iFi GO blu assessment: The perfect Bluetooth cell DAC proper now

Nice googa mooga, this DAC/Amp is spectacular! It’s lovely on the skin, feature-packed on the within, and has some EQ presets that brighten up the get together once you need. iFi Audio makes nice audio package, however they’ve outdone themselves with this one, and it’ll develop with you. It may be up to date over the air with new Bluetooth codecs as they turn into obtainable. This one’s a no brainer—virtually.

iFi GO blu: Value and availability

You possibly can choose up the iFi GO blu for $200 direct from ifi-audio.com, or Amazon. I’d additionally think about choosing up the $29 GO blue case with a clip from ifi-audio.com. The case makes it simpler to make use of together with your headphones by clipping them to your shirt so the microphone is nearer to your mouth once you take calls.

iFi GO blu: Construct and match

Subsequent to the Qudelix-5K, that is one of many smallest DAC/Amps available on the market to pack this stage of sophistication and options. It’s the scale of a 9V battery. The unit’s exterior is wrapped in a soft-touch polymer with copper-colored trim. On the precise aspect of the GO Blu is the place you’ll discover a luxurious infinitely scrolling ChronoDial, which supplies you effective analog quantity management and handles playback and cellphone capabilities with varied clicks. Under that’s the button that controls EQ preset modes, Bluetooth pairing, voice alert capabilities, digital filter mode, and manufacturing unit reset.

On the highest, you’ll discover an LED that tells you which ones EQ preset you’re utilizing, Bluetooth connection, and digital filter standing. Subsequent to which might be the balanced 4.4mm and S-Balanced 3.5mm headphone outputs. On the underside, there’s an LED for battery standing, a microphone, a manufacturing unit reset pinhole, and USB enter, which helps charging and audio playback as much as 24bit/96kHz.

The facility button is on the left aspect. Press it twice to listen to which Bluetooth format you’re at the moment receiving. You’ll additionally use this button along with the button below the dial to activate/off voice bulletins.

This highly effective gadget is extremely small and lightweight however has a pleasant in-hand really feel because of the soft-touch plastic. The buttons all give satisfying clicks, and the USB-C port has no play as you plug in and pull cables out. A refined contact is the labels on the rear etched subsequent to all the buttons, telling you what they achieve this you don’t have to recollect all of the issues. They do rather a lot!

iFi GO blu: Options

We touched on {hardware} options as we talked about construct high quality and match, so let’s talk about what a few of these options do in a bit extra element. The GO Blu comes with three presets: XBass, XSpace, and XBass + XSpace. The primary two enhance bass and broaden the soundstage, respectively. The third is a combo of each. As a bass lover, I’d wish to have extra management over how a lot the bass is boosted, however for many, it’s going to give an considerable bump that doesn’t overpower the remainder of the combo

The three.5mm output options balanced circuits as a substitute of the single-ended circuit method historically utilized in most merchandise round this worth level. This reduces noise, supplying you with clearer sound.

The GO Blu makes use of Qualcomm’s QCC5100 chip, along with the Cirrus Logic 43131, supporting aptX Adaptive/HD/LL, LDAC, LHDC, AAC, and SBC with the flexibility to be up to date over the air so as to add newer codecs. As a result of the GO blu is looking enabled and makes use of that QCC chip, you additionally get lively noise canceling with these mics so that you could use conventional IEMs or headphones throughout your commute or within the workplace and have the flexibility to take and make calls with minimal interruption to your listening move. Decide up the GO blu case with a clip so you’ll be able to clip it to your shirt and make hands-free calling even simpler.

I haven’t worn the battery down but, but it surely will get me by a whole workday and is rated for ten hours. A high-powered charger (6.3v) can recharge the GO blu in 40 minutes.

iFi GO blu: Sound high quality

So, with all of this expertise packed in such a small area, how does it sound? I’ve listened by each the three.5mm and 4.4mm ports, using each Bluetooth and wired USB-C audio sources, and I’ll let you know that the output from this DAC/Amp is an elevated expertise. I examined audio high quality with delicate and hard-to-drive IEMs from 1MORE, Campfire Audio, and Sennheiser’s IE900. For headphones, I did the identical, utilizing Sennheiser and HiFiMan planar magnetic over-ear headphones.

Understanding that the iPhone solely helps AAC, I wished to listen to what the GO blu may do with one of many Hi-Res codecs. On this case, LDAC linked to a Pixel 7 Professional, and each codecs had been a delight. The LDAC stream provides extra dynamics, however iPhone homeowners received’t really feel ignored, because the sonic imaging continues to be fairly good by way of AAC.

The wired connection, supplying you with entry to Apple Music lossless audio, is transcendent. Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Footwear,” and the principle title observe from the “Get Out” movie’s soundtrack, Michael Abels’ haunting “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga” had been each ethereal experiences for his or her massive, open soundstage. With the precise pairing, the imaging with the iFi GO blu is very analytical, permitting you to lose your self within the nuances of the music you’re listening to. Paired to headphones or IEMs which aren’t very analytical themselves, you continue to get spectacular readability and nuance.

The general sound signature could be very balanced and impartial, which is why I’m grateful for the XBass characteristic. Getting that bump within the low finish made hip-hop tracks that rather more pleasant after I linked the 4.4mm cables of Sennheiser’s IE900, which itself has a really impartial sound. The Go blu actually offers you vibrant, sparkly higher mid, and high-frequency copy with out being sibilant or harsh. The whole listening expertise is clean with out compromising instrument assault or nuance, and I by no means needed to crank my cellphone’s quantity previous 75%. More often than not, I listened at extremely satisfying ranges with the slider as much as round 50%.

iFi GO blu: Competiton

Apparently, iFi’s personal Zen DAC 3 is on the similar worth level, however that DAC is bigger and extra tailor-made towards a desktop expertise with its obtainable 5V Dc enter. Then, you’ll wish to have a look at the FiiO BTR7. It has related options, however no mics for calling, and a bit much less battery life. It does, nonetheless have a companion app with parametric EQ, which the GO blu doesn’t. 

Quedelix 5k is $100 cheaper and whereas it doesn’t fairly have as expansive a soundstage, it’s positively a really succesful Bluetooth/USB-C DAC/Amp and has microphones for calling. Add to that it’s insanely spectacular companion app with sturdy parametric EQ settings and it turns into a really tempting competitor. I’ve bought the Quedelix 5k for my private use, however I can be shopping for the GO blu in some unspecified time in the future as nicely.

iFi GO blu: Must you purchase it?

You can purchase the iFi GO blu if…

• You need an ideal multi-source DAC/Amp
• You need very good sound at a good worth
• You need sufficient battery life to get by a workday

You should not purchase the iFi GO blu if…

• You need PEQ
• Cash is tight