AudioQuest DragonFly Copper USB DAC & Headphone Amplifier

The DragonFly Copper plugs into a laptop, desktop computer, tablet or smartphone and bypasses its built-in audio circuitry, delivering cleaner, clearer sound to wired headphones, powered speakers or a complete hi-fi system. It combines a USB DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier in a body the size of a memory stick, and it is the latest model in the DragonFly range that began in 2012.

More Power, Less Current

Inside is a 32-bit ESS Sabre ES9218, a chip that integrates the DAC and headphone amplifier in one. The Copper delivers twice the output power of any previous DragonFly while drawing around 25% less current, making it the most powerful and efficient DAC AudioQuest has produced. Maximum output is 2.1V. DragonFly designer Gordon Rankin optimised the new parts to bring distortion significantly below that of earlier models, according to AudioQuest, and the low current draw means the Copper has little effect on a phone's battery.

Copper-Plated Case

The case is plated in high-conductivity copper, an idea taken from the RF-draining barrels of AudioQuest's Mythical Creatures interconnects. It is there to drain away radio-frequency noise rather than purely for looks, and AudioQuest describes the Copper as the quietest DragonFly it has made.

Simple to Use

There are no buttons, knobs or menus. The DragonFly Copper meets USB Audio Class standards and needs no additional drivers on Windows and Apple computers or on iOS and Android devices; it is also compatible with Linux, though no technical support is provided. Volume is set from the phone, tablet or computer, which operates a 64-step, 64-bit bit-perfect digital volume control inside the DragonFly. Connected to a receiver or preamplifier, it can instead run as a fixed-output source, with level set by the system's own volume control.

The dragonfly emblem lights up to show playback status and sample rate: red for standby, green for 44.1kHz, blue for 48kHz, yellow for 88.2kHz and light blue for 96kHz.

Connections and Resolution

A USB-A plug sits at one end and a 3.5mm output at the other. The DragonTail USB-A to USB-C adaptor comes fitted, ready for phones, tablets and USB-C computers; remove it to plug straight into a USB-A port. Unlike earlier DragonFlys, the Copper has no protective end cap.

The Copper plays natively at 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz and 96kHz, up to 24-bit. AudioQuest uses Full Speed USB, which tops out at 24-bit/96kHz, because it draws far less power than High Speed USB. Files above 96kHz can still be played at a mathematically related rate, for example a 192kHz file at 96kHz. MQA is not supported.

Works with JitterBug FMJ

The DragonFly Copper can be partnered with AudioQuest's JitterBug FMJ USB data and power noise filter, either in series or in parallel in a spare USB port. That pairing was not unconditionally recommended with the DragonFly Cobalt, which already contains some of JitterBug's filtering.