GO Link from iFi audio - The headphone dongle linking you with your music

The headphone dongle linking you with your music

Superior sound with a twist

The missing link

The GO link is the missing link in your listening experience.

Firstly, it will enable corded headphones and earphones to connect to digital devices that don’t have a 3.5mm headphone output.

Secondly, even if your device does have a headphone socket, the GO link delivers a big sonic upgrade. This is because its sophisticated DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) and headphone amp circuitry are superior to the audio tech contained within smart devices and computers.

Go forward with GO link.

GO Link from iFi audio - The headphone dongle linking you with your music

Flexible friend

At one end of the GO link is a USB-C connector, and at the other is the DAC and headphone amp circuitry, both housed in robust yet lightweight magnesium alloy enclosures.

In between is a 6cm length of flexible cable – this aids practicality, allowing the DAC/amp section to be angled towards the listener and reducing stress on the USB port to which the GO link is connected.

GO Link from iFi audio - The headphone dongle linking you with your music

DAC’s the ticket

At the heart of the GO link lies a power-efficient, high-performance DAC chip from ESS Technology’s Sabre HiFi series – the ES9219MQ/Q – benefiting from 32-bit HyperStream III architecture.

This combines with Quad DAC+ and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator technologies, plus our dedicated clock circuitry utilising a specialised crystal oscillator, to deliver ultra-low distortion, excellent clarity and impressive dynamic range.

Rarely implemented high-end features such as adjustable analogue gain with DRE (Dynamic Range Enhancement) plus technologies to minimise THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) and crosstalk are possible due to the DAC chip’s advanced specification.

GO Link from iFi audio - The headphone dongle linking you with your music

Do the twist

The cable linking both sections together uses silver-plated copper conductors with individual polymer insulation in a ‘twisted pair’ configuration.

This rotational twist helps to optimise inductance and capacitance and also aids noise rejection. The GO link’s sound isn’t affected by electromagnetic interference picked up from nearby electrical sources.

No distortion means you’re ready to dance without disturbance.

Move with the music

Unlike other headphone dongles, the GO link doesn’t rely on the software-based volume controls in connected digital devices. This can adversely affect audio resolution.

Instead, adjusting the volume on the connected device controls the volume level in the GO link’s DAC, not in the phone, tablet or computer. This hardware-based volume control is another feature that helps to deliver the GO link’s superior sonic performance.

Hi-res in glorious colour

The GO link’s hi-res audio credentials are highly impressive given its diminutive size and price tag.

  • PCM  to 32-bit/384kHz
  • DSD to 11.2MHz (DSD256)
  • MQA

An LED changes colour to indicate the incoming audio format – PCM, DSD or MQA – and the PCM/DSD sample rate.

Headphone heaven

The GO link’s headphone amp feeds a gold-plated 3.5mm socket, incorporating our S-Balanced configuration to reduce noise and crosstalk.

It delivers a power output of 70mW into 32 ohms, and a maximum voltage output of 2.05V into 600 ohms. This gives it plenty of oomph to drive the kind of headphones and earphones likely to be used with the GO link and easily outclasses the headphone outputs built into smart devices and computers.

DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter)

DACs convert digital information, stored or streamed by computers, into music we can hear through speakers or headphones.

Every device that’s a source of digital sound has a built-in DAC (TVs, games consoles, CD players, phones, portable music players etc). Dedicated external DACs sound much better than standard DACs used in digital devices such as phones.

Gain

Gain is the amount of increase in audio signal strength. Gain is often expressed in decibels (dB).

DSD

DSD is a very high-quality digital audio format that’s even better than CD quality. The higher the ‘DSD rate’ – DSD64, 128, 256, 512 and 1024 – the greater the amount of music information available, which means better sound quality.

Files can be remastered to higher file rates to improve sound quality. The pinnacle of this is DSD1024. Not many machines out there are capable of this feat.

Hi-Res True Native® playback of all music formats from MP3 to DSD256, PCM384 and DXD384.

Discrete ESS Sabre Hyperstream DAC chipset with time domain jitter eliminator, discrete oscillator and 112dB dynamic range for discerning listeners.

Extensive jitter-eradication technologies are applied to the digital stage, including our GMT (Global Master Timing) femto-precision clock and intelligent memory buffer. This represents a total ‘out-of-the-box’ systematic digital solution that solves jitter once and for all.

In music production, dynamic range means the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds. It’s measured in decibels, or dB for short.  In a single audio track, dynamic range means the dB difference between the loudest and quietest moment in the audio file.

