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AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt
USB Digital-to-Analog Converter
DragonFly Cobalt, the latest and most sophisticated member of the award-winning DragonFly franchise, is a USB DAC (digital-to-analog converter), preamplifier, and headphone amplifier. It bypasses the audio circuitry in laptops, computers, and smartphones to deliver cleaner, clearer, more naturally beautiful music to headphones, powered speakers, or complete audio systems.
With AudioQuest’s DragonFly USB DAC, music appreciation and exploration are limitless: Plug into an Apple or Windows computer or connect to an iOS or Android mobile device. Play YouTube or Vimeo videos. Go hunting on Bandcamp or SoundCloud. Explore playlists and podcasts on Spotify, Pandora, or Deezer. Stream high-res audio from Tidal or Qobuz. No matter the choice of sonic pleasure, DragonFly unravels the emotional expression and nuance that makes music and movies so enjoyable. Now, more than ever before, naturally beautiful sound is right at your fingertips—however you want it, whenever you want it. For easy reference, DragonFly's LED changes color to indicate playback status or sample rate. Note: A red lens indicates that the device is in standby mode; purple indicates MQA playback.
Plays all music files: MP3 to MQA and Hi-Res
- Compatible with computers, tablets, streamers, and mobile devices
- Includes DragonTail USB-C Extender Cable (iOS mobile devices require Apple Lightning-to-USB adaptor)
- Resolution up to 24-bit / 96kHz
- DAC Chip ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound
DragonFly Cobalt: Improved Performance, More Beauty!
Compared to previous models, DragonFly Cobalt incorporates some important new features, including a new, more advanced ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound; a more sophisticated Microchip PIC32MX274 microprocessor that reduces current draw and increases processing speed by 33% over DragonFlys Black and Red; and improved power-supply filtering specifically designed to reduce the WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular noise that plague mobile devices.
- 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 WiFi, 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.
AudioQuest, Gordon Rankin: A Beautiful Partnership
Like all previous DragonFly models, Cobalt uses Gordon Rankin's precedent-setting StreamLength® asynchronous-transfer USB code. Further, in Gordon's monoClock® technology, a single ultra-low-jitter clock generated from the ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip runs the ESS chip functions as well as all microcontroller functions. This superior clock enables DragonFly Cobalt to provide greater resolution and clarity than DACs with multiple clocks.
*Streamlength and monoClock are registered trademarks of Wavelength Audio, ltd.
Why the "Slow Roll...?"
Cobalt employs ESS's new flagship ES9038Q2M DAC chip. While the chips used in DragonFlys Black and Red are unbeatable for the price, the minimum-phase slow roll-off filter in the 9038 results in naturally expressive sound that is always emotionally engaging and never fatiguing—a beautiful combination of warmth and detail that we find equally exciting and soothing.
Killing the Noise
In Cobalt, we've taken what we've learned from our recent research and development in Noise-Dissipation to employ power-supply filtering specifically designed to dramatically reduce the increasingly prevalent noise from WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular signals. Successfully combating this noise is absolutely crucial to the preservation of the lowest-level musical details, particularly when it comes to high-res audio—and especially when applied to a portable-audio device such as DragonFly.
Bit-Perfect Volume Control and 2.1-Volt Output
Cobalt features the same ESS Sabre 9601 headphone amp and bit-perfect volume control that give DragonFly Red its unique combination of power and grip over the music. This solution ensures maximum fidelity, thrilling dynamic contrast, and excellent signal-to-noise ratio. The 2.1-volt output makes Cobalt and Red compatible with a wide range of headphones, including power-hungry, low-efficiency models.
- Plays All Music Files: MP3 to MQA and Hi-Res
- Compatible with iOS Mobile Devices (requires Apple Lightning-to-USB adaptor) and Android Mobile Devices (requires USB adaptor)
- Drives Wide Range of Low- to High-efficiency Headphones
- Variable Output Drives Powered Speakers or Power Amp, Fixed Output Feeds Preamp or AV Receiver
- Includes form-fitting Carbon-level DragonTail USB-A to USB-C adaptor
- Native Resolution: Up to 24-bit / 96kHz
- Output: 2.1 Volts
- Volume Control: Digital: 64-Bit Bit-Perfect Volume Control
- Desktop Compatibility: Windows 7 and later; Apple 10.6.8 and later; Linux (no tech support provided)
- Mobile Compatibility: Apple iOS 5 and later; Android 5.0 and later. For Android devices, see owner's manual
- DAC Chip ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound
- Native Resolution up to 24-bit / 96kHz
- Connectivity technology: Wired
- Compatible with Apple and Windows PCs
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Professional Reviews 88/100
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
82/100
Features Connectivity
75/100
Value for Money
89/100
Compact yet intensely precise, the DragonFly Cobalt brings a cleaner, more organized presentation to laptops and phones, with a wide soundstage, tightly locked timing and plenty of fine detail. What Hi-Fi? says it strips away noise and fog while keeping rhythm and dynamics alive, making this a polished step-up DAC for portable or desktop listening.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Delivers a clean, highly precise sound with strong detail and clear instrument separation.
Timing and dynamics are tightly controlled, keeping music rhythmically engaging.
Works well across laptops, streaming services and hi-res files, with a wide-open soundstage.
&
Cons
Its presentation is less relaxed than some listeners may prefer.
The included DragonTail adapter can fit loosely and disconnect easily from phones.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers describe a notably cleaner, more precise presentation than the DragonFly Red, with strong clarity, a wide-open soundstage, and timing that feels tightly locked in. The Cobalt is praised for keeping rhythm and expressive dynamics intact rather than sounding clinical, which makes it easy to follow and enjoyable across different sources and file types.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
92/100
What Hi-Fi says the Cobalt does not lose its sense of rhythm or expressive dynamic range even while becoming more precise and clean. The overall presentation is described as engaging and easy to enjoy, with enough musical drive to avoid sounding sterile.
Resolution and Detail
93/100
The review repeatedly stresses the extra detail on offer, calling the rendering incredibly precise and noting granular detail around instrument edges. It is portrayed as a clear step up in resolution from the DragonFly Red, though the language stops short of outright best-in-class superlatives.
Digital Performance
93/100
The Cobalt is credited with stripping away fuzz and fog, improving timing, and locking beats in with strong precision. The presentation is described as clean and controlled, with no real mention of glare or harsh digital artifacts, though the evidence is strong rather than absolute.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
82/100
The review mentions a smaller enclosure and the included DragonTail USB adapter, which points to a compact and practical design. There is little direct commentary on chassis solidity, internal parts, or long-term construction, apart from a complaint that the adaptor can be loose and tugged out easily.
Features Connectivity
75/100
This is a deliberately simple plug-in DAC, with the review emphasizing its ease of use from computer or smartphone rather than a broad feature set. The included DragonTail adaptor helps with USB-C devices, but the same review notes that it can be fiddly and unreliable in use, which tempers the otherwise convenient connectivity story.
Value for Money
89/100
What Hi-Fi says the Cobalt justifies its higher asking price and even calls it a no-brainer for listeners wanting a step up in desktop or mobile sound. That is clear praise for value at this price, especially given its performance gains over the DragonFly Red, though the wording stops short of bargain-level value language.
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Authorized dealers for AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- A Tube High Fidelity — 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)
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