iFi's smallest ever portable DAC wants to big up the sound from your Mac, PC or phone

Date:
Mon, 05 Dec 2022 14:37:45 +0000

Description:
This dinky new dongle from British brand promises "supercharged" sound at a "super-affordable" price

FULL STORY ======================================================================

British audio specialist iFi seems to be on a miniaturization mission, with a new"super-affordable"GO Link portable DAC measuring the size of a regular USB stick.

Coming hot on the heels of the palm-sized iFi Uno , this new dongle-style headphone amp connects to your Mac, PC or smartphone via USB-C with a 3.5mm headphone input at the other end.

As well as allowing you to improve your sonics and listen to hi-res audio,
the device also doubles up as a 3.5mm adaptor, making it particularly handy for those with devices that arent blessed with a headphone output (were looking at you, tenth-generation iPad ).

Perhaps even more useful is theGO Links decidedly diminutive price tag, with the unit available from today, December 5, costing a mere59 / $59 /AU$87.

Despite the low MSRP, it looks a pretty comprehensive offering, with support for hi-res music files up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD up to 11.2MHz (DSD256) and
MQA the format used by Tidals HiFi Plus .

Inside the GO Link's lightweight magnesium alloy casetheres a DAC chip from ESS Technologys Sabre HiFi series, Quad DAC+ and Time Domain Jitter
Eliminator tech, along with iFis dedicated clock circuitry for reduced distortion and enhanced dynamic range.

Theres a flexible,polymer insulated6cm cable connecting the Go Link's USB-C connector and the DAC for reduced stress on device ports, while the unit
comes with a selection ofadaptors including USB-A and Apple sLightning connector. (Image credit: iFi) Analysis: iFi's tiny DAC is a perfect stocking filler foron-the-move audiophiles

A travel-friendlyDAC is the perfect gateway product to hi-res audio the way to go forupgrading your portable listening experience, but the options too often either stretch the limits of the word portable or come with some sort
of concession on the audio offering.

Despite its entry-level price point and small size, there doesnt appear to be much in the way of compromise with the Go Link on either front, though. Well done, iFi

You see, the GO Links headphone amp feeds a gold-plated 3.5mm socket incorporating iFis noise-reducing S-Balanced configuration, which easily outclasses the headphone output built into even the best smartphone , tablet or computer. This boasts a power output of 70mW/1.5V into 32 ohms, rising to 2V with higher impedance headphones plenty to drive the kind of audiophile headphones (the Meze Audio Liric , perhaps) and earphones (let me nudge you towards Campfire Audio's Trifecta ) with which the GO Link could well be partnered, whilst minimising drain on your connected devices battery. Win
win, then!

And as well as powering your wired headphones, the 3.5mm analogue output can be used to connect a preamp or integrated amp, or powered speakers.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding and well reserve full judgment until
we get our hands on the GO Link and hear how it sounds, but if it lives up to its spec sheet, iFi appears to have released the DAC to beat for on-the-go audiophiles.

In the meantime, you can find out how to up your audio game with our current list of the best portable DACs .



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/ifis-smallest-ever-portable-dac-wants-to-big-up -the-sound-from-your-mac-pc-or-phone


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)