AudioQuest DragonFly Black
The AudioQuest DragonFly Black gives laptop and mobile listening a warm, weighty lift, pairing clearer detail with an energetic sense of kick and drive. AudioAdvice heard fuller lows and sharper cymbals, while IWII Reviews found it especially compelling as a compact headphone DAC/amp for efficient cans. Add plug-and-play versatility, 24/96 support, and a premium-feeling finish, and it remains an engaging portable upgrade.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
86/100
Build Quality
86/100
Features Connectivity
76/100
Value for Money
89/100
Pros
Delivers a warm, lively sound with fuller bass weight, clearer cymbals, and stronger dynamic impact than a laptop headphone output.
Its integrated headphone amp provides effortless kick and slam with efficient headphones, making portable listening more exciting.
Compact, driver-free design supports 24-bit/96 kHz playback and works across computers and mobile devices with the appropriate adapter.
Soft-touch matte housing feels substantial and premium for its size, with a protective USB cap and fingerprint-resistant finish.
Cons
Bass can sound loose and less controlled on bass-heavy music compared with similarly priced DAC alternatives.
Soundstage is relatively forward and wide rather than deeply layered.
Listeners needing only a desktop DAC can find better-sounding alternatives at similar money.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 86/100
Reviewers find the DragonFly Black lively, warm and engaging, bringing more weight, clarity and dynamic presence than a computer or phone headphone output. Its presentation is described as detailed and energetic rather than especially spacious, with limited soundstage depth noted by IWII Reviews.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
88/100
AudioAdvice calls the sound warm and musical, reporting fuller low end, clearer cymbals and a more involving, concert-like presentation. IWII Reviews similarly heard a lively, exciting character with energetic drive, although the stage is said to sit relatively forward rather than extending deeply.
Resolution and Detail
86/100
AudioAdvice found a significant improvement in classical-music detail, while IWII Reviews describes clear, airy highs with a pleasing amount of detail. The evidence supports a clear upgrade over ordinary device audio, without claims of reference-grade retrieval or layering.
Digital Performance
83/100
The reviews report clearer cymbal crashes and a more immediate, better-defined sound than listening directly from a source device. Reviewers say little about background noise, glare, jitter or other digital artifacts, so its refinement in those areas is less fully documented.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
86/100
Both AudioAdvice and IWII Reviews praise the compact unit's substantial feel and soft-touch matte-black finish; AudioAdvice also notes that it resists fingerprints. Gramophone highlights the integrated protective cap for the USB connector, though the reviews provide little long-term durability evidence.
Features Connectivity
76/100
The DragonFly Black is a straightforward USB headphone DAC with a 3.5 mm output, analogue volume control, 24-bit/96 kHz playback and MQA unfolding. Its colour-changing dragonfly logo indicates sample rate, and it works with Windows, macOS, iOS and Android with the appropriate adapter, but it lacks the multiple digital and analogue connections of a full-size DAC.
Value for Money
89/100
At just under $100, Gramophone calls it a strong option for budget-minded high-resolution streaming, and AudioAdvice praises the performance it packs into such an affordable device. IWII Reviews adds an important qualification: buyers who only need a desktop DAC can find better-sounding alternatives for similar money.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- DAC Chip
- ESS ES9010 with minimum-phase fast roll-off filter
- Output
- 1.2 volts
- Mobile Compatibility
- Apple iOS 5 and later; Android 5.0 and later
- Desktop Compatibility
- Windows 7 and later; Apple 10.6.8 and later; Linux (no tech support provided)
- Volume Control
- Analog Volume Control
- Country of Origin
- China
- Sold As
- Each
Manufacturer's Description — AudioQuest
v1.5 USB Digital-to-Analog Converter
The most affordable model of the award-winning DragonFly family, DragonFly Black is a portable, plug-and-play USB DAC (digital-to-analog converter), preamp, and headphone amp that connects to laptops, tablets, and smartphones to deliver clean, clear, naturally beautiful sound to headphones, powered speakers, or complete audio systems. While DragonFly can natively decode resolutions up to 24-bit/96kHz, it can play any file type regardless of resolution, from MP3 to MQA and Hi-Res.
- USB Stick-Sized Digital-to-Analog Converter
- Plays all music files: MP3 to high-res
- Compatible with Apple and Windows PCs, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices (requires Apple Camera Adapter or Made for Android/OTG adapter)
- Drives headphones directly
- Fixed output feeds preamp or AV receiver
- Asynchronous transfer ensures digital timing integrity
- Medium output (1.2 volts) drives a wide range of headphones
- 32-bit ESS 9010 DAC with minimum-phase filter
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for AudioQuest DragonFly Black
- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
and 327 more verified dealers