Macos Config For Audioquest Dragonfly
The high-end industry has long lamented its inability to appeal to regular folks who just like to listen to music. Part of the problem has been that we expect the would- be audiophile to make the giant leap from mass-market audio into our often-esoteric world. Being an audiophile often requires a lifestyle change, such as allowing the audio system to dominate the living room.
The AudioQuest Device/Desktop Manager for MacOS and Windows operating systems enables firmware updating of DragonFly Black, DragonFly Red, and future digital products from AudioQuest. Its simple interface details your product type, serial number, and current firmware version while streamlining the firmware update process.
What the high end needs is a “bridge” product that brings our aesthetic to the ways in which ordinary people already enjoy music. Such a product would be affordable and require no special setup or change in living arrangements, yet deliver a far better listening experience than mass-market gear. It would be a “stealth” product in that everything about it appears normal save for the sound quality.
I can’t imagine a better realization of that ideal that AudioQuest’s new DragonFly USB DAC. This $249 unit has the form-factor of the ubiquitous USB memory stick; just plug it into a computer and connect headphones or a line-level interconnect to the 3.5mm stereo mini-jack. It can function as a USB DAC, headphone amplifier, or DAC and preamplifier when driving a power amplifier directly. So far so good for our non-audiophile listener. But the DragonFly wouldn’t be special if low price, cool form-factor, versatility, and ease of use were its only claims to fame. Fortunately, the unit is brimming with high-end parts and design techniques that reflect a real effort by its designers to deliver great sound (more on this later).
Macos Config For Audioquest Dragonfly 4
- Nov 08, 2019 macOS Speciality level out of ten: 8. I am actually partly quoting an Audioquest technician I spoke to about the Cobalt. That eliminates the need for various USB adaptors, some of which don't work or work better than others See the Audioquest Dragonfly page at the bottom for more on which adaptor for Lightning is the right adaptor.
- Connect it to a USB port on your laptop or desktop, go to sound settings and enable Dolby atmos (download if you don’t already have it) and you will be immersed in the sound like nothing else. I use it this way connected to my MacBook or Mac mini (using Mac OS or windows 10) with B&B P7s. You have to hear the soundstage to believe.
- The AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt is just the ticket for audiophiles who’ve resisted the Bluetooth trend and still want to enjoy their wired headphones. Steve Guttenberg July 20, 2019 6:57 a.m.
Setting up the DragonFly requires entering a couple of menus (Mac or PC) to tell the computer that audio output should be through the DragonFly. Although not as simple to set up as a true UPnP (Universal Plug ’n’ Play) device that configures itself with no user intervention, installing the DragonFly requires no software downloads.
Once it is set up, operation is very cool. The dragonfly graphic lights up in different colors to indicate the sampling frequency it is receiving—blue for 44.1kHz, green for 48kHz, amber for 88.2kHz, and magenta for 96kHz.
The high-end parts and design I mentioned include the acclaimed ESS Sabre DAC that incorporates a novel (and patented) technique for greatly reducing clock jitter where it matters. Many high-end DACs and disc players use this same chip. To provide even more stable clocking and lower jitter, the DragonFly employs dual master clocks, one for the 44.1kHz family of frequencies (44.1kHz, 88.2kHz) and one for the 48kHz family (48kHz, 96kHz). If you play files of a higher sampling frequency (176.4kHz or 192kHz), the DragonFly tells the computer what frequencies it can decode so that the computer can downsample the data. Note that you can also downsample 176.4kHz and 192kHz in a program such as Pure Music, which is a sonically superior solution to the computer performing the downsampling.
AudioQuest Dragonfly. The B&W can also be tethered to the PC via a USB connection, but this configuration still employs the PC’s DAC. One would expect the Dragonfly to bury the PC’s internal DAC in terms of sonic performance, and it does, at least with my high end Toshiba laptop. Feb 14, 2017 Start Tidal Desktop App and go to Streaming settings by clicking on HIFI or Master on the bottom right (or via Settings) Make sure you’ve selected Master; Select your DAC (I have the Dragonfly Red v1.0) and click on More settings; Enable Exclusive Mode and only enable Force Volume if you control your volume on an external device. DragonFly plugs into a computer's USB port to bypass the computer's compromised audio circuitry and deliver cleaner, clearer, more naturally beautiful sound to headphones, powered speakers, and complete audio systems. Red is the 'bug' that exceeds all expectations. Red offers next-level performance with more holographic details.
Despite its low price, the DragonFly’s USB interface is asynchronous. This means that the DragonFly is not forced to lock to the computer’s clock. Instead, it uses its own on-board precision clock as the timing reference for digital-to-analog conversion, reducing sonically degrading jitter. /easiest-way-to-create-a-gui-for-macos.html. DragonFly’s asynchronous USB interface runs the same code found in multi- thousand-dollar DACs. In today’s world, any USB interface that is not asynchronous is a non-starter.
