Audioquest DragonFly Cobalt User manual

EN

Instructions in English are available at the link below.

ES

FR

DE

NL

ZH

JA

KO

RU

IT

PT

PL

TH

Las instrucciones de instalación en el español se encuentran disponibles en el enlace que

se indica a continuación.
Les instructions d’installation en français sont disponibles au lien suivant.
Eine Anleitung in englischer Sprache ist unter dem unten stehenden Link verfügbar.
Instructies in het Nederlands zijn beschikbaar via onderstaande link.

安裝說明請詳見下列網址連結.

日本語 のインストールガイドは下記リンク先でご覧いただけます。

한국어로 작성된 설치 지침은 아래 링크에서 볼 수 있습니다.

          .
Le istruzioni per l’installazione in italiano sono disponibili nel link indicato in basso.
Pode encontrar as instruções de instalação em português através do link em baixo.
Instrukcja w języku polskim są dostępne w linku poniżej.

คำ�แนะนำ�ในก�รติดตั้งไทยมีจัดไว้ให้ผ่�นลิงค์ต่อไปนี้ี่

www.audioquest.com/DragonFlyCobalt/ight

Direct or

DragonTail C

with computer

Lightning

USB 3 Camera

Kit for maximum

performance & reliability

DragonTail
Micro or C

with Android

Headphone and

Earbuds

Powered Speakers

Amplier or

Receiver

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Included Inside / Supported Operating Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

At a Glance: DragonFly Cobalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Setting Up DragonFly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Importance of Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

For Use with Apple OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

For Use with Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

For Use with Apple Mobile Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

For Use with Android Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Desktop Device Manager Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Take DragonFly Higher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

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DragonFly Cobalt

and extremely low-noise power supplies, the Microchip® microcontrollers achieve
unprecedented levels of eciency and signal-to-noise ratio, regardless of bit- or
sample-rate. Meanwhile, signicant advances in DAC chips have allowed us to surpass
the performance of even our multi-award-winning DragonFly Red.

DragonFly Cobalt uses monoClock® technology and the StreamLength® asynchronous
USB code*.

USB Digital-to-Analog Converter

DragonFly is a USB digital-to-analog converter (DAC) designed to deliver cleaner, clearer,
more naturally beautiful sound from any computer, smartphone, or tablet. DragonFly’s
unique design allows for playback of any le type regardless of resolution. Natively,
DragonFly is capable of decoding 24-bit/96kHz data. (For les with higher sample rates,

your computer or mobile device, in conjunction with its playback software, will resample
the data to a compatible resolution. For more details, see “The Importance of Format.”)

DragonFly represents the culmination of several signicant achievements.

Working closely with Microchip®, a leading provider of microcontrollers and analog
semiconductors, AudioQuest and acclaimed engineer Gordon Rankin developed
sophisticated software that enabled the implementation of a new, high-performance
class of USB microcontroller. Thanks to their exceedingly low power consumption

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With monoClock® technology, a single ultra-low-jitter clock generated from the ESS
ES9038 DAC chip runs the ESS headphone amplier as well as all microcontroller
functionalities. This single ultra-low-jitter clock enables DragonFly Cobalt to produce
greater resolution and clarity than DACs that employ multiple clocks.

StreamLength® asynchronous USB code ensures improved delivery of the audio
samples to the DAC chip. It produces 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® is compatible with the USB Audio Class (UAC) and
requires no additional drivers, making DragonFly virtually plug-and-play for Apple™,
Windows™, iOS™, and Android™ users.

Additionally, DragonFly is software upgradable. In today’s fast-paced digital world,
longevity in a hi- component is increasingly rare—at any price. AudioQuest believes
that today’s digital devices should evolve as technology itself evolves, thereby delivering
musical pleasure for many years to come. With our free Desktop Device Manager

*monoClock® and StreamLength® are registered trademarks of Wavelength Audio, ltd.

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application and a few simple clicks, when new software is available DragonFly can be
upgraded at no additional cost. And, to easily accommodate the increasing number of
electronic devices that feature USB-C ports, DragonFly Cobalt comes equipped with
our DragonTail USB A-to-C extender cable.

To stay up to date on the latest DragonFly news, please register your product at

https://www.audioquest.com/page/aq-product-registration.html.

