[CluelessAudio]

Are you using lossless or compressed music files when testing?

Both. I have spotify premium and have tidal on trial. I can't notice a difference between them without the DF Red, and the DF doesn't help me distinguish either. I guess I'm part deaf. It's the only explanation.

 

[Duxbury66]

 
Both. I have spotify premium and have tidal on trial. I can't notice a difference between them without the DF Red, and the DF doesn't help me distinguish either. I guess I'm part deaf. It's the only explanation.

​Only thing I can suggest is ripping some songs from CD in ALAC just to remove the possibility that streaming rather than playing directly from the hard drive is playing a part. In theory it shouldn't. You've certainly got more than capable headphones to pick out any differences. If you can't hear a difference when swapping between them, perhaps listen using the DFR for a prolonged period and then go back to the Mac. If you don't miss the DFR after that then it probably is time to invest the £170 elsewhere.
 
I think the main things I notice with both DFB and DFR over the iPhone's natural sound, is that the music is fuller and livelier, male vocals in particular are richer. It's not night and day different, but is enough for me to think it's worth it. Not heard a Mac though.

 

[CluelessAudio]

​Only thing I can suggest is ripping some songs from CD in ALAC just to remove the possibility that streaming rather than playing directly from the hard drive is playing a part. In theory it shouldn't. You've certainly got more than capable headphones to pick out any differences. If you can't hear a difference when swapping between them, perhaps listen using the DFR for a prolonged period and then go back to the Mac. If you don't miss the DFR after that then it probably is time to invest the £170 elsewhere.

I think the main things I notice with both DFB and DFR over the iPhone's natural sound, is that the music is fuller and livelier, male vocals in particular are richer. It's not night and day different, but is enough for me to think it's worth it. Not heard a Mac though.

Macs supposedly have good dacs/amps, much better than windows computers anyway, and better than an iphones for sure. I'll let it burn it and see how it is. Perhaps I'd keep it if it was the black verison for £90, but not at £170

 

[Duxbury66]

One thing I omitted from my comparison post yesterday (I figured it was long enough) was my experiences with battery consumption using both DFs. In general I have never found this an issue with either. Compared to more intensive tasks such as making calls, surfing the web or sending music to a Bluetooth speaker the battery drain using the DFs is very minimal.
However, just to test this I have run a little experiment this morning to see if there is a difference between the two. I played the same songs at the same volume level (35% for the DFB and 55% for the DFR) for an hour with the screen off but wifi still on. Both times the iPhone’s battery started at 100%. I should point out that my iPhone is a year old and the battery will have degraded since new (I fully expect to have to get it replaced within the next 12 months like I did for the iPhone 5 I had before it). Also the % drop is not perfect, I find that it drops slowly initially down to about 70% and then very quickly down to about 40%, and then goes more slowly again. I therefore expect I would have seen different results if I’d started the battery level at 70% both times.
In summary, there was no noticeable difference in battery drain between the DFB and DFR, both reduced it from 100% to 97%, which isn’t that different to what I’d expect to see if the iPhone was just sat there idle for an hour. So based on my experiences, for anyone considering buying a DF but you are worried about battery consumption, don’t be.

 

[BobNeil]

First post. I have learned a lot from everyone (this thread and others here on Head-Fi) and it led me to a DFB purchase. Thanks!
 
I tried to self-serve here and elsewhere but I'm not finding an answer.  Question: I just received the DFB today. On OS X, with the DFB selected as the Output, using Tidal desktop (with Exclusive, Force Volume, and Passthru MQA all selected) I can only adjust volume thru the Tidal app. Is there a setting configuration that would enable volume control via the MB Air itself?
 
Many thanks. 

 

[sejsel]

  First post. I have learned a lot from everyone (this thread and others here on Head-Fi) and it led me to a DFB purchase. Thanks!
 
I tried to self-serve here and elsewhere but I'm not finding an answer.  Question: I just received the DFB today. On OS X, with the DFB selected as the Output, using Tidal desktop (with Exclusive, Force Volume, and Passthru MQA all selected) I can only adjust volume thru the Tidal app. Is there a setting configuration that would enable volume control via the MB Air itself?
 
Many thanks. 

 
This part is a bit unclear to me :  "(with Exclusive, Force Volume, and Passthru MQA all selected)" , so I reserve myself a bit there.…
 
Passthru MQA could probably mean that you are essentially bypassing the OS volume control, but I am not certain on that...
 
