With some headphones, we found that the Dragonfly Black produces about twice as much power as the Apple’s adapter — that extra power must come from somewhere so there will be a hit on battery life, but the extra draw was never enough to ruin our commute. The gentle top-end roll-off of the ER4-XR seems to temper the slight graininess and unevenness of the Black’s treble (the ER4-XR’s treble is so smooth in general that it’s definitely the Dragonfly yielding that grain). With all current-production models of AudioQuest’s DragonFly USB DAC (Black, Red, Cobalt), music appreciation and exploration are limitless: Plug into an Apple or Windows® computer or connect to an iOS® or Android mobile device. So unless you are, or plan to be, a TIDAL Premium subscriber MQA support is of questionable value currently.

The bass remains as articulate and as impactful, though at times (on both units), some notes roll off faster than I’d like. I feel like it really shines with the Carbo Tenore IEMs, and this pairing has really stepped-up my portable game!No matter the choice of sonic pleasure, DragonFly unravels the emotional expression and nuance that makes music and movies so enjoyable. In fact, I still don't require the volume to be high at all; -30-40dB on UAPP is more than sufficient. DragonFly Red includes the latest ESS headphone amp and a bit-perfect digital volume control that resides on the 9016 DAC chip itself—a sophisticated implementation that ensures maximum fidelity, dynamic contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio. Qobuz is a subscription-based streaming service that offers an outstanding selection of hi-resolution content. I was not happy with the sound of this DAC at all, neither used directly with my Beyerdynamic headphones nor in combination with my LD MK2 amp.

I own the Beyerdynamic 880 pro and 770 pro and have to agree with you - the synergy (dragonfly black + LG V30/V40 + Qobuz through UAPP + beyers) is unbelievable.

A surprisingly large number of well regarded headphones do fit within the capabilities of the Black’s drive capability. While the first instance of the Dragonfly set new standards and definitions for the micro-DAC market, its USB power draw meant that it was only compatible with computers. Using the computer’s main (operating system) volume control, adjust the volume to the desired level. The LD MK2 tamed the high frequencies of the Beryers in a very pleasant way and the little dot made everything sound very "hard" and "edgy" and there was not a big overall improvement over my macbook airs internal output imho. This solution ensures maximum fidelity, thrilling dynamic contrast, and excellent signal-to-noise ratio.