AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB Digital-to-Analog Converter

DragonFly Cobalt, the latest and most sophisticated member of the award-winning DragonFly franchise, is a USB DAC (digital-to-analog converter), preamplifier, and headphone amplifier. It bypasses the audio circuitry in laptops, computers, and smartphones to deliver cleaner, clearer, more naturally beautiful music to headphones, powered speakers, or complete audio systems.

With AudioQuest’s DragonFly USB DAC, music appreciation and exploration are limitless: Plug into an Apple or Windows® computer or connect to an iOS® or Android mobile device. Play YouTube or Vimeo videos. Go hunting on Bandcamp or SoundCloud. Explore playlists and podcasts on Spotify, Pandora, or Deezer. Stream high-res audio from Tidal or Qobuz. No matter the choice of sonic pleasure, DragonFly unravels the emotional expression and nuance that makes music and movies so enjoyable. Now, more than ever before, naturally beautiful sound is right at your fingertips—however you want it, whenever you want it.

Compared to previous models, DragonFly Cobalt incorporates some important new features, including a new, more advanced ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound; a more sophisticated Microchip PIC32MX274 microprocessor that reduces current draw and increases processing speed by 33% over DragonFlys Black and Red; and improved power-supply filtering specifically designed to reduce the WiFi and cellular noise that plague mobile devices.

 All of this is packed into a sleek, attractive enclosure that measures just 2.26” x 0.73” x 0.47” (57.5mm x 18.6mm x 11.9mm), making the latest DragonFly 10% smaller and that much more portable than its predecessors.

 To easily accommodate the increasing number of electronic devices that feature USB-C ports, DragonFly Cobalt comes with AudioQuest’s new DragonTail USB-C to USB-A adaptor. When the electronics world fully embraces USB-C, DragonFly will be poised to take full advantage.

• Plays All Music Files: MP3 to High-Res and MQA
• Compatible with Apple and Windows PCs
• Compatible with iOS Mobile Devices (requires Apple Lightning-to-USB adaptor) and Android Mobile Devices (requires USB adaptor, such as included AudioQuest USB-C DragonTail or optional micro-USB DragonTail)
• Drives Wide Range of Low- to High-efficiency Headphones
• Variable Output Drives Powered Speakers or Power Amp, Fixed Output Feeds Preamp or AV Receiver

Check out our full review of the DragonFly Cobalt in the video, here.