What is a “sample rate”?

Sample rate refers to the number of “snapshots” of sound, or samples per second, captured when a digital audio file is recorded or encoded.

Compact Discs have always functioned exclusively at 44.1kHz, which equals 44,100 samples per second. However, recording studios often master at much higher sample rates, such as 88.2kHz or 96kHz.

Online downloads of higher sample rates are available from a variety of sources, including HDtracks, but the selection remains limited.

What is “asynchronous USB?”

Digital audio is stored in computers and delivered to DragonFly as 1s and 0s.

Contrary to common belief, making beautiful music out of 1s and 0s isn’t a case of simply getting all of the audio data from Point A to Point B. In order to successfully reconstruct the analog waveform, it’s crucial that subtle digital timing relationships are carefully maintained. Timing errors such as “jitter” have long plagued digital audio playback, and never more so than in recent years, as computers have been pressed into service as audio source components.

DragonFly uses a very sophisticated “asynchronous” USB audio data transfer protocol. Rather than sharing crucial audio “data clocking” functions with the computer, DragonFly alone, using asynchronous USB transfer, commands the timing of the audio data transfer, dramatically reducing digital timing errors.

DragonFly’s StreamlengthTM asynchronous USB code ensures low jitter, low resource load, minimal packet errors, world-class audio playback, and reliable connectivity between our DAC and any computing device compliant with USB Host Mode (as set forth by the USB Organization). Streamlength requires no additional drivers, making DragonFly virtually plug- and-play for Apple, Windows, iOS, and Android users.

What headphones can I use with the DragonFly?

DragonFly is versatile enough to drive virtually any headphone on the market today, from impedances of 10ohm and higher.

While all DragonFly models offer enough output to drive most headphones, DragonFly Black (1.2-volt output) comfortably drives most medium- to moderate-efficiency models and DragonFlys Red and Cobalt (2.1-volt output) easily drive even the lowest-efficiency models.

Will DragonFly make my internal computer speakers sound better?

No. DragonFly does not use the internal speakers in your computer. DragonFly is specifically designed to connect to external audio devices, such as headphones, powered desktop speakers, complete audio/video systems, and iOS and Android mobile devices.

Note: DragonFly v1.0 and DragonFly v1.2 are designed to work with computers and laptops only; they are not designed for use with iOS and Android mobile devices. However, all current- production DragonFly models—Black, Red, and Cobalt—are compatible with iOS and Android devices.

What are the main differences between DragonFlys Black, Red, and Cobalt?

All DragonFlys are designed to preserve the body, warmth, and natural beauty in music. We like to think of the progression like this: Black is beautiful, Red is more beautiful, and Cobalt is most beautiful. For a complete Model Comparison Chart,

What is a digital-to-analog converter (DAC)?

Little-known fact: Digital-to-analog converters are used in all digital devices that have the ability to send an audio signal or play music. These digital devices include (but are not limited to) CD players, laptops, computers, tablets, smartphones, and televisions. DACs are everywhere. Simply put, a DAC, as its name suggests, converts digital audio information (comprising 1s and 0s) into an analog signal that can be sent to headphones, powered speakers, amplifiers, and/or receivers, to be heard and enjoyed by the listener.

Anytime you’re listening to music, watching a movie, or even enjoying a YouTube video on a computer, the digital audio data is first sent through a DAC that converts the 1s and 0s to the analog waveforms that our headphones and home stereos deliver to our ears as music.

The sound card that’s built into your computer and feeds its headphone jack is an example of a DAC. However, computers and most other digital devices are not optimized for sound. They have other priorities to meet and functions to fulfill—browsing the Internet, taking and sending photographs, sending and receiving emails and texts, and so much more. For most digital devices, delivering audio is just one of numerous functionalities, all of which are compromised to some extent.

Far superior sound—and, thus, much more beautiful, engaging music—can be enjoyed when using an external, purpose-built DAC, such as DragonFly.

Can I use DragonFly with Windows operating systems?

