Question: Can I use a Dragonfly DAC in my car coupled with my iPod?

70'sMusic

Well-Known Member
Hi,

Does anyone use a Dragonfly DAC with their iPod/iPhone and their car stereo? I tried it with an Apogee One and it didn't work (although there was something wrong with the refurbished One unit that I had). I know I can connect it but will they gain from the Dragonfly be too high for playback using my car stereo's "aux" jack?

Thank you in advance for your help, I really appreciate it!
 
The only thing I might note is that this will not work with older iPods, which do not offer digital output (other than via their docking connector, and even then only thru a few DACs with docking connectors that Apple licensed. Some GM vehicles provide integration with iPod devices based on USB connectivity; I believe that this approach takes digital output from the device and processes it via the vehicle's DAC.

I don't know if iPod Touch or iPhone products allow for digital output to a USB DAC.
 
I’ve done that before. With a dragonfly v1.5. It worked well in my little Sentra.

How was the Dragonfly USB (male) connected to the Apple device? And was the Dragonfly drawing its power from the Apple device? Thanks!
 
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I'm curious as to what Apple device and what DAC? How is the DAC connected to the music player, and how is the DAC powered? Thank you!
iPhone 7 with camera adapter to DragonFly Red to aux cord to aux input. Lightning cable plugs into camera adapter and is fed by the outlet in car.

DragonFly Red powered by iPhone, but iPhone is charging, so battery stays full for my commute.
 
iPhone 7 with camera adapter to DragonFly Red to aux cord to aux input. Lightning cable plugs into camera adapter and is fed by the outlet in car.

DragonFly Red powered by iPhone, but iPhone is charging, so battery stays full for my commute.

This. I use a camera adaptor the allows for charging of the iPhone as well. But you can just run the newer dragonfly dacs just off of the iPhone battery. The original dragonfly pulls too much power to be run off of the iPhone/iPad.
 
iPhone 7 with camera adapter to DragonFly Red to aux cord to aux input. Lightning cable plugs into camera adapter and is fed by the outlet in car.

DragonFly Red powered by iPhone, but iPhone is charging, so battery stays full for my commute.

Cool. So I thought that the Dragonfly is designed like a thumb drive, with a male USB? Does the adapter cable have a female USB? Or did you have to get an adapter for the adapter?
 
I'm not familiar with the camera adapter method, but I thought you could use the headphone out from the Dragonfly to your car stereo's AUX input?
 
Thanks spark1. Won't an Apple lighting to USB cable or adapter work as well or are they the same thing?

With the lighting cable if whatever your plugging into doesn’t have its own power it will be running off the phone battery. I use a lighting cable into both my DAC/Amps but one is rechargeable and the other has a PS. I also use lighting cable in my rental cars if Indont just BT it.
 
With the lighting cable if whatever your plugging into doesn’t have its own power it will be running off the phone battery. I use a lighting cable into both my DAC/Amps but one is rechargeable and the other has a PS. I also use lighting cable in my rental cars if Indont just BT it.

Do you hear a noticeable difference/improvement in the music using your Dragonfly DAC?
 
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