AudioQuest - DragonFly Red

Went for Dragon fly Red after some research based on Audiophile's advise. The product as good as promised. Enjoyed the experience with Headphone Zone.

In my use case I generally use DAC as a desktop DAC. So the Dragonfly Red is no exception and fits in my system as a MQA Renderer. I use the DAC with my computer connected to a stereo amplifier via rca. I mainly use Tidal, Foobar2000, Youtube and Plexamp, Plex to listen to music. The dragon fly is immediately recognised in these software and shows its prowess in performance. Tidal desktop software has special settings for the DAC and MQA can be played in full glory by this method. First unfold my the tidal desktop software and the second unfold by the dac. This bring forth beautiful music which you can enjoy without much headache over settings and technicality. Its the simplicity of the small dongle coupled with its bombastic sound output that is a killer. This can also be used in mobile devices like iPhone and I have tried in that configuration. But I am not a fan of having a extra wire and dongle out of my phone so I do not use in a mobile setup. Though in this setting it sounded many times better than the iPhone.

Great DAC & AMP performance, using it when listening to my DT 990 Pro and very happy with the resolution. The dragonfly red easily powers the 250 ohm headphone, and is easy to use and compact. Highly recommended.

Looks and Build:
as far as look or the design of this goes there is literally nothing worth mentioning I won't even add a pic. It's coating in glossy red almost like a Hotwheels the lighting system is simple and it's about the size USB from the year 2002, I mean its the size of a small fevistick.
The only problem I have is the cap is too tight for its own good and scratches the outside of USB itself.

Usage: Desktop - good but if u are a hardcore desktop guy buy a non-portable
option, really or else it's awesome

Laptop - YES just YES it been made for u laptop users buy it.
Mobile - U can, but honestly don't but a BT device extra cables on
phones aren't worth it.

Sound- If u have used a desktop amp/DAC this thing looks ridiculous no matter how high the critics praise it. But my god idk how but this. This dongle of an amp/DAC can knock some way pricier models off the shelf. The critics were right at least for this one. I won't go to sound signature and stuff I can find it on the net. But know this that this takes some time to burn in as a headphone does idk why (might be just my PC) but the first 2 days I used it I was abt to return it but suddenly in between my listening session on the third day it just came to life and the difference was clear everything was better from the sound stage to clarity and imaging.

To note: if u are a laptop gamer looking for an amp/DAC its a good option if u are willing to use a splitter or buy a mic. As it has NO AUDIO INPUT.

I haven't used it for an extended period of time yet ,but first impression seems really good.

I have the Dacamp L1 and Chord Mojo already. I needed a very portable DAC for On-the-go. I browsed a lot on the various options and decided to take the plunge with the Dragonfly Red for sheer convenience without the dismal issue of a drained battery when you most need it. And also so conveniently connected to the transport device. It Drives all the headphones well except the most power hungry ones. The sound is crystal clear. Deep bass, Nice Mids and Good Treble reproduction in clarity. I have tried it with V-Moda Zn, 1More Quad Driver, Audeze iSine10, AT M-50X, and sounds phenomenal in all cases. I haven't of course tried it with very high impedance Cans. Overall a very portable and a scintillating DAC AMP. If you're contemplating buying one, please do not hesitate. A little cheaper option would be the Ultrasone NAOS. These are two of the best in-line DACAMPs. Atleast that I have used. The Mojo and L1 are in a different league but then you are also paying more and these are heavy in the hand considering the stacking. Any whichever way you go, Good Listening!!!!

Made a significant improvement to the listening experience on my pair of Shure earphones. Way better contrast and spacing of multiple sounds and textures in all genres of music. Everything sounds tighter and there's less listening fatigue even at higher volumes. I love the handy and portable size of this DAC and the build quality is pretty good. The emblem that lights up is a really nice touch. I only wish there was a variant with a lightning port to make it easy to connect to iPhones directly. I suppose for now an add-on cable will have to do.

This is a compact packed wonderful portable product, with nice sound boost and a good clarity. Only downside is that the soundstage is not that great.