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AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Portable USB DAC Sweepstakes
According to the company:
In 2012, the original AudioQuest DragonFly thoroughly disrupted the DAC market. For so many casual enthusiasts who had never previously considered the possibility of improving their digital-audio experience, DragonFly was nothing short of a revelation. Meanwhile, even the most experienced audiophiles were compelled to reexamine long-held notions of what a DAC could and should be. Stereophile's Art Dudley enthusiastically summarized, “DragonFly is fun: It's a thumb in the eye of those tea-pinky tyrants who would tell the rest of us what is and is not high end. I can think of no more recommendable product in digital audio.”
In the early months of 2015, AudioQuest surpassed its previous achievements with DragonFlys Black and Red—two sensational models that offered improved performance-to-cost ratios with unprecedented sound quality, free firmware updates, and, of course, the biggest news of all, compatibility with Apple® and Android® smartphones.
And now comes DragonFly Cobalt—AudioQuest's new flagship DAC. Cobalt takes what music lovers around the world have come to expect from the multi-award-winning DragonFly family—naturally beautiful, seductive sound—and strips away fuzz and fog that weren't even noticeable until Cobalt removed them.
How is this possible? Like the critically acclaimed DragonFly Red, Cobalt has the robust 2.1-volt output to drive almost any headphone, uses a bit-perfect digital volume control for outstanding signal-to-noise ratio, enables seamless compatibility with Apple and Android devices, and is an exceptionally competent and affordable MQA renderer.
Cobalt's precedent-setting performance is made possible by multiple significant upgrades:
- 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 AudioQuest's new DragonTail USB-A (female) to USB-C (male) adaptor to easily accommodate the increasing number of electronic devices that feature USB-C ports.
- Contoured enclosure measures just 2.26” x 0.73” x 0.47” (57.5mm x 18.6mm x 11.9mm), making the latest DragonFly 10% smaller than its predecessors.
Like previous 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.
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 on Spotify or Pandora. Stream high-res audio from Tidal or Qobuz. No matter the choice of musical pleasure, DragonFly delivers beautiful sound to earbuds, headphones, desktop speakers, or complete audio systems, unraveling 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.
The first 10,000 units of DragonFly Cobalt will come packaged with vouchers for trial subscriptions to the outstanding Tidal and Qobuz music-streaming services. Cobalt customers can begin their musical journeys with two new AudioQuest playlists—On an AudioQuest and Making Connections—available on Tidal and Qobuz, respectively.
To enter the sweepstakes, all you need is an account on this website. If you don't already have one, click on the link labeled "register" at the bottom of this announcement or "LOG IN/JOIN" in the nav bar at the right. Then, enter a username and a valid e-mail address, and click on the "Create new account" button. A message will be automatically sent to the e-mail address you specified, which will include a link to activate the account.
The final step (and only step for those who already have an account) is to log in and leave a comment right here on this announcement—any comment will do, as long as it's not profane or spam. Then, when the sweepstakes closes, a lucky commenter will be chosen at random to receive the prize. So post a comment, and good luck!
For complete sweepstakes rules, click here.
[This Sweepstakes is now closed]
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Absolutely love the Dragonfly Red. Can't wait to see what AQ has in store with the Cobalt!
Who knows, I'll probably lose but nothing ventured, nothing gained...
cant wait
sounds awesome i want one! would it work with wireless headphones such as Bose?
As a person who still uses wired headphones, and a subscription to Tidal, I would love this!
Please.
Combining a DAC of this quality, along with the small form factor make this an incredibly versatile piece - for many folks, all the DAC they'll ever need!
This is my first time testing out a DAC. I hope I win. I never try these before.
What can I say? These things rock!
Love the Dragonfly Red - stepping up to the Cobalt is a no-brainer for me. Love these DAC’s!
What else can I say except I would really like to own one of these!
need it
Incredible! A DAC with the purest power supply from battery and the shortest signal paths possible costing less than a decent cable from AudioQuest! Well done!
Never won anything of the sorts :D
Would compliment my new MacMini well!
