Colorful Colorfly (32 GB) Review

Value for money: 5 out of 5 stars, "Recommended"

Hi-Fi Choice loved the beautiful walnut finish of the pocket-sized Colorfly portable music player, and they were pleasantly surprised to find that it's a portable with a difference: it can be used as a DAC and upsampler and is definitely aimed at audiophiles. Whether fulfilling the role of DAC or playing its own files, performance is outstanding and befitting the high price.

“Likes: elegant wooden body; high-quality components; compatible with first-class Hi-Fi headphones. Dislikes: bulky and heavy; switch is a bit wobbly; without full FLAC support.”

“Essentially, the Colorfly has three prospective buyers: those with a discerning ear who for a long time have refused to believe that compressed music could ever be audible, those who love analogue slide switches and the silky caress of wood in their hands, and those who simply never want to hear the phrase ‘oh, so you’ve got an iPod too’ ever again. All three will be happy with the Colorfly.”

Value for money: “very good”

“Likes: audiophile quality, strong, very eye-catching. Dislikes: not very user friendly.”

“... If you take a peek inside, it definitely looks high quality. There’s no question about it, this is one of the few portable players on the market where the main focus is on audio performance. When paired with a decent pair of headphones, you’ll hear tones from the Colorfly that you would ordinarily only have access to through a stationary Hi-Fi-system. With an audio performance at this level, it’s easy to overlook the device’s rougher edges.”