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Dragonfly Black vs Red vs Cobalt DAC Which is the best one? It’s not what you think!
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- Опубліковано 14 сер 2024
- Hey guys for my very first UA-cam review I would like to give you my honest take on comparing the Dragonfly (Black, Red, Cobalt) Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) series from Audioquest.
The amplified sound output on both the Dragonfly Red and Cobalt was most impressive for the size resulting in a more cohesive fuller sound overall, with thicker bass and added sharpness across mid and high frequencies.
However I would like to bring a different point of view for why there is a good reason the alleged best one may not be the one you think...
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Thanks so much for this vid, really answered my question, and not made me lose my time. Going for the Red as well since thats the flavor of music I listen to the most
Happy to hear that!
Same, easy choice going for the red after learning it's better for the type of music I listen to. Going to order it now!
You know something? You're bang on regarding the Red vs Cobalt. I've owned both and whilst the Cobalt is brilliant for my regular AOR, Prog and Classical music especially through my Grado PS500s the Red definitely has a bit of extra 'thump' for my occasional dance/trance MNDR, Gilligan Moss, Binary Finary etc. So you've IMHO made an important point and probably one that's missed out by many. Thanks so much, great review and to the point.
cool! Thanks for your input. Wich one would you suggest for blues and rock music? Paired with a REVOX amplifier. The blue or the red one? Greetz
Thanks for the review! I just purchased the red and was pretty impressed with the sound difference. I could only assume that the cobalt would do even more for the SQ. I was very tempted to buy the cobalt, but after your review I feel confident I made the right choice! Cheers mate!
you did good mate! it really comes down to the genre of music for which is better
Awesome!! I went into a store today to buy the black, but I was so frustrated with always having to hear clipped music that I splurged on the red. I couldn't bring myself to pay the extra $ for the cobalt, and after watching this review, I'm very relieved! The guy in the shop said that a big difference between black and red was in a deeper low-end, which is what you've said too, so I think I'm happy I bought the right one. Thanks!!
For the Dragonfly black, between the Apple dongle and that. I noticed a difference. Not in warmth or anything like you said, but specifically sound staging/dynamics. I use it with IEM's and my Sony XM4's, and it made both of them sound much better. I found it mainly effects the soundstage and imaging. Though, I also found it has a pretty pleasant effect on vocals and drums
Hi Blake, do you still using black dragon with Xm4 and can recommend it ? I have it ordered and don't know if pick up or go for red ..
@@DamianNocun I am, yes! I can't speak on the Red as I've never heard it, but personally I'm still using the Black and I'm loving it a LOT. Haven't regretted it at all, I use it daily. Absolutely love it man
Great review. I have the black and yes it just seems to amplify the music. I noticed you played “All by myself”. How does the red treat that kind of music?
It's so good to see a reviewer that actually puts the consumer first! Direct to the point and no mercy for what's not worthy of our money.
Thank you!
Thank you so much! This review was like a fresh wind, I appreciate you being honest and sharing your personal thoughts.
I've been using the RED, which my father in law lent me, for a couple weeks. I've been extremely impressed. So I just found the COBALT brand new at 199€ (Red price) at german etailer Auditorium, and pulled the trigger. What a deal!
Edit: Most of what I listen to is fusion/jazz/rock, stuff with instruments, a lot more than electronic. So your review helped me decide on the Cobalt!
Dammit! Easily one of the most under rated channels. You deserve more subs
I have a red Dragonfly and the volume is very low with Android Phone. But after upgrading firmware to 1.07 the volume level now is much better. I also own an ifi XDsd dac amp and the sound quality between the two are pretty much the same. So there's little point in carrying a bulky dac amp around. By the way, this is a very to the point review.
Great!
1. totally agree with your complaint about nobody talks about these DACs in terms of the different music genres
2. However, I have to disagree with you on dance music - red / live music - cobalt equation. For me, electronic musics already has enough boost on the lower end, so I'd like to add some other features to the music. When I listened Dua Lipa or other rather powerful pop musics, red was too much for me. Now that I switched to cobalt, wow, I love this little guy.
Disagreement aside, love your pithy yet accurate review.
I appreciate your feedback. Nothing wrong with that, the red and cobalt are both solid DACs in their own way at the end of the day!
Goes to show you have to audition the equipment. I have hated some highly rated audiophile stuff and loved stuff like Bose that audiophiles hate. Reviews can only be a pointer.