Would love to have a new one. Love my Red
Would love to win this!
I have the Black and would love to own the Cobalt!
Wow
I would love to own this!
i would like to win one of these.
Need it!!!!
I have two already, a Black in my office and a Red at home. I would love to hear them side by side. The Red definitely sounded better than the Black in my office driving a small set of KEFs off Tidal, but the Black still sounds great.
I would love to own one for listening to MQA files.
I want it!
i want it
Love the blue look
Absolutely!
I love my Dragonfly red. Now I need the to go BLUE!!! thank you :)
I appreciate the opportunity to brag to my tech friends how I beat 'em to the punch.
I have the Black. I wants the precious, the precious, the Cobalt.
Love what Audioquest did with the earlier DACs. Looking forward to seeing what they’ve done with this one.
Can't wait to win it and try it out with my Tidal account!
Yay! Free stuff!
My first Dragonfly encounter was at RMAF, when the PSB folks were using one to demonstrate their headphones. I considered that a great recommendation.
...and would sure love hearing the new improvements.
It never ceases to amaze me how small devices can gloriously roar with jaw-dropping fidelity. I would expect this version of The Dragonfly to be the most impressive version yet. Never owning one myself it would jump start using my laptop as a source instead of my old habit of burning a CD by using an external drive. I could also explore Tidal and/or Qobuz which seem to be the HD streaming sites of choice as of 2019. Right now I just stream casually being a member of Amazon Unlimited Music which is about 320 kbs at best I presume. Of course this would actually likely improve that too.
can't wait to pair these with my audiotechnicas
I won!
This looks awesome!
I would love to win this and give it a try!
I've owned both and love the sound and value. Now the Cobalt looks like a great way to expand. Would love to try one - and of course winning one would be even better!
Yes Indeed!
Thanks for the opportunity to win.
Awesome!
Yes please.
oh how happy my Brother will be when he receives my Dragonfly RED
Sounds like a great solution for getting quality audio out of a corporate workstation.
... and my favorite color too!
Gotta have one!
Plays here!
What does audioquest says about using jitterbug with this one ?
Go on. Impress me.
Hope I win
Hope I win this little DAC
To quote Jimi Hendrix:
"It takes about half a day to get there If we travel by my dragonfly"
(Spanish Castle Magic - from Axis Bold As Love 1967).
Jimi would have really appreciated taking a sonic journey on the wings of a Cobalt Dragonfly...and so would I.
I want to get away
With this give away
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Would pair nicely with my Tidal account :)
Thanks for the sweepstakes!
Would love to win this.
I'm in!
I'm looking forward to hearing the new Cobalt DragonFly.
This should make my already excellent earphones sound even better! Looking forward to it!
Free is good. Free and good is better.
I’ve owned a lot of AudioQuest’s products over the years, but really looking forward to this!
Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
I have the black and red DragonFly and would love the blue Cobalt DragonFly!
This Dragonfly is lucky pretty bitchin
I would love to compare this to my FIIO version.
I'm in
At least, I've always hoped so. Winning this giveaway would prove me right (after all these years!)!
Dragonfly makes the best quality equipment!
Always wanted a Dragonfly! This one looks like the best so far.
This Cobalt Dragonfly seems like a terrific next step. I'm ready to get one now!
I was looking at the Dragonfly Red, but the Cobalt Dragonfly looks to be even better. I can’t wait to hear the differences in my music.
Thanks in advance.
J
Need one of these!
I have the original Dragonfly. I'd love to upgrade to Cobalt!
Certainly would make my old Mac sound better!
I Wan!
Pick me!
Time for an upgrade from my 1.2, Love my Dragonfly...
:-)
Hope to hear it soon
Oh lord, please let me win this one and I promise I will go to church every holy day. Thank you lord
With me, anything's possible.
Can't wait to try it...
Fly me to the moon, Dragonfly!
Would like to take the next step and hear some great music on the latest and greatest DAC!!!
to own one of these beauties!
I will enjoy this. Thanks
makes computers sound amazing
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