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"Best Headphone DAC Under $100" - Forbes Magazine
Five Stars - What Hi-Fi? Magazine
Five Stars - Sound & Vision Magazine
iFi's Smallest DAC Gets a HUGE Upgrade
Hi-res music is more accessible than ever, with a growing number of streaming services bringing high quality audio to the masses.
The GO link Max DAC and headphone amp from iFi Audio is the perfect pocket-sized solution for hi-res listeners both new and old. It’s the perfect first step for new listeners, opening the door to previously undiscovered details in your favorite music while including features that set the stage for your audio journey.
"Highly Recommended"
In his November 20, 2024 review for Forbes Magazine, Mark Sparrow calls the GO link Max the "best headphone DAC under $100." He goes on to say, "The difference between listening to a music stream on a smartphone or through the iFi GO link Max is stunning. Once you try it, you won’t go back to using your smartphone or an inferior DAC."
"This little dongle makes beautiful music and plays nice with a wide range of headphones. It will even upgrade the sound on your laptop or desktop and I guarantee you’ll want to listen to even more music. Pair it with the headphones of your choice and you shall have music wherever you go. Highly Recommended."
"Five Stars" – Top Rating
England's What Hi-Fi? magazine gave the GO link Max its top rating of Five Stars. "The iFi Go Link Max is an impressive performer at this affordable price point, providing noticeable extra helpings of detail, dynamic contrast and punch to your tunes and acting as a small but talented accompaniment to your wired headphones of choice."
It also snagged Five Stars from Sound & Vision magazine, which observes, "The iFi Go Link Max delivers impressive performance for its size and price, offering hi-res audio compatibility, powerful amplification, and excellent sound quality. A standout choice for audiophiles on the go."
Balanced Output and Unrivalled Portability
More and more music lovers are discovering the benefits of higher quality streaming, while seasoned audiophiles are eager to explore the portable possibilities of their high-end headphones and IEMs.
The GO link Max is your plug-and-play gateway to incredible audio quality – simply connect, plug in your headphones, and immerse yourself in superior sound.
The balanced 4.4mm output is the perfect addition to all the features brought over from the multi award-winning GO link, offering simplicity and unrivalled portability when taking your high-end gear on the go.
Five Times More Headphone Power
When it comes to listening with headphones, modern portable devices such as smartphones are riddled with compromise. Many don’t have a headphone jack at all, and even the best adapters are severely limited in their output volume.
With the GO link Max, you can take the power back with up to 241mW of output, which is around five times more power than the headphone jack of a MacBook Pro.
More output doesn’t just mean more volume, though. But with the power of the GO link Max behind them, your headphones can articulate fine detail and definition in a way that’s simply not possible with a standard headphone output.
Smallest and Most Portable Balanced DAC Yet
The GO link Max is iFi Audio's smallest and most portable balanced DAC yet. Its balanced circuitry extends the interference elimination technology typically found in balanced audio cables, to the entire audio system.
iFi's proprietary S-Balanced technology brings this same advantage to the 3.5mm port, providing a superior single-ended experience exclusive to iFi. Every listener, regardless of their headphone choice, benefits from balanced design.
With both options at your fingertips in the GO link Max, you can enjoy crystal-clear detail and channel separation today and still be ready for tomorrow’s upgrades.
A Dedicated DAC Chip for Each Channel
At the heart of this pocket rocket lies a pair of the renowned ESS ES9219 Sabre DAC chips. With a DAC chip dedicated to each channel, each instrument is clearly separated and defined. Shut your eyes and you will feel the band playing on stage in front of you, with each musician precisely positioned.
The GO link Max then pushes performance further by adding some in-house iFi tech to ensure elimination of jitter and distortion for crystal clarity and refined musicality. Playlists will pull you in like never before, and you can look forward to that ‘just one more song’ feeling every time you listen.
"A No-Brainer"
"The GO Link Max is not another side grade of its predecessor but a totally revamped and more mature version of multiple award-winning GO Link. The IFI team has done a wonderful job by going with the same simple and functional design language of the GO Link," notes Aural Café, as reported at head-fi.org, November 20, 2024.
"So, if you are under a tight budget and out there in a market in search of a solid versatile portable, and reference source then GO Link Max is a no-brainer at $79 US."
According to David Becker at primeaudio.org, November 21, 2024, "The GO link Max stands out with its smooth presentation and outstanding resolution, a combination that makes it a pleasure to listen to on any occasion. If you’re looking for a solid dongle DAC without putting a strain on your wallet, I can confidently recommend this one."
Dynamic Range Enhancement – Enhanced Even Further
The Sabre DAC’s Dynamic Range Enhancement (DRE) allows for greater contrast between the loudest and quietest sound. Every crescendo rings louder and every intimate moment of quiet sits more peacefully, filling your listening sessions with the life, energy and immersion your music deserves.
The GO link Max pushes this further, combining DRE with iFi's own developments and enhancements. The result is an exceptional +6dB of additional dynamic range. To your ears, this effectively doubles the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds, so you can feel the soaring highs and deepest lows in your music, perfectly presented.
Gain Control, Lose Nothing
Digital volume controls are all too often the hidden enemy of modern hi-res audio. When you lower the volume on a phone, tablet, or computer, the output is lowered artificially by reducing data sent to the DAC – resulting in a significant loss of audio quality. While many dongle DACs accept this trade-off, iFi doesn't.
The GO link Max features a hardware-based volume control that overrides this typical behavior. When you adjust the volume on your device, the change occurs directly in the DAC chip. This ensures that maximum detail is retained, and you can enjoy the full richness of your hi-res music at any volume.
Flexible Design – Literally Flexible
The Go link Max's flexible design isn't just limited to what it does. It also includes how it does what it does from a convenience and practicality standpoint.
At one end of the GO link Max is a USB-C connector, and at the other is the DAC and headphone amp circuitry, both housed in robust yet lightweight magnesium alloy enclosures. In between is a 2.8" length of flexible cable. This allows the DAC/amp section to be angled towards you while reducing stress on the USB port to which the GO link Max is connected.
The cable linking both sections together uses silver-plated copper conductors with individual polymer insulation in a ‘twisted pair’ configuration. This rotational twist helps to optimize inductance and capacitance and also aids noise rejection. That means the GO link Max’s sound isn’t affected by electromagnetic interference picked up from nearby electrical sources.