Yes. DragonFly is compatible with Windows 7 and later. If you’re running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, please be sure to install the Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 (August 9, 2016), to maintain optimal USB audio performance.

Why can’t I select 88.2kHz as the sample rate in Windows 7?

Microsoft does not offer native support for 88.2kHz with its Windows 7 operating system. Fortunately, aftermarket programs such as JRiver Media Center and Foobar2000 bypass the Windows “Hardware and Sound” application and allow native 88.2kHz decoding. For more information please visit www.jriver.com or www.foobar2000.org.

Are there known USB-Audio issues with Windows 8 and Windows RT?

Early versions of Windows 8 had compatibility issues with their device drivers and many USB DACs (including DragonFly). If you are running Windows 8, we suggest that you do the following:

Make sure your OS has all of the latest updates and service packs installed. Once all OS updates have been installed, check that all hardware device drivers are up to date and compatible with the latest version of Windows 8.

There are no reported audio issues with Windows 8.1.

The AQ Device Manager is not detecting my DragonFly. What should I do?

If the installation is complete and the DragonFly is not visible, you may need to restart your computer to complete the installation process.

Can I use DragonFly with Mac OS X?

Yes. DragonFly Black, Red, and Cobalt are compatible with OS X (starting with OS 10.6.8 to present). There are no known compatibility issues with OS X.

Can I use DragonFly with Ap Can I use DragonFly with Apple iOS devices?

Yes. DragonFly Black and Red can be used with Apple iOS devices.

Yes. DragonFly Black, Red, and Cobalt can be used with Apple iOS devices. An Apple Camera Adapter is required to connect DragonFly to an Apple Lightning device.

In our tests, Apple's Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter (with charging port) sounds better and is more reliable than Apple’s less expensive Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter, while also providing the ability to charge during playback. Your mileage may vary. Some users prefer the size of the smaller adapter, while others prefer the performance of the larger adapter. We encourage experimentation.

When DragonFly (Black, Red, Cobalt) is connected to an iOS device using Apple’s older Lightning to USB Camera Connection Kit, I can hear clicks and pops in the background of the music. What should I do? In some rare instances, the combination of an iOS device in conjunction with the standard CCK and DragonFly Black, Red, or Cobalt causes a clicking in the background of the music. Neither we nor Apple have been able to determine why this is, but, in circumstances where this occurs, we’ve found that using Apple’s Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter resolves the problem. In addition, this connector offers improved audio performance over the smaller unit and provides the ability to charge the attached iOS device while listening to music.

Can I use DragonFly with Android devices?

Yes. DragonFly Black, Red, and Cobalt will work with most Android devices running on Lollipop OS (and some Android devices running on KitKat), provided that the device manufacturer has adhered to the USB specification and implementation, and supports audio over USB.

To verify that your Android device complies with isochronous USB audio, download and run USB Host Check.

In our early pre-production testing, we found that some Android devices (4.1 OS and newer) do not provide native support for audio over USB. If you find that your Android device (4.1 or newer) does not support audio over USB, we ask that you please contact the manufacturer of your device. To determine whether your device supports audio over USB, consult the user manual or visit the manufacturer’s website.

Despite Android’s support of USB audio output, there are still hardware manufacturers that do not completely adhere to the USB audio class specification. If you experience this, we recommend the USB Audio Player Pro application.

UAPP includes its own USB audio device driver that is compliant with the USB Organization’s USB Audio Host Mode Class specification. Further, it is compatible with various audio formats and will manage music on both the Android’s internal memory and inserted SD cards. With the phone connected to the Wi-Fi network, this application can also find and connect to DLNA servers/libraries. USB Audio Player PRO Version 5 now supports audio from Google Music, (including Tidal Masters), Qobuz, and Shoutcast, and includes an MQA Core Decoder, which will unfold MQA streams from 44.1/48kHz to 88.2/96 kHz and can be combined with DragonFly for further unfolding of even higher sample rates.