I have a very limited budget, but I consider myself to be an audiophile (My definition of an 'audiophile' is simply--There is a sweet spot, and I know where it is).

 

I started with a Dragonfly v 1.2, which was defective. But, as a result of that experience, I learned more about the workings on my computer, and eventually Audioquest replaced the DF. Then I heard about the Schiit Modi 2 external DAC which would give me the full 192 on my Linux machine. It arrived yesterday, one day early, and the result is a spectacular sound. The replacement Dragonfly is now attached to a spare laptop, and runs a compact stereo system in the bedroom.

 

I am a big fan of saving money and getting the most bang out of every dollar. My 'system' is a pair of vintage Advent Loudspeakers (circa 1975-composite boxes, re-foamed in 1990) and a three legged Harman/Kardon 330i which pushes 20 watts per channel. The computer is a vintage Dell Vostro with 4GB of RAM running Ubuntu Linux 16.04 LTS. I had an old pair of AR interconnects, which were close-out priced at $5 a few years back, and USB interconnect was borrowed from an external hard drive enclosure--nothing fancy or expensive.

 

Whilst some amongst us like to talk about how expensive their hobby has become, I am the contrarian who because of circumstance, am quite proud of the sound my re-used, re-furbished, and vintage system with a very low overhead cost.

 

The Schiit Modi 2 is key to making all the pieces work. I have a rather extensive collection of soundboard recordings from the 30 years of the Grateful Dead, and an array of 24 bit/192 audiophile pressing recordings in my hard drive. The Modi 2 makes everything sound better. Dare I say it, even 320 MP3 files sound great.

 

I have no beef with Audioquest, they were prompt to replace the v1.2 and it does a wonderful job up to 24/96. But there is a whole new world of music on 176 and 192 recordings that just get lost with a Dragonfly. Money wise-the discontinued v1.2 can still be bought for around $79-- but my advice would be to pony-up another Dub and get the Schiit Modi 2. You will hear the difference the first time you cue up a 24/192 file, and never regret the extra $20.

 

I have a friend who has invested well over $150,000 in a system, and I know he will never admit it...but I think my rig sounds better.