We encourage you to spend a few minutes reading through the Flight Manual and
then sit back, relax, and get high on your favorite music!

At a Glance: DragonFly Cobalt

MODEL: DragonFly Cobalt

IDENTIFICATION: AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt v1.0

OUTPUT: 2.1Vrms @10k Ohms or higher; 16 ohms minimum for headphone

MICROCONTROLLER: Microchip PIC32MX274

DAC CHIP: ESS ES9038

AudioQuest

Included Inside

¡ DragonFly Cobalt Asynchronous USB DAC

¡ DragonTail USB-A to USB-C Adaptor

¡ Travel Pouch

¡ Flight Manual

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Supported Operating Systems

¡ Apple OS 10.6.8 and later

¡ Apple iOS 5 and later

¡ Microsoft Windows 7-10

¡ Android 4.1 and later

¡ Linux capable (no support provided)

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER: ESS Sabre 9601

VOLUME CONTROL: 64-bit bit-perfect digital

MQA* ENABLED: Yes

* More information about MQA and DragonFly can be found here:

https://www.audioquest.com/page/aq-dragony-series-faq.html#!/mqa

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Setting Up DragonFly

DragonFly is designed to be “plug and play” with all major desktop and mobile devices
and operating systems, such as Android, Apple, and Microsoft Windows 10. DragonFly
requires no additional drivers to operate with any of these systems.

Note: DragonFly employs a bit-perfect digital volume control that resides inside of
the DAC chip itself—a sophisticated implementation that ensures maximum delity,
dynamic contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio. With DragonFly connected to a PC or
mobile device, adjusting the host’s system volume control will, through proxy, control
the DragonFly’s onboard volume.

The Importance of Format

CDs operate at a sampling frequency of 44.1kHz. Compressed MP3 and AAC music les
and audio streams are typically encoded at one of three dierent quality levels—128kbps,
256kbps, or 320kbps—and are most often reconstructed as 44.1kHz les. Similarly, many
music downloads and CDs ripped as Apple Lossless or FLAC les are reconstructed to

44.1kHz. For these reasons, DragonFly will often produce the best results when your
computer is set to output a sample rate of 44.1kHz. If you have higher resolution les,
however, it is important to choose the correct higher sample rate in order to maximize
the benet of those les. For the best performance with sampling rates above DragonFly
Cobalt’s 96kHz ceiling, les should be played at a rate mathematically related to their
native resolution. For instance, a 192kHz le should be played at 96kHz (i.e., 2 x 96000.0
= 192000.0).

There are many applications available (such as Roon, BitPerfect, Foobar, JRiver, Audirvana,
Decibel, Amarra, etc.) that will automatically set the sample rate of DragonFly to that of
the le, eliminating the need for manual setting of the sample rate.

DragonFly’s LED lights up in dierent colors to indicate status or sample rate:

Red: Standby Amber: 88.2kHz
Green: 44.1kHz Magenta: 96kHz
Blue: 48kHz Purple: MQA

Note: DragonFly is an MQA renderer only and must be partnered with appropriate

software to unfold MQA les. For MQA capabilities, please consult the user
manual of your playback device and music-player application.

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For Use with Apple OS X® (10.6.8 or newer)

(For Windows setup, skip to page 12; for Apple Mobile device setup, skip to page 14, for
Android setup, skip to page 15.)

DragonFly is compatible with Mac OS X, versions 10.6.8 and later. OS X menus may
appear slightly dierent from the screenshots shown below. Some have changed over
the life of OS X, but their functionality has remained the same.

Setup for USB

Using “System Preferences” to send

audio to DragonFly, while keeping alerts
and sound eects on the computer’s
speakers:

1. Insert DragonFly into your computer’s

USB port.

2. Open “System Preferences” from the

Dock or from the Apple® dropdown
menu (top left).

3. Click on the “Sound” icon.

4. In the Sound panel, click on the

“Output” tab. Select “AudioQuest
DragonFly Cobalt”

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5. Click on the Sound panel’s “Sound Eects” tab.

6. In the “Play sound eects through” menu, select “Internal Speakers.”

7. Close the window.

8. In order to connect DragonFly Cobalt to Macbook and Macbook Pro

computers that are equipped with USB Type-C ports only, please use the
enclosed USB-C to USB-A adaptor.

