Coolest Audio Gadget Evah! (well, so far)

[JohnnyB]

Here it is: The AudioQuest Dragonfly USB DAC. Looks like a thumb drive, but it's not. I picked one up today and I'm happily listening to my iTunes lossless rips through it (and on to the living room stereo).

Lemme rewind the story. For the past few years I've been putting in forum time over at Audiogon. I remember a post in the Digital forum a few years ago where a guy decided he was done with CD players because he was getting significantly better sound from his laptop plugged into a Wavelength Audio Cosecant DAC--better than any CD player he'd heard at any price. Plus the laptop doubles as a music server. In this arrangement, the USB DAC plugs into a USB port on the computer, captures the music data stream from the computer, and converts it to analog. That's the kind of DACs we'll be talking about in this post.

Getting all excited, I went to Wavelength's website only to find that this Cosecant USB DAC cost $3500 and up depending on options, which means there's no option for me. What made this rig sound extraordinary is Wavelength's founder/guru Gordon Rankin had created an asynchronous USB DAC (digital-to-analog converter), which derived the datastream from the USB interface but ignored the clocking data. Then Gordon's DAC reclocked the data from scratch. This method didn't just lower jitter; it eliminated it completely. At the time, the only way to get jitter-free digital conversion was to pony up the thousands for Rankin's exclusive babies. Jitter results in timing errors, deformed analog waveforms, and little musical cues like initial transients, instrument resonance, and hall ambience to be diminished or truncated. When jitter is eliminated, digitally-sourced music sounds more ... analog-like, more realistic, more organic and involving.

A few months later I attended a high end audio open house where the Ayre Acoustics reps demonstrated their new QB-9 Asynchronous USB DAC, built under license from Gordon Rankin and Wavelength. This DAC was still out of my range--$2750, but I found it encouraging: 1) Gordon was licensing his asynchronous USB DAC technology, and 2) the price of admission was dropping.

Now the Asynchronous USB DACs (all under license from Wavelength Audio) have completely hit the affordability range. There are many of them out there now. One of the best affordable ones is the Halide DAC HD at $500, followed by the Musical Fidelity V-DAC MkII, (also available with an upgraded power supply), followed by the AudioQuest Dragonfly, yours for just $248.75 and the subject of this post.

Depending on use, you may prefer the Musical Fidelity V-DAC or you may prefer the Dragonfly. Since I'm using mine with a laptop, sometimes with a stereo and sometimes with headphones, I went with the Dragonfly. In a more permanent installation you might want to go with the V-DAC; getting the Pangea power supply with it would be money well spent.

Anyway, back to the Dragonfly. It turns out that AudioQuest (whose main business is audio cables) didn't just make this under license, they contracted with Gordon Rankin to design it, and it's made right here in the US of A.

This is one of the smartest, most compact gizmos I've ever seen. First, it is the size of a thumb drive. Second, it has a complete Asynchronous USB DAC inside. Third, it contains separate clocks enabling it to decode data streams of different frequencies and data depths. Fourth, it contains an analog gain stage for adjusting the volume. It keys off the master volume control on your computer, but whereas the computer volume is digital, which means you lose data resolution as you turn it down, the Dragonfly's preamp remains in the analog domain, simply adjusting volume without tossing out bits to do it.

I won't be tossing out my record collection anytime soon. Spinning vinyl is still the closest I can get to the emotional response of live music. However, where before I couldn't abide digital playback (other than HT soundtracks) for any length of time, I've been listening to iTunes through my Dragonfly all afternoon--and enjoying it. In fact at one point I got my dog to dance with me.

But wait! It gets better. This DAC doesn't just decode mp3s and CD-quality digital files; it can decode HD digital audio, such as 24-bit files at 88.2 KHz or 96 KHz. This is very nearly digital master tape resolution.

Although iTunes itself doesn't do 24-bit audio, the architectures of PCs and Macintoshes do support it. And there are many other free and low cost players that support up to 24/96 files. And several of them sound better (from what I've read) than iTunes. Examples include Decibel, which the Stereophile review uses. It's only $33 and you can get a free 48-hr download to try it out first. Another highly regarded one is Songbird.

If you want to get the most from what this little Dragonfly has to offer, rip your files to a lossless format, and once you get a 24/96 dowloadable player, spend a little money and try a 24/96 or 24/88.2 Khz file of your favorite album from HDTracks. As soon as I download and learn my way around Decibel, springing for an HD track or two is my next step.

Oh, and if you need a good stereo-mini-to-RCA cable, MusicDirect.com has an extreme sale on some very excellent 3-meter and 8-meter stereo mini-to-RCA cables for plugging into a stereo or powered speakers. They also have a sale on a other adapter cables. I got myself a 3-meter series 5 so I can keep my laptop where it is and plug the Dragonfly into my stereo without an extension cable.

