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Article: AudioQuest DragonFly Review

The Computer Audiophile

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HipVinyl

HipVinyl

Posted
Posted
Great review Chris! I went out and got one last Friday based on your review and I am very glad that I did.

 

I was wondering if anyone has been able to get it working with Windows 8 yet? I am building a new server and would prefer to use Windows 8 but apparently there is some well documented issues with USB audio that impacts the Dragonfly among other DACS.

 

EDIT: Gordon Rankin said this today on another forum:

Gang,

 

The Audio team found that some of the USB Audio problems are due to a change in the keyboard routines. Not sure how this could effect each other but they are fixing this.

 

Thanks,

Gordon

J. Gordon Rankin

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HipVinyl

HipVinyl

Posted
Posted
I've been using Windows 8 for awhile without any issues. My DragonFly works perfect on Windows 8.

 

That article above is a bit weird and somewhat inaccurate.

 

Hmmm... Thanks for the quick reply Chris. I am not sure if this is the right thread for this so please let me know if I should move it elsewhere.

 

I just fired up my Win 8 server (based on Ted B's latest V2+ build) and plugged in the Dragonfly. The only difference is I am using the onboard USB connector as I am waiting for my SOTM card. I am getting the snap, crackle pops when I run Jriver in Wasapi Event mode. Wasapi works fine.

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Paul R

Paul R

Posted
Posted

Probably said it before, but the DragonFly (in my sole opinion, this is not a review, etc.) blows the HRT anything totally away. There is hardly even a basis for comparision.

 

Your milage might vary, but the DragonFly sounds way better than anything else in it's price range.

 

-Paul

Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat DAC.

Robert A. Heinlein

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dbloke

dbloke

Posted
Posted

I've got a $42 hifimediy usb which I bet is even better value HifiMeDiy Sabre USB DAC. 96khz/24bit - ES9023+TE7022 + USB to optical converter for the time being until I can warrant some cash on a John Kennedy https://sites.google.com/site/hifacemods/ or lampizator setup which is obviously where you finish with DAC's - Welcome

I mean, how can yo buy anything what hifi made product of the year. It must be average or at least overpriced ;)

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Rexp

Rexp

Posted
Posted

Thanks for a great review Chris, 3 questions:

 

1. What would one have to upgrade to in order to get a significant improvement?

 

2. Do you prefer the sound straight into a poweramp or via a preamp?

 

3. Winamp (without dither) is the best software player I've found so far, have you tried it?

 

Thanks

Rex

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The Computer Audiophile

The Computer Audiophile

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Thanks for a great review Chris, 3 questions:

 

1. What would one have to upgrade to in order to get a significant improvement?

 

2. Do you prefer the sound straight into a poweramp or via a preamp?

 

3. Winamp (without dither) is the best software player I've found so far, have you tried it?

 

Thanks

Rex

 

Hi Rexp - Thanks for the kind words. Good questions.

 

1. That's a great question but it's also unanswerable. The only way to work on the answer to that question is to work with a good dealer who has been doing this stuff for years/decades.

 

2. It all depends on the DAC, preamp, and amplifiers used. Many DACs don't have the quality analog output stage that a really good preamplifier has so in this case my preference is to use a preamp. Also, a really good preamp may work better in between some really good DACs and amps just because that's what it's designed to do. In other cases a DAC straight to a power amp is clearly better. For example Bel Canto product are designed to connect straight from DAC to Amp. I'm getting a dCS Vivaldi DAC and Upsampler in a week or two and I plan on connecting the DAC straight to my amp. I of course will try through the preamp as well, but the DAC was designed from the ground up to drive a power amp.

 

3. I haven't tried Winamp in a very long time. Thanks for mentioning it. I will have to download and give it another shot.

Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems AudiophileStyleStickerWhite2.0.png AudiophileStyleStickerWhite7.1.4.png

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gmgraves

gmgraves

Posted
Posted

Chris: I couldn't agree with you more. I recently had a chance to compare the DragonFly with the Ayer Acoustics QB9. While the QB9 costs 10X what the Dragonfly costs, it does not sound anywhere near to 10X better. Yes. it is a bit better, mostly in soundstage. The Ayer sounds more "solid" with more space around the instruments, more "3-D" if you will. But other than that, they are more similar than different. It was on the DragonFly that I first noticed that on an HDTracks 24/96 download of the famous Getz/Gilberto album on Verve, that Carlos Antonio Jobim was actually playing an electric piano! I've had this particular album since 1964 and I've owned it on vinyl, CD and SACD, and I've listened to the 24/96 download through my Logitech Squeezebox Touch as well as a Chinese "name-on-request" USB 24/192 DAC that I purchased on E-Bay and I never picked up on the piano before. I always assumed that Jobim was playing a regular Brazilian-tuned (tinpaniola) upright piano. It wasn't until I listened through the DragonFly that I noticed that it was an electric piano (perhaps a Fender-Rhodes?). This was a revelation to me. The Ayre Acoustics QB9 did everything that the DragonFly did....and more. So, when a $250 USB DAC is almost as good as a $2500 USB DAC, I'd say that it is, indeed, a great value. But more than that, it stands on it's own merit as a very good component. One last observation, I can use the DragonFly in conjunction with my laptop and headphones to get great sound on the road. Something that the Ayer Acoustics QB9 and your DAC2X cannot do. I give the DragonFly two enthusiastic thumbs-up!

George

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USAudio

USAudio

Posted
Posted
Chris: I couldn't agree with you more. I recently had a chance to compare the DragonFly with the Ayer Acoustics QB9. While the QB9 costs 10X what the Dragonfly costs, it does not sound anywhere near to 10X better. ...
Interesting. I was hoping someone would compare the USB-only Dragonfly to the QB9. No, I didn't expect the Dragonfly to be as good, but certainly the law of diminishing returns applies here. Especially to someone with 40-something ears, not owl or bat ears ... The march of technology continues!
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  • 2 weeks later...
twelvebears

twelvebears

Posted
Posted

I've noted elswhere, folks considering the DF vs the DACport and feeling the DF offers great value by comparison (re performance if not material). Anyone doing so should also remember that with an output impedance of just 0.65 Ohms, the DF is better matched to a wider range of headphones right off the bat. The DACport has a standard output impedance of 10 Ohms and the 1 Ohm conversion is a $100 option, so for lower impedance 'phones, especially high-end IEMs, the DF is even better value than it first appears.

All the best[br]Steve.[br]ALAC stored on Drobo FS > Intel iMac > iTunes/Spotify/Slimserver > Modded SB3 > NAD M2 Digital Amplifier -> Wilson Benesch A.C.T.

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USAudio

USAudio

Posted
Posted
I've noted elswhere, folks considering the DF vs the DACport and feeling the DF offers great value by comparison (re performance if not material). Anyone doing so should also remember that with an output impedance of just 0.65 Ohms, the DF is better matched to a wider range of headphones right off the bat. The DACport has a standard output impedance of 10 Ohms and the 1 Ohm conversion is a $100 option, so for lower impedance 'phones, especially high-end IEMs, the DF is even better value than it first appears.

Good point. Also, the DF is Asynch USB. However, the DACport has substantially higher output for harder to drive headphones.

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  • 4 weeks later...
akim

akim

Posted
Posted

Hello to all from Germany,

 

I ordered a Dragonfly and I am really impressed. Thanks a lot for your review.

 

Unfortunately, there is a little problem:

 

I use Amarra 2.1.1 and followed your installation advices. But it seems that I can not use the pre-amp function of the Dragonfly. Because volume control does not have 64 steps and sound isn't really good unless I turn volume control to max for Amarra AND with frontrow.

 

Then I downloaded an Audirvana Plus trial version. Sound was much better and I had about 60 steps of volume control (no 64 steps??). According to sound it was much better than with Amarra.

 

Any idea what's wrong with my setup??

 

Cheers,

akim

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  • 10 months later...

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