However, more to the point: use Spotlight on mac to open Audio MIDI Setup utility/app. Try to adjust the volume there.

 

[BobNeil]

Sorry for confusion. "Exclusive, Force Volume, and Passthru MQA" are selections w/in Tidal desktop app (Settings > Streaming > DFB > Clickwheel Settings). 
 
With all 3 selected I'm UNABLE able to control volume thru Tidal or OS (MB Air). It's mega-loud. If i de-select "Force Volume" I can adjust volume thru Tidal app only. I can live with this, just a bit of a nuisance. Would strongly prefer adjusting thru OS.
 
I followed AQ's instructions for Sound -and- Midi by selecting the DFB as the Output.  

 

[sejsel]

To make things simple, could you just deselect all those options that you have chosen in Tidal desktop app, revert to Tidals defaults, and then follow the AQ instructions?
 
If memory serves me well, AQ recommendation was that the volume setting at the app (whatever music app in desktop) should be at max or close) and then the Dragonfly output volume should be regulated by the OS volume control (as in Mac OS in this case)  ?
 
My instict is (and I might be wrong, of course) that you have somehow overridden the OS volume controls by the combination of those options in the Tidal.
 
I have not touched any of the options in Tidal desktop app, and (hence ? ) am able to use the OS X volume control to steer the Dragonfly output volume (decrease as well as increase) .

 

[BobNeil]

sejsel - That did it! MANY thanks!!
 
I think my confusion was reading elsewhere re: how to adjust settings for DACs that are already (!) MQA-enabled (which, of course, we are waiting for).  In those use cases the advice I've seen more than once is "select all 3 w/in Tidal: Exclusive, Force Volume, and Passthru MQA".  Once MQA update is delivered I'll give those settings a try (and hope I wont somehow lose my ability to control volume thru OS).  For now, DFB is displaying magenta via Tidal Masters so....alll good.  Thanks!

 

[stuck limo]

I'm having the same volume issue some others are having. I just got the DF Black and I can only put the volume up to about 3 on my PC before I'm getting blown out by the volume. Is there a fix to this or is just the way it is? I don't have any such problem with my Geek Out 2A DAC.
 
Also, on UAPP, does anyone on mobile use "Bit Perfect" which disables volume? Am I correct in thinking this function should NOT be used with headphones? How do you control the volume without blowing up your headphones with this option? Is it for plugging into a stereo?

 

[CluelessAudio]

Doing some final testing before I decide whether to get my DF Red or take it back. I've let it 'run in' for about 36 hours since I got it, and my P9s have been used for over 100 hours since I got them. I still can't tell if it makes the music sound better or it's the placebo effect. I'm not sure if it's down to rock/metal music being less affected (I have tried other genres and noticed almost no change as well), whether macbooks have decent dacs or B&W P9s don't need much to drive them. I'll test them for the next few hours but at the moment I think it's going back. After all I've read i'm quite disappointed.

 

[JEspina456]

Anyone hear any news about the MQA update for Red/Black?  Supposed to have been by the end of the month, and it's the 29th....

 

[SpiderNhan]

I'm having the same volume issue some others are having. I just got the DF Black and I can only put the volume up to about 3 on my PC before I'm getting blown out by the volume. Is there a fix to this or is just the way it is? I don't have any such problem with my Geek Out 2A DAC.

Also, on UAPP, does anyone on mobile use "Bit Perfect" which disables volume? Am I correct in thinking this function should NOT be used with headphones? How do you control the volume without blowing up your headphones with this option? Is it for plugging into a stereo?

To use Bit Perfect, you also have to set Volume Control to Hardware Volume.

 

[Depster]

  Anyone hear any news about the MQA update for Red/Black?  Supposed to have been by the end of the month, and it's the 29th....

I asked Audioquest this same question last Friday. This is their reply.
 
The software update, which will be available to download for free via the Desktop Manager app on our website: http://www.audioquest.com/dragonfly-series/#downloads will be available around the end of the month/early February.  If you registered your Dragonfly, you will receive an email when it's available.
 
Please note: you will need to use a suitable media player, such as Tidal or Audirvana Plus, to play MQA files.  This is because MQA requires a decoder and a renderer to play a file.  The renderer is built into the Dragonfly and the decoder is built into the media player's software.  Once updated, your Dragonfly will glow a beautiful shade of blue to let you know you're playing an MQA file.

 

[MartynB85]

Would i see much of an improvement using this with my iPhone 7 over the standard lightning to 3.5mm adapter?