I think you nailed it. I have both now and just started comparing them and I’m right there with you. Time will tell but it’s all about personal preference, you can’t go wrong with either.
Excellent review, thank you so much!
Top class review. Every product has a pro and con and an ideal client base - you’re the only guy to point out what these are for the Dragonfly line.
Hi. In case of Metal songs which one would you recommend? Watching your review now I'm more after the red one.. I'm really looking for much energy in music. BTW, I wanna use it with a Yamaha Amplifier and speakers. Would this RED DAC still be a good choice when connecting to not headphones, but amplifier and floorstanding speakers? Cheers! 😊
The red is a great choice either way but for rock and metal I noticed the blue is more cohesive, better overall balance. Red is far better sounding for electronic drums which is why it’s the better choice for dance/house music.
Cobalt is for me as I listen to mostly jazz, vocal, and live recordings. Thanks for the review.
I have the DFR and it’s amazing. It generates very high quality sound, when I use it with my Toyota Camry sound system. Dynamics, transparency, and detail are all excellent, and it never sounds harsh.
That’s great to hear! Best bang for buck baby!
How do you use or hookup a Camry sound system using the DFR?
@@originalmachine85 I just connect the 3.5mm jack of the DFR to the aux input on the Camry, using a 3.5mm cable. Select the aux input on the radio and you’re good to go. Plug n’ Play.
Awesome observation…. I’m a Jazz aficionado (swing, cool, bop…) so, given your review “cobalt” would be for me.
Loved the advice on the black…plain and simply.
Happy to hear that! Hope it works out for you! :)
Totally agree with the musical genre thing. I got a LG G6 phone with quad dac, which some audio reviewers say is equivalent to the dragonfly black. There is a slight difference with loud music like pop, Taylor Swift recordings for instance. The sound is a bit fuller but I would take it or leave it. It isn’t a dramatic difference. But switch to jazz where the music has a lot of subtle effects, like little piano runs and wire brush scraping of hi hats and the difference is much more pronounced, like jumping up a bitrate level, eg 128kbps to 160kbps. Did you try the dragonfly black with something like a live recording of Stella by Starlight by Miles Davies? You’ll probably start noticing detail that is absent without a premium DAC. One of the DAC’s jobs is to lower the noise floor, so quiet subtle stuff like audience shuffling becomes a lot more apparent.
i just heard that LG dac/ phone is a bit below to red and quite above to black. I have all three but I cannot feel the difference. haha
I agree on your comments about the sound quality of the Dragonfly Red vs the Cobalt. The Cobalt and the Red have similar sonic qualities, but the Red has a more punchy, upfront sound while the Cobalt has a smoother sound. For mobile usage, my thoughts was that the more forward sound of the Red would be better. Also, one way to make the sound of the Dragonfly Red smoother would be to add a Jitterbug noise filter.
thanks! I was thinking about "upgrading" to a blue - but now I'm thinking maybe I should just try a Blue out to see if I like it better for the music I listen to. Probably won't make enough of a difference that I'd notice as I'm usually in Active Noise Cancellation mode on an airplane or similar white noise areas. Thanks for this honest review!
You are absolutely right. The Cobalt drops a lot of the punch from any music that has any kind of somewhat explosive punch. I mean literally anything, even symphonic depending on the piece. Industrial, Crystal Method, or even late Sade and Duran Duran, you will notice it doesn't sound like you're used to.
I have a DragonFly RED and LOVE IT!!!!
Nice!!
Thank you for this review, I am not really into high end audio but I listen to hours of audio both for work and play. I required a sound card at some point so I tried a couple of generic ones and was not impressed at all. I finally got a good deal on the Dragonfly black and, thinking I had nothing to loose, tried it. Audio is very clean and it provides enough power for all my headphones, some of which my laptop and other sound cards barely could habdle. I am satisfied and interested in the red version. While the black may not be the greatest bang for your money I really have no complaints. Perhaps it could be differentiated if they made it smaller and more portable.
I love this review, thank you ❤️ Merry Christmas!! 🎄❤️🎅
Thanks for sharing Killyang! Looking forward to hooking up my dragonfly to my iphone 🙌👌😊
That’s great to hear. Glad my review helped 😁
The cobalt is a waste of money. I had both and the difference between the red and cobalt is minimal
@@TiagrajI agreed!