[FrankieIII]

Wow! Very nice review, and professionally written! I knew nothing about that stuff, but now I do. Thanks to you.

[zenmindbeginner]

This is gonna be harsh Johnny... maybe you shouldn't read ahead.

I bought a pair of Audioquest Sidewinder cables several years ago and they didn't last over a year. I have cheap ten cent Chinese cables that put that overpriced POS to shame.

Worst value of anything I have ever bought in my life.

Audiophiles are some of the biggest snake oil salesmen on the planet... there's no end to the money they will throw at their hi fi set-ups to get a non discernible increase in fidelity. The good news is that they are a dying breed with most of the audiophiles being baby boomers. Goof f**king riddance.

Spending shit tons of money to avoid clock jitter is laughable. I bought a unit that would re-clock my signal from an overwhelmingly glowing recommendation from Stereophile magazine and it was a complete waste of money. Clock jitter avoidance is just a way for the manufacturers of audiophile equipment to sustain their employment.

Audio equipment for the jetset and a complete waste of any middle class person's income. The 1% can buy this crap ad infinitum but they are HUUUUGE investments for middle class folks to obtain an ephemeral and inconsequential "improvement" in sound. The ears are the biggest charlatan of our 6 senses... they consistently allow us to hear what we expect, not what is actually there. The most subjective of all of the senses and the area where we see the most degradation due to lifestyle choices and environmental hazards. Most adult males have horrible hearing and don't hear much above 7K.

Eliminating clock jitter is a scam, don't buy the hype Johnny. They are selling snake oil by the gallon in the audophile world. The owners of these companies are laughing all of the way to the bank.

[kizanski]

Oh boy...

[specialk]

Most adult males have horrible hearing and don't hear much above 7K.

I can sure attest to this! I know my threshold is well below 7K.

One of my fantasies/wishes is to be able to hear like a cat. Watching the neighborhood cats and what they can pick up with their ears is amazing.

[mathman]

Wait, what, whaddaya say?

Seriously, There are definite levels of quality of sound in gear. But the differences inside those levels are opinions. imo.

When they create a device that affects the emotional response of a recording THEN something has been created.

[hamerhead]

There ARE people who can hear the differences. There aren't as many that can as there are those that think they can, but they do exist. I'll never be one of them (Zen - I'd guess you're not one either ), but It's like any skill or ability - some people are so freakishly good it's hard to believe.

And it's like any hobby - there's always the extreme. If you have the money and it makes you feel good, go for it. If you're poor, don't be an idiot. Did I need 2 custom order Hamers? No. But I got 'em. Do I need a $50K stereo? Yes. Is it going to happen? Not in this lifetime.

Do I buy into the hype? Well, the little $60 wood blocks for under speaker wire made me laugh my ass off, but if you have $60 and it makes you feel better, knock yourself out. I've put some of JB's advice to good use, and it's paid off (not really cork-sniffing stuff, but vast improvements). I would, however, recommend that anyone looking to get into the audiophile market have their hearing thoroughly tested. It's kinda pointless if your ears are AFU.

[JohnnyB]

When they create a device that affects the emotional response of a recording THEN something has been created.

That's precisely what I go for. I abandoned critical listening a long time ago. When I evaluate equipment, I don't listen carefully so much as pay attention to how I'm feeling when it's playing. Or I distract myself with housework or posting. It's when I notice a component change makes me feel better that I'm onto something. I bring my wife in to cut through any wishful thinking, and sometimes I can tell an improvement or detriment to the mood of family members when I'm playing music after a component change.

I'm a vinyl junkie because when I have a 4-6 hour marathon record spinning session, it puts a smile on my face and a sense of internal serenity for days. Most digitally-sourced playback, whether iPod, CD player, or computer, leaves me flat and uninvolved at best and often with hunched shoulders and irritability. That's what made this Dragonfly such a game-changer for me. I now have 250-300 albums losslessly ripped to a USB drive on my computer. Playing back through the Dragonfly, the music is relaxing and involving, which is what music is all about. If the music doesn't make you feel better, or emotionally touch you, it's pointless to listen to it. And if a tweak or component upgrade doesn't make the music more enjoyable, uplifting, and involving, you've wasted your money.

That's why I didn't post about the Dragonfly until I'd bought one and tried it for myself. The output of these things has unmeasurable and unscopable jitter. I also found that it doesn't sound so good unless you plug it into one of the primary USB ports. You may not get the same results plugged into a USB hub or auxiliary port on a USB keyboard. I didn't. I had to unplug my USB keyboard and plug the Dragonfly into a main port to get the sonic (and emotional) benefits I described. USB devices get all their operating power from the tiny bit of voltage supplied through the USB port. If an auxiliary port isn't quite delivering the required voltage, performance will suffer. When my USB disk drive is plugged into an aux port, music skips and tracks get dropped. And my USB scanner will not work unless it's plugged into a primary port. So the voltage delivery compromises are real.

