This works for me. I bought the smallest usb 2.0 hub I could find. Connected input to the CCK. Connected a JDS Labs Odac to the usb hub. Connected the CCK to my iPhone 6 Plus. Setup works.
Nice to stumble across this. I have been thinking about how to make this work. I have a dragonfly, a 6 plus, and a pair of HD600s waiting to hook up! I also happen to be a tiger fan living in Memphis! Thanks for this. I'll give it a try!!
Derek, excellent how to video. Question, why do you need a large headphone adapter -- won't the Dragon Fly take a direct connection from most headphones? Examples, Bose QC 25, B&W P5 and Sony MDR-1A -- do any of these need an adapter?
Thanks Barry! Many full sized headphones have a larger connector (1/4 inch) and require an adapter to work with smaller plugs (3.5 mm) like you have on the Dragonfly. Some actually have the adapter already attached, so you can unscrew them, while you need to buy a separate adapter for others. It depends on the headphones.
UofMTiger Tech Will the newer Pluggble 3.0 3-port bus powered hub with gigabit ethernet also work with the Dragonfly 1.2 DAC? Also, I have an iPad Air (first gen). Should that matter?
I haven't tested that version of the Plugable or the Air (first gen), so I can't say for sure. It works with the iPhone 6plus which has similar internals, so if I had to guess, I would think it would work with the Plugable that I tested. I have also tested it with the iPhone 6 and it works with it, too.
FYI I tested this with 33 percent battery with Rdio and it works just like it does with a full charge. I also ordered a y adapter so I can test charging it while using this setup. I don't expect to have a problem, but I will post an update.
The iPad has a Lightning connector, so you have to have a way to go from lighting to USB, so I am not aware of a way to do that without an Apple adapter.
I heard the standard lightning to usb adapter causes pop and crack and audio quest recommend buying the lightning to usb 3.0 that have both a usb 3.0 port and a lightning
+Smokey Bean I am using a Plugable in between the two. I have both adapters and neither have popping or cracking when used with the Plugable and Dragonfly.
It would depend on the headphones. I have several combinations, but my favorite all around DAC is the PS Audio DLIII, but I am not sure if it is still being sold. The Cambridge DACmagic is nice because it has more inputs and also has a digital pass through. I like the Heed Canamp with Akg K701s and Sennheiser HD 580s, but I also like the Little Dot MKIII tube amp with Shure SRH940s. It really just depends on the music you like and the headphones you want to use. My website has an older review of the Shures that you can find via search if you are interested.
Just curious...do you have any insight on why the hub allows this to work? Is it just throttling the power draw from the dragonfly avoiding the error message you show in the video or is it serving some other purpose?
+Jeffrey Hallett I am not sure. However, I remember reading on Head Fi that the T3hub simply sent the iPad a signal that it was receiving enough power. I am guessing that it is the same reason that the Plugable works. Of course, as I mentioned in the video, the T3hub works with some iDevices that the Plugable doesn't work, so there may be something else going on, as well. The interesting thing is that the older iDevices used to work without this workaround. However, Apple killed the feature with one of their updates.
I bought a Y adapter since I have gotten this question a few times. I could not get it to charge the iPhone while playing music with the DAC. At this point, I am not sure it is possible to charge the iPhone via the camera/USB adapter. When I connected my battery to the iPhone, I did not get any signal that it was being charged. As a result, I would not recommend the Y adapter with this setup. While it still plays music with the Y adapter, battery, DAC, and Pluggable attached, it is too cumbersome without any real benefit.
I tried this, and it didn't work with either a iphone 6+ or a iPad Pro 9.7. When you plug it in, the dragonfly lights up correctly, but when you start to play music, within a few seconds it cuts off, and the light on the dragonfly goes out. I unplug it from the device, and plug it in again, same thing happens. Any ideas?
If you are using the Plugable,it has two ports. I would try the other port in case there is an issue with the port you are using. You may also want to reboot the phone or iPad, but it sounds more like an issue with the connection since you have the same issue on both devices. Try a different music app, also, just in case there is some weird issue with the app you are using to play music. Good luck!
