Audioquest DragonFly® v1.2 Plug-in USB DAC + Preamp + Headphone Amp Portable Headphone Amplifier

The AudioQuest DragonFly (v1.2) is a USB digital-to-analog converter that delivers far superior sound by bypassing the poor quality sound card that is built into most computers. DragonFly (v1.2) is a sleek, flash-drive sized DAC that connects to a USB (type-A) jack on a Mac computer or Windows PC, turning any computer into a true high-fidelity music source. Its 3.5mm port is designed specifically to connect to an external audio system such as headphones, powered desktop speakers, or your audio/video system. Among the improvements to the DragonFly (v1.2), is the circuitry between the DAC chip and the analog output stage has been refined to create a more direct signal path, leading to even greater transparency and clarity. Also, the DAC's power supply has been fortified, which gives the sound greater dynamic contrast. At the heart of DragonFly (v1.2) is a 24-bit ESS Sabre DAC chip, a high-performance solution that's typically found in higher-end CD and Blu-ray players. DragonFly (v1.2) can accept audio and music files ranging from MP3s (128/256/320kbps) and CD-standard 16-bit/44kHz to native 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution, regardless of music file format. DragonFly (v1.2) will accept almost any audio you want to play on your computer and make it sound dramatically better, whether your listening pleasure is iTunes or streaming music services such as Mog, Spotify, or Pandora. Timing errors such as "jitter" 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. DragonFly (v1.2) uses a very sophisticated "asynchronous" USB audio data transfer protocol. Rather than sharing crucial audio "data clocking" functions with the computer, DragonFly (v1.2) alone commands the timing of the audio data transfer, dramatically reducing digital timing errors. Not all audio content is encoded at the same native resolution or "sample rate". DragonFly (v1.2) uses two discrete onboard "clocks" so that the math algorithms used to convert the digital audio data to analog are always optimized for the native sample rate (up to 24-bit/96kHz) 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. DragonFly (v1.2) will play music or audio data at 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, or 96kHz. However, for the best sonic results the computer should be configured so that it sends music and audio data to DragonFly (v1.2) that matches the "native rate" of the music. For example, since all CDs and music files purchased from iTunes are at a 44.1kHz sample rate, for many people 44.1kHz will be the best sample rate since this is the "native rate" of most digital music. Choosing a higher sample rate will convert your native music and audio data using mathematical approximations that can potentially decrease the sound quality. Conversely, if you have purchased high-resolution music files (96kHz), such as those available from HDtracks.com, configuring your computer for 44.1kHz (or any other lower sample rate) will cause the computer to down-sample your music to a lower resolution. When possible, always configure the computer to output the native sample rate of the music you are listening to. If you have purchased a file that has a higher sample rate than 96kHz you need to configure your computer to send DragonFly (v1.2) audio data at a resolution no greater than 96kHz, and for the best performance the sample rate you choose should be exactly half the sample rate of the file you're playing. For example; if you purchased a 24-bit/176.4kHz file, 88.2kHz should be selected, whereas if you purchased a 24/192kHz file, 96kHz should be selected. Directly divisible sample rates prevent the computer from doing sonically degrading, complex math in its conversions and allows DragonFly (v1.2) to sound its best. DragonFly (v1.2)'s high-resolution analog volume control carries out the instructions in the analog domain for the best sound quality. When the music player's (Windows Media/iTunes/etc.) volume is set to maximum and the computer's main volume control is used, DragonFly (v1.2)'s onboard 64-position analog-domain volume control is able to preserve full resolution and maximum sound quality. DragonFly (v1.2)'s analog circuits are direct-coupled from the ESS converter chip's output, avoiding the need for any extraneous, sonically degrading components in the signal path. DragonFly (v1.2) is versatile enough to drive virtually any headphone on the market today. DragonFly (v1.2) can drive any headphone from 10-ohm impedance on up. DragonFly (v1.2) has enough output to drive even the lowest efficiency headphones. DragonFly (v1.2) can be used in "variable" output mode with computer-controlled analog volume control when connected directly to powered speakers or a power amplifier.