iFi Go Link DAC Review - A Tiny Powerhouse

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  • čas přidán 22. 05. 2023
  • The iFi Go Link DAC is tiny but packs a serious punch. It comes with everything you need to use it on Windows, Mac, iOS (Lightning adapter included), Android, and more. At $60 MSRP, is it worth the asking price?
    Purchase Link (supports channel):
    amzn.to/3MvHDjE
    iFI Website to learn more:
    ifi-audio.com/products/go-link/
    S-Bal Documentation: ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uplo...
    Other products mentioned:
    Youkamoo 3.5mm to 4.4mm balanced adapter: amzn.to/3WqmKes
    Helm Bolt: amzn.to/3opxEVg
    Truthear Shio: amzn.to/3oq5w4h
    Focal Stellia: amzn.to/3oq2f52
    Join us on Discord: / discord
    Follow us on Twitter! / gadgetrytechjoe
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    Want us to review something? Contact us!
    Joe@GadgetryTech.com
    DISCLAIMERS:
    The links above charge you the same price as finding it on Amazon. However, purchasing through the links above would support this channel for future product reviews. We appreciate any support, but please feel free to purchase though any means you feel comfortable with.
    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
    #hifi #audiophile #dac
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Komentáře • 67

  • @knarrie1966
    @knarrie1966 Před 4 měsíci +2

    I have bought it after your review. Thanks, I'm happy with it

  • @mdicosmo
    @mdicosmo Před rokem +3

    Great review, but - from very quick checks only - I have to say I hear a difference compared to the Apple DAC (running on iPhone, Plexamp, FLAC 44/16, Shure SE846). Feeling sorry I haven't got this earlier.

  • @jaymurphy6421
    @jaymurphy6421 Před 3 měsíci

    awesome detailed but understandable and fair review.

  • @MortyMore
    @MortyMore Před rokem +1

    Dashing fit Joe! Gonna check this one out now, gotta love it 🎉

    • @GadgetryTech
      @GadgetryTech  Před rokem +1

      Lol thanks! I was feeling fresh

    • @MortyMore
      @MortyMore Před rokem

      @@GadgetryTech you're fresh my man🔥

  • @myspace04
    @myspace04 Před 3 měsíci

    Would love a review on Fiio KA11 DAC. And comparison with ifi go link.

  • @izlord50
    @izlord50 Před 4 měsíci

    Would love to see you review the new go bar kensei

  • @73ND41
    @73ND41 Před rokem +6

    I got the Go Link today and am using them on my Sony WH-1000XM5

    • @lionheart6699
      @lionheart6699 Před rokem +3

      Is this a good combo? I still have the sony xm3

    • @73ND41
      @73ND41 Před 11 měsíci +1

      @@lionheart6699 Yes and the volume can get louder than Bluetooth.

  • @atpav7265
    @atpav7265 Před rokem +1

    I plan on buying a H6PRO Open so what amp should i get, for the open to have higher output volume, as i will probably need On Budget please

  • @mortus7591
    @mortus7591 Před 7 měsíci

    I know it is older video but i have question would this ifi dongle be upgrade over my meridian explorer 2

  • @rickgear2579
    @rickgear2579 Před 3 měsíci

    I just bought this to hook up to my Sennheiser PC38X. I found that it the volume was too low at max when connected to my PC. I hope that this will increase the volume.

  • @MPaul-wm6vt
    @MPaul-wm6vt Před rokem

    im using the go bar With senhesier ie 900's, Pretty good sound

  • @greccoox
    @greccoox Před rokem

    Joe thanks to never stop the videos, and always put hard work and consistency on it.
    One question, how do you handle with devices that don't turn off, apparently this to me is a big selling point, like I don't want disconnect my dacs/dongles all the time, but also I dont want see the lights on, even without headph. connected, so to me is a basic check mark if I buy something... has to have on/off feature. But how do you handle that?

    • @GadgetryTech
      @GadgetryTech  Před rokem +4

      Hi, and thanks so much! I usually use devices that turn off via a switch or have USB ports that shut off when the device is powered off. If you don't want to see the light, the cheap (not best looking) mod is to put a small piece of tape over it. You can also place a small black dot over it with a sharpie to dull the light.
      Typically my room is light up like a holiday special half the time so I don't notice the lights as much lol

  • @ONESIXTHCAVE
    @ONESIXTHCAVE Před 8 měsíci

    Anyone know how to get it to work with my iphone? I connected the lightning adapter and plugged it into my phone and all I get is the internal speakers playing the music NOT through my headphones?!

  • @CrossoverClassic
    @CrossoverClassic Před 8 měsíci

    Will any of these work with ipod touch? My current dac does not power up when i plugged it into my dac

  • @DamianNocun
    @DamianNocun Před rokem

    is it only me who can not use MQA (magenta light) on Tidal using Iphone 14 Pro ? Is there any fix please ?