I tried both ports on the pluggable, and I tried both iTunes and VLC as players, niether worked. The only difference from your setup is that I used the newer Apple camera adaptor that had 2 sizes of USB plugs on it. (the one that was in your video is no longer available)
+Rich Foster I also have that Apple adapter and did a second video about it. I use Apple Music and Plex, so I am not sure if it is the same app you are using. However, it works fine with my setup. I have the 1st Gen Dragonfly. It also works with RUclips if you want to try an app we have in common. One thing you can try is pulling the Plugable out of the setup and plugging your Dragonfly directly into the adapter. The other port had a lightning input. Plug that into the lightning cord provided with your iPhone. Then plug that into the wall. If it works, I think your Plugable has an issue. If it doesn't work, then your issue is probably the Apple adapter. If you actually have an Apple adapter with two USB inputs, I have never tested it.
Your suggestion worked. I didn't use the pluggable, and plugged power into the Camera connector using the lightning port. This setup isn't portable, because you have to plug it in, but since my intention is to use it at work, that's not a problem. I'm glad that I can use it as I needed, but I still wonder why neither my new iPad Pro, nor my 1 year old iPhone 6+ seemed to be providing enough power on their own, and for others, it worked. Possibly the pluggable has a problem, as you suggested. I will check it out. Thanks!
+Rich Foster glad to hear that it worked! It sounds like the Plugable has a problem. I linked it on my website, so you may want to be sure you bought the right Plugable. For portability, you can use an external battery and plug it into the Adapter's lightning port instead of plugging into the wall.. My other video shows how that works. It is more cumbersome than just the Plugable, but it saves your iPhone's battery power.
+bubblejuiceman. Sound quality is subjective, but you can read that type of review on Stereophile by experts in that area. I believe the original Dragonfly made their suggested list for that year, though. It definitely boosts sound quite a bit and makes it easier to drive certain power hungry cans.
+bubblejuiceman yes, it boosts volume with my headphones. SQ is subjective, but I prefer it to the headphone output ( on iOS devices that have headphone ports)
I never used that DAC, but if it isn't portable, you should be able to use the new Apple USB adapter (the one with a USB and lightning port) and use a USB cable to connect it to your DAC. You could use the separate lightning port for charging. (I have the adapter in my other Dragonfly video) The other option would be to grab and Airplay device (Airport Express or a cheap knock off) if you are sending from an iOS device. Connect the device to the DAC using the optical input. Last time I checked, Chromecast Audio would not work with RUclips for audio only.
thanks a lot. I'll try the first method, just need a 8pin lightning to female USB cord or their camera adaptor cable or a simple double female USB...hope it will work. Thx mate
+Eric Wong OK. I will stick to the Dragonfly since I have had it for years and it does the job. I am sure there are other options out there. The Dragonfly won many accolades in 2012 and I purchased it because of its small size to use with my laptop. It still does the job, but even Audioquest claims that their new Dragonfly DACs are better. I picked this up when it fell below $100 on Amazon and it was great bang for the buck at the time.
Good video.I am so disappointed that they do not point out in any literature that the dragonfly does not directly work with my IPad. I would not have bought it if I knew I had to connect this Mickey Mouse hub along with it. $100.00 fishing lure
This works for me. I bought the smallest usb 2.0 hub I could find. Connected input to the CCK. Connected a JDS Labs Odac to the usb hub. Connected the CCK to my iPhone 6 Plus. Setup works.
Nice to stumble across this. I have been thinking about how to make this work. I have a dragonfly, a 6 plus, and a pair of HD600s waiting to hook up! I also happen to be a tiger fan living in Memphis!
Thanks for this. I'll give it a try!!
Small World! Let me know how you like using them together once you add the Plugable.
Derek, excellent how to video. Question, why do you need a large headphone adapter -- won't the Dragon Fly take a direct connection from most headphones? Examples, Bose QC 25, B&W P5 and Sony MDR-1A -- do any of these need an adapter?
