[118900]

So is the cobalt worth the $300 extra if you own the red? If not what is a good dfr upgrade

In my opinion, unless you can sell the DFR for a suitable price and recover some of the cost, I don't think its worth paying the full amount of the DFR again plus $100 more for the upgrade.

If you are starting from scratch with a $100 dollar difference between the two, I would pay the difference and go for the DFC.

 

[Luke Thomas]

In my opinion, unless you can sell the DFR for a suitable price and recover some of the cost, I don't think its worth paying the full amount of the DFR again plus $100 more for the upgrade.

If you are starting from scratch with a $100 dollar difference between the two, I would pay the difference and go for the DFC.

Thx. Looking for more instrument separation using Sennheiser 800s headphones With the dfr

 

[Condocondor]

I found the red intollerable. Love the Cobalt though! Worth it to me.

 

[tracyca]

Cobalt sound awesome with the AKG N40. Bass is hitting hard and top end sparkles. Reminds me of a car setup.

 

[Blueshound24]

I found the red intollerable. Love the Cobalt though! Worth it to me.

Could you expand a little on why you found the red intolerable, and why you liked the Cobalt over it?

 

[Condocondor]

Could you expand a little on why you found the red intolerable, and why you liked the Cobalt over it?

Well, I found the Red was intollerably bright with the ESS9016 dac chip and sold it. The Cobalt has a smoother top end but it's still an ESS dac chip. The Cobalt's sound stage is better fleshed out, wider, deeper, more space around the instruments, and much less fatiguing, etc. It perhaps has better dynamics as well. I still use the iPurifier3 and iSilencer with the Cobalt to further smooth things out a bit. I use all this with my laptop as a desktop unit--not my phone.

Here's an article describing the differences as I have:

https://www.headfonia.com/audioquest-cobalt-review/2/

"Compared to the RED, the Cobalt sounds better, more precise, more wide and spacious but also more natural and clean. The separation is better, the sound stage wider, the extension better in all directions and the presentation more airy. Bass is a bit less thick, the mids more spacious, the treble more energetic and further extended. The Cobalt is superior to the RED on a technical level. Red is more punchy, more in your face, the mids more narrow/intimate, the treble less present.

The tuning is more neutral but to the natural and musical side. The Cobalt can’t be called a warm or dark sounding unit at all, it’s nothing like that. It’s neutrality with a high level of musicality and presented in a natural way with a lot of headroom."

 

[529128]

I just bought the Cobalt. My first DAC was the DFR with the Jitterbug. Then I found a great offer on the Chord Mojo in a local shop but returned it as it was causing me problems with emi and noise when attached to my iPhone. It was also more bulky than expected. Instead I now bought the DFC. Great compromise between the DFR and the Mojo. It is not as smooth sounding as the Mojo but I find it to be an altogether great listening experience...

 

[Condocondor]

I just bought the Cobalt. My first DAC was the DFR with the Jitterbug. Then I found a great offer on the Chord Mojo in a local shop but returned it as it was causing me problems with emi and noise when attached to my iPhone. It was also more bulky than expected. Instead I now bought the DFC. Great compromise between the DFR and the Mojo. It is not as smooth sounding as the Mojo but I find it to be an altogether great listening experience...

Do you notice that your jitterbug improves the DFC? I know they say not to use it. I use mine with an iFi Audio iPurifer3 and have the new iFi Audio iSilencer+ on order to try.

 

[529128]

Do you notice that your jitterbug improves the DFC? I know they say not to use it. I use mine with an iFi Audio iPurifer3 and have the new iFi Audio iSilencer+ on order to try.

Hi
I sold my Jitterbug together with the DFR, so I just use the DFC as it is. What is your impression of adding the iPurifier/iSilencer?

 

[118900]

Do you notice that your jitterbug improves the DFC? I know they say not to use it. I use mine with an iFi Audio iPurifer3 and have the new iFi Audio iSilencer+ on order to try.

doesn't the DFC incorporate the jitterbug circuitry already?

 

[MozartMan1201]

The new iFi hip-dac portable DAC received glowing review on Techhive.

- Burr-Brown DSD1793
- Dual-mono, balanced amp
- 32bit/384kHz PCM
- 12.3MHz DSD
- MQA
- $149 Retail

 

[Condocondor]

I sold my Jitterbug together with the DFR, so I just use the DFC as it is. What is your impression of adding the iPurifier/iSilencer?

Just a little bit smoother and less grainy. COBALT is pretty damn good just by itself.

 

[thymen002]

Hi,

I own the IFI Xdsd but am interested if the cobalt is equal/better/worse in terms of detail retrieval.

I like the portability of the cobalt but would not like to go for a (big) drop in particularly detail retrieval).

 

[balleklorin]

doesn't the DFC incorporate the jitterbug circuitry already?

That's what I've read some place too.

 

[Logixa]

I started with the chord mojo and ended up with the DFC. Never went back to the mojo unless I wanted to listen to something together with a mate or the misses