iFi's GO link dongle is the most affordable DAC/headphone amp the company has produced, and yet the Southport-based firm stands by its "high sophistication".
This new headphone dongle enables wired headphones and earphones to be used with digital devices that don't have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Additionally, it promises to deliver a significant sonic upgrade to phones and computers via its sophisticated Digital-to-Analogue Converter and headphone amplifier circuitry.
The GO link is fitted with a USB-C connector at one end, while an enclosure houses the DAC and headphone amp circuitry at the other. Both housings are made of a lightweight magnesium alloy. Connecting the two housings is 6cm of a flexible cable formed of silver-plated copper conductors with individual polymer insulation of each lead in a 'twisted pair' configuration.
As with other iFi audio devices, the GO link contains high-grade components in its circuits. At the heart of the GO link is the power-efficient and high-performance ES9219MQ/Q DAC chip which benefits from 32-bit HyperStream III architecture. We're told that this tech combines with Quad DAC+ and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator. This, along with iFi's dedicated clock circuitry that uses a specialised crystal oscillator, is said to deliver ultra-low distortion, clarity and dynamic range.
You can also access different digital filters via downloadable firmware to suit your taste. Meanwhile, the GO link eschews a software-based volume control in favour of a much more audiophile-friendly hardware-based analogue volume control.
The GO link supports music files up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD to 11.2MHz (DSD256) and MQA. An LED on the GO link's larger casement changes colour to show the decoded audio format – PCM, DSD or MQA – and the PCM/DSD sample rate.
The GO link's headphone amp has a gold-plated 3.5mm socket that incorporates iFi's noise-reducing S-Balanced configuration delivering a quoted power output of 70mW/1.5V into 32 ohms, rising to 2V with higher impedance headphones.
The iFi GO link is available now for £59/ €59 and comes bundled with adapters USB-A and Apple Lightning port adaptors.
Visit iFi Audio for more information
Posted in: Headphones
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