Rather than allow iTunes or another music-player program to adjust the volume in the digital domain (which reduces resolution), the DragonFly features a 64-step analog volume control. The volume slider in iTunes (or a keyboard’s volume up/down buttons) merely sends volume data to the DragonFly which implements the volume change in the analog domain. This is a better-sounding solution in part because digital-domain volume control reduces resolution by one bit for every 6dB of attenuation. The volume control comes into play when driving a power amplifier, headphones, or powered desktop speakers. Those of you who use the DragonFly with a preamplifier will set the volume at maximum (indeed, you should bypass all DSP so that that data remain unchanged) and set the playback volume with the preamplifier. DragonFly’s output level for full-scale digital signals is 2V, the same as any full-sized DAC or disc player.
Macos Config For Audioquest Dragonfly Pro
This is an impressive list of high-end design features. How the designers packed all of them into a device that weighs three- quarters of an ounce is beyond me.
I listened to the DragonFly in my reference system driving a Rowland Corus preamplifier through an AudioQuest Angel 3.5mm mini-plug-to-RCA interconnect. Although many listeners will use the DragonFly with a laptop and headphones or as part of a desktop-audio system with powered speakers, I figured that putting it at the front end of a system that included the $108k plasma-tweetered Lansche No.7 loudspeakers would be the acid test.
Upon first listen, the DragonFly sounded remarkably relaxed, musical, and engaging. The overall tonal balance was just right— weighty in the bass and midbass without sounding thick, fairly smooth in the midband, with a treble that combined openness, extension, detail, and a real sense of ease. Frankly, for a $249 DAC I was expecting a thinner tonal balance along with a hard metallic-sounding treble that sounded bright without any sense of air and openness. This kind of presentation would not be out of place even in a $1000 DAC.
The more I listened to the DragonFly the greater my appreciation grew for just how well it does its job of communicating the music. It struck me that it gets the gestalt of musical involvement right. The sonic tradeoffs necessary in such a budget product have been cunningly balanced to deliver a surprisingly engaging listening experience. It finally occurred to me that what makes the DragonFly so enjoyable is that this DAC hits it out of the ballpark when it comes to music’s dynamics, timing, and pace. Music reproduced through the DragonFly is upbeat, exciting, and involving, with a propulsive quality. Listen to a great rhythm section like the one behind Koko Taylor on “Can’t Let Go” from the HDtracks 96kHz download sampler and you’ll experience the full measure of this band’s upbeat energy and drive. Or the powerful blues grooves of Robben Ford, Roscoe Beck, and Tom Brechtlein on Robben Ford and the Blue Line’s Handful of Blues. It wasn’t that the Dragonfly had the greatest slam, tightest bass, or most dynamic impact I’ve heard from digital. Far from it. Rather, the Dragonfly just had some sort of sonic alchemy that conveyed music’s rhythm and drive in a way that made me forget about sonic dissection and just have fun. I can easily imagine someone whose frame of reference is an iPod or soundcard in the computer hearing the DragonFly and being completely blown away. It’s exactly that experience that turns everyday music listeners into quality-conscious music listeners.
Conclusion
AudioQuest’s $249 DragonFly USB DAC is brilliant in every respect: form factor, cool factor, versatility, value, and sound quality. I can’t think of a product that makes high-end sound more accessible to more people. Want better sound? Here, plug this into your computer. Done.
I don’t know if this was by accident or design, but the DragonFly hits just the right sonic buttons for fostering musical engagement. It’s not the last word in timbral liquidity or soundstage depth, but it has a remarkable sense of ease and engagement. In addition, the DragonFly’s exceptional ability to convey music’s rhythm, pulse, and flow is key to its powerful musical appeal.
Although you wouldn’t mistake the DragonFly’s sound for that of a Berkeley Alpha DAC, that’s not the point; most DragonFly customers would think that spending $5000 for a DAC is completely insane. The DragonFly’s genius is bringing the technologies, musical passion, and aesthetic of high-end audio to a product that all who love music can afford—and one that easily fits into the way they already access music.
SPECS & PRICING
Type: Asynchronous USB DAC Output: stereo 3.5mm mini jack
Output level: Variable (2v at full scale)
Sampling frequencies supported: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz
Dimensions: 2.5' x .75' by .4'
Weight: 0.77 ounces
Price: $249
AUDIOQUEST
2621 White Road
Irvine, CA 92614
(949) 585-0111
audioquest.com
Also check out Alan Taffel's take on the Dragonfly in a desktop environment.