  • @Narcis.N
    @Narcis.N Před 7 měsíci

    Help pleaseee, my dac doesn’t show the magenta color when i play an MQA song anymore, i am using it on my phone..

  • @HuggyBearHikes
    @HuggyBearHikes Před 10 měsíci

    Would this be a good fit for plugging into my car stereo aux port?

  • @martinvegas1327
    @martinvegas1327 Před 3 měsíci

    Just bought one thanks👍

  • @MrTee3three
    @MrTee3three Před 3 měsíci

    The Apple Lightning/3.5MM is an active DAC? Does high bitrate audio really make it as far as the cable for decoding? I assumed at this price the DAC was happening in software or hardware onboard the iPhone?

  • @adarshwhynot
    @adarshwhynot Před rokem

    Can ifi go link drive Beyerdynamic Tygr 300r easily on windows and Android?

  • @Nordi1_0745
    @Nordi1_0745 Před 11 měsíci

    Can Go Link drive my akg k701 and HD600 headphones? Thanks

  • @pistopit7142
    @pistopit7142 Před 5 měsíci

    How does it compare to dragonfly cobalt?

  • @dhuwdhuwdhuw
    @dhuwdhuwdhuw Před 9 dny

    hmm I dont get the lightning adapter in the box.

  • @robertfoster3214
    @robertfoster3214 Před rokem +1

    Joe good review

  • @ahmadmatar2698
    @ahmadmatar2698 Před rokem +1

    Was willing to buy a fiio k3 for my focal elegia
    If i buy the ifi link instead do you think i would be missing something?

    • @GadgetryTech
      @GadgetryTech  Před rokem +2

      The Fiio K3 has a gain switch, bass boost, and physical volume knob. Those are all features I love, so if you have the space and ability to use a unit like the K3, I would stick with that.

  • @AssilAk
    @AssilAk Před rokem

    Nice Review! Do you have a Recommendation for a amp for ps5 which isn’t all that expensive? Thanks!

    • @GadgetryTech
      @GadgetryTech  Před rokem +1

      For a cheap one for PS5, this one is pretty nice: amzn.to/3MTXNEQ
      Otherwise if you want more features like a 10 band EQ, you can buy the new SteelSeries Game DAC separately now. It's the one that normally powers the Nova Pro headsets.

  • @pavelpavlov954
    @pavelpavlov954 Před 10 měsíci

    The 3 pin jack is not balanced connection.Balanced connection is three pin but carry only single channel information but the three wires are used in completely different wiring.Balanced connection can be found mainly with XLR or TRS connectors not 3.6mm jack....

  • @m4nc1n1
    @m4nc1n1 Před rokem +1

    Can any of them you had in the video handle 300 Ohm headphones like the 6XX?

    • @oskarizardgaming9884
      @oskarizardgaming9884 Před 2 měsíci

      Hey I know this is a super old comment, but the Ifi Go Link works extremely well with my DT 770 Pros (250 Ohm). From my understanding, it should be able to power the Sennheiser 6XX series with ease :)

  • @axelrivas2914
    @axelrivas2914 Před rokem

    Quick question can I connect this to a ps5 usb and 3.5mm jack to a pc so I can used a headset from the pc? PS. Sorry for my English I’m still learning

    • @JB-kg9we
      @JB-kg9we Před 7 měsíci

      Did you find an answer to this?

  • @bharathbabur8559
    @bharathbabur8559 Před rokem +7

    The DAC does not support the track, volume change and the mic function and however, I am making phone call using this. You can hear opposite person's voice through your IEM ear pieces and your voice pass to her/him through the phone's mic. Keep the phone nearest possible to your mouth. Following this you can manage the calls even if your earphone or IEM doesn't have the mic. The cons are (1) The type c usb plug case is larger than the type c plug. You need to remove the phone's case to use this DAC. (2) The LED indicator is very bright, and you will feel very annoying using at bed during night.

  • @Noneya5555
    @Noneya5555 Před rokem +7

    I've purchased 4 iFi products in the past, and had issues with 3 of them. I ended up returning 2 of them - and wishing I'd returned the 3rd one (and haven't bought any others since). The company seems to focus on making and selling feature-rich products that produce more power.
    But with the ones I bought, there were issues that seemed to stem from either insufficient QA, or an inability of the product (dac/amp combo) to work well when using both the features and higher-powered settings in tandem. And the issues you pointed out with build quality of the Go Link when plugging in a headphone, or into a source reminded me of the ones I experienced with my products.
    I would advice potential buyers to be wary of iFi products, and to purchase them only from vendors such as Amazon, that offer free and no-haggle returns of defective products. 😕

    • @greccoox
      @greccoox Před rokem +3

      Perfect point, iFi Go link I bought, the usb conector and the 3.5 was so hard to connect and after listen music was hot with just simple gaming low impedance headphone.
      iFi Uno, I bought, fit good in my desk and was so nice, but small crack and pop sound when i watched youtube videos(when I skip time stamp).
      No more iFi products for me. Meanwhile i bought 2 Fiio products (Q11, K5) and worked perfect, i mean, perfect!