Thanks! Helps confirm a purchase of the Cobalt (according to my usual music preferences).
Thanks for confirming my suspicions on this. I was looking at the product page for the Dragonfly series only to find very few differences listed other than a simple dac chip and filter change and all the other reviews came away raving about the cobalt over the red but I think I'll save the money. At most for the extra money they should've added the ability to change the filters to your own taste like many other delta-sigma dacs do these days.
I agree with that, there is no configurability whatsoever so you are stuck with their presets which is why one preset may work for one genre of music but not another.
So it’s 2024. I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max. I have just purchased a pair of B&W PX8’s (still boxed) and I will mainly be listening to house/dance music. First album I will be playing will be Renaissance on Apple Music. Should I purchase the red or cobalt given that a few things may have advanced since this video was created? I would really appreciate the advice, thank you!
That’s a tough one. Considering the PX8s have excellent sound and bass reproduction you might be better off with a more rounded roll off sound that the cobalt offers but still you can get the red if you really want that thump in your dance music!
@@Killyang Thank you for the advice
I use the DF COBALT as a preamp into the STAX SRM-353X CLASS A earspeaker driver with STAX SR-L700MK2 electrostatic earspeakers. The COBALT had the best sound no matter what music in my collection I listened to.
Solid review. Thank you!
For listening to documentaries in HD, videos of classical music concerts in HD and restored jazz recordings dating from the years 1920-30-40 : Cobalt or Red?
I have the black one and I use it on my MacBook Pro + a basic Bose headphone. Except if you're deaf, you ear a real and big difference with and without. Everybody around me was impressed after a blind test. I am willing to believe that the red one is even better, but it's very strange to claim that the Dragonfly black is about transparent... I've just ordered a Focal Stellia. And I'll see if the difference is still as big. However, I'll probably buy a DAC headphone amplifier soon. And as you mentioned, a careful listening is the key. In termes of music, there's no truth, just different tastes.
Straight up, I have a black and I noticed a pretty solid difference. On my computer and phone. Even compared it to the Apple Dongle, which I used for MONTHS before I bought the black and there is a clear difference lol
I just picked up the Focal Clear and they arrived with a free Dragonfly Cobalt. Letting the headphones run in now. They sound great.
Excellent review!
Thank you! :D
I bought both cobalt and red, cause I was gonna send one of them back anyway. I’m keeping the cobalt, I don’t hear any noticeable difference between the two, but I’m keeping the more expensive one because it’s smaller and it fits better in the iPhone camera dongle (the red one sticks out slightly). If you are trying to choose between the two, I recommend the red one if you want to save some money. if you’re a snob, buy the cobalt one ;)
hi i was wondering if a portable DAC would improve the audio quality if im using a Audio 64 U6t IEM (around $1.2k USD) but currently only streaming on spotify (bitrate sucks) or shld i be focusing on downloading quality files instead? (using an iphone btw) or shld i get a DAP?
You don’t need a DAP. It’s basically a watered down smartphone. My personal opinion is that it’s all about the source file. The better the source quality the better it is for the overall listening system. I noticed that even an average sound system streaming a full wav master on Tidal sounded better than a high end system streaming compressed audio like mp3. Think of it this way… would you rather have a high quality representation of a shitty sound or would you rather have a medium quality representation of a high definition sound?
Hi .... stupid question is there on dragon fly dac to use with wireless earbuds ? thanks
No that doesn't exist. Also a wireless DAC would defeat the purpose of being able to obtain high fidelity audio as wireless lossless audio does not exist... yet.
Thanks merci
Was looking at the red but for slightly lesser, I got the iFi Zen DAC amp V2 instead. It’s not portable though can be move around as long there is a USB connection. Less portable and bigger in size but it's a MQA decoder, can play 32bits 384khz, DSD256, DXD384, Pentaconn 4.4mm balanced, 6.35mm and a 16 Core chip.
so you bought the DAC + the amp? or just the dac? isnt that like $200 each? how is that less than the dragonfly?
@@themaskedgenius the iFi Zen DAC V2 is a DAC and an amp, I got it for SGD205.
