iFi Audio GO Bar - A Fully Loaded Superbar DAC/Amp Dongle - Honest Audiophile Impressions
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- A BIG thank you to iFi Audio for lending the GO Bar for review, much appreciated.
The iFi Audio GO Bar is a fully loaded superbar DAC/Amp dongle, does the sound performance match the design?
Purchase/More Info:
ifi-audio.com/products/go-bar/
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Tingvall Trio “Beat” - piano tonality
Sinne Eeg “We’ve Just Begun” - multiple layer soundstage
Molly Johnson “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” - female vocal tone
Leslie Odom Jr. “Under Pressure” - male vocal tone
Eric Clapton “Change the World” - soundstage, layering and placement
Yo Yo Ma “Ecstasy of Gold” - acoustic instrument timbre
Adam Baldych “Spem in Alium” - acoustic instrument timbre
Pain of Salvation “Stress” - bass and percussion balance
Michael Buble “When I Fall in Love” - orchestral dynamics
Patricia Barber “Code Cool” - sibilance check
Christian Scott “New New Orleans” - shouty upper mids
Tool “Chocolate Chip Trip” - imaging
Hans Zimmer “Why So Serious” - sub bass extension
Marcus Miller “No Limit” - bass control
Dave Holland Quartet “Conference Of The Birds”- bass check
Ilhan Eshkeri “47 Ronin”- orchestra and bass dynamics
Hans Zimmer: “2049” - sub bass extension
Cher: “Believe” - sibilance
Stanley Clarke - “Passenger 57 main title” - percussion, bass, separation and placement
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra - “The Pine of the Appian Way” - soundstage, imaging, separation, dynamic range
Houston Person - “You are my Sunshine” - tone and timbre
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Man, I was going to ask specifically about how it would power Hifiman planars efficiently. Thorough review and you covered all my questions. I appreciate it.
My pleasure, you're welcome. Glad you found the review helpful.
The amount of power it puts out is pretty cool…
Eating it up from the phone.. and if one wants to connect to usb camera adapter so charger can be connected.. it does NOT work. Idiotic device.
very cool review, Dave
Thank you
I've heard some dac/amps(some jds things) affect the natural air and space that a headphone has, coloring it more intimate, which I didn't like as well. I'm glad you pointed that out for us. Thanks!
My pleasure, you're welcome. Glad you found the review helpful.
I have to admit that watching your videos reassures me a lot, it's like you transmit peace, I don't know if it's your way of speaking or your honesty but I like it, do you think that the dac you like the most is Fc4?🇵🇾Greetings from Paraguay
Hiby FC4 and Periodic Audio Rhodium are my go to dongles.
Thank you for the kind words, glad you enjoy the channel and videos.
Good morning from a rainy Toronto☕️ 🌦
I went with the IFI Go Blue..because I didn’t want to have it IPhone encumbered with cables…so I went via a Bluetooth device 😋
Tons of power for IEM’s in balanced mode and it sounds wonderful.
I highly recommend you give one a try .
Btw, the Moondrop Variations and the IFI sound signature work great.
Take care ☕️😋
czcams.com/video/SkByY0fj8c8/video.html
I agree the ifi Go Blu is epic for its price and the ease of the bluetooth connection is great.
I have it paired with Tidal and a set of Letshoure S12; with the eq on the go blu, it offers plenty of tonal variety for different generes and is mega protable. Music happiness :))
@@edhumm simple perfection happiness 😋
@@edhumm S12 is hardly “epic”. That’s coloured Chinese house sound. With all that money get yourself proper earphones.
@@morespinach9832 thank you for your reply and kind words.
Unfortunately you may have misread the post; I mentioned that the ifi go blu was epic and made no reference to the S12's in that remark.
I did mention that I had paired the ifi with the S12's which was a very handy portable system when linked with Tidal on my phone.
Having worked as a sound engineer since the early eighties, I can assure you that I have enjoyed the pleasures of many wonderful headphones over the years and hope to enjoy a few more yet.
Listening to music is a very subjective thing, this is why we have so many different genres and styles of musicians and producers. It is this very diversity that unifies us all in a common pleasure of sharing with each other in our musical enjoyment.
What brings joy to one may not to another. This does not make either right or wrong, but hopefully just happy in the commonality of enjoying in the music.
I hope you find many pleasures and joyful moments in your listening, no matter the genre or the equipment you choose to use.
🕉💖🎶😊
The new iFi Audio Kensei Go Bar that just came out is supposed to be a whole other level above the regular GoBar. At $449 it ought to be. Hope you can get one to review soon.
Hefty price tAg for a dongle for sure. I will see if one is available for review. Thanks for the suggestion.
