Meet Cobalt: The Most Beautiful-Sounding DragonFly Yet!
DragonFly Cobalt, our new flagship DAC, takes what music lovers around the world have come to expect from the multi-award-winning DragonFly family - naturally beautiful, seductive sound - and strips away fuzz and fog that weren't even noticeable until Cobalt removed them.
How is this possible? Like the critically acclaimed DragonFly Red, Cobalt has the robust 2.1-volt output to drive almost any headphone, uses a bit-perfect digital volume control for oustanding signal-to-noise ration, enables seamless compatibility with Apple and Android devices, and is an exceptionally comptetent and affordable MQA renderer.
Cobalt's precedent - setting performance is made possible by multiple significant upgrades:
New, more advanced ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound.
Microchip's superb PIC32MX274 microprocessor draws less current and increases processing speed by 33%.
Improved power-supply filtering that specifically increases immunity to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular noise.
Includes a form-fitting DragonTail female USB-A to male USB-C Adaptor. All DragonTails use AQ's Carbon-level USB cable.
Direct-coupled, medium output: More than enough power to successfully drive a wide range of today’s efficient headphones. When used as a line-level device (volume set to 100%), DF Black’s 1.2 volts provide enough power to drive all preamplifier, integrated amplifier, or receiver inputs.
Headphone Amp
ESS Sabre 9601
Microcontroller
Microchip PIC32MX274 Reduces current draw and increases processing speed by 33% over DragonFlys Black and Red
Extremely low power consumption with 32-bit architecture and the option for software upgradability (via AudioQuest’s free Desktop Device Manager).
DAC Chip
ESS ES9038Q2M with minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound
Volume Control
64-position, 64-bit, bit-perfect volume control
Desktop / PC Compatibility
Apple OS 10.6.8 and later
Microsoft Windows 7 and later
Linux (no technical support provided)
Mobile Compatibility
Apple iOS 5 and later (requires Apple Camera Adapter, Lightning to USB3.0 recommended
Android (requires Micro USB / USB C OTG adapter)
MQA Rendering
Supported
Upgradeable Firmware
Yes
MonoClock Technology
Yes
In Gordon Rankin’s monoClock® technology, a single ultra-low jitter clock generated from the ESS DAC chip runs the headphone amplifier, as well as all microcontroller functionalities, enabling DragonFly to produce greater resolution and clarity than DACs that employ multiple clocks.
