Review iFi Go Link

I have been using the iFi Go link DAC (Digital Audio Converter) with my Android mobile phone, mainly to listen to music on Tidal or Plex Amp. This review is written based on my personal experiences. I used my Sony WH1000XM5 headphone via a 3.5 mm headphone connector.

Design and build quality

The iFi Go Link is designed for use with mobile devices such as mobile phones. It has a very small form factor and consists of a USB C connector, a braided cable connecting the mobile device with the DAC, and a 3.5 earphone or headphone connector. It also comes with a USB C to USB A adaptor, ensuring good compatibility across devices.

Features and specifications

The iFi Go link supports high-resolution audio up to 32 bits/384 KHz, which is more than enough for listening to hi-fi-quality music streams from the likes of Tidal or music you own streamed via Plexamp.

The iFi Go link is easy to use. It is plug-and-play with my Android-powered mobile phone and tablet. You just plug in your headphones and start listening to music.

The iFi Go Link also supports the MQA stream format, but with Tidal moving its streaming services to be FLAC only, this might not be as important a feature as it was previously.

Performance

I bought the iFi Go Link because I wanted to listen to the music I was streaming with Tidal at the best quality I could. So, I decided to get a small USB-C-powered DAC to power my Sony Wh1000XM5 headphones.

As well as Tidal, I have listened to CD-quality and above music from my personal library streamed from my PC using Plexamp, and again, the playback quality was excellent.

For what is a £50.00 DAC, the sound quality is very impressive and certainly beats listening to the music over Bluetooth to the same headphones, in part due to the extra space in the sound stage.

Even low-quality podcast streams via Snippet sound good, as the DAC works hard to make the best of these lower-quality streams.

Last updated 21/09/2024.