-Audioquest DragonFly 1.2 USB DAC

Our Price £79.00 RRP £129.00 Save: £50.00
SKU
31820
The Audioquest DragonFly USB DAC is an affordable and easy-to-use device that delivers far superior sound by bypassing the poor quality sound card that is built into your computer

-Audioquest DragonFly 1.2 USB DAC - Product Description


The Audioquest DragonFly 1.2 USB DAC is an affordable and easy-to-use device that delivers far superior sound by bypassing the poor quality sound card that is built into your computer. The Audioquest DragonFly is a sleek, flash drive sized Digital-Audio Converter that connects to a USB jack on a Mac® or Windows® PC, turning any computer into a true high- fidelity music source.

Whether you're on the go or at home, listening on ear buds or connecting your computer to a stereo system, DragonFly reveals all the emotional expression and nuance that makes your favourite music, or movies, so enjoyable. However you connect it, DragonFly simply and easily makes any computer sound better.

The heart of the Audioquest DragonFly DAC is the 24-bit ESS Sabre™ conversion chip, a high-performance solution that's typically found in better CD and Blu-ray Disc™ players. DragonFly can accept audio and music files ranging from MP3s and CD-standard 16-bit/44kHz to native 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution, regardless of music file format. If your computer's software can recognize and play a format, DragonFly will make it sound its best

However, high-quality digital-audio conversion alone isn't why the Audioquest DragonFly DAC sounds great. How the audio data is transferred from the computer to DragonFly required particular attention from DragonFly's design team. Remember that digital audio is stored on computers and delivered to DragonFly as streams of 1's and 0's. Making beautiful music out of 1's and 0's isn't a case of simply getting all the music data from point A to Point B. Maintaining subtle digital timing relationships is crucial in order to be able to reconstruct the analogue waveform that we hear as dialog or music.

Timing errors have long been the plague of digital audio playback, never more so than in recent years as computers have been pressed into service as audio source components. The Audioquest DragonFly uses a very sophisticated "asynchronous*" USB audio data transfer protocol. Rather than sharing crucial audio "data clocking" functions with the computer, DragonFly alone commands the timing of the audio data transfer, dramatically reducing digital timing errors. In addition, not all audio content is encoded at the same native resolution or "sample rate." DragonFly uses two discrete on-board "clocks" so that the math algorithms used to convert the digital audio data to analogue are always optimized for the native sample rate of the audio file or stream being played. This ensures the least amount of mathematical manipulation to the native audio data, which results in fewer errors and better sound. A smart LED indicator on DragonFly shows the resolution of the incoming signal.

While the digital domain is where your computer- based music experience starts, the analogue domain requires attention too. Digital volume controls too often reduce signal resolution and decrease sound quality. Even when the iTunes volume slider is used, DragonFly's high-resolution analogue volume control carries out the instructions in the analogue domain for the best sound quality. And DragonFly's analogue circuits are direct-coupled from the ESS converter chip's output, avoiding the need for any extraneous, sonically degrading components in the signal path.

All of these refinements allow the Audioquest DragonFly USB DAC to make music with a natural solidity and clarity that is dramatically superior to the sound you would hear from your computer on its own.

  • Plays All Music Files: MP3 to 24-bit/192kHz
  • Drives Headphones Directly
  • Variable Output Drives Powered Speakers or Power Amp
  • Fixed Output Feeds Preamp or Receiver
  • Asynchronous Transfer Ensures Digital Timing Integrity
  • Two Clocks Enable Perfect Native Resolution at 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz and 96 kHz
  • More Information
    BrandsAudioquest
    Product Specifications
    • Sampling Rates
    44.1/48/88.2/96kHz
    • Freqency repsonse
    22/24/44/48kHz@ S Rates
    • Input impedance
    12 Ohms
    • Maximum Output
    125mW @32 Ohms
    What Hi Fi Awards Winner 2014What Hi Fi Awards Winner 2014DragonFly V1.2 - Best DAC up to £300
    What Hi Fi Awards Winner 2014What Hi Fi Awards Winner 2014DragonFly V1.2 - Product of the year
    What Hi Fi 5 Star ReviewWhat Hi Fi 5 Star ReviewDragonFly V1.2 - Superbly clear and detailed sound; awesome dynamics; great sense of timing; attractive design; new aggressive pricing

    Product Brochures

    AUDIOQUEST Brochure

    Warranty information for Audioquest:

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    Audioquest products are designed and manufactured to the highest quality standards. However, if something does go wrong with the product we are here to help. From your date of purchase your product is warranted against faulty materials or workmanship for a period of 24 months.

    This guarantee applies to all Audioquest Products including: analogue and digital Cables, Video HDMi Cables, Phono Cables and Speaker Cables. Providing you with peace of mind and the assurance of premium quality.

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