![]() What's more, when you factor in DragonFly Cobalt's aptitude as a headphone amplifier, there's simply no other audiophile product that comes close for anywhere near the price. One of the secrets of its ability correlates to the implementation of GordonRankin's StreamLength asynchronous-transfer USB code and monoClock technology – whereby a single, ultra-low-jitter clock generated from the DAC chip runs both the ESS chip and micro-controller functions – that net greater resolution, clarity, and dimensionality than DACs with multiple clocks. Designed for stunning flexibility and portability, and requiring even less power than DragonFly Red, this blue stick handles everything from 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution files to MQA. Indeed, tunes on your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, powered speakers, or even stereo will benefit from richer presence, extra authority, and revealing realism with DragonFly Cobalt in your system. Whether you listen at home or on the go, DragonFly Cobalt delivers price- and size-beguiling warmth, dynamics, body, tonality, and color from music. The upshot: Smooth, natural, beguiling sound along with increased processing speed, less Wi-Fi and Bluetooth fuzz, a lower noise floor, and stellar connectivity. Measuring a minuscule 2.26 x 0.73 x 0.47 inches, DragonFly Cobalt achieves everything its sibling, DragonFly Red, does – drives any headphones via a 2.1-volt output, decodes MQA files, offers compatibility with Apple and Android devices, plays with a bit-perfect volume control – and adds a more advanced ESS ES9038Q2M DAC with a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter, an enhanced Microchip PIC32MX274 microprocessor, an elevated power-supply filter, and a form-fitting DragonTail USB-C-to-USB-A adapter. So much for having to speak softly and carry a big (USB) stick: The latest entry in AudioQuest's see-and-hear-it-to-believe-it DragonFly family, the DragonFly Cobalt USB DAC/headphone amplifier, takes the line's award-winning performance to previously unforeseen heights all the while packing cutting-technology into an even smaller package. Still, even those lower-resolution files will sound better with the Cobalt.Everything a Portable, Affordable USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier Should Be: Acclaimed AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Sounds Fantastic, Offers Apple and Android Compatibility Confusingly, lower-resolution Ogg Vorbis files from Spotify or MP3s from other sources also get a green light from the DAC, even though their resolution is less than 44.1kHz. Just connect an adapter (more on that in a moment) to plug the DAC into an audio source, plug your headphones into the Cobalt, and you’re ready to go.Ī playback status light tells you the bitrate of your source with red (standby), green (44.1kHz), blue (48kHz), yellow (88.2kHz), light blue (96kHz), or purple (MQA) readouts. Using the Cobalt with an iOS or Android device is dead simple. Each step up the ladder is worth the extra cost, but even the Black will far surpass your device’s built-in DAC. The DragonFly Black ($119.95) uses a Sabre ESS 9010 DAC and a Texas Instruments TPA6130 headphone amp with 1.2 output voltage. The DragonFly Red ($229.95) offers the same 2.1-volt output and ESS Sabre 9601 headphone amp but uses a Sabre ESS 9016 DAC instead of the top-of-the-line ES9038Q2M found in the Cobalt. If the $329.95 DragonFly Cobalt is too expensive for you, AudioQuest has two other options. Tidal users should investigate the Cobalt because of its built-in MQA renderer, which works seamlessly to unfold the audio. ![]() ![]() AudioQuest designed the DragonFly series in concert with legendary Wavelength Audio founder Gordon Rankin, one of the true pioneers of USB audio. The DragonFly Cobalt uses a Sabre ES9038Q2M 32-bit audio DAC with a 140dB dynamic range and a Sabre 9601 headphone amplifier. James Barber/Foundry What’s inside the DragonFly Cobalt The Dragonfly Cobalt comes with a vinyl pouch to protect its finish when it’s not in use. ![]()
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