Production costs…amazing how many on forums know how to own/operate a $40M business. All I know is the most expensive device, headphone, or cable anyone buys is the one they don’t use. That is the Cobalt for you. It isn’t for me and I’d guess a few others. I really like my Periodic Audio Bluetooth amp recently bought for portable use. Cobalt for home use or at my desk.
Dragonfly COBALT vs.............Discussions
- Thread starter Condocondor
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jjazzy
Headphoneus Supremus
In some degree you are right, not in this case. It is the same as a shure se846 and in this case a dragonfly as well.
Production costs had gone to a minimum because they are already producing it for a decade. So yes then I say overpriced.
I own a pair of se846 2nd edition, beeing curious about the red filters. I like them, but they are overpriced as hell.
And in this case a dragonfly as well.
Right, because all manufacturing inputs over the last ten years have remained unchanged. You got me there.
jjazzy
Headphoneus Supremus
Don't be annoying, you know exactly what I mean.
Just keep it subjective, it’s all you got.
HWB3
Headphoneus Supremus
I've lost track of the thread a bit but if it comes down to money, buy a Schiit Modi Multibit 2. $300 US and it sounds good as hell. Desktop, not portable but what a deal.
My take on dragonfly cobalt vs mojo 2. Mojo 2 is more detailed, but it is not night and day difference. It is impressive that mojo 2 gives you more detail and does not cause any unpleasant sharpness.
Mojo 2 sounds little bit bass shy in the direct comparison. Bass on mojo 2 is more technical but cobalt is more pleasing and natural due to the slow roll off filter. You can increase the bass on mojo 2 using built in eq and it still sounds faster and more accurate compare to cobalt.
In terms of soundstage cobalt wins, but you can use crossfeed settings on mojo 2, which improves the soundstage a lot.
With sensitive iems there is slight hiss on mojo 2, much less noticeable on cobalt. Mojo 2 is even worse than dragonfly red in this regard, because it has more than double the power of cobalt/red. Cobalt has no volume buttons, which could result in small volume range in android tidal app for offline use. Uapp gives you much better volume control, unfortunately it can not play tidal offline tracks. Mojo 2 gives you great ability to adjust the volume in small steps. I tend to use both cobalt and mojo 2 with ifi iematch, so I can cure the cobalts lack of volume steps and mojos hiss. It also makes me less worried of blasting full volume using both devices. Especially on mojo 2 it would be fatal with sensitive iems.
For portable use I prefer cobalt, since it is much smaller and does not drain my phone battery much. Mojo 2 is bigger and although it has internal battery it takes more time to charge it than my phone. At home I prefer the mojo 2 because it gives me more options how to adjust the sound signature and the extra detail is addictive.
Mojo 2 sounds little bit bass shy in the direct comparison. Bass on mojo 2 is more technical but cobalt is more pleasing and natural due to the slow roll off filter. You can increase the bass on mojo 2 using built in eq and it still sounds faster and more accurate compare to cobalt.
In terms of soundstage cobalt wins, but you can use crossfeed settings on mojo 2, which improves the soundstage a lot.
With sensitive iems there is slight hiss on mojo 2, much less noticeable on cobalt. Mojo 2 is even worse than dragonfly red in this regard, because it has more than double the power of cobalt/red. Cobalt has no volume buttons, which could result in small volume range in android tidal app for offline use. Uapp gives you much better volume control, unfortunately it can not play tidal offline tracks. Mojo 2 gives you great ability to adjust the volume in small steps. I tend to use both cobalt and mojo 2 with ifi iematch, so I can cure the cobalts lack of volume steps and mojos hiss. It also makes me less worried of blasting full volume using both devices. Especially on mojo 2 it would be fatal with sensitive iems.
For portable use I prefer cobalt, since it is much smaller and does not drain my phone battery much. Mojo 2 is bigger and although it has internal battery it takes more time to charge it than my phone. At home I prefer the mojo 2 because it gives me more options how to adjust the sound signature and the extra detail is addictive.
pataburd
Headphoneus Supremus
IMHO, the $109 HIDIZS S9 [w/AKM 4493EQ] easily betters all of the DFs: detailed, expansive and more natural sounding.
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Hidzis S9 has better technical specs than dragonfly cobalt thats for sure. But it drains your phone battery more than the cobalt does. Low battery drain was one of my top priorities for portable use.
There are many other portable dacs nowadays so we can choose one, that fits our needs/budget the best.
Otto Motor
Headphoneus Supremus
Sorry, no! The DF Cobalt runs rings around it. Just test these with more complex music such as orchestral (especially for "natural"). Chips is for data handling, it has no sound. Sound comes from the output stage etc.
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Are you going to make review of mojo 2? And comparison to dacs like cobalt? I know the original mojo is on audioreviews wall of excellence, but i have not seen any reviews of mojo 2.
pataburd
Headphoneus Supremus
Am using the HIDIZS S9 [as my desktop dac, since my Spring KTE went out for repair] with the Beyerdynamic T1 Gen.2, listening almost exclusively to large-scale symphonic music and have ZERO complaints.
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