iFi GO bar | Portable DAC and Amp
The TOTL USB model in iFi’s GO Series of Ultraportable DACs, the GO bar Pocket Rocket is Best Bar None
- Pocket-size Hi-Res USB DAC, preamp, and world’s most powerful headphone amp of its size
- True balanced circuit design with symmetrical twin-channel output stage
- Advanced Hi-Res digital audio support: 32-bit/384kHz PCM, native DSD and full MQA decoding
- XBass+ and XSpace analog processing modes tailor sound to suit your music and headphone
- Two low-noise headphone outputs: 4.4mm fully Balanced and 3.5mm S-Balanced
- Special 18ct Gold-plated limited edition GOld bar available - limited to 1000 pieces
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Bloom's Take It’s been 10 years since AudioQuest launched the original DragonFly. Since then, the portable audio world has come a long way. Between the evolution of portable devices, improvements in DAC technology, and the proliferation of HiFi brands, it’s a whole new world out there. Launching with dozens of competitive devices currently on the market, the combination of features like XBass, solid performance with a variety of headphones, and a great tuning makes iFi's GO bar a top contender in a very crowded field. |
Small but Mighty GO Bar
In 2021, iFi introduced the GO blu, first in a new line of ultraportable, pocket-sized DAC/amps called the GO Series. Now it’s joined by the GO bar, taking the ‘big sound in a small package’ concept to a whole new level.
Like the GO blu, the GO bar is eminently pocketable, with a robust yet lightweight alloy enclosure that measures 2.6" x 0.9" x 0.5" and weighs a paltry 1 oz! But, while the GO blu majors on the convenience of Bluetooth connectivity to mobile devices like smartphones, the GO bar connects to source devices via USB and focuses on pure performance. Whether you’re commuting, working at your desk, or simply traveling for pleasure, the GO bar is the perfectly portable way to make headphones sound heavenly when connected to desktop PCs, laptops, phones, tablets, or any other digital source device with a USB port.
What’s up DAC?
The GO bar’s digital audio circuitry is based on a 32-bit Cirrus Logic DAC chipset with advanced multi-bit modulation. This is coupled with a customized digital filter and iFi’s Global Master Timing precision clock system to ensure ultra-low jitter, thus reducing errors and distortion in the digital signal. The DAC is fed by a powerful 16-core XMOS micro-controller.
Hi-res PCM is supported to 32-bit/384kHz, alongside DSD64, 128 and 256, along with single and double-speed DXD. The DAC’s architecture maintains DSD data in true native form unlike other DACs that convert DSD to PCM. The GO bar also delivers full decoding of MQA making it an excellent choice for subscribers to Tidal’s ‘HiFi Plus’ tier.
External Affairs
Most ultra-portable USB DAC/amps offer little to no control of the device itself. The GO bar is different, its smart alloy case sporting physical buttons for precise volume adjustment – which can be synchronized with the volume controls on the source device – together with controls to select between the various sonic tuning options. A column of colored LEDs provides a handy guide to the format and sample rate of the digital audio currently playing, and whether XBass+ and/or XSpace are engaged.
At one end of the GO bar is an asynchronous USB-C input. At the other resides two headphone outputs: a fully balanced 4.4mm output enabling headphones equipped with a balanced connector to make the most of the GO bar’s balanced audio circuitry, and a 3.5mm ‘S-Balanced’ output which cuts noise and cross-talk by 50% with SE headphone connectors. Both outputs are gold-plated for quality and longevity.
Birthday Bling
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, iFi created an eye-catching special edition of the GO bar. Limited to 1000 pieces, the Anniversary Edition - or ‘GOld bar’ – replaces the standard version’s alloy enclosure with a copper chassis, further enhancing build quality and shielding, and smothers it in an 18ct gold plate. Power supply filtering is also further enhanced, ensuring the Anniversary Edition is truly the ‘gold standard’ among ultra-portable USB DAC amps.
Specifications
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Power Output
- BAL: 475mW@32Ω | 7.2V@600Ω
- UnBAL: 300mW@32Ω | 3.8V@600Ω
- Impedance: < 1Ω | with iEMatch engaged: ＜ 3.6Ω
- SNR: 132dBA, BAL | 108dBA, UnBAL
- DNR: 109dB(A), BAL | 108dB(A), UnBAL
- THD + N: <0.002% (6.5mW/2.0V @ 600Ω), BAL | <0.09% (100mW/1.27V @ 16Ω), UnBAL
- Frequency Response: 20Hz - 45kHz (-3dB)
- IEMatch and Turbo power for sensitive IEMs or headphone output matching
- Alloy enclosure, precision volume control and format/sample rate LEDs
- iFi GO bar User Manual
- IFi Warranty Card (1 Year)
In the Box