Really want to know if it could substitute for a mid-fi desktop away from home? If my desktop system caught fire and was destroyed, would this get me by? @@TheHonestAudiophile
I just bought the Go Bar -compared to my existing Audioquest Cobalt it absolutely is in another league in every area-detail, bass transparency etc. cobalt sounds as if the sound is going through a bad filter.
Straight on eBay as I’m keeping the Go Bar -I’m using Sennheiser IE800’s with Snug custom ear mouldings which are a game changer if you value amazing sound quality. Worth every penny
Thanks for the impressions.
Except Go Bar doesn’t like to work with iPhones. It drains battery like crazy and can’t be used with the apple usb camera adapter that would allow us to keep the phone connected to charger cable. Idiotic lack of support for one of the largest platforms.
@@morespinach9832 I’ve never had a battery issue with my 14Pro although the Apple camera adapter didn’t work at all. Works fine with included cable so no problem
@@hartgemini007 doesn’t work with any apple device - iPhone 11 Pro for me and two macs, one from 2020 and the other from 2021. The firmware update needs an older USB, and both my macs have USB-C. On iPhone it doesn’t work with camera adapter so it absolutely eats up battery and I have no choice to keep my phone charged while listening on this dac. Most importantly on iPhone it’ll stop working from time to time and the only thing that’ll work is to restart the phone, detach the cable, reattach it.. hardware is crap. Sound is lovely.
Whew, $320. iFi certainly, IMO, is never shy about asking for a higher price than others. I picked up the HiBy FC4 for a song (no pun) and I'm very impressed with it.And you know I like the Periodic Audio Rhodium. Can't imagine that the iFi Audio GO Bar warrants the price difference. Another good one, Dave.
Yeah I'd pick the FC4 over the GO Bar unless I wanted all the extra functions.Glad you enjoy the FC4, excellent choice.
@@TheHonestAudiophile As in the olden days, wired still works best, IMO. Bluetooth is nice but unless I'm in a doctor's office or hairdresser, I rarely need it.❤
100009000990099999990% agree
They look like they use nicer parts inside like the decent size ps res cap better gp boards. Small things but made right you might hear that extra smoothness.And it might make it run a bit better with my compromised sources. I would love the gold one.
My current end game set up
Ear tips=symbio hybrid ear tips
Dac=ibasso dco6
Music player=usb audio player pro
Iem=tin hifi p1max (a mouthful 😂)
Cable=yinyoo 2pin copper 4.4 balanced.
Source:tidal hifi plus
👍
Symbio - extremely uncomfortable ear tips. The Dac you use it also going to colour sound. I guess you like a Beats type of accentuated sound.
Nice device, but how quickly does the smartphone battery drain? e.g. with an in-ear 32 ohm impedance. Such information is often missing in all tests. As nice as it is not to have an additional battery that is also defective at some point, but the smartphone batteries are already empty quickly enough.
Hello very nice review...please can you tell me if ifi go bar will be good to make my sennhesier hd660s more relaxed and thicker sound which i prefer?
Yes the balanced output will drive the 660s. I prefer the 660s on a desktop setup but the iFi Go Bar is sufficient for a portable setup.
Any recommendations on usb-c hubs, docks or devices that allow me to charge my cell phone or tablet at the same time that I connect the Ifi Go Bar?
I use this little USB Hub.
AmazonBasics 7 Port USB 3.0 Hub... www.amazon.com/dp/B00E6GX4BG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
No idea about charging at same time for a dongle.
I just got it with 3 years of Roon. Hard to pass on that deal...
Any impressions?
@@TheHonestAudiophile great office and commute dongle.
@@boudewijndekemp3162 glad you enjoy it. What IEM do you have paired with it?
@@TheHonestAudiophileThieaudio Monarch Mk3
Cool. I've not heard it, hope to at some point.
comparing the standard Go Bar vs Go Bar (Gold) I found the standard Go Bar just missing the body, the Go Bar (Gold) is the difference is marginal, the detail across all frequencies, the prices really off the roof. Hopefully they make the Go Bar (Gold) as a standard Go Bar. For now, gonna stick to Questyle M15. Thank for the review :)
Interesting. Thank you for the impressions.
Hi there! Would you say the M15 sounds more dynamic, exciting but also more detailed compared to the Go Bar?
Will this drive 10 ohm headphones that are at 1.5 V well and will it sound good. I currently have a DH80s and does not keep up well with the headphones. Thanks
To be honest, I'm not sure. But it has a lot of power on balanced output.
So in terms of sound signature it's closer to Gryphon? and not like older iFi devices like micro iDSD Sig, Zen DAC...
Yes that is correct
@@TheHonestAudiophile Got it, thanks for your honest review. I don't think the Go Bar is for me, I thought the Gryphon was a bit too smooth, much prefered iFi's older sound. Will you be reviewing BTR7?
If a BTR7 is provided or the funds become available, I will do a video. Not really my preference of gear.