Thanks Barry! Many full sized headphones have a larger connector (1/4 inch) and require an adapter to work with smaller plugs (3.5 mm) like you have on the Dragonfly. Some actually have the adapter already attached, so you can unscrew them, while you need to buy a separate adapter for others. It depends on the headphones.
UofMTiger Tech Will the newer Pluggble 3.0 3-port bus powered hub with gigabit ethernet also work with the Dragonfly 1.2 DAC? Also, I have an iPad Air (first gen). Should that matter?
I haven't tested that version of the Plugable or the Air (first gen), so I can't say for sure. It works with the iPhone 6plus which has similar internals, so if I had to guess, I would think it would work with the Plugable that I tested.
I have also tested it with the iPhone 6 and it works with it, too.
FYI I tested this with 33 percent battery with Rdio and it works just like it does with a full charge.
I also ordered a y adapter so I can test charging it while using this setup. I don't expect to have a problem, but I will post an update.
Have you tried with a cheaper iphone's OTG cable? I have a USB dac that play normally on android but Apple's cable is too expensive so I can't test it
The iPad has a Lightning connector, so you have to have a way to go from lighting to USB, so I am not aware of a way to do that without an Apple adapter.
I heard the standard lightning to usb adapter causes pop and crack and audio quest recommend buying the lightning to usb 3.0 that have both a usb 3.0 port and a lightning
+Smokey Bean I am using a Plugable in between the two. I have both adapters and neither have popping or cracking when used with the Plugable and Dragonfly.
What dac and amp would you recommend for people who don't need a portable solution?
It would depend on the headphones. I have several combinations, but my favorite all around DAC is the PS Audio DLIII, but I am not sure if it is still being sold. The Cambridge DACmagic is nice because it has more inputs and also has a digital pass through. I like the Heed Canamp with Akg K701s and Sennheiser HD 580s, but I also like the Little Dot MKIII tube amp with Shure SRH940s. It really just depends on the music you like and the headphones you want to use. My website has an older review of the Shures that you can find via search if you are interested.
It will work with a regular I pad ?
Just curious...do you have any insight on why the hub allows this to work? Is it just throttling the power draw from the dragonfly avoiding the error message you show in the video or is it serving some other purpose?
+Jeffrey Hallett I am not sure. However, I remember reading on Head Fi that the T3hub simply sent the iPad a signal that it was receiving enough power. I am guessing that it is the same reason that the Plugable works. Of course, as I mentioned in the video, the T3hub works with some iDevices that the Plugable doesn't work, so there may be something else going on, as well.
The interesting thing is that the older iDevices used to work without this workaround. However, Apple killed the feature with one of their updates.
If you connect a power (USB) to the plugable, will it charge the iPhone or iPad at the same time when a DAC is connected?
I bought a Y adapter since I have gotten this question a few times. I could not get it to charge the iPhone while playing music with the DAC. At this point, I am not sure it is possible to charge the iPhone via the camera/USB adapter. When I connected my battery to the iPhone, I did not get any signal that it was being charged. As a result, I would not recommend the Y adapter with this setup. While it still plays music with the Y adapter, battery, DAC, and Pluggable attached, it is too cumbersome without any real benefit.
What headphones are those (the white ones that are the first to appear)?
+nwitten those are AKG K701 headphones
Hi will this setup work even if the iPhone 6 battery falls below 40%?
I don't think it is a problem, but I will try it out over the weekend and let you know.
Can this dragonfly dac be connected to an old receiver or preamp?
The DAC has analog out, so you can buy a cable with a mini plug on one side and a pair of RCA plugs on the other.
thanks. Im using it now with my vintage pioneer :)
Great! That seems like a great use for it.
what app are you using in the video?
If you are asking about the app on the iPad, it is called Creation5.