Hello, thank you very much for your contributions to lovers of good sound...! I am from Chile, I am a teacher, thanks to your recommendation I bought the DragonFly Cobalt, the value was about $432, about $350,000 Chilean pesos. I have a good quality BOSE and Sennheiser headphones. What adapter do you recommend for an iPhone cell phone? The color of my Dac does not change despite using Spotify, TIDAl, Qobu or the computer, why is this happening? Please recommend good quality headphones and cables to get the most out of my Dac. Thank you very much in advance and greetings from Santiago de Chile
Hello you can use the Apple lightning to USB adapter which you can find on Amazon or Apple Store and just use your Bose headphones cable jack and you should be ok. You can also buy gold plated male to male aux cables to plug in from your Dragonfly Cobalt to your headphones if your headphone cables are detachable. Not all of them are detachable.
@@Killyang Thank you!
Thank you for doing this video. I have read in one other review the dragonfly red has more of a punch in sound and could be a better choice but you have convinced me.
I do have the dragonfly black and, while I would not say it is worthless, it is certainly overpriced. I got mine second hand for a good price and I am actually surprised by how well it works and I am not talking about the sound quality. I have a couple of chinese brand DACs and sometimes they do not work when you connect them, sometimes there is weird noise or a buzzing/ringing sound. The dragonfly always works and has never produced an undesired sound. I am glad I got mine and it does sound better than my chifi DACs.
I think I am ready for an upgrade. I listen to a variety of genres but what I enjoy more are alway voices, would you say the red or the blue could improve something for me or the difference would be minimal from the black?
I think for you the cobalt would be best! 👍🏻
Wish I had watched this video before ordering the Cobalt. But, maybe I'll get the red too now, thanks brother! 😊
With the new firmware on the cobalt, the lows sound just as good (if not better) than the red now 😊
@@mikeaudio thanks, didn't know that!
Interesting….but I couldn’t stop staring at those lovely Dynaudio speakers! 😃
haha yes I love these Dynaudios!
Interesting point of view. So any of the Red/Cobalt is a good pairing with the SE846 then? I'm not a EDM guy, btw. Thanks.
Definitely an excellent pairing regardless of what genre you listen to 👌🏻
When I paired the 846s with the red, the music was too loud or too quiet. I couldn't tune it just right.
Very good review and very professional. I would definitely be a follower. Of your work. very trustworthy .
Thank you 🙏🏻
I tested the black and red before deciding which to buy and I found the black to be no real improvement over the Apple lightning to 3.5 mm adapter and the analog output of my iMac. It did sound a lot better than the output on a $500 PC. The Red did however provide a clear difference over the black so I went with it and have been very happy with my decision.
After reading the cobalt reviews I came to the same conclusion that it isn't necessarily better than the Red, just different. I could see myself having both and chosing based on the type of music if I had the money collecting dust, but I'm very happy with the Red so far.
You hit the nail on the head. 👌🏻
You definitely have a point about the Reds but the Black Dragonfly definitely makes a clear difference over any stock DAC. The amplification is undeniable. It becomes even more clear when you test it across different type of devices, i.e. laptops to pc, android to iphone, etc.
Excellent review. Clear for a novice like me! Which DAC would you recommend for classical music on Sony mh4 headphones ?
I would recommend the cobalt in the dragonfly series for classical music but to be honest the THX Onyx is far better than even the cobalt and cheaper too!
I saw that in Amazon thx u 4 sharing this to me
I agree. I have both the red and the cobolt. The cobolt has a warmer and more rounded sound. Red is better at EDM. But one thing to get with both is the AUDIOQUEST
JITTERBUG FMJ. For me it made a big difference when it comes to the blackness in the background and the overall stereo image is better.
Cool thanks for the tip!
Genre expose on dacs is hardly ever covered and one of the biggest reasons why so many people complain when they buy a dac and their music sounds weak.
Thanks for this. I'm wondering if such a DAC is worthwhile when streaming Spotify (highest resolution) music, which is not lossless, I think ? thanks!
No, Spotify is not lossless, but in my opinion the sound difference between 320kbps mp3 / highest resolution Spotify and lossless is marginal.
I’d say it depends on how shitty your current output device is and how much power your headphones need. Then a DAC/amp like this could be a big improvement. But if you already have a decent source your money might be better invested towards a headphone upgrade.
@@Trojanischer_Esel Spotify is lossless but you will still benefit from a DAC because all the sound frequencies are amplified and enhanced even though the sound resolution can be improved. You can experiment. Listen to a WAV or flac file (non lossless) without a DAC and then listen to a 320kbps or even 192kpbs mp3 with a DAC and you will see which one sounds better. The answer is the mp3 with the DAC.
