New High-Performance Portable DAC from AudioQuest
Like previous models, the DragonFly Cobalt uses Gordon Rankin’s StreamLength asynchronous-transfer USB code. Further, in Rankin’s monoClock technology, a single ultra-low-jitter clock generated from the ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip, with minimum-phase slow roll-off filter, runs the chip's functions as well as all microcontroller functions. The DAC uses Microchip’s PIC32MX274 microprocessor, which draws less current and increases processing speed by 33%. It also has improved power-supply filtering that specifically increases immunity to WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular noise. Included with the DragonFly Cobalt is AudioQuest’s new DragonTail USB-A-to-USB-C (female-to-male) adapter to accommodate electronic devices that feature USB-C ports. The DragonFly Cobalt measures 2.26” x 0.73” x
0.47” (57.5mm x 18.6mm x 11.9mm), making it 10% smaller than its predecessors. The
DragonFly Cobalt has a 2.1V output to drive almost any headphones and uses a bit-perfect
digital volume control, which provides compatibility with Apple and Android devices.
Finally, the DragonFly Cobalt is also an affordable MQA renderer. |
udioQuest's
original DragonFly digital-to-analog converter quickly set a standard for sonic
reproduction from a small, portable DAC, paving the way for subsequent higher-performing
models. The latest in the series is the DragonFly Cobalt ($299.95), about which AudioQuest
proclaims, it "strips away fuzz and fog that weren’t even noticeable until
Cobalt removed them."