Setting up the “Audio MIDI Setup” so computer audio plays through DragonFly:

1. Open the “Applications” folder, and

then the “Utilities” folder.

2. Within Utilities, double-click to open

“Audio MIDI Setup.”

3. Within the “Audio Devices” panel, click

on “AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt”

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4. Select, “Use this device for

sound output”

5. Use the “Format” dropdown menu to

choose a sample rate—most likely

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44.1kHz. (See “The Importance of
Format.”)

Plug in earbuds, headphones, or use a cable to connect DragonFly to your pow
speakers or amplier, and you are ready to listen!

ered

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For Use with Windows® 7-10

Setup for USB

Using “Control Panel” “Sound” settings to send audio to DragonFly, while keeping

alerts and sound eects on the computer’s speakers:

1. Insert DragonFly into your computer’s USB port.

2. In the Cortana search bar at the bottom left of the Windows 10 desktop, type in

“Control Panel” and hit enter key to launch the panel.

3. Open “Hardware and Sound” panel.

4. Select “Sound.”

5. For USB: The AudioQuest DragonFly is added as “Speakers.” Ensure it is the

“Default Device.”
Select “Speakers.”

6. Click “Properties” button for more setup options.
a. Click “Advanced” tab. Use the dropdown menu to choose the sample rate—most

likely 24-bit/44100.0 Hz.
(See “The Importance of Format.”)

b. For “Exclusive Mode,” check both options, then click “OK.”

7. To connect DragonFly to Windows computers with USB-C ports, use the

included DragonTail USB-C to USB-A adaptor.

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6b

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6a

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For use with Apple Mobile devices

DragonFly will work with Apple’s mobile handheld devices (running on iOS 5 or newer).
In order to connect DragonFly to an iPhone or legacy iPad, an Apple Lightning-to-USB
Camera Adapter is required. However, if you would like to connect DragonFly to the
latest iPad Pro, which features a USB-C port, then please use the included DragonTail
USB-C to USB-A adaptor.

Note: 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 Adapter,
while also providing the ability to charge during playback. For more information, visit

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter

1. Plug the Camera Adapter/Connector into your Apple mobile device.

2. Plug DragonFly into the Camera Adaptor/Connector’s USB port.

3. Turn down the volume on your mobile device to at least 50%.

4. Select your desired music/media app, and then select your desired song or stream.

5. Adjust volume to desired level.

For Use with Android™ Devices

Android devices that run Jelly Bean operating system (4.1 or newer) support USB audio
output, and your DragonFly is pre-loaded with the latest rmware, which includes
being optimized for use with Android devices.

Note: If your DragonFly seems to have too little output, then there’s more to do:
Despite Android’s support of USB audio output, there are still hardware manufacturers
that do not completely adhere to the USB audio class specication. If you experience
this, we recommend the USB Audio Player Pro application (UAPP; currently $7.99 US):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.usbaudioplayerpro.

UAPP includes its own USB audio device driver that is compliant with the USB
Organization’s USB Audio Host Mode Class specication. 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 nd and connect to DLNA servers/libraries. USB Audio Player PRO Version 5
now supports audio from Google Music, Tidal (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.

If you are not satised with this solution, the DragonFly can be returned to your dealer
who will gladly refund your purchase price.

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Connecting your Android device to DragonFly:

1. Android devices use a USB format known as “OTG” (On the Go). OTG USB ports

require a unique 5-pin USB Micro to 4-pin USB A (Female) adaptor. In order to
connect an Android device and/or USB cable to a DAC, an OTG adaptor must be
used. See http://www.audioquest.com/dragontail/dragontail-for-android-devices

2. Select the appropriate cable for your Android device. AudioQuest oers a wide

range of high-performance USB cables, with connectors suitable for Android
devices (such as USB Micro and USB Mini). For more information, go to the USB
Cables section at http://www.audioquest.com/digital-interconnects/. In some rare
cases, a proprietary connection or adaptor will be required to transmit audio over
USB. (Consult your device’s user manual or visit the manufacturer’s website.) If
you would like to connect DragonFly to one of the increasing number of Android
devices equipped with a USB-C port, then please use the included DragonTail
USB-C to USB-A adaptor.