  • @AndrewWardell
    @AndrewWardell Před rokem +2

    If you buy this, I highly recommend updating the firmware to the latest version (1.8.0 as of July 2023).

    • @bharathbabur8559
      @bharathbabur8559 Před 11 měsíci +1

      I am using this with my smart phone. How to update the firmware

    • @AndrewWardell
      @AndrewWardell Před 11 měsíci

      @@bharathbabur8559 You need a Windows computer (because iFi haven’t implemented MacOS firmware updates). If you go to iFi’s download portal on said PC, pick the Go-Link from the drop-down menu that appears, then enter your serial number (on the little QR-code on the Go-Link’s main body) it’ll give you the Windows drivers, the three current available firmware packages, and a set of instructions to follow for applying them. 1.8.0 is still the most recent as of yesterday.

    • @xodox2505
      @xodox2505 Před 9 měsíci +1

      How can i update?

  • @yuvper
    @yuvper Před 3 měsíci

    Does this works on ps5

  • @minhn2888
    @minhn2888 Před 8 měsíci +3

    Might be a dumb question but would this improve headset mic quality?

  • @KadeWenter
    @KadeWenter Před rokem +2

    I'm listening on a 3.5mm to 2.5mm geekria balanced adapter. Like 8 bucks on amzon

  • @oldrock80
    @oldrock80 Před 8 měsíci +3

    Will this produce good sound with Audio-Technica M40x ?

    • @GadgetryTech
      @GadgetryTech  Před 8 měsíci +3

      absolutely. It's clean and get's pretty loud!

    • @oldrock80
      @oldrock80 Před 8 měsíci +2

      Thank you. @@GadgetryTech

    • @GadgetryTech
      @GadgetryTech  Před 8 měsíci +1

      @@oldrock80 you bet

    • @divye.ruhela
      @divye.ruhela Před 7 měsíci

      Just the question I was looking for! Thanks!

  • @waggingtailluna
    @waggingtailluna Před 6 měsíci

    I am an keen audio enthusiast. But, this lil dongle DAC(Ifi Go Link) didn't make any difference to my music quality listening from my phone(Asus Rog 5s + Apple Music + Truthear Hola). The inbuilt DAC in the phone I think it is of the same grade / class if not better. I was expecting greatly from it after hearing praises from prominent reviewers about it. What could be the issue here?

    • @jaredtzp7466
      @jaredtzp7466 Před 4 měsíci

      Necesitas una app que haga bit perfect para que realmente notes la diferencia como hiby music o usb player pro

    • @waggingtailluna
      @waggingtailluna Před 4 měsíci

      @@jaredtzp7466 Write in English please, my good man 🙏

  • @Ivanical
    @Ivanical Před rokem +1

    Samsung phones are a bit picky on these things. Did you get to try it on a samsung phone?

    • @GadgetryTech
      @GadgetryTech  Před rokem

      Unfortunately I was not able to try this as I know longer have a Samsung phone in the house. I tested on Android tablets. I'd suggest scouring a few customer reviews to see if anyone is reporting an issue with Samsung devices on this DAC, or considering purchasing at a place where a return is possible if it does not work for you. Best of luck!

    • @c.carrillo7813
      @c.carrillo7813 Před rokem +1

      It works fine on my Samsung fold 4 and all Android devices. Hope this helps!

    • @veikkahakulinen6526
      @veikkahakulinen6526 Před rokem

      Will not work on my Tab A8!

  • @john8451
    @john8451 Před měsícem

    You say that for $60 you are getting great sonic performance yet you also that say in a blind test you wouldn’t notice much difference from the standard Apple dongle!

  • @Lockke_
    @Lockke_ Před rokem +2

    Boosty boost cause quality

  • @73ND41
    @73ND41 Před rokem +1

    I have he Google Pixel 7 Pro

  • @s7v7nfiv5
    @s7v7nfiv5 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Decent product but most definitely not worth it, bought their hip dac 2 and six months later their usb cable started to malfunction and here the kicker..their 'technical support" is non existent, about 7 emails later directly through their website (only way to reach their "support") still getting some robot named jesse to no conclusion, its just a usb cable! Just ship the dam thing! You have my address! Jesus crocks!

  • @pistopit7142
    @pistopit7142 Před 8 měsíci

    I have ifi Go Blu.The built quality is horrible. This one looks even worst, I can already see point of failure on cable ends over time.

  • @davidbarbour5153
    @davidbarbour5153 Před 2 měsíci

    I have an ipod classic with a 40 pin connector. Can i use this with that ipod?