Great googa mooga, this DAC/Amp is impressive! It looks great, is feature-packed inside, and has some EQ presets to liven up the party when you need it. iFi Audio makes great audio kits, but they’ve outdone themselves with this kit that will grow with you. When new Bluetooth codecs become available, it can be updated over the air. This is almost a given.
iFi GO blu: price and availability
You can buy the iFi GO blu directly from ifi-audio.com or Amazon for $200. I’m also considering purchasing the $29 GO blue case with clips from ifi-audio.com. This case allows you to use the headphones more easily by clipping them to your shirt so that the microphone is closer to your mouth when taking calls.
iFi GO blu: Setup and Installation
Next to Qudelix-5KThis is One of the smallest DAC/amplifiers on the market contains this level of complexity and functionality. It is about the same size as a 9V battery. The exterior of the unit is wrapped in soft-touch polymer with copper accents. On the right side of the GO Blu, you’ll find a luxurious infinite-scrolling ChronoDial, which gives you granular analog volume control and handles playback and phone functions with a variety of clicks. Below are the buttons to control EQ preset mode, Bluetooth pairing, voice alert function, digital filter mode and restore to original settings.
At the top, you’ll find an LED that tells you which EQ preset is in use, Bluetooth connection, and digital filter status. Next are the Balanced 4.4mm and S Balanced 3.5mm headphone outputs. There is an LED at the bottom to indicate battery status, a microphone, a pinhole for factory reset, and a USB input that supports charging and audio playback up to 24bit/96kHz.
The power button is on the left side. Press twice to hear the Bluetooth format you are currently receiving. You can also use this button in conjunction with the button below the dial pad to turn voice notifications on/off.
This powerful device is extremely small and lightweight, but has a pleasant feel thanks to its soft-touch plastic. All the buttons have a satisfying click, and the USB-C port doesn’t react when plugging and unplugging the cable. A nice touch are the etched labels next to all the buttons on the back telling you what they do so you don’t have to remember everything. They did a lot!
iFi GO Blu-ray: Features
We talked about hardware features when discussing build quality and fit, so let’s discuss in more detail what some of these features do. GO Blu comes with three presets: XBass, XSpace, and XBass + XSpace. The first two enhance bass and expand the soundstage respectively. The third type is a combination of the two. As a bass lover I would like to have more control over how much the bass is boosted, but for most people it will give a noticeable boost without overpowering the rest of the mix
The 3.5mm output uses a balanced circuit rather than the single-ended circuit approach traditionally used in most products in this price range. This reduces noise and gives you clearer sound.
GO Blu uses Qualcomm’s QCC5100 chip in conjunction with Cirrus Logic 43131, supports aptX Adaptive/HD/LL, LDAC, LHDC, AAC and SBC, and can be updated over the air to add newer codecs. Since GO blu supports calls and uses a QCC chip, you also get active noise cancellation with these mics, so you can use traditional IEMs or headphones during your commute or at the office and be able to take and make calls with minimal interruptions Phone to your listening process. Pick up the GO blu case that comes with a clip so you can clip it to your shirt to make hands-free calling even easier.
My battery isn’t dead yet, but it can get me through a full workday and is rated at ten hours of use. The high power charger (6.3v) can fully charge the GO blu in 40 minutes.
iFi GO blu: Sound quality
So, how does all this technology fit into such a small space sound? I’ve listened via the 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports using both Bluetooth and wired USB-C sources, and I’ll tell you that the output from this DAC/amplifier is an elevated experience. I tested the audio quality using sensitive and hard-to-drive IEMs from 1MORE, Campfire Audio, and Sennheiser IE900. For headphones, I did the same thing, using Sennheiser and HiFiMan planar magnetic over-ear headphones.
Knowing that the iPhone only supports AAC, I wanted to hear what GO blu could do using one of the high-resolution codecs. In this case, LDAC is connected to a Pixel 7 Pro, and both codecs are a delight. LDAC streaming offers more dynamics, but iPhone users won’t feel left out, as sonic imaging through AAC is still quite good.
A wired connection lets you access Apple Music’s lossless audio, which works great. Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes” and Michael Abels’ haunting “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga,” the title track from the Get Out soundtrack, both benefit from their large, open soundstages An ethereal experience. With the right pairing, iFi GO blu’s imaging is highly analytical, immersing you in the nuances of the music you’re listening to. Paired with headphones or in-ears that aren’t inherently analytical, you can still get impressive clarity and nuance.
The overall sound signature is very balanced and neutral, which is why I appreciate the XBass feature. The bass-end punch made hip-hop tracks more enjoyable when I connected the 4.4mm cable to the Sennheiser IE900, which itself has a very neutral sound. The Go blu really gives you bright, sparkling mid-high and high frequency reproduction without any hiss or harshness. The entire listening experience was smooth, without affecting the attack or nuance of the instruments, and I never raised the volume on my phone above 75%. Most of the time, my listening level was very satisfactory, with the slider maxing out at around 50%.
iFi GO blu: competition
Interestingly, iFi’s own Zen DAC 3 is in the same price range, but this DAC is larger and more suited to a desktop experience, with an available 5V DC input. Then, you’ll want to check out the FiiO BTR7. It has similar features but doesn’t have a microphone for calls and has slightly shorter battery life. But it does have a companion app with a parametric equalizer, which the GO blu does not.
The Quedelix 5k is $100 cheaper, and while it doesn’t have as wide a soundstage, it’s definitely a very capable Bluetooth/USB-C DAC/amp and has a microphone for calls. Add to this the fact that it’s an impressive companion app with powerful parametric equalizer settings, making it a very tempting competitor. I purchased the Quedelix 5k for personal use, but I will also purchase the GO blu at some point.
iFi GO blu: Should you buy it?
You should buy iFi GO blu if…
- You want a great multi-source DAC/amplifier
- You want great sound quality at a reasonable price
- You want battery life to last you a work day
You should not buy iFi GO blu if:
- You want PEQ
- Money is tight
Powerful, versatile DAC/amplifier
The iFi GO blu Bluetooth DAC/amplifier has soundstage and clarity that makes it sound like your music is falling from the sky. The best part? Fever-grade quality at a reasonable price!