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Great googa mooga, this DAC/Amp is impressive! It’s beautiful on the outside, packed with built-in features, and has some EQ presets that will rev up the party whenever you want. iFi Audio makes great audio kit, but they’ve outdone themselves with this one, and it will grow with you. It can be updated over the air with new Bluetooth codecs when available. It’s almost a no-brainer.
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 thinking of picking up the $29 GO blue box with clip from ifi-audio.com. The headset makes it easy to wear by tucking your headphones into your shirt so the microphone is closer to your mouth when you’re on a call.
iFi GO blu: Dry and match
Next to Gudelix-5Kthis one of the smallest DAC/Amps on the market to collect this level of sophistication and features. This is the size of a 9V battery. The exterior of the unit is wrapped in soft-touch polymer with copper-colored trim. On the right side of the GO Blu, you’ll find the luxurious infinitely rotating ChronoDial, which gives you nice analog volume control and controls playback and phone functions with a variety of clicks. Below that is a button that controls EQ preset modes, Bluetooth pairing, voice alert functions, digital filter mode and factory reset.
On the top, you’ll find an LED that indicates which EQ you’re using, Bluetooth connectivity, and digital filter status. In addition, there are balanced 4.4 mm and S-Balanced 3.5 mm headphone outputs. At the bottom, there’s a battery status LED, a microphone, a factory reset hole, and a USB port that supports charging and audio playback up to 24-bit/96kHz.
The power button is on the left side. Double-click it to hear which Bluetooth format you’re currently receiving. You’ll also use this button in conjunction with the button below the dial to toggle voice announcements on/off.
This powerful device is incredibly small and light, but feels good in the hand thanks to its soft-touch plastic. The buttons all make satisfying clicks, and there’s no play in the USB-C port when you plug and unplug cables. A neat touch is the engraved labels next to all the buttons on the back, telling you what they do so you don’t have to remember everything. They do a lot!
iFi GO blu: Features
We touched on hardware specs when we talked about build quality and compatibility, so let’s discuss what some of these specs do in a little more detail. GO Blu comes with three presets: XBass, XSpace and XBass + XSpace. The first two, respectively, strengthen the bass and expand the soundstage. The third is a combination of both. As a bass enthusiast, I’d like to have more control over how much the bass is boosted, but for most, this will provide a noticeable punch that doesn’t overpower the rest of the mix.
The 3.5mm output features balanced circuitry instead of the single-ended circuit approach traditionally used in most products around this price point. This reduces noise, giving you clearer sound.
GO Blu uses Qualcomm’s QCC5100 chip along with Cirrus Logic 43131, which supports aptX Adaptive/HD/LL, LDAC, LHDC, AAC and SBC to add newer codecs. Because the GO blu is call-enabled and uses the same QCC chip, you also get active noise cancellation with these mics, so you can use traditional IEMs or headphones on the go or in the office and make and take calls with minimal interruption to your listening stream. Grab the GO blu case with its clip so you can clip it to your shirt and make hands-free calling even easier.
I haven’t worn the battery out yet, but it gets through my entire workday and is rated for ten hours. The powerful charger (6.3v) can charge the GO blu in 40 minutes.
iFi GO blu: Sound quality
So how does it sound with all this technology packed into such a small space? I’ve listened to both the 3.5mm and 4.4mm ports using both Bluetooth and wired USB-C audio sources, and let me tell you, the output from this DAC/Amp is a sublime experience. I tested the sound quality with sensitive and difficult to control IEMs from 1MORE, Campfire Audio and Sennheiser IE900. For headphones, I did the same using Sennheiser and HiFiMan planar on-ear headphones.
Knowing that the iPhone only supports AAC, I wanted to hear what the GO blu could do with one of its Hi-Res codecs. In this case, LDAC was connected to a Pixel 7 Pro, and both codecs were a delight. The LDAC stream offers more dynamics, but iPhone owners won’t feel left out, as the sonic image is still quite nice via AAC.
A wired connection that provides access to Apple Music’s lossless audio is transcendent. Paul Simon’s “Diamonds in the Soul of Your Shoes” and the main title track from the Get Out soundtrack, Michael Abels’ rousing “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga” were both ethereal experiences for their wide, open soundstage. With the right pairing, the image with the iFi GO blu is highly analytical and allows you to lose yourself in the nuances of the music you are listening to. When plugged into headphones or IEMs that aren’t very analytical themselves, you still get impressive clarity and nuance.
The overall sound signature is very balanced and neutral, so I’m grateful for the XBass feature. When I plugged in Sennheiser’s IE900’s 4.4mm cables, it was much more enjoyable to drive down hip-hop tracks, which itself has a very neutral sound. Go blu really gives you bright, sparkling upper mid and high frequency reproduction. The entire listening experience is smooth without sacrificing instrument attack or nuance, and I never had to turn up my phone’s volume above 75%. Most of the time, I was listening at highly satisfactory levels with the slider up to about 50%.
iFi GO blu: The competition
Interestingly, iFi’s own Zen DAC 3 is at the same price point, but this DAC is larger and, with an available 5V DC input, more tailored for desktop experience. Then you might want to check out the FiiO BTR7. It has similar features but lacks a microphone for calling and has slightly less battery life. However, there is an accompanying app with parametric EQ that the GO blu lacks.
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 microphones for taking calls. Add in the fact that it’s an incredibly impressive companion app with powerful parametric EQ settings, and it becomes a very compelling contender. I bought the Quedelix 5k for my personal use, but I will also buy the GO blu at some point.
iFi GO blu: Should you buy it?
You should buy the iFi GO blu if…
- You want a great multi-source DAC/Amp
- You want perfect sound at an affordable price
- You want enough battery life to get you through a workday
You should not buy the iFi GO blu if…
- You want PEQ
- Money is tight
Powerful versatile DAC/Amp
The iFi GO blu Bluetooth DAC/Amp has a soundstage and clarity that makes your music sound like it’s coming from heaven. The best part? Audiophile quality at an affordable price!
