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Bloom's Take For times when convenience is king, GO blu delivers that convenience with higher fidelity than ever before. GO blu delivers extreme portability, along with performance that sacrifices very little fidelity for your convenience. |
Note: GO blu USB input is not compatible with some iPhone models and versions of iOS.
Our new GO blu, pocket-rocket portable HD DAC/amp, is diminutive enough to take with you wherever you go! It gives you best sound from wired but the convenience of wireless as you no longer need to have a cable connection to your smartphone.
Whether you’re exercising at the gym with your Apple watch clocking your every step or catching up on your MacBook at your favorite coffee shop, the GO blu is the perfect companion.
Wireless headphones or earphones of any kind integrate Bluetooth processing, D/A conversion and amplification onto one, standard ‘off the shelf’ chip. There is a ceiling to the sound quality that can be achieved.
Team good corded headphones or in-ear monitors, with a separate, high-quality portable DAC/headphone amp, and your sound quality will beat any pair of wireless headphone or earphones hands down.
Using the GO blu means no compromise on sound quality.
With its lightweight, soft-touch polymer enclosure (great for Bluetooth reception, unlike signal-blocking metal), copper-colored trim and ChronoDial watch crown-style control, the GO blu is a pleasure to use wherever you go.
iFi has even incorporated a high-quality chip-based (CMOS-MEMS) microphone, enabling hands-free calls, voice chat for gaming and access to voice assistants such as Apple Siri and Google Assistant.
Further flexibility is provided by the USB-C charging port, which doubles as an audio input enabling USB connection from source devices that don’t offer Bluetooth connectivity. Hi-res PCM audio data up to24-bit/96kHz is supported when the GO blu is connected in this way.
The way iFi implements Bluetooth is anything but ‘run of the mill’ and despite its diminutive size the GO blu is no exception.
The use of Qualcomm’s latest four-core QCC5100 Bluetooth processing chip ensures that every current high-definition Bluetooth audio format is supported.
The GO blu is Bluetooth v5.1-compliant, ensuring the best possible range, stability and performance, and its ‘Bluetooth engine’ can be updated over the air.
Uniquely for a device of this type and size, the GO blu’s clever design packs in separate Bluetooth, DAC and amp stages, each engineered in distinct blocks to deliver the ideal combination of cutting-edge specification and superb sound.
The Bluetooth stage makes full use of Qualcomm’s latest four-core QCC5100 Bluetooth chip and supports every current high definition format.
This then feeds the DAC stage with a Cirrus Logic 32-bit DAC chip at its heart. This is coupled with a customized digital filter to minimize pre-echoes and ringing artifacts, and a precision clock system to ensure ultra-low jitter, thus reducing errors and distortion in the digital audio signal.
The amp circuitry benefits from symmetrical twin-mono signal paths and utilizes iFi’s Direct Drive design concept – direct-coupled to ensure a clean signal path without distortion-inducing output coupling capacitors. The amp stage delivers up to 5.6V – considerably more power than other similarly sized devices – handling even relatively tough headphone loads with ease. To ensure signal strength suits the sensitivity of the connected headphones or earphones, auto-gain adjusts output up or down by 6dB.
Whether you use balanced or non-balanced headphones, you get the least noise and best channel separation for the most enjoyable music.
The GO blu boasts a Pentaconn 4.4mm output enabling headphones equipped with balanced connectivity to take full advantage of the GO blu’s balanced amp design.
Chipset | Qualcomm QCC 5100 Series | |
Inputs | Wireless Wired |
Bluetooth 5.1 ( AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, LDAC, LHDC/HWA Codec) USB-C up to 24/96kHz |
Headphone Outputs | Balanced UnBAL |
4.4mm 3.5mm |
Power Output | Balanced UnBAL |
245mW @ 32Ω; 5.6V @ 600Ω 165mW @ 32Ω; 2.8V @ 600Ω |
Output Impedance | Balanced UnBAL |
<1Ω <1Ω |
SNR | Balanced UnBAL |
111dBA 106.5dBA |
DNR | 120dB(A) (BAL/UnBAL) | |
THD + N | Balanced UnBAL |
<0.009% (6.5mW/2.0V @ 600Ω)/ <0.03% (100mW/1.27V @ 16Ω) |
Frequency Response | 20Hz - 45kHz (-3dB) | |
Battery | Lithium-polymer 450mAh approx. ~10 hours | |
Power System | Charging via USB-C, BC V1.2 compliant up to 1000mA charging current and 6.3 volts |
|
Dimensions | 55 x 34 x 13 mm 2.2" x 1.3" x 0.5” |
|
Weight | 26g (0.92 oz) | |
Warranty period | 12 months |
Lets me use my balanced jacked headphones in my pc and gives a nice boost in volume
The sound quality of iFi GO blu is not arguable: natural tonality, well balanced and very clear (comparable to iFi HipDac that I owned) together with its XBass button, although the XSapce function is not easily distinguishable. The convenience offered by iFi GO blu is superiorL thanks to its miniature dimensions and excellent Bluetooth connectivity (never dropped off for a single time when pairing with my iPhone 13 over a month of nearly daily use). The wired connection of iFi GO blu with iPad, Mac and PC computers works well too, which makes iFi GO blu a mobile audiophile device that can be used in a variety of settings. One major complaint that I have is that it cannot be used when wiredly connected to iPhone even after the recent firmware upgrade: my iPhone 13 only sent audio signals to iFi GO blu for a second or two after connection and then an error message popped up saying the device is drawing too much power, and then cut off audio signals. Overall iFi GO blu is a quality DAC suitable for daily mobile use.
iFi GO blu | Portable HD Bluetooth DAC/Amp
It's small in size but has a huge sound. Well worth the price. Thanks to the Guys at Bloom Audio for reviewing it .
Just received this item and have been trying it out with both the Hifiman Sundara (with upgraded Eletech Cable (which I also highly recommend)) and Campfire Satsuma. Really happy with it from both a sound and convenience perspective. Losing just one cord between you and your DAC/Amp + Music Source greatly simplifies portable audio. I enjoy it sound-wise as much as the Hip-Dac which I also think is a pretty great product. For those looking to vastly improve convenience and sound … and not move deeply into more costly equipment this is a nice choice.