Now that I can use Cakewalk Platinum with WASAPI Exclusive drivers, my next problem to solve is that the headphone plugin on my laptop renders poor quality audio. I found a device that may solve this, but wonder if it's just a gimmick or the real thing ?
 
It's a small portable digital to audio converter that plugs into the headphone jack, acting as a pre amp, that supposedly increases the fidelity of the headphone jack . . . also increases the fidelity input to external speakers ?
 
Has anyone used one of these ? The one I'm looking at online is the Dragonfly Series by Audioquest.

So it is gonna convert a lesser analog headphone signal from your built-in card to digital, then back into analog and then boost the signal.  The fidelity will be less after another round of ADDA and, at best, you'll send the same lesser signal to your headphones. While there may be some volume advantage with a stronger amp, it is the same quality signal (at best) that your built-in card gave you since that is where the signal still originates from. 

I think that some laptops come equipped with an analogue and optical digital headphone socket so it would be D to A and not A to D to A

Perhaps the OP could confirm...

Edit: just to clarify, I mean on the same connection. I have a mini disc player that has this kind of connection and I am pretty certain that my CLEVO laptop does.

Ah... Wait a minute... I just googled audioquest dragonfly and all is clear now. Sounds interesting and might indeed work, but I am assuming that you would have to set it up to work as an audio device just like any USB audio interface

I don't think I've ever heard of someone complaining about laptop headphone jack producing unusable sound quality? 
I've owned and used many many laptops and often use the headphone jack , I've played umpteen dozen gigs using the headphone output into a large PA. It always sounded very good to my ears. At least if it was bad I'm pretty sure I would have noticed. And having spent day's and days with only a laptop< sonar and a set of medium quality headphones to work with, I conclude that it's never the issue. Seems the quality of th headphones is most important, not the D/A.
I am totally aware that the D/A in the on board sound chip has to has cost about $1.00. 
I just don't really see if there could be a noticeable difference unless like you say you have the one in a hundred laptop that has very low quality output. 
 
I look at that device and I can only imagine it uses the same D/A chip as many laptops. I would really want to have the option of sending it back if it turns out to be a farce. 
I would take the $130-$250 and invest in some real good headphones. 

Real good headphones might expose the deficiencies of the onboard D-A. Not attempting to be an audiophile snob, but I think there is quite a significant difference between the audio outs of my laptop and my audio interface. The difference may be less noticable if the source is compressed radio ready sound. I suspect the $1 converter on board is probably optimized for that source. When the source is raw vst or unprocessed audio I think the difference in quality is undeniable.

noynekker
...It's a small portable digital to audio converter that plugs into the headphone jack, acting as a pre amp, that supposedly increases the fidelity of the headphone jack...

 
If it's any sort of DAC, it definitely does not connect that way.

 
Thanks for the responses everyone, some very interesting insights.
 
From the AudioQuest site, here's the blurb:
 
"Launched in 2012, press and public alike have enthusiastically embraced AudioQuest’s multi-award-winning DragonFly USB digital-to-analog converter/preamp/headphone amp as the rare audio product that bridges the gap between die-hard audiophiles and mainstream music lovers.
DragonFly plugs into a computer’s USB port to bypass the computer’s compromised audio circuitry and deliver cleaner, clearer, more naturally beautiful sound to headphones, powered speakers, and complete audio systems. Small, affordable, easy to use, and remarkably effective, DragonFly was named Stereophile’s 2012 “Computer Audio Component of the Year” and 2012 “Budget Component of the Year;” Tone Audio’s 2012 “Digital Product of the Year;” Computer Audiophile’s 2012 “Computer Audiophile Product of the Year;” AudioStream’s “Greatest Bits;” and What Hi-Fi?’s 2014 “Product of the Year.”
 
@ Kev999 . . . you are correct, I was mistaken, it doesn't plug into the headphone jack, it's a USB device, so there must be drivers to install . . . if it truly bypasses any computer's audio circuitry, isn't it just another audio interface ? . . . except when you're actually recording, it must still be routed through the computer's main audio interface.
 
@ filtersweep, synkrotron, and AT . . . I definitely hear a difference plugging the headphones between my USB Audio device, as opposed to directly into the laptop headphone jack . . . it wasn't a cheap laptop, it cost around $2500 CDN, so I was expecting the audio components to be half decent, but it seems I have to customize it further for serious audio, since this laptop was not originally "designed" for audio work.
 
@ Cactus Music . . . guess I'll just have to take my laptop and some of my mixes to the retailer, and actually hear the difference. I'm curious to see how the sound is altered by this device, and whether it's an accurate reference for monitoring the projects.
 
The headphones I use are KRK KNS-8400 . . . so not top of the line, but still $300 decent.
Of course, I use this laptop for mobile recording and composing . . . I still only trust my main studio desktop system for final mixes.

Perhaps this thing is merely an upgrade from the onboard "$1.00" D to A converter.
Though, I'm thinking what you hear, and what's gets recorded might be quite different.
 
It either colours the output to make listening back more pleasurable, or it improves the overall fidelity of cheap laptop parts . . . guess I'll have to go hear and find out for myself.
 
I was hoping someone here would say . . . "I use a USB DAC all the time, can't live without it" . . . maybe this does not have a place in Pro audio circles, and is more of a consumer audiophile thing ?

For $200, you can get a decent dedicated audio interface with proper ASIO driver.
For audio work, you're going to be much better off going that route.
Lower latency, higher-quality A/D D/A, rock solid driver, etc.