Audioquest DRAGONFLY Black USB-DAC

Miniature USB DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier with MQA support

DragonFly BLACK is a USB digital-to-analog converter (DAC) designed for cleaner, clearer, and more naturally true-to-life sound from any computer, smartphone, or tablet.With its unique design, the DragonFly BLACK allows playback of any file type, regardless of its resolution, and is capable of natively decoding 24-bit/96kHz data.

DragonFly BLACK, the most affordable model of the award-winning DragonFly family, has been hailed by Darko.Audio as "the quintessential hi-fi product for everyone". The 32-bit SABRE ESS 9010 DAC chip in asynchronous mode uses minimum phase filtering for naturally detailed sound. The DAC chip used is remarkably powerful and sophisticated. Yet the DragonFly's processing capabilities have been deliberately limited to 24-bit/96 kHz resolution. This makes using DragonFly completely simple and seamless, and it can be used with a computer without the need to download and install new drivers. Whether you're listening to Spotify, YouTube, Tidal, Qobuz, CDs or the latest high-resolution files, DragonFly will give you a more emotionally compelling and entertaining experience

DragonFly Black supports Tidal Masters (MQA) playback from iPhones and Android smartphones. MQA technology allows you to compress high-resolution files into smaller files that you can then stream on the go. As an MQA Renderer, DragonFly Black thus completes the process of unpacking the MQA container and allows music lovers to enjoy a wide selection of music in high resolution.

NATURAL MUSICAL SOUND - AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Wherever you want to enjoy your music, the AudioQuest DragonFly USB DAC delivers inspiring, dynamic and clear sound to headphones, active speakers or complete sound systems.

With DragonFly, the music experience is limitless: Connect to an Apple or Windows® computer or connect to an iOS® or Android mobile device. Play videos from YouTube or Vimeo. Explore playlists on Spotify or Pandora. Stream high-resolution audio from Tidal or Qobuz.Regardless of your choice of music type, DragonFly delivers superior sound that reveals the emotional expression and nuance that makes music so beautiful.

PLAY FROM PC

With DragonFly BLACK, you can play back music or audio data with sample rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz. The current sampling rate is indicated by a change in the color of the dragonfly symbol on the body of the DregonFly.

• Red - Standby
• Green - 44100.0 Hz
• Blue - 48000.0 Hz
• Amber - 88200.0 Hz
• Magenta - 96000.0 Hz

For best sound quality, the computer should be configured to send music and sound data to DragonFly that matches the native music rate. For example, since all CDs use a 44.1 kHz sample rate, 44.1 kHz is usually the "native speed" of most digital music. In most cases, this will be the best sample rate to choose.

THEULTIMATE HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER

DragonFly BLACK has an integrated high quality headphone amplifier and analog volume control with 1.2 V output= enough power to successfully control all preamp input circuits and a wide range of currently available headphones.

BENEFITS

• Supported OS: Apple OS X®, Apple iOS®, Microsoft Windows® (7, 8.1, 10), Android™
• Output: 1.2 V
• Fixed output for preamplifier or integrated amplifier
• Converter with analog volume control
• Direct headphone connection possible
• All audio formats

LINKS

For a review in HiFi-Voice magazine, click HERE.

Review in Arts Excellence magazine (EN)

Profile in Stereo & Video 6/2016