Back in 2012, AudioQuest created an entirely new product category with the DragonFly DAC. With the form factor of a USB flash drive, low price, and truly amazing sound quality, the DragonFly was spectacularly successful. The DragonFly didn’t just appeal to hard-core audio enthusiasts; it was just as tempting to anyone who listened to music from a computer. The product was simple to use and the value proposition was compelling: Rather than connect headphones or a desktop audio system to the computer, plug them into the $149 DragonFly and get better sound. The DragonFly delivered on its promise, showing an entirely new audience that investing in a better audio system could greatly enhance their enjoyment of music.
A few years ago when I was selecting a DAC for my newly upgraded desktop audio system I compared several sub-$400 models and overwhelmingly preferred AudioQuest’s DragonFly. Although it was the least expensive DAC in my informal survey, the DragonFly was by far the most open, smooth, detailed, and musically communicative. I listen to a lot of music on my desktop system and have logged countless hours with the DragonFly.
AudioQuest has now retired the DragonFly in favor of two new models, the $99 DragonFly Black and $199 DragonFly Red, both reviewed here. In addition to offering better sound than the original, the Black and Red can be used with Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. The first-generation DragonFly was limited to use with computers because of its high current draw. But DragonFly designer Gordon Rankin worked with a chipmaker to develop a USB microcontroller with 77% less current draw than the previous microcontroller. Incidentally, the DragonFly is made in Ohio, and every unit is auditioned as it comes off the production line.
The revamped DragonFlys also feature new DACs—the 9010 32-bit ESS Sabre chip in the Black and the higher-performance 9016 in the Red. Both chips feature minimum-phase digital filtering. The Black includes the same headphone amplifier as in the original DragonFly, while the Red gets an ESS headphone amplifier with a digital volume control that is integral to the DAC chip. The Black’s maximum output level is 1.2V; the Red’s is 2.1V, allowing it to drive low-sensitivity headphones. Finally, both DACs are software upgradable for compatibility with future developments via a desktop application available from AudioQuest.
I compared the Black and Red to the original DragonFly in my desktop system as well as through PSB M4U 2 headphones ($399) and the state-of-the-art Audeze LCD-X planar-magnetic headphones ($3995). That desktop system includes the amazing Audience 1+1 V2+ speakers. A worthwhile upgrade to either DAC is AudioQuest’s $49 JitterBug, an in-line USB device that fits between your computer and any USB DAC. The JitterBug isolates the computer from the outboard DAC, reducing jitter as well as noise and ringing on both the power and data lines in the USB interface. It’s a brilliant, highly cost-effective product and simple to use.
The Black is a massive upgrade over listening directly from the computer’s analog output jack. In fact, for someone listening to the computer’s output, adding a DragonFly Black is without a doubt the greatest bang for the buck in all of audio. It’s the single most important step someone can take toward better sound. The computer’s audio output (a Dell XPS 8700 in my case) is flat, grainy, bright, airless, and hard, quickly inducing listening fatigue. The treble is a joke; cymbals sound like aerosol spray cans. The Black elevates the computer-listening exper-ience by delivering a much smoother, more relaxed, and warmer sound. The Black has a tonal richness and body that better portray instrumental and vocal timbre. The computer’s audio output, by contrast, sounds thin and threadbare. The treble is far, far cleaner through the Black, with a real sense of delicacy and texture rather than mere high-frequency hash. Another big improvement is the sense of space and dimensionality; where the computer’s output is flat and congested, the Black is open and airy. The $99 upgrade allows you to hear individual instruments with some air and space around them. In all these regards, the Black is a step up from the DragonFly and the DragonFly v1.2, not to mention a massive improve-ment over the unlistenable computer output. For the record, the Black drove the PSB M4U 2 headphones to any listening level but it didn’t have quite enough output to drive the Audeze to a satisfying volume.
But as good as the DragonFly Black is, I think that most TAS readers looking in this category will opt for the Red. Yes, it’s that much better and worth double the price. This is particularly true if you have difficult-to-drive headphones; the Red’s more robust output amplifier (2.1V vs. the Black’s 1.2V) has greater dynamic swings and more solid bass. The Red drove the Audeze LCD-4 headphones adequately, although at the maximum output level the volume was slightly lower than I would like for some music. The Red also improves on the Black with significantly greater smoothness, ease, and warmth. In my desktop system and through headphones, the Red upped the ante in every sonic criterion. On the wonderful Gerry Mulligan album Lonesome Boulevard, the Red conveyed the warmth and body of Mulligan’s baritone sax. The terrific piano playing (by a young Bill Charlap) was also better served by the Red, with cleaner attacks, more realistic timbre, and a greater sense of air around the instrument. The Red is also more dynamic, with greater impact on drums and a more lively and upbeat rendering.