The new DragonFly Copper uses a thick, dipped-process copper casing to dissipate RF interference.
For hi-fi on the go or to turn a laptop into a surprisingly capable digital source.
Last week, we talked about the Zesto Audio Athena tube DAC, which is stunning, but it does cost $15,000. So let's whiplash to an acclaimed DAC that's just $250: the new AudioQuest DragonFly Copper.
After DragonFly Black, Red, and Cobalt, it's important to stress that Copper's case came before the name. As Garth Powell, senior director of engineering, says in an interview on the AudioQuest website, "We knew from the development of our Mythical Creature interconnects that a linear material that’s highly conductive at radio frequencies, such as a thick, dipped-process copper plate, would afford the DragonFly circuits superior noise dissipation. The direct-plated copper is far more effective at draining away induced radio-frequency signals than polymer, brass, zinc, or aluminum."
AudioQuest dropped MQA support with Copper, allowing it to offer twice the power and a 25% lower current draw. Along with improved noise rejection, this means that you get more detail, more dynamics, and a quieter background than with Cobalt.
Headphone listeners will enjoy greater driver control and a wider range of usable headphones. Phone users will, of course, get more music time. A great use of DragonFly for desktop setups is to connect it to a laptop and then drive a pair of powered speakers for surprisingly rich and capable sound.
Why 24/96 Makes Sense in a Pocket DAC
The Copper tops out at 24/96, with good reason. As its designer, Gordon Rankin, points out in that same website interview, Hi-Speed USB for resolutions above 24/96 draws between two and ten times more power than Full-Speed USB, which tops out at 24/96.
"Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. What happens when a USB DAC is processing 32/384 frames? Usually, the result is barely breaking 16/44.1 specifications. The current draw, the signal-to-noise ratio, the processing, the heat… It’s all throwing everything into the toilet."
In short, there's a place for 32/384 processing, but not in a compact USB DAC.
DragonFly Copper is small enough for a pocket, but capable enough for headphones, powered speakers, car systems, and older audio systems with an analog input.
The DragonFly Copper comes with the USB-C to USB-A DragonTail extender, so it's ready to hang off your phone and utterly transform your on-the-go sound, whether via headphones or a car system with an analog input. DragonFly Copper on a laptop makes for a surprisingly good digital streaming source for older audio systems, and, as mentioned, desktop powered speakers. At $250, this is essentially an EDC, or everyday carry, for hi-fi enthusiasts.
Shop the AudioQuest DragonFly Copper USB DAC.