@@TheHonestAudiophile by preference, do you mean that you don't like using Bluetooth DACs or Fiio BTR range of products in general?
I'm not a Bluetooth user
Will it be okay with 300 ohm cans such as HD650's and HD800?
It isn't that good with higher impedance gear.
How does it compare with the Questyle M15?
Sorry haven't heard the Questyle M15
Do u think that Can Run HD600 , Sundara or 660s2 ? thank u ...
Yes, it can get the HD600, Sundara and 660s to louder volume, it might not be to their fullest sonic abilities though.
@@TheHonestAudiophile any advice for a desktop or portable dac.amp that.can get those to fullest sonic ability? Please m
iFi Audio Gryphon
Can someone recommend DAC for auto, not for headphones im using an iPhone
Should i upgrade ifi hip dac to (go bar)
My experience with the Hip DAC was mixed, here is a link to the review:
czcams.com/video/M3UdKvvXq6c/video.html
To be honest, I don't recall a whole lot from review as it has been quite a while since it was in house and I don't remember enough to give a honest comparison or recommendation.
It's been said elsewhere but the only true serious dongle is the Questyle M15. It is another league, trust me. I've tried many dongles and read a lot of reviews.
Is it that much better than the ifi go bar in terms of sq? I know the ifi has good power and customization.
@@dbean5174having spent some time with it, I have this to say: M15 is best for sheer detail retrieval. Is it my favorite dongle? Nope, not by a long shot. The best dongle is the xDuoo Link2Bal because of its amazingly wide and spacious sound stage. M15 is plain boring by comparison. It's great to use with active speakers though.
@@dbean5174 iFi Go Bar is very good, but still ranked behind the Link2Bal. iFi Go Bar is very slightly more detailed but has worse stage, even with Xspace on.
Pls anyone, newb here. I’m about to order IFI GoBar. Could anyone tell me if IFI Go Bar drive Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro 250ohm 102bB headset on iPhone 11 ProMax.
Did you try the tone 2 pro to compare ?
Sorry haven't had the opportunity to hear the Tone 2 Pro.
@@TheHonestAudiophile thanks
Ibasso dc6 ? What do u think?
Sorry haven't heard the iBasso DC6
Muddy. Drains too much battery. This is in a different league.
Nice review, 320.00 is a little steep for a product like this. Just a heads up, a fellow reviewer of yours didn't have "glowing praises" for an iFi product recently and they reached out to him, words (texts?) were exchanged. It sounds like iFi may not take constructive criticism well. Lets just say he will not be working with them anytime soon as far as reviews/recommendations.
I've had a long lasting relationship with iFi Audio. I'm not afraid of voicing an honest opinion.
@@TheHonestAudiophile Dave, keep doing what you are doing. Just wanted you to be aware of this. Was not part of what ever happened between the two, was it an Ifi issue, reviewer issue or somewhere in-between. ( my money is on the in-between)
I have learned that this dongle needs high host power?
4 watts or something.
Can I use it with my PC?
Processor: Intel I5 11th gen(11500)
Mo-bo: Gigabyte B560M DS3H V2
It should work with a PC USB output
@@TheHonestAudiophile my motherboard has a usb c port.
Way to expensive for usb dac amp.
I don't understand how could you recommend it for 320$. Seriously, none of the dongles should be priced above 200$. And It's crazy, how the next year we'll probably see the dongles over 400$ cuz of reviews like this. Great job Dave...
As mentioned in the video, one of biggest issues is the price.
Cool 😎
Having had all 3 Audioquest Dragonfly’s & recently tried the Hidizs S9Pro which was highly reviewed by a number of people, personally I wouldn’t pay £30 for -it was dreadful . The Go Bar is light years ahead of all the Dragonflies, the Go Blu is also very good for the money but like all things hi fi you generally get what you pay for. I personally think the Go Bar considering it’s only slightly more than the Cobalt is a steal for its performance. I’m using it with Sennheiser IE800’s and Snug custom ear mouldings which are a must in my opinion for sound quality.
@@hartgemini007 Hi, have you tried chord mojo? How’s the comparison between mojo, dragonfly and ifi?
330$?! Ifi go home you're drunk.
Hidizs S9 Pro is a better value.
not even half the power
Completely misses the dumb lack of iOS support. It does not work with the very helpful USB camera adapter which would allow us to listen via this battery draining Dac while keeping the phone connected to the charger cable. This requires a firmware update that only works via older USB 3 cable. Idiotic. This company makes ok audio hardware but has not thought through the actual user experience. Way too many options out there.
Sorry I didn't mention about the IOS flaws BUT I am an Android and PC user. I do not even own an Apple product.
Thank you for the information about the IOS issues.
@@TheHonestAudiophile sure. Thanks. This is made for android and Windows. IFI can’t seem to get iPhone right for any of their products.
That is sad. Sorry to hear that.