@@Trojanischer_Esel That's what I thought. I tried a Dragonfly DAC but didn't hear any difference, so I returned it. I bought another good pair of in-ear earphones and I'm happy with that. Thanks !
Thank you for the review, but if I Like Rock, Alternative Indie Music which is the best one ?? red or blue team ?
You want team blue for indie music but you won’t be disappointed either way!
very soon there wil be dac for every artist. So if you want ot listen to Artiest A, you need DAC D.
Thank you, I was about to get rid of my red for the cobalt since I listen to Dance.
awesome this comparison helped me the most, but i'll be running a mixer from the output of several DACs so i'll go with the black. Thanks!
Thank you for the incredibly informative videos that you create. I am going to go with the Dragonfly Red DAC. Of course, not only did I smash the like button but please consider me a subscriber of your quality UA-cam channel. BTW… the single “Losing It” by Fisher, had me dancing around the house! Peace🙏🏽
Thrilled to hear that! Thank you!
Thanks for your plain english speaking review that a novice like me can understand. Now I know what to buy based on your reviews!
I tested both Red vs Cobalt. I picked the red for the punch & attack 😉
Excellent choice my friend! :D
And how much difference is between black and red?
Thanks in advance.
@@ankit55ahlawat $100 vs $200
@@thedude7315 for rock I would go with cobalt!
@@thedude7315 absolutely. The red and cobalt both do! The black only makes a tiny difference.
I like Your presentation...👍, off the red cobalt topic I have Fiio Q3 coming I wonder how that is going to be... Keep up the great work Thank you☀️
Thanks mate!
Losing It - Fisher is such a sick track, love hearing it pop up in the wild
Sorry I missed your comment yes it is! haha
Nice review!
Great review! I have the red (which I love) and wondered about going for the cobalt. You have probably saved me some money!
Happy to hear that thanks for your feedback! You can save your money for something even nicer in the future like a chord mojo, that’s what I’m planning to get next! ✌🏻
Hello, great review, easy to straight to the point and simple explanation. Can you also do a review on the THX Onyx DAC?
Sure thing. I’m doing that one next!
can you update us on the sound quality now that apple added the ability to use hi-res lossless to apple music (the change is done in the settings)
RED + HD560S = I'm in love :)
If you are going to get the black dac to add to your collection, get it used. You are correct on the difference of type of music you listen to. I use my red with my se846 and it is amazing. The cobalt is fine, but I tend to leave that at home connected to my K240 headphones. But at home, I tend to gravitate to the mojo though.
Ah yes! The Mojo is gold! 🙌🏻
@@Killyang I do use the Black in my vehicle instead of the apple adapter because I also use the apple usb adapter with power pass through to keep my phone charged when driving.
@@Raymond23rdOBC cool. I love my red dragonfly for the car. I want to get a mojo next for at home listening. 👌🏻
How much powerful would you say this is compared to standard computer motherboard 3.5mm jacks?
been looking for something that can power my Bayerdynamics so looks for a good product before i confirm my purchase.
I would say it’s significantly louder than any standard 3.5mm jack whether you are using a desktop or laptop the dragonfly red and cobalt will make a big difference in volume. Not the black however.
I would say red is more "musical" and cobalt is more "technical". Yes cobalt has better accuracy / sound stage / depth, at the cost of being a bit more analytical sounding. But red just sounds more immersed and more musical for me. So I end up keeping the red, and it's cheaper too!
I just watched this video, and loved every second of it. I have the red dragonfly DAC, but I mostly listen to music from the 20th century. Is the cobalt better than the red when it comes to music from the 20th century?
Could you be more specific? There are a ton of genres of music from the 20th century
@@Killyang My favorite genres are Jazz, Rock n Roll, Pop, Rock, Soft Rock, Country, New Age, and a little bit of the more modern Electropop stuff as long as it isn’t too overwhelming. I listen to almost all artists and groups such as Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, The Temptations, Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Fats Domino, The Beach Boys, The McGuire Sisters, Doris Day, Percy Sledge, Carly Simon, The Carpenters, James Taylor, Elton John, Kiki Dee, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Don McLean, Amy Grant, Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, Luciano Pavarotti, Garth Brooks, Whitney Houston, Cindi Lauper, the Go-Gos, Enya, and more modern artists from the 21st century such as Michael Bublé, Adele, Norah Jones, Sarah Bareilles, and Lady Gaga. So, from this mixture of artists, should I keep my red dragonfly DAC or should I think about upgrading to the cobalt?
