[pinoyman]

 
 
please do try the RED plus the JITTERBUG in your set up!
theres an improvement on the presentation and sq of the sound.
i cant tell yet, too early to say, but i hear improvement and i liked it.
 
just bought it this today.

 

[canali]

 
 
 
please do try the RED plus the JITTERBUG in your set up!
theres an improvement on the presentation and sq of the sound.
i cant tell yet, too early to say, but i hear improvement and i liked it.
 
just bought it this today.

 
and from an opposite perspective, thus far, i've found little to no difference with the jitterbug.
i'll attempt more discreet listening this wkend.

 

[good sound]

Same here. Sometimes I think I hear a very slight difference with the Jitterbug. Slightly quieter and blacker background, but upon closer scrutiny I am fairly certain there is no real audible difference using my Moto G3-Dragonfly Red- Oppo PM-3 set-up.

 

[estreeter]

  That's not my experience using the DFB with sensitive IEM's on the Ipod Touch 6. It handles them just fine at low volume levels. DFB would do just fine for streaming music on the go with IEM's. I also tried the red and returned it because  I felt they almost were too powerful for my IEM's. They both have their strenghts, but in the end I preferred the black for my use. 

 
Good to get that info firsthand - I suspect that iDevices might work better with the DFB at low volume levels. I had the opposite experience with my Lenovo tablet yesterday - sleep deprived and I really wanted something mellow with my Senn CX5.00G but the best I could manage was the level I normally listen at in a quiet room and that was too loud on a lot of my music. You know something isn't right when you have to go back to the headphone out on your device and put your DAC in a drawer, but I completely get that AQ had to make the DFB work across a huge range of devices and the whole ballgame changes when I get on a bus and the 'max recommended volume' from the HO is too wimpy to compete with the noise around me. Perfect world, I would love to have the DFB connected to the back of a CUBOX or similar small form factor PC 24/7, feeding a dedicated amp with its own volume control, but that kinda defeats the whole portable dongle thing 

 
(FWIW, I'm seeing more reviews of other DAC/amps claim that the default gain is just too high for most phones in the 16-32-ohm range, and that's the majority of consumer-oriented headphones/IEMs on the planet in 2016 - somewhere in the quest to drive niche products that appeal to 5-10% of the market, manufacturers seem to have overcompensated in the gain dept - at least IMO)

 

[pkcpga]

Good to get that info firsthand - I suspect that iDevices might work better with the DFB at low volume levels. I had the opposite experience with my Lenovo tablet yesterday - sleep deprived and I really wanted something mellow with my Senn CX5.00G but the best I could manage was the level I normally listen at in a quiet room and that was too loud on a lot of my music. You know something isn't right when you have to go back to the headphone out on your device and put your DAC in a drawer, but I completely get that AQ had to make the DFB work across a huge range of devices and the whole ballgame changes when I get on a bus and the 'max recommended volume' from the HO is too wimpy to compete with the noise around me. Perfect world, I would love to have the DFB connected to the back of a CUBOX or similar small form factor PC 24/7, feeding a dedicated amp with its own volume control, but that kinda defeats the whole portable dongle thing 

(FWIW, I'm seeing more reviews of other DAC/amps claim that the default gain is just too high for most phones in the 16-32-ohm range, and that's the majority of consumer-oriented headphones/IEMs on the planet in 2016 - somewhere in the quest to drive niche products that appeal to 5-10% of the market, manufacturers seem to have overcompensated in the gain dept - at least IMO)

I agree the gain is too high on most or all DAC/amps without gain control, no issues with lowering gain or volume on my mojo or the headstage arrow before that. It would have been nice if audioquest came out with an app or something to help control gain or maybe version three will have a simple gain switch.

 

[Wilderness]

I tried the Dragonfly Red with my iPad Pro (and Apple's lightning to USB connection kit) this week to listen to music with my car's stereo system, but I found it to be unacceptable with a thick veil and audible distortion.  Turning down the volume on my iPad, and increasing volume with my car's audio control, eliminated the distortion but not the veil.  I was surprised by how awful it sounds with my car audio system.  The same Dragonfly Red DAC sounds great with my home audio system, which includes an iMac, JRiver, PSB speakers and an SVS sub.
 
I often  listen to music with my car's 12 speaker audio system with my iPad Pro connected directly through its 3.5 mm analog headphone jack.  I use the Jetaudio app, the Bongiovi sound add on, and the Phoenix sound profile, and it all adds up to a really nice sound in my car.  I purchased a Blue Dragon cable for this analog headphone jack connection, and I am blown away by how awesome music sounds, with wonderful warmth and good details, with this set up in my car.
 
I wonder whether the Dragonfly Black would sound better than the Dragonfly Red with my car's audio system.
 
I also have Sony's ZX2 DAP, which sounds nice through my car's audio system.  The iPad Pro produces more volume and warmth, though, in my car.  I have two great options now, but looking ahead I wonder what will happen to car audio quality when Apple kills the headphone jack from its iPhones and iPads.  I am going to hang on to my iPhone 6 and iPad Pro until a viable option is available.  The Dragonfly DAC does not seem to be a solution for car audio.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

 
 
looking ahead I wonder what will happen to car audio quality when Apple kills the headphone jack from its iPhones and iPads.

 
speaking personally, it just means I'm never getting an iDevice again. I'll stick with Android from now on.

 

[yacobx]

Thank you for the thoughts guys, looks like ill be getting the DFB as I dont need to drive headphones, only IEM's. Also, I do not like bright sounding dac/amps.

 

[yacobx]

does anyone have the hifime 9018 sabre dac and can compare the two?? 

 

[west0ne]

   
speaking personally, it just means I'm never getting an iDevice again. I'll stick with Android from now on.

The new Moto Z comes without a built-in headphone output, instead you get an adapter that connects to the USB so don't be too surprised if other Android devices start going the same way as well. If Android devices do start dropping the headphone jack it may at least focus attention on better universal USB DAC support. I'm not an iDevice fan myself but if they do manage to convince people that they don't need a headphone output you can be sure that other phone manufacturers will follow as they will see it as an opportunity to sell wireless headphones and wired adapters and of course they have to compete on things like the 'thinness' of phones.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

  The new Moto Z comes without a built-in headphone output, instead you get an adapter that connects to the USB so don't be too surprised if other Android devices start going the same way as well. If Android devices do start dropping the headphone jack it may at least focus attention on better universal USB DAC support. I'm not an iDevice fan myself but if they do manage to convince people that they don't need a headphone output you can be sure that other phone manufacturers will follow as they will see it as an opportunity to sell wireless headphones and wired adapters and of course they have to compete on things like the 'thinness' of phones.

 
....wow. Welp, no Moto Z for me. 

 

[canali]

Anyone check out the opus # 11
...compared to df red?
https://youtu.be/VWlbReetZb8

 

[Slaphead]

There you go MarkF786! I couldn't imagine how many Mac users are not aware of this fine-volume solution! Definitely useful!  

I'm a Mac user, and have been for the best part of 25 years, I also support Macs in businesses, and I never knew that. Thank you.

Now, if they'd only introduce something like that for the iToy volume control. The slider method just doesn't work with any accuracy.

By the way - new DFR owner here, and looking forward to seeing how it will do with some of my harder to drive HPs when listening from an iPod 5th gen on my balcony.

 

[Sphyn0x]

Do I need to use original apple usb camera cable or will dragonfly work with cheap ebay cables?

 

[Slaphead]

Do I need to use original apple usb camera cable or will dragonfly work with cheap ebay cables?

If Apple original then yes, as long as the adapter isn't defective.

Cheap crap from ebay - Your milage may vary a lot