AudioQuest is carried in a lot of stores, and all their stuff carries a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. So if you try it and it doesn't work for you, no harm, no foul.

And BTW, I'm almost 59 and my hearing is still good to 19 KHz based on fairly recent tests.

[zenmindbeginner]

JohnnyB is fantastic and I am not criticizing him, I am criticizing the audiophile industry. JohnnyB is awesome, he has impeccable taste and has no doubt enlightened us many times over with his knowledge and great nose for quality.

My experience with Audioquest was negative. I guess I am a chump for not being able to afford a $100 set of 6 foot RCA cables, but I could only afford $40 for a 6 foot RCA pair. I didn't even come close to wearing them out. They were basically in the same place for a year and when I disconnected them a few times after that, they just crapped out and didn't pass a signal whatsoever. Horrible experience but I guess that's what I get for not spending the big bucks and thinking that $40 could get me a nice pair of 6 foot RCA cables (sacrcasm... Audioquest can go f**k themselves). I'll stick to the cheapo RCA cables that come in boxes of gear, they don't die after a year of playing music.

There ARE people who can hear the differences. There aren't as many that can as there are those that think they can, but they do exist. I'll never be one of them (Zen - I'd guess you're not one either ), but It's like any skill or ability - some people are so freakishly good it's hard to believe.

My hearing is excellent for a soon to be 39 year old man. I can hear the difference and most of the time there isn't one... especially with the snake oil business of clock jitter.

And it's like any hobby - there's always the extreme. If you have the money and it makes you feel good, go for it. If you're poor, don't be an idiot. Did I need 2 custom order Hamers? No. But I got 'em. Do I need a $50K stereo? Yes. Is it going to happen? Not in this lifetime.

The "Audiophile" is nothing more than a luxury "shopper"... I don't consider shopping a hobby.

Do I buy into the hype? Well, the little $60 wood blocks for under speaker wire made me laugh my ass off, but if you have $60 and it makes you feel better, knock yourself out. I've put some of JB's advice to good use, and it's paid off (not really cork-sniffing stuff, but vast improvements). I would, however, recommend that anyone looking to get into the audiophile market have their hearing thoroughly tested. It's kinda pointless if your ears are AFU.

You mean these?

In the end, I have no proof that clock jitter is a scam except for my individual experiences with digital audio I/O. I used to do an assload of SPDIF digital transfers and developed a paranoia about clock jitter and spent some dough going after fixing it. In the end, my recordings didn't improve one bit to my knowledge.

I could be totally wrong, I donfuggino.

[zenmindbeginner]

When they create a device that affects the emotional response of a recording THEN something has been created.

That's precisely what I go for. I abandoned critical listening a long time ago. When I evaluate equipment, I don't listen carefully so much as pay attention to how I'm feeling when it's playing. Or I distract myself with housework or posting. It's when I notice a component change makes me feel better that I'm onto something. I bring my wife in to cut through any wishful thinking, and sometimes I can tell an improvement or detriment to the mood of family members when I'm playing music after a component change.

I'm a vinyl junkie because when I have a 4-6 hour marathon record spinning session, it puts a smile on my face and a sense of internal serenity for days. Most digitally-sourced playback, whether iPod, CD player, or computer, leaves me flat and uninvolved at best and often with hunched shoulders and irritability. That's what made this Dragonfly such a game-changer for me. I now have 250-300 albums losslessly ripped to a USB drive on my computer. Playing back through the Dragonfly, the music is relaxing and involving, which is what music is all about. If the music doesn't make you feel better, or emotionally touch you, it's pointless to listen to it. And if a tweak or component upgrade doesn't make the music more enjoyable, uplifting, and involving, you've wasted your money.

That's why I didn't post about the Dragonfly until I'd bought one and tried it for myself. The output of these things has unmeasurable and unscopable jitter. I also found that it doesn't sound so good unless you plug it into one of the primary USB ports. You may not get the same results plugged into a USB hub or auxiliary port on a USB keyboard. I didn't. I had to unplug my USB keyboard and plug the Dragonfly into a main port to get the sonic (and emotional) benefits I described. USB devices get all their operating power from the tiny bit of voltage supplied through the USB port. If an auxiliary port isn't quite delivering the required voltage, performance will suffer. When my USB disk drive is plugged into an aux port, music skips and tracks get dropped. And my USB scanner will not work unless it's plugged into a primary port. So the voltage delivery compromises are real.

AudioQuest is carried in a lot of stores, and all their stuff carries a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. So if you try it and it doesn't work for you, no harm, no foul.

And BTW, I'm almost 59 and my hearing is still good to 19 KHz based on fairly recent tests.

[hamerhead]

Nope Zen - these: http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CRMWDN%20%20%20%20S6

......but the single cable model is superior.