@@caleguillory5451 the main difference I noticed is that the red is a bit bass heavy and a bit more raw and the cobalt sound is more compressed overall and therefore better suited for pop, rock, alternative and classical music in general. If you didn’t already have the red I would say get the cobalt 100% based on all those genres and artists you listed, but since you already have the red you are actually better off keeping it and rather saving up for a bigger upgrade later like the chord mojo or a better quality pair of headphones to pair with. I didn’t mention this in my review but pairing with the right headphones really matters too. Honestly I don’t think the cobalt is worth the extra $100 if you already have the red. Hope that helps!!
@@Killyang So, what your saying is that the Chord Mojo sounds more like a live performance whereas the Dragonfly DACs sound less so?
@@caleguillory5451 no the chord mojo is better in every way compare to both the red and cobalt dragonfly DACs. Better EQ treatment of the sound for all genres of music and far greater amplification.
could the dragonfly red destroy a $ 200 audio interface, such as audient id4? in headphone sound quality.
This review is only to compare the dragonfly series with each other. There are certainly better and worse DACs out there for the same price! I haven’t tried the audient id4 to be able to speak on it.
On my ipad pro using the dragonfly dac red I can only see it turn purple with Apple Music but it turns green with Tidal and Deezer even though I have the Hifi plan. Any idea why this is. Thank you
yes this revie is excelent. Like as you said, no one said about music what you listening.. Ok my question is... I listening rock, some metal band and i love Drum & Bass music. Which one is better red or cobalt? xD best regards :)
Thank you! For your style of music definitely the cobalt!
Does the red works with the Airpods Max? I’ve been trying to get this info in several videos but it’s super unclear when it comes to the max
Yes it does you can buy a lightning to headphone jack adapter for your AirPods max and use that to plug into the dragonfly or whatever dac you like.
@@Killyang amazing buddy, thanks a million for your reply :)
I think it would be important to remember that amp level and DA conversion are two different things, and although the output level may be "10% higher" for the Black, it may (or may not) excel in the quality of sound. When I bought the Black some years ago, it was the ONLY ONE from AQ - and everyone was singing hymns of praise. But this was at the time of Iphone 4 or Samsung SG2 I think, so the phones probably caught up with their built in DACs and amps. A couple of years later I bought the Red and...returned it, feeling it made no difference for me and would be a waste of money (I use the Black to drive AKG 712Pro, so nothing fancy but decent).
Goes without saying never thought seriously about trying out the Cobalt one, especially as I stay away from MQA con.
But to use the Cobalt DAC with headphones on a MacBook Air M2 that has USB-C ports, we won't need to buy this $35 adapter of Apple, right ?
No
If you have to have audioquest products get the red. The other ones kinda suck. Also actually get a good dac with good measurements from audio science review and good subjective review from UA-cam. These were good when they came out but now many other companies with way better dacs for way less than half the price
Thanks, very useful review
Great review!
Red on Amazon looks like Matte finish now ..have they changed it ?
Has anyone used the dragonfly red on a desktop Mac or a Mac mini M1? Does it make a difference of quality when you use this DAC on a computer compared to a phone? just wondering. thanks. :)
No it doesn’t because you are essentially overriding the DAC that’s built in the phone or computer. That’s why you buy an aftermarket DAC in the first place. 👍🏻
@@Killyang thanks! ✨
Any budget alternative to Dragonfly Cobalt, i.e. a flat characteristic DAC (no "boost" or "extra umph")?
Yes try the FiiO Q3 for around $150 I did use it in my car for a little while.
Fiio btr5 ,is a gem and has bluetooth
What would you recommend for someone who listens to a wide range of genres? Live music, EDM, hiphop etc. I am using the Shure SE846s as well! I can only snag a DF Red (2nd hand). DF Cobalt I would have to buy full price. Should I go down the route of DF Cobalt if I listen to a wide range of genres?
if the majority of your music is edm and hip hop, i would recommend the red. you won't regret it!
so I've heard all three back to back simultaneously even and really the choice of witches better is hugely subjective in this case. personally I ended up with a dragonfly black, now of course I could afford any of them so it's not a matter of cost and more has to do with I just liked that the black had more of this sort of natural organic quality to me. whereas the red and cobalt sounded more distinctly high fidelity sounding. and I mean that with a negative connotation then the sense that you didn't really feel the music so much as you heard it, where is with the black you definitely felt the music.
