The DragonFly created a huge buzz when it launched in 2012.
AudioQuest took a DAC and headphone amp, two traditional hi-fi components, and
served them up in a great-sounding, consumer-friendly package.
AudioQuest
DragonFly v1.2
What you see here may look identical to the original
DragonFly we reviewed back in 2012, but this is actually DragonFly v1.2. You
can tell if it’s the new version, not just because of the new price ($213.8
compared with $353.5 when it launched) but also because a sticker on the box
tells you so, and the ring around the headphone jack is now grey (instead of
black). There’s also a subtle smattering of new markings and logos.
It’s inside where AudioQuest has made some pretty big changes.
In an attempt to squeeze out even greater sound quality, the signal path
between the DAC chip and the analogue output has been shortened and the
internal power supply has been tweaked.
Otherwise, the general specification of the DragonFly hasn’t
changed. This means the unit’s still asynchronous, PC and Mac compatible, and
piggybacks the volume control of your music player’s software. It can play up
to 24-bit/96kHz files, but high-res 24-bit/192kHz files will have to be down sampled
by the computer to 24/96.
Color-coded lighting
We’ve always been huge fans of the DragonFly’s design. It’s
weighty enough in the hand, while the matt finish feels smooth and satisfying
to the touch. The logo lights up in different colors to indicate the type of
file being played: green is 44.1kHz, blue is 48kHz, amber is 88.2kHz and
magenta is 96kHz.
Color-coded
lighting of DragonFly
Play a couple of tracks and you realize the open, spacious
and detailed sound of the original DragonFly is still there, but the new
version sounds even cleaner and clearer.
This DragonFly picks out greater detail and displays even
greater dynamic thrust. Tracks sound more pristine and more communicative than
before.
Up Is Down, from the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack,
for example, is a blockbuster of a track-pacy, powerful and dynamic. And the
DragonFly easily communicates all these facets to the listener. With a WAV
version of the track, strings flow naturally and wind instruments combine with
percussion for a rousing, dynamic and explosive end to the track.
The DragonFly is decisive and confident in its delivery of
Jay-Z’s Empire State Of Mind. The drum-kicks hit with real purpose, with
leading edges clearly defined, as are piano-key strikes.
Excellent rhythm and tempo
The DragonFly’s ability to follow a track’s rhythm and
timing is superb. Calvin Harris’s Under Control is a feel-good dance tune and
the DragonFly matches it with a fine sense of enthusiasm and an equally upbeat
tempo. Listening to the track is an uplifting and hugely enjoyable experience.
There’s a great sense of solidity and depth to bass notes
too – the DragonFly’s decisive and confident in its delivery of Jay-Z’s Empire
State Of Mind whether it’s a CD-quality rip or a compressed version played
through Spotify. The drum-kicks hit with real purpose, with leading edges
clearly defined, as is the striking of piano keys in the background. Alicia
Key’s vocal doesn’t sound quite as smooth as it does when heard through the
Cambridge Audio, but you are getting a getting greater transparency and detail.
The icing on the cake with this DAC, though, is that you’re
getting all this outrageously good sound quality at such a tempting price.
DragonFly has us buzzing all over again!
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Specifications
·
LED indicator color codes: 44.1kHz(Green), 48kHz(Blue),
88.2kHz(Yellow), 96kHz(White)
·
Output voltage: ~ 2vrms
·
Dimensions: 12 x 19 x 62 mm
·
Power: 150mW
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