AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB DAC

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB DAC

Product code:
DragonFly Cobalt
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£179

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AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB DAC

Features

  • New, more advanced ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip
  • Microchip’s superb PIC32MX274 microprocessor
  • Improved power-supply filtering that specifically increases immunity to WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular noise.
  • Includes a form-fitting DragonTail female USB-A to male USB-C Adaptor.
  • All DragonTails use AQ’s Carbon-level USB cable.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS
DragonFly Black and Red:Sample rates supported (LED indicator colour code): 44.1kHz (Green), 48kHz (Blue), 88.2kHz (Amber), 96kHz (Magenta), MQA (Purple)
DragonFly Cobalt:Sample rates supported (LED indicator colour code): Standard (Red), 44.1kHz (Green), 48kHz (Blue), 88.2kHz (Yellow), 96kHz (Light Blue), MQA (Purple)
Volume Control:Analog Volume Control (Black); 64-position, 64-bit, bit-perfect (Red, Cobalt)
Output voltage:1.2 (Black); 2.1 (Red, Cobalt)
Headphone Amp:Texas Instruments TPA6130 (Black); ESS Sabre 9601 (Red, Cobalt)
DAC Chip:32-bit ESS 9010 with minimum-phase fast roll-off filter (Black); 32-bit ESS 9016 with minimum-phase fast roll-off filter (Red); ESS ES9038Q2M with minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound (Cobalt)
Microcontroller:Microchip PIC32MX (Black, Red); Microchip PIC32MX274 reduces current draw and increases processing speed by 33% over DragonFlys Black and Red (Cobalt)
Dimensions:12mm H x 19mm W x 62mm L (Black, Red); 12mm H x 19mm W by 57mm L (Cobalt)

Description

Meet Cobalt: The Most Beautiful-Sounding DragonFly Yet!

DragonFly Cobalt, our new flagship DAC, takes what music lovers around the world have come to expect from the multi-award-winning DragonFly family—naturally beautiful, seductive sound—and strips away fuzz and fog that weren’t even noticeable until Cobalt removed them.

How is this possible? Like the critically acclaimed DragonFly Red, Cobalt has the robust 2.1-volt output to drive almost any headphone, uses a bit-perfect digital volume control for outstanding signal-to-noise ratio, enables seamless compatibility with Apple and Android devices, and is an exceptionally competent and affordable MQA Renderer.

COBALT’S PRECEDENT-SETTING PERFORMANCE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY MULTIPLE SIGNIFICANT UPGRADES:

New, more advanced ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound.

Microchip’s superb PIC32MX274 microprocessor draws less current and increases processing speed by 33%.

Improved power-supply filtering that specifically increases immunity to WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular noise.

Includes a form-fitting DragonTail female USB-A to male USB-C Adaptor.

All DragonTails use AQ’s Carbon-level USB cable.

AudioQuest, GORDON RANKIN: A BEAUTIFUL PARTNERSHIP

Like all previous DragonFly models, Cobalt uses Gordon Rankin’s precedent-setting StreamLength® asynchronous-transfer USB code. Further, in Gordon’s monoClock® technology, a single ultra-low-jitter clock generated from the ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip runs the ESS chip functions as well as all microcontroller functions. This superior clock enables DragonFly Cobalt to provide greater resolution and clarity than DACs with multiple clocks.

WHY THE “SLOW ROLL…?”

Cobalt employs ESS’s new flagship ES9038Q2M DAC chip. While the chips used in DragonFlys Black and Red are unbeatable for the price, the minimum-phase slow roll-off filter in the 9038 results in a naturally expressive sound that is always emotionally engaging and never fatiguing—a beautiful combination of warmth and detail that we find equally exciting and soothing.

KILLING THE NOISE

In Cobalt, we’ve taken what we’ve learned from our recent research and development in noise dissipation to employ power-supply filtering specifically designed to dramatically reduce the increasingly prevalent noise from WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular signals. Successfully combating this noise is absolutely crucial to the preservation of the lowest-level musical details, particularly when it comes to high-res audio—and especially when applied to a portable-audio device such as DragonFly.

BIT-PERFECT VOLUME CONTROL AND 2.1-VOLT OUTPUT

Cobalt features the same ESS Sabre 9601 headphone amp and bit-perfect volume control that give DragonFly Red its unique combination of power and grip over the music. This solution ensures maximum fidelity, thrilling dynamic contrast, and excellent signal-to-noise ratio. The 2.1-volt output makes Cobalt and Red compatible with a wide range of headphones, including power-hungry, low-efficiency models.

FIRMWARE UPGRADEABLE

DragonFlys Black, Red, and Cobalt are firmware upgradeable via our free Desktop Device Manager. In today’s fast-paced digital world, longevity in a hi-fi component is increasingly rare—at any price. AudioQuest believes that today’s digital devices should evolve as the technology itself evolves, thereby delivering musical pleasure for many years to come. Our Desktop Device Manager will also allow you to identify your DragonFly’s serial number and software version to ensure that the device is up to date. Click here to download the latest Device Manager available for your operating system.

Additional information

Colour

Blue

Warranty

 

Backed with a 2-year Audioquest warranty

Delivery Info

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Delivery Information

As a company our primary goal is to provide a seamless service that results in customer satisfaction. We aim to deliver within 3 working days. Unfortunately, there may be occasions where this time frame may not be met due to unforeseen circumstances; in this instance, we deliver product/s as soon as we can. All delivery charges are included within the prices quoted, unless otherwise specified.

All small items are usually delivered between 9am and 6pm, on a Monday to Friday, unless a Saturday delivery is requested. Follow My Parcel is an industry-changing innovation from DPD Local, which will give your customers unparalleled levels of information and peace of mind.Not only will your customers receive a one hour delivery timeslot, but they’ll now also be able to track the progress of their parcels on a map as our drivers make their way to the delivery addresses. Follow My Parcel will:

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