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RE: More Comments on the Audioquest DragonFly

We couldn't use the Xmoss chip in this design as it draws too much power and the footprint is larger then what we would allow based on the industrial design objective.
There isn't a plan to make a V2 anytime soon as we (being AudioQuest and Gordon Rankin) do not feel the need to go beyond 96k on this particular product.
I guess if I explain the motivation behind this product the final result might make more sense.
For years I worked at Ayre Acoustics. It was one of the most amazing professional periods in my life. I learned more from Charlie an Ariel then I could have learned anywhere else. The products that Ayre turned out are amazing. The only problem (for me) was that none of my friends outside of hi-end could relate to them. I mean if you think about just the entry level Ayre system, an AX-7e and a QB-9, and then add in reasonable cables and some good full-range speakers its a 10k to 12k system. That's a lot of money! Even a system we all think of as "entry-level" is just so hard for most people to justify.
I really want to make products that a larger audience can relate to, and at the same time make something that I, or any of my audiophile friends would enjoy listening through. Bill Low, the founder and owner of AudioQuest (and everyone else at AudioQuest for that matter) has been extremely supportive of this idea. I'd say Bill may be more stoked about it then I am!
Prior to shipping the DragonFly Joe Harley, Shane Buettner, and myself spent a lot of time visiting dealers and distributors all over the world. In fact, at the beginning of the year I spent three weeks in Asia visiting distributors with a one-off sample of the final design. We wanted to be sure that this would be a product that could stand up to scrutiny. Everyone that listened to it gave us feedback we got was very positive.
The components we chose inside were all for good reason. right out of the gate we're limited to the 5v output from a USB port. So, we had to be judicious and economical with power consumption. The 1020B really fit the bill. We also didn't want supplementary battery supplies for this particular product. We wanted it to be completely plug-and-play. No fuss. Also, we had a very specific footprint and industrial design in mind. Again, the 1020B fit into this objective.
The bigger picture is this; there are a ton of people out there who've ripped their CD's into iTunes, they stream music from Spotify and Mog and YouTube, and they're having fun. This is a great product for anyone living in this world. But its also a great sounding, reasonably priced product for anyone aspiring to build an affordable system, or for anyone (like me) that likes having a supplemental DAC for taking on the road or using in the office with a small integrated amp and a pair of killer desktop speakers. It is meant to be a fun, affordable, and a good sounding device. I think we accomplished all of this.
Now I can't spill all of the beans but I'll tell you this - DragonFly isn't the last product of this ilk we're going to make. Gordon and the gang at AudioQuest have a bunch of designs on the table and in the works. All of the products will be small, portable, and potent for their size.
If you're curious find a local dealer (we have over 600) who has one in stock and borrow it overnight. You might like it, you might love it, you might just think its so-so, but at least you'll have first hand experience.

Best regards,

Steve Silberman
AudioQuest

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