The Audioquest DragonFly Cobalt is the company’s new flagship DAC. It’s equipped with a robust 2.1-volt output and bit-perfect digital volume control to enable seamless compatibility with Apple products. Plus, it’s an affordable MQA renderer. Here are a few things to know before you buy this unit. And don’t forget to use a high-quality adapter cable to avoid damage to your DAC or to your earphones.
The AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt has more than two hundred components in its tiny case. Compared to its predecessor, the Dragonfly Red was spectacular for its price. The Cobalt’s DAC chip is an ESS ES9038Q2M, which has a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter, which produces smoother sound. It also comes with a new power management system that ensures a constant battery temperature.
The DragonFly DAC comes in a textured cardboard box, complete with a sleeve. Inside, the headphones are enclosed in a semi-rigid foam that fits snugly. The DragonFly’s USB connection is powered through the same USB port, and it’s compatible with all types of portable music players. However, the company doesn’t claim to play native 192 kHz or 96 kHz audio. But it’s an excellent choice for audiophiles who want to upgrade their sound quality.
While the DragonFly Red is an excellent value for the money, it still falls short of the expectations you’d expect for a $250 headphone amplifier. The DragonFly Red is definitely more fun to listen to than the DragonFly Black, and the inevitable tradeoffs are worth it for the price. The tonal balance is slightly skewed towards richer, darker, and lower tones, but it makes up for this by minimizing the slight grain in the upper midrange and treble.