Having reviewed digital-to-analog converters for the better part of two decades, Michael Lavorgna is confident when he says he knows the sound of "better."
How many DACs have made their way through the Twittering Machines Barn? How many have taken permanent residence?
While the former question would take some time to answer, the latter can be counted on the fingers of just two hands, variations of our DragonFly DAC occupying most of them. Michael knows the sound of digital, he knows the sound of better, he knows the sound of DragonFly.
So, it means something when he says:
Seems to me the big question to answer about Copper is—Did AudioQuest build a better DragonFly?
By my accounting the answer is easy and in the affirmative—Yes. The DragonFly Copper is the company’s best USB DAC to date.
Michael primarily uses Copper to manage digital-to-analog conversion from his trusty iMac to the ADAM A3X powered speakers that have occupied his remarkably tidy desktop for the last 14 years, but he also puts Copper to good use with the handsome HoloAudio Red streamer into his cozy and immersive DeVore O/96 system.
In both situations, Copper showcases a sound marked by equal parts speed/agility and body/warmth. Michael: "The important takeaway...is the DragonFly Copper’s many strengths shone through and I was certainly able to sit back and enjoy all of the music I sent its way."
Like Jürgen Kraus of AudioReviews.org, Michael also enjoyed pairing Copper with our JitterBug FMJ USB filter. Michael writes, "[I]nserting the JitterBug inline brought with it even greater clarity as if I was hearing more of the recording more fully realized."
Compared to Cobalt alone, "Copper is clearly more resolving," Michael writes, "offering better separation between sonic elements while every piece of the puzzle feels a bit more fleshed out. Think of it like an image coming into better focus — clearer not edgier."
Michael adds Copper to his carefully curated list of Favorite Digital components and concludes:
With Copper, AudioQuest has built a better DragonFly.... Considering its $250 asking price and performance, the AudioQuest DragonFly Copper is a genuine screamin’ HiFi bargain.
Read the complete review, and be sure to listen to Michael's adventurous evaluation tracks.
