# iFi Zen DAC 3 vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the iFi Zen DAC 3 (iFi Audio) and AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt (AudioQuest) among dac amps. iFi Zen DAC 3 is the cheaper of the two at $229.

## Side by side

| Spec | iFi Zen DAC 3 | AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $229 | $300 |
| Brand | iFi Audio | AudioQuest |
| Form factor | desktop | dongle |
| Dac chip | Burr-Brown True Native | ES9038Q2M |
| Max pcm (kHz) | 768 | 96 |
| Max dsd | DSD512 | — |
| Max power mw | 300 | — |
| Snr (dB) | 113 | — |
| Thdn percent | 0.005 | — |
| Balanced output | Yes | No |
| Headphone jacks | 6.35mm/4.4mm | 3.5mm |
| Digital inputs | USB-C | USB-A |
| Weight grams | 456 | — |

## Key differences

- Form factor: iFi Zen DAC 3 desktop vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt dongle
- Dac chip: iFi Zen DAC 3 Burr-Brown True Native vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt ES9038Q2M
- Max pcm (kHz): iFi Zen DAC 3 768 vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt 96
- Balanced output: iFi Zen DAC 3 Yes vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt No
- Headphone jacks: iFi Zen DAC 3 6.35mm/4.4mm vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt 3.5mm
- Digital inputs: iFi Zen DAC 3 USB-C vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB-A

## What reviewers say

**iFi Zen DAC 3** — Two whitelisted testers (TechRadar, What Hi-Fi) reviewed the exact iFi Zen DAC 3. Both praise its refined, detailed and spacious sound, flexible connectivity and the USB-B to USB-C upgrade. TechRadar is enthusiastic and rates it near-flawless value; What Hi-Fi is noticeably cooler, finding the sound smooth but lacking verve and punch and not a clear step up over the V2. Neither outlet published lab measurements. (2 sourced reviews.)

**AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt** — Two whitelisted testers, What Hi-Fi and TechHive, reviewed this exact DAC; both praise its clean, precise, detailed sound in a tiny plug-and-play package and rate it among the best small DACs, while flagging the premium price. Neither ran instrumented measurements, so all findings are subjective listening. No SoundGuys or PCMag review found. (2 sourced reviews.)

## Sources

- iFi Zen DAC 3: https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-dac-3/ (ifi-audio.com, verified 2026-07-11)
- AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt: https://www.audioquest.com/products/dragonfly-cobalt (audioquest.com, verified 2026-07-11)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/dac-amps/ifi-zen-dac-3-vs-audioquest-dragonfly-cobalt/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, iFi Zen DAC 3 ($229) vs AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt ($300) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/dac-amps/ifi-zen-dac-3-vs-audioquest-dragonfly-cobalt/
License: CC BY 4.0.