objective sound quality, are respectively, irrelevant and nonsensical to me but I don't expect to resolve the classical Apollonian / Dionysian split debating portable DAC / amp preferences so I won't be drawn to argue across a blind spot... today. Maybe some other time; we all do it.
Is Cobalt definitely not worth it's price tag? I could have bought a used iFi Nano B/L for, say £170, saving £100 over the cost of a new Cobalt. I generally enjoy the BB sound so it could have been a good choice, but then I've got to manage a battery again, so we are into assessing the value of form factor. Is not having to manage a battery worth £100 for broadly comparable products? Sure, for me, over the life cycle of my use case. I use IEMs and a pair of easy-to-drive biodynamic headphones, so adequate driving power isn't a limiting factor. I like Cobalt in my car too - use it every day and expect to for the next few years.
I like the soundstage width - spot-on for me; I like what Darko referred to as the more relaxed-sounding quality (compared to Mojo). These are things I personally value over out-and-out detail retrieval, all other things being equal. I felt the treble to sound really unnatural at first but that seems to have improved considerably to the point where I don't any more - I don't think it's simply a case of getting used to the presentation either, although I expect to be challenged on that. Will Cobalt's sound improve further through the first 200 hours? Who knows, perhaps but I expect any changes to be subtle.
I'm listening now to a decent 24/96 vinyl rip of Aladdin Sane on my Microsoft Surface Book 2 through Foobar and Cobalt into my Lawton-modded Fostex TH-X00 headphones and it sounds really good - Mike Garson's piano on Lady Grinning Soul is lovely. Better than Mojo? Not as much detail, for sure, so maybe not 'better' in that sense but a really engaging listen; far easier to lose yourself in from what I remember and that, pop fans, is where it counts is it not?

 

[Xzephyr23]

I just made a post about this concern - I guess it is going to be a hit or a miss for me personally hmm. I will have to hear it before I decide.

 

[Dan279]

In really simple terms, how different do the DFB, DFR and DFC sound? Streaming my music from Spotify premium on my iPhone 11 Pro using 1more Quad Driver iem’s, will using any of these dragonfly units make a noticeable auditory difference? I’ve never bought or used an external DAC before, always either used a headphone jack or, currently the apple dongle.
Thanks - really struggling with a purchase decision as they are all expensive purchases but need to figure out if they are cost effective ones.

 

[psikey]

In really simple terms, how different do the DFB, DFR and DFC sound? Streaming my music from Spotify premium on my iPhone 11 Pro using 1more Quad Driver iem’s, will using any of these dragonfly units make a noticeable auditory difference? I’ve never bought or used an external DAC before, always either used a headphone jack or, currently the apple dongle.
Thanks - really struggling with a purchase decision as they are all expensive purchases but need to figure out if they are cost effective ones.

I've had Oppo HA2SE, Mojo, DFR and now DFC used with Android, iPhone & PC. (also Hugo 2 but different use class).

Best bang for the buck for price/sound quality/size/weight of the above is still likely the DFR but if you have no issue with the extra £100 the Cobalt is nicer still. The Mojo is no better than the DFC to my ears plus its larger, heavier, you have to charge it and you get cellular/WIFI interference noise.

I manged to sell my DFR for £120 and bought a 2nd hand DFC for £150 so well worth the upgrade for me.

I use Shure SE846's and at impedence of 8ohm there was a slight background hiss with the DFR but none with the DFC. The DFC also uses less power in addition to better SQ. Best used with Tidal on iPhone or out of a PC playing Tidal, especially MQA tracks.

Never used your IEM's so don't know if they would limit the benefit of a better DAC/AMP.
I have some old Klipsch X10i and they don't resolve the best of the DFC's benefits.

In answer to the thread headline: Is a 5% improvement worth the extra £100 and therefore too expensive? Some pay over £3,000 for DAP's that are marginally better than £300 ones. Only the end-user can decide if cost is worth paying for the incremental improvements.

I'd say £269 in UK for a new DFC is pushing it and £219 (vs £169 for DFR) would have been more appropriate, but the DFC does has the Pro grade DAC in it.

For real value have a look at the new Fiio BTR5 for about £80. Superb as a BT balanced adapter (over LDAC BT) but also a fully capable DAC with full HD audio support including native DSD (not MQA) and 9hr battery in a package not much larger than a Dragonfly.

 

[GDuss]

I use Shure SE846's and at impedence of 8ohm there was a slight background hiss with the DFR but none with the DFC.

Agreed, I get no hiss on the SE846 with the DFC.

 

[Condocondor]

So, if I could jump in on the this thread's opinion. I disagree. It's worth the price. I actually use it as a quick and easy desktop system with my laptop. But there is a caveat: I use 2 other devices with it. I use the iFi Audio USB iPurifier3 and the iSilencer with a short USB A-to-B adapter. These two devices together really take the Cobalt to the next level. I rarily ever use my Micro iDSD BL anymore because the cobalt with these devices is just super. The headphone pictured are my favorite portable cans: Thinksound ON2 headphones. It's just a fantastic system to listen to Youtubes with.

 

[Tristy]

I've had Oppo HA2SE, Mojo, DFR and now DFC used with Android, iPhone & PC. (also Hugo 2 but different use class).

Best bang for the buck for price/sound quality/size/weight of the above is still likely the DFR but if you have no issue with the extra £100 the Cobalt is nicer still. The Mojo is no better than the DFC to my ears plus its larger, heavier, you have to charge it and you get cellular/WIFI interference noise.

I manged to sell my DFR for £120 and bought a 2nd hand DFC for £150 so well worth the upgrade for me.

I use Shure SE846's and at impedence of 8ohm there was a slight background hiss with the DFR but none with the DFC. The DFC also uses less power in addition to better SQ. Best used with Tidal on iPhone or out of a PC playing Tidal, especially MQA tracks.

Never used your IEM's so don't know if they would limit the benefit of a better DAC/AMP.
I have some old Klipsch X10i and they don't resolve the best of the DFC's benefits.

In answer to the thread headline: Is a 5% improvement worth the extra £100 and therefore too expensive? Some pay over £3,000 for DAP's that are marginally better than £300 ones. Only the end-user can decide if cost is worth paying for the incremental improvements.

I'd say £269 in UK for a new DFC is pushing it and £219 (vs £169 for DFR) would have been more appropriate, but the DFC does has the Pro grade DAC in it.

For real value have a look at the new Fiio BTR5 for about £80. Superb as a BT balanced adapter (over LDAC BT) but also a fully capable DAC with full HD audio support including native DSD (not MQA) and 9hr battery in a package not much larger than a Dragonfly.

The BTR5 really is cracking for the price. I don’t think this level of sound quality can be beat for £90...its Been a while since I’ve heard the dfr but I think it beats it and for over a third off the price. A genuine hifi bargain if you ask me.

 

[IEManiac]

The King has been unclothed all along.

 

[edlecom]

What other option is there for an ultra portable that works seamlessly with USB Audio Player Pro "Bit Perfect" and Tidal / MQA?

Just for information. Regardless what DAC you buy, you can always get Bit Perfect and MQA by using the USB Audio Player Pro App. It clears and open Tidal and others.