Louis evaluations the iFi audio GO hyperlink 2, an reasonably priced twin ESS dongle DAC with as much as 244mW of output energy for smartphone and iPhone customers. It’s at the moment priced at $59.00.
Disclaimer: I acquired this pattern in change for my sincere opinion. Headfonics is an impartial web site with no affiliate hyperlinks or providers. I thank iFi Audio for his or her help.
Click on right here to learn up on different iFi Audio merchandise now we have beforehand reviewed on Headfonics.
This publish adheres to our present scoring tips, which yow will discover right here.
iFi audio GO hyperlink 2 Overview
Abstract
With the fitting headgear, the iFi audio GO hyperlink 2 dongle DAC delivers a clear, dynamic sonic signature that does even higher in terms of soundstage and technical skills. Its worth can be fairly straightforward on the pocket.
Execs
Clear output with good staging skills.
Small in dimension in comparison with the unique and different dongles in the marketplace.
Straightforward on battery life.
Cons
Just for essentially the most environment friendly headphones and IEMs.
The packaging and unboxing expertise are subpar.
iFi audio not too long ago launched the GO hyperlink 2, a smaller model of the unique GO hyperlink dongle DAC, priced at $59.00 USD or £59.00 within the UK.
I’ll try to cowl all of the bases and discuss in regards to the GO hyperlink 2, referencing the unique mannequin to see if there have been any enhancements. Then, as regular, the aggressive comparability begins.
The dongle DAC amplifier market competitors is fierce on the funds degree, and there are many heavy hitters on the roster.
The iFi audio GO hyperlink 2 has to face out with one thing distinctive if it desires to be aggressive towards the likes of the Shanling UA1 Plus and SMSL’s D10. Going into this assessment, that’s what I hoped to establish.
Options
Let’s check out the internals. IFi Audio doesn’t specify what ESS Sabre chip they use, or what number of chips. However I’m nonetheless questioning why they’re not utilizing their tried-and-true Burr-Brown DAC as a lot. Not on their backside tier, at the least.
Within the digital realm, the GO hyperlink 2 misplaced the MQA functionality from its predecessor, however DXD is retained. It decodes bit-perfect DSD as much as DSD256 and PCM 384kHz.
I do like the truth that it comes with a Lightning adapter plus a full-size USB adapter. It signifies that nearly any piece of {hardware} on the market will work with the GO hyperlink 2 out of the field, giving the machine a excessive degree of versatility, and that provides worth.
Energy output has obtained to be one of many lowest numbers iFi audio has posted for any of their units. In reality, it solely beats the unique GO hyperlink by a small margin.
In accordance with iFi, the GO hyperlink 2 produces 79mW at Ω32, whereas the unique was able to producing 70mW on the similar impedance load. Each fashions equally publish up 14mW at 300Ω. I don’t suppose that 9mW would make a real-world distinction.
Design
The GO hyperlink 2 is made from a really light-weight precision-milled aluminum alloy, with small rubber pressure reliefs, and a braided, clear, non-removable cable that appears to be constructed with silver-plated strands.
My opinion is that the pressure reliefs are too tiny to guard the cable in any manner, and that spot seems to be a weak hyperlink in its building, plus it’s a non-removable cable. I simply hope it holds up.
The principle housing holds a single 3.5mm faucet that makes use of iFi audio’s S-Balanced topology, which improves crosstalk.
However I simply can’t keep in mind the final time I acquired an IEM with a 3.5mm TRRS balanced sort of connector, and it’s an unusual sort of connectivity to run into these days.
Though S-Balanced works with common TRS headphones and reduces crosstalk by 50% even with customary single-ended (TRS) 3.5mm headphones, I’d have favored to have seen a single 4.4mm as a substitute of the S-Balanced function.
And even higher, I’d have used the fourth pin to allow a TRRS with a microphone as a substitute. Both resolution would have been extra helpful.
The housing holds an LED which works as a multi-format indicator, altering shade in line with the format and bitrates it’s receiving, as another dongles have carried out.
The USB-C connector wears iFi branding, and on the opposite aspect, it wears the GO hyperlink badge.