The version 1.0 works too? I see that yours is 1.2
I tried this, and it didn't work with either a iphone 6+ or a iPad Pro 9.7. When you plug it in, the dragonfly lights up correctly, but when you start to play music, within a few seconds it cuts off, and the light on the dragonfly goes out. I unplug it from the device, and plug it in again, same thing happens. Any ideas?
If you are using the Plugable,it has two ports. I would try the other port in case there is an issue with the port you are using. You may also want to reboot the phone or iPad, but it sounds more like an issue with the connection since you have the same issue on both devices. Try a different music app, also, just in case there is some weird issue with the app you are using to play music. Good luck!
I tried both ports on the pluggable, and I tried both iTunes and VLC as players, niether worked. The only difference from your setup is that I used the newer Apple camera adaptor that had 2 sizes of USB plugs on it. (the one that was in your video is no longer available)
+Rich Foster I also have that Apple adapter and did a second video about it. I use Apple Music and Plex, so I am not sure if it is the same app you are using. However, it works fine with my setup. I have the 1st Gen Dragonfly. It also works with RUclips if you want to try an app we have in common.
One thing you can try is pulling the Plugable out of the setup and plugging your Dragonfly directly into the adapter. The other port had a lightning input. Plug that into the lightning cord provided with your iPhone. Then plug that into the wall. If it works, I think your Plugable has an issue. If it doesn't work, then your issue is probably the Apple adapter. If you actually have an Apple adapter with two USB inputs, I have never tested it.
Your suggestion worked. I didn't use the pluggable, and plugged power into the Camera connector using the lightning port. This setup isn't portable, because you have to plug it in, but since my intention is to use it at work, that's not a problem. I'm glad that I can use it as I needed, but I still wonder why neither my new iPad Pro, nor my 1 year old iPhone 6+ seemed to be providing enough power on their own, and for others, it worked. Possibly the pluggable has a problem, as you suggested. I will check it out. Thanks!
+Rich Foster glad to hear that it worked! It sounds like the Plugable has a problem. I linked it on my website, so you may want to be sure you bought the right Plugable. For portability, you can use an external battery and plug it into the Adapter's lightning port instead of plugging into the wall.. My other video shows how that works. It is more cumbersome than just the Plugable, but it saves your iPhone's battery power.
But does it boost the volume and improve the sound quality?
+bubblejuiceman. Sound quality is subjective, but you can read that type of review on Stereophile by experts in that area. I believe the original Dragonfly made their suggested list for that year, though. It definitely boosts sound quite a bit and makes it easier to drive certain power hungry cans.
+bubblejuiceman yes, it boosts volume with my headphones. SQ is subjective, but I prefer it to the headphone output ( on iOS devices that have headphone ports)
Hey you are the crack. What do I need to connect an Ipad air to a Rega Dac to only play music from youtube videos?
I never used that DAC, but if it isn't portable, you should be able to use the new Apple USB adapter (the one with a USB and lightning port) and use a USB cable to connect it to your DAC. You could use the separate lightning port for charging. (I have the adapter in my other Dragonfly video)
The other option would be to grab and Airplay device (Airport Express or a cheap knock off) if you are sending from an iOS device. Connect the device to the DAC using the optical input. Last time I checked, Chromecast Audio would not work with RUclips for audio only.
thanks a lot. I'll try the first method, just need a 8pin lightning to female USB cord or their camera adaptor cable or a simple double female USB...hope it will work. Thx mate
Encore MDSD has better audio quality and cheaper. *by the way, you may need a Fiio L19 cable
+Eric Wong OK. I will stick to the Dragonfly since I have had it for years and it does the job. I am sure there are other options out there. The Dragonfly won many accolades in 2012 and I purchased it because of its small size to use with my laptop. It still does the job, but even Audioquest claims that their new Dragonfly DACs are better. I picked this up when it fell below $100 on Amazon and it was great bang for the buck at the time.
Good video.I am so disappointed that they do not point out in any literature that the dragonfly does not directly work with my IPad. I would not have bought it if I knew I had to connect this Mickey Mouse hub along with it. $100.00 fishing lure