3. Turn down the volume on your Android device to at least 50%.

4. Select your desired music/media app, and then select your desired song or stream.

5. Adjust volume to desired level.

Desktop Device Manager Application

Available for Mac OS X and Windows 7, 8.1, and 10

The AudioQuest Desktop Device Manager Application allows you to identify your
DragonFly’s serial number and software version to ensure that the device is up to date.

In order to install the AudioQuest Desktop Device Manager Application:

1. Go to: http://www.audioquest.com/page/aq-digitalupdates.html and download

the latest Device Manager available for your operating system.

2. Double-click the installer icon and follow the onscreen instructions until complete.

The application’s icon will appear on your desktop.

3. To run the Device Manager Application, double-click the application’s icon.

4. A window will appear, asking you to connect a DragonFly device to your computer.

Once you have done so, a new window will appear, with tabs and controls that
allow you to set various preferences.

5. The Device Manager Application will

automatically check for available
software updates. However, if you’d like
to manually check for updates, you can
do so whenever you wish by clicking
the “Check for Updates” button. If an
update is available, the “Update Now”
button will be enabled. Click this button

to start the update process.

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6. PLEASE DO NOT DISCONNECT YOUR DRAGONFLY DURING THE UPDATE PROCESS.

Doing so can leave the DragonFly in a non-functional state. If, for any reason,
your DragonFly is disconnected during the update process, or your computer
unexpectedly shuts down during the update process, your DragonFly may be
rendered unusable.

7. Once the update process is complete, the Device Manager Application will display

the following message: The update is complete and it is safe to disconnect your device.

8. Once you have checked for updates and/or made your desired changes, disconnect the

DragonFly and quit the Device Manager Application. Your DragonFly is ready to use.

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Take DragonFly Higher

JitterBug USB Filter

Our JitterBug USB lter employs dual discrete noise-dissipation circuits to reduce the
noise and ringing that plague both the power and data lines of USB ports throughout
your audio system. It can be used with USB DACs, hard drives, NAS devices, routers,
streamers, computer peripherals, and even with mobile devices into a car stereo! For
those who already own DragonFly, JitterBug is an easy and affordable upgrade:
Simply plug JitterBug into an available USB port, then plug DragonFly into it.

Bridges & Falls Analog Cables

Determining the correct connection for your device, and finding a cable that’s
commensurate in performance with your needs and desires, should be painless. Bridges
& Falls cables honor the fact that today’s components require more connectivity options
than ever before, while taking full advantage of the eciencies in making single-ended
stereo cables in a single jacket. With the appropriate Bridges & Falls cable, you can
connect DragonFly to powered loudspeakers or a complete high-performance audio
system! AudioQuest oers a comprehensive selection with a wide variety of modern
connector congurations, such as 3.5mm to: 3.5mm RCA DIN

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DragonTail
A (female)  A (male)

DragonTail
Micro-B/OTG  USB A

DragonTail USB Extender Cable

DragonTail is a USB extender cable that either allows a USB device (such as DragonFly or
a ash drive) to more easily and safely t next to other occupied computer ports, or to
easily connect with various smartphones. Regardless of the digital interface—whether
micro-USB/OTG-to-USB A, USB A (female)-to-USB A (male), USB A (female)-to-USB C
(male), etc.—we will design a DragonTail for the associated device and application.

Most importantly, like all AudioQuest products, DragonTail is designed and manufactured
for low distortion and maximum performance. Sharing design elements with our Carbon
USB cable, DragonTail uses semi-solid conductors with silver plating that comprises 5%
of the total conductor metal and foamed-polyethylene insulation to maintain critical
signal-pair geometry. In addition, as with all AudioQuest cables, DragonTail’s signal­carrying conductors are controlled for low-noise directionality, resulting in more
engaging, immersive sound.

For many devices that support USB C only, our newest DragonTail USB-C to USB-A
adaptor cable allows users to enjoy the benets of DragonFly.

DragonTail

A (female)  C (male)

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C

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balt

USB DAC + Preamp + Headphone Amp

Tel (US): 949.585.0111 Tel (EU): +31.165.54.1404 www.audioquest.com

©2019 AudioQuest 2621 White Road, Irvine CA 92614 USA

April 2019