The next experiment will be to play it through my system once I purchase the mini adapter.

Congratulations to both Gordon and Audioquest for this excellent USB DAC.

• http://www.audioquest.com/usb_digital_analog_converter/drago

 Why a 64-step volume control? - Sumflow 04:54:58 07/24/12 (0)
 RE: Audiquest DragonFly USB DAC - soundchekk 04:28:38 07/06/12 (0)
 What about long cable runs with the DragonFly? - hesson11 12:46:59 07/02/12 (4)

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 Why a 64-step volume control? - Sumflow 04:54:58 07/24/12 (0)
 RE: Audiquest DragonFly USB DAC - soundchekk 04:28:38 07/06/12 (0)
 What about long cable runs with the DragonFly? - hesson11 12:46:59 07/02/12 (4)
 RE: What about long cable runs with the DragonFly? - Mercman 17:25:21 07/02/12 (0)
 RE: What about long cable runs with the DragonFly? - John Atkinson 15:57:04 07/02/12 (2)
 Thanks, John and Mercman - hesson11 20:48:11 07/02/12 (1)
 conventional 3.5mm-to-RCA - Sumflow 20:55:39 07/14/12 (0)
 RE: Audiquest DragonFly USB DAC - Bob_C 14:14:54 07/01/12 (2)
 RE: Audiquest DragonFly USB DAC - Mercman 15:24:58 07/01/12 (1)
 RE: Audiquest DragonFly USB DAC - Bob_C 18:40:34 07/01/12 (0)
 DragonFly with analog volume control - Sumflow 18:53:00 06/30/12 (1)
 Conjecture is a distant second to hands-on experience. -nt - soulfood 05:23:14 07/01/12 (0)
 Compared to the Proton? Nt - Frihed89 17:01:10 06/30/12 (12)
 RE: Compared to the Proton? Nt - Sumflow 18:52:57 06/30/12 (11)
 RE: Compared to the Proton? Nt - John Atkinson 05:14:06 07/02/12 (6)
 John I think... - Gordon Rankin 06:10:26 07/02/12 (5)
 Apple's to Oranges - Sumflow 00:52:40 07/06/12 (1)
 First, read and learn who the players are. -nt - soulfood 07:44:55 07/06/12 (0)
 RE: John I think... - John Atkinson 12:07:48 07/02/12 (2)
 October? - Sumflow 00:52:33 07/06/12 (1)
 RE: October? - soulfood 04:37:28 07/06/12 (0)
  Conjecture is a distant second to hands-on experience. -nt - soulfood 05:25:07 07/01/12 (3)
 Yes, but he got to post not just one, but *two* pictures in this thread! ... - willkayakforfood 08:12:10 07/01/12 (2)
 As idiotic and odd as it might be to most here... - soulfood 08:43:00 07/01/12 (1)
 Maybe he learned to read via Pictures - Dynobot 08:54:12 07/01/12 (0)
 RE: Audiquest DragonFly USB DAC - Dynobot 16:55:20 06/30/12 (0)

The Dragonfly's digitally controlled analog volume, like that found on the Wavelength Proton, will not degrade the sound when reduced, like it does on the $500.00 Halide Dac and other USB 24-bit/96kHz Resolution designs.
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The main thing should be a result of the 24-bit depth if you did not have it before. It looks to me like they are going to special care to control the volume after the 24-bits have been converted to analog so that no bits, audible or not, are degraded by a volume control acting on the digital stream. Digital volume controls lose more and more resolution as the level is reduced, so Dragonfly's analog volume control will preserve your bits and maintain the audible purity of the music.
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• 24-bit High Definition Audio (HD)

• The amazing Spider-man?

Gordon:> you would have to use the application control, which of course will limit the data going to the dac.

John Atkinson> Indeed. But who would do that?

John we have 75 million baby boomers reaching retirement. We can already get The Rolling Stones at 176 kHz, Neil Young at 192 kHz. We can pay for better sound when using our computers. None know anything about Dac’s. Why should we?

I am not talking about headphones. Music will be stored and streamed from the cloud. Netflix, Pandora, Hulu, Youtube, WebPages, Phone calls, all go through Dac’s as well as audio players. The Gordonfly offers the additional flexibility to change the volume without degrading the source from the computer, as well as from the pre-amp for the few who continue to use them. The Halide HD, a similar product with similar technology does not.
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>Look guys, you cannot compare apple's to oranges.

Comparing audio equipment is not always an option for non-city people. I found one authorized dealer who no longer carries the Halide HD they say, “for the money there are better options around.” Now they actively promote the Dragonfly on the front page of their Website. Except for the inevitable junction losses, and top-notch cables, is there anything the Halide HD does better than the Dragonfly?
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Should you always extend the analog side using long cable runs with the DragonFly?
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Why 64-steps?

How many different steps can golden ears hear?

Is this because the human ear does not respond equally to all frequencies?

Does it have something to do with logarithmic or arithmetic?
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