You can think of the dynamic range in a system as the space between the noise floor and the clipping point.  When a sound goes below the noise floor you won’t be able to tell the difference between the signal and the system noise of the medium.  When a sound goes above the clipping point, the tops of its waveform will get abruptly cut off, causing harshness and distortion.

iFi’s proprietary technology extends the Dynamic Range by 6 dB or more, for an improved listening experience.

iFi’s exclusive S-Balanced® circuit delivers maximum performance from single-ended and balanced headphones alike.

See our Tech Note to dig deeper.

TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications.

Getting ever closer to the theoretical ideal of pure, frequency-constant capacitance, these capacitors reduce capacitor-induced distortion to vanishingly low levels.

They are pricey but are a perfect addition to our products.

muRata control-type, low-ESR high-Q multi-layer capacitors. The ‘ESR control’ aspect of the Murata is something special. Their noise suppression abilities are impressive.

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InputUSB-C
FormatsDSD 256 / 11.3MHz
DXD 384kHz
PCM 384kHz
MQA
DACBit-Perfect DSD & DXD DAC by ESS
Headphone3.5mm
Output Power≥1.5V/70mW @ 32Ω; 2V/14mW @ 300Ω
Output Impedance<0.4Ω
SNR≥125dBA (2.05V)
DNR≥122dB(A) @ 0dBFS
THD+N≤0.004% (1.27V @ 32Ω)
Frequency response10-80kHz(-0.5dB)
Power consumptionNo Signal ~0.2W
Max Signal ~1W
Dimensions135 x 12.6 x 7.6 mm (5.3" x 0.5" x 0.3”)
Cable length60mm (2.8")
Net weight11g (0.4oz)
Limited Warranty12 months*
*12 months typical or as permitted/required by local reseller laws.
**Specifications are subject to change without notice.

“It is a true marvel!”

“We have to thank iFi for even in their entry-level products, they’re being pretty careful about quality! It is a true marvel! It boosts the audio considerably, but not only that, it also delivers better quality.”

Valtier Mejía

(Click name to read original review)

“I am very surprised with the sound quality that this little device provides!”

“It gives a very clear sound, enhances it in a better quality! It allows you to perceive sounds and instruments that are not normally heard. I am very surprised with the sound quality that this little device provides!”

Juan Manuel Ceballos G.

(Click name to read original review)

“Great dongle for analogue headphone users”

“Great dongle for analogue headphone users, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t done this before!”

Alex Hilling-Smith

(Click name to read original review)

“An amazing true audiophile sound”

“One of the most affordable DAC dongles out there with an amazing true audiophile sound”

Rafaelo

(Click name to read original review)

A Must Watch and worth downloading TikTok for if you don’t have it already!

“Open your ears to a whole new world of songs”

Mark James

(Click name to read original review)

“The Go Link gives new life into your sound.”

“Whether you use headphones or iEMs, the Go Link goes above and beyond with its power! The Go Link gives new life into your sound. Its sound signature always felt natural and well articulated. With Go Link, getting that clean resolution is easy and more affordable than ever!”

Juan Blanco

(Click name to read original review)

“That sounds better for the price, period!”

“I’ll make it clear! It doesn’t exist, I haven’t tried it, nothing! That sounds better for the price, period! I like it a lot apart from the build quality, how small it is. It greatly favors all those who are going to start in the audiophile hobby”

 

Moisés Daniel Díaz

(Click name to read original review)

Jason Lucas talks about Go Link

“I dont know what they put inside here… but it really works well as a dongle”

Jason Lucas

(Click name to read original review)

Evening Standard says iFi’s GO link is “essential”!

“The difference in dynamics is instantly and jaw-droppingly noticeable… An exceptional, no, essential over-ear headphone accessory that will exceed your expectations each and every track, £60 is a small price to pay to blast your private listening experience right into the sonic stratosphere.”

Stuart Pritchard

(Click name to read original review)

Go Link is one of the Best New Smartphones & Phone Accessories of 2022!

“The iFi Go Link is the company’s newest portable DAC/amplifier that you can use to connect your wired headphones to your smartphone, tablet or computer. It connects via USB-C, but don’t worry iPhone users as iFi includes a Lightning adapter (as well as a USB-C to USB-A adapter) right in the box. The Go Link has a built-in 32-bit ES9219 Sabre DAC and supports high-resolution audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz. It’s also pretty darn affordable.”

Tucker Bowe

(Click name to read original review)

“It’s a #1 New Release for a reason. It’s fire!”

“Is it worth this price? Is water wet? Of course, this is a hi-res headphone amp that you can slip into your pocket or your favorite bag so that you always have access to quality audio (that’s the best part about this). It’s a #1 New Release for a reason. It’s fire!”

Roderick Franklin

(Click name to read original review)