[meomap]

You can try Cayin RU6 USB C dongle. It's a R2R DAC designed inside..
I think it's better than Cobalt.
Surprisingly sounds good.
Have both 4.4mm and 3.5mm connections and more powers.

 

[Jaabaas]

You can try Cayin RU6 USB C dongle. It's a R2R DAC designed inside..
I think it's better than Cobalt.
Surprisingly sounds good.
Have both 4.4mm and 3.5mm connections and more powers.

thanks a lot! also on the list! looks very good and I'm familiar with a cayin dac, that's always nice as well.

 

[chickifat123]

Have any1 here try to put the cobalt with an ifi ipurifier 3 ?. I'm thinking to invest an ipurifier just for the intention of have a solid future proof audio source from my PC. Noisy gaming PC >> Usb A to B > ifi ipurifer (usb B to A) going up to my desktop table. Been wondering since the Cobalt has a jitterbug will it make any changes better or worse.

 

[486892]

I used to have DFR for few times and both times it got sold, because of the 'artificial' soundstage it produces. I had so high hopes of it.

Now I wanted to give a shot for DFC, and what an upgrade!

A much more open and more fresh soundstage, and silkier treble, and tight dynamics. Whole freq spectrum sound better than Red one in dynamic and tuning wise.

Price and size wise this guy has some qualities that are hard to beat.

 

[xirxes]

I have used and sold DFC and it I could have just stuck with easy to drive cans like my initial Beyer dt770 pro 80 ohm I’d be a happy camper. The noises that came out of iPhone-dongle-DFC-DT770 pro were so good and amazing for price point. This is amazing even for in PC line I’d take it over anything that soundblaster makes.

I had to go and chase the rabbit down the hole though. The hole is deep and the rabbit chews up money and poops out incremental increases in sound quality that are hallucinogenic and addictive.

I recommend DFC as a stopping point lol.

 

[486892]

I have used and sold DFC and it I could have just stuck with easy to drive cans like my initial Beyer dt770 pro 80 ohm I’d be a happy camper. The noises that came out of iPhone-dongle-DFC-DT770 pro were so good and amazing for price point. This is amazing even for in PC line I’d take it over anything that soundblaster makes.

I had to go and chase the rabbit down the hole though. The hole is deep and the rabbit chews up money and poops out incremental increases in sound quality that are hallucinogenic and addictive.

I recommend DFC as a stopping point lol.

My reference is RME adi-2 fs DAC with Neve RNHP and SSL 4K console.

The sound is different between Cobalt and the reference, but as attractive. That's the whole point of sound - how well balanced is the overall sound spectrum to your ears. Not your hallucinogenic experience of others ears.

 

[486892]

absolutely yes, same experience with the black label........

had chordmojo - great but too troublesome with charging etc
ifi black label was a joke
is cobalt delivering the magic? anything else you compared with or RED or BLACK?

I'm same. I have Mojo laying around just as a reference, but not in regular use, because of same reason. You will be suprised the sound of Cobalt. I would have never expected that after dissapointing rounds with Red.

 

[mvule]

 

[The1Signature]

I bought just both:
- ifi hip dac 2 and
- audioquest dragonFly cobalt

i have also the shanling m8 when i want to listen to music at home.

however, when being outside, i am not sure which one of both ifi or AQ is better.

does anybody have had the possibility to compare them both?

i am asking because the AQ, especially the cobalt version with firmware v1.0, still, has so many problems on laptop and smartphone:
- laptop: cracking sound with tidal desktop app when doing exclusive mode. this mode is however necessary for getting puple color = MQA
- smartphone (samsung note 20 ultra): when using tidal and having lowest volume, the AQ gives full power, cracking sound and very loud for a moment, until i reduce the volume - also known issue by tidal. it is so loud that i always get very shocked for a moment when i forget it...

so the AQ is very small and handy. but i heard that the ifi is just better.

since i haven'open the brand-new hip dac 2 from its box, i wanted to ask you guys first.

 

[trondav]

I have had: Audioquest Dragonfly Black, Red and Cobalt, Pro-Ject Pre S2 Digital, Chord Mojo, iFI Zen DAC V2 and more for mobile use. Just bought the fantastic ifi Hip DAC V2. What a wonderful small device. It sounds AMAZING for the price. Runs with my Focal Elegia. My verdict! 5/5.

 

[The1Signature]

I have had: Audioquest Dragonfly Black, Red and Cobalt, Pro-Ject Pre S2 Digital, Chord Mojo, iFI Zen DAC V2 and more for mobile use. Just bought the fantastic ifi Hip DAC V2. What a wonderful small device. It sounds AMAZING for the price. Runs with my Focal Elegia. My verdict! 5/5.

what a great answer here.

thank you so much for that @trondav

 

[Gus141]

Hey, I thought I would post here to highlight the use of a magsafe wallet case as a holder of a
dragonfly Cobalt to attach to an iPhone.

I have been using this solution with an L&P W2 DAC after a member over on that thread posted his idea; but, recently, I thought maybe I should see if this would work also with the Cobalt. It works great!

The cool thing, is you can still see the LED through the whole in the wallet (see second image showing MQA-magenta). Pictures are using this wallet with an iPhone 12 mini.

Note: I used the Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter and this magsafe wallet.

Cheers.
P.S. Here are posts with pictures using this wallet with the W2:
Post 1
Post 2

 

[sebek]

https://www.audioreviews.org/headphone-dac-amps-guide-jk/#AudioQuest_DragonFly_Cobalt_300

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt ($300)
US design. The smoothie of the dongle world and the dongle with the best sound quality by a long shot. Has simply the biggest note weight, most natural/organic sonic reproduction, and best musicality. It is not its power or resolution or staging that puts it ahead (by $100), it just sounds better. Voices are richer and fuller compared to the other models below.

For people who do not want to make compromises. Received criticism for being overpriced by people looking at the specs/measurements only. You pay for the sound quality, not sound quantity. Output is the same as in the DragonFly Red.

Review of one who has a good ear and does not look at stupid measurements.

 

[bujinkan]

i have the cobalt 1 year now and i am pretty happy with it
i use it on my iphone with iems but aslo at home on the laptop with my hifiman ananda and focal celestee
I did an impulsive buy 2 days ago , the ifi zen dac v2
I did compare the 2 on my laptop through tidal app an oh my god. I find the zen dac v2 so much better than the cobalt
Especialy on the focal celestee it made them sound so so so good. I never heard them so good through the cobalt.

 

[audiobot]

Hey, I thought I would post here to highlight the use of a magsafe wallet case as a holder of a
dragonfly Cobalt to attach to an iPhone.

I have been using this solution with an L&P W2 DAC after a member over on that thread posted his idea; but, recently, I thought maybe I should see if this would work also with the Cobalt. It works great!

The cool thing, is you can still see the LED through the whole in the wallet (see second image showing MQA-magenta). Pictures are using this wallet with an iPhone 12 mini.

Note: I used the Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter and this magsafe wallet.

Cheers.
P.S. Here are posts with pictures using this wallet with the W2:
Post 1
Post 2

Beautiful. Thank you for this. Does the dragonfly overheat when placed inside the MagSafe wallet? I wonder if the Cayin RU6 will fit inside as well.