Perhaps no one in the audiophile community has so thoroughly assessed the full breath of DragonFly's capabilities — sonic, practical, and otherwise — to the extent taken by Darko.Audio's founder, John Darko.
Back in 2014, we updated the original model in meaningful ways, refining the circuitry between the DAC chip and the analog output stage to create a more direct signal path, leading to even greater transparency and immediacy. We upgraded the DAC’s power supply, resulting in more body, stronger bottom-end grip, and greater dynamic contrast. We gave the product a new model number (v1.2)... and lowered it price from $250 to $149.
If the original DragonFly was "an industry disruptor" at $250, the improved model was, well, as Darko put it, "rare as rocking horse shit."
He decided:
Such is the price-pressure being brought to bear by AudioQuest I’d wager that rival USB DAC manufacturers are currently scrambling for ways to match the v1.2’s insane value quotient...
Hi-fi for the mainstream – huzzah!
