![]() 299 is not an inexpensive upgrade to any. Each step up the ladder is worth the extra cost, but even the Black will far surpass your device’s built-in DAC. The AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt DAC faces a lot more completion in 2021 from a seemingly endless list of new Dongle DACs but it still makes a compelling case for its supremacy. AudioQuest has supported the DragonFly range with firmware updates and the Cobalt offers the same level of support. ![]() The DragonFly Black ($119.95) uses a Sabre ESS 9010 DAC and a Texas Instruments TPA6130 headphone amp with 1.2 output voltage. It works similarly: With DragonFly Red/Cobalt connected to a PC or mobile device, adjusting the host’s system volume control will, through proxy, control the DragonFly’s onboard volume. 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. In DragonFly Red and Cobalt, we were able to employ a highly sophisticated 64-step, 64-bit, bit-perfect digital volume control. 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 UPDATE: The Roon App on my Windows 11 does see audio devices which are external so like a BlueSound 2i in my network. The Dragonfly Cobalt comes with a vinyl pouch to protect its finish when it’s not in use.
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