That’s a very interesting point of view and I can respect that even though I was not a fan of the dragonfly black myself, I can appreciate what you said about the sound sounding more “organic”. It shows that it comes down to a matter of taste. My personal preference is a sound that sounds very “full” if you know what I mean with some nice high end so you can clearly hear the crispness of cymbals and high hats without being piercing.
thanks for making this video, im a pop rock listener so have to go for colbat
May I please have your further advice, is this as good as AKSP3000?
would either the red or cobalt help improve audio quality for audio books hat are somewhat "live"
Honestly not just with dragonfly but any aftermarket dac that you use that is designed to enhance/amplify the sound output will enhance everything. So the answer is it depends. If the recording quality is poor (for example with lots of feedback noise and pops and click sounds) you will hear how poor the recording quality is even more. If the recording quality is good and clean then it will sound better.
@@Killyang ok thanks for the response, i guess there's no good solution for audiobooks, i find a lot of them so "high" and tinny its hard to listen to
I been looking at reviews on these like forever 😂 this is the one i needed being into techno etc, thanks, the red it is then
Glad to hear that!
Can compare a Cobalt with the qudelix 5k? :)
No one mentions home audio systems forget the headphones and mobile phones for a minute . My HP Computer is hooked up to my audio system which consists of Onkyo Receiver for now and a pair of Bose 301 series 2 speakers . Would I also benefit from the Cobalt using just youtube or is it a must to subscribe to HiFi streaming service to hear the benefits . Thanks
UA-cam streams in HD so as long as you play your music at 1080p or 4K resolution you’ll be fine.
@@Killyang How? Is that an adjustment I need to do on my PC . How would I know what the resolution is ? I appreciate any help
@@slyspy9819 load any video on UA-cam on your phone and press the 3 vertical dots at the top right of the video. There you will be able to adjust the playback quality. Pick 1080p or 4K if available.
@@Killyang I never use my phone for audio , my computer is almost a permanent fixture next to audio receiver , Now a days most of my music goes through you tube or Amazon(convenient) looking to upgrade and thinking of Cobalt . Would Cobalt help ?
@@slyspy9819 yes either cobalt or red will help
Could you use a dragonfly to record to cassette tape? If so, what volume to set the output to on your phone, to approximate a line-in for the tape deck? Thanks
I’m sure you could. I would set the phone volume to roughly 50% volume. Let me know how it turns out!
can you use either to play your Itunes from your computer through the DAC and through your stereo speakers?
Yes absolutely! But you’ll have to use stereo speakers that connect via mini jack or quarter inch using an adapter.
Hi :) do they sound the same when you use them from the mobile phone vs PC? I mean Cobalt and red. Thanks
Yes they do. I tried them both on iPhone and on my MacBook
@@Killyang thanks for the quick response :)
Is the dragonfly red powerful enough to run the hd6xx?
Yes
Please do more related video!
How do I know if the dragon fly cobalt I buy is original or counterfeit?
Buy directly from their amazon store from the audioquest website.
Great review! i would like to know, which is the best for rock, hard rock and heavy metal (cobalt / red) thanks!!
For rock etc I would say Cobalt 👌🏻
fucking A dude, I see some moondrop S8's in your future
👍👍👍👍👍
3:49 I found the Cobalt to sound too rounded-off at the top end (through Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 250Ω) and my main genre of music is Jazz; so it got ebayed. I suspect that slow roll-off filter means the higher frequencies are attenuated (which is most certainly the case with my RME ADI 2 DAC which using "SD Slow" or "Slow" is down 5dB at 20kHz and down 1dB at 14kHz; by contrast the "SD Sharp" filter on the ADI is flat to 20kHz - Page 56 of the user manual - and is the best sounding IMO).
interesting... that's good feedback
I have the same headphones as you just in 80 ohms. What are you using now with them? I considered the Red Dragonfly or maybe Helm Bolt or THX Onyx.
hello, is there any sound delay when watching youtube with it?
No sound delay you’re good 👍🏻