It’s a chunky connector; much like a few of ddHiFi’s not too long ago launched cables, notably the TC03, and the cable that comes with the MOONRIVER 3 dongle. The connector itself has gentle gold plating, and it seems to be to be a customized connector.
iFi Nexis app
The Nexis app does detect the GO hyperlink 2, however it doesn’t do a lot for the machine. The one helpful operate it enables you to use is a few filters and a firmware replace function.
I did register the app, considering that it would open up some additional options, however it did nothing else. No adjustments passed off.
The app does allow a linear plus a hybrid filter, however the fast begin information reveals a further bypass mode, which I’ve not been in a position to entry. I attempted taping on the 2 accessible filters, and so they simply swap over from one to a different.
There’s apparently no manner of switching them off, and I can’t discover the way in which to activate that bypass filter. There are not any firmware updates accessible both. Maybe it’s an implementation that’s on the desk. The present working model is model 1.22.
There’s a quantity management throughout the app, and it does work, however it might have been good to have the ability to alter and set the max quantity there. However the app resets each time you disconnect the GO hyperlink 2 from the cell machine.
That means, it doesn’t maintain an adjustment, so it’s essential to deal with the GO hyperlink 2 as if the quantity defaults to 100% each time. It defaults to a default state that’s an accident ready to occur. All the time depend on the supply’s quantity management simply to be secure.
Packaging & Equipment
I’m sorry to be a complainer right here, however the GO hyperlink 2 packaging is subpar. It’s produced from a really skinny cardboard that won’t defend the contents. It’s nicely laminated, I can say that a lot.
To show the purpose, the full-sized USB adapter, for instance, that got here with my unit was crushed as a result of the field was crushed in transit, and I needed to seize a flat device to straighten it a bit.
Thank goodness nothing else was broken. The cardboard really has a strain imprint of the dongle itself upfront.
The skinny cardboard is formed with cutouts that maintain the contents in place, that are the dongle, two adapters, one full-sized and one terminated with a lightning connector. It’s beneficiant on connectivity and ensures that whoever buys one will be capable to use it out of the field.
The remainder of the content material is paperwork. There’s a quick-start information, one other pamphlet with some authorized mumbo jumbo, the customary iFi sticker, and an after-sales and MQA setup instruction pamphlet. However the GO hyperlink 2 will not be MQA succesful, oh nicely.
Sound Impressions
Abstract
The GO hyperlink 2 is a low-distortion, low-noise machine that caters to neutrality and soundstage, which was surprisingly good and a spotlight of its total sonic character. It sports activities a lean dynamic signature with low distortion.
From the bass to the treble, there’s an total sense of stability that doesn’t emphasize any space over one other. The midrange is easy, however it has an edge and tends to sound too abstracted. Or maybe I’m experiencing some type of ESS hump?
The bass frequencies have good observe distinction and skill to breed bass notes, however the energy output will not be sufficient in some instances, and is unable to provide any noticeable weight and punch.
The bass appears capped off at 20Hz since I examined a couple of IEMs that I’m positive are able to performing as little as 12Hz, and as soon as they reached 20Hz, they all of the sudden stopped producing bass with this dongle.
I’d have included a subsonic filter on this machine myself, because it helps in conserving output energy reserves, and is one thing helpful for this machine.
The midrange is expansive however centered, and ahead, however not too vigorous. They sound assertive with a boundless character that may paint a daring midrange sound.
The excessive frequencies have a privation for sharpness in that they sound a contact strained. There are occasions when the high-frequency notes are produced sharply and nicely outlined. Then there are occasions that they sound overwhelmed.
The bass and treble present the consequence of working out of driving energy, which is that this machine’s weak level. When you hold the quantity at a reasonable degree and use an environment friendly IEM, then no points.
Nonetheless, the GO hyperlink 2 sounds higher than any built-in cell machine output I’ve heard. It raises the bar on dynamics, frequency response, stability, and particularly soundstage.
Staging and Dynamics
The soundstage capabilities right here, together with the low noise flooring, are the spotlight of the GO hyperlink 2. The staging capabilities keep focus and place, with little or no smear or congestion, except it runs out of steam driving your IEMs.
It presents the listener with sufficient technical skill to current music in layers. The GO hyperlink 2 can place voices lifeless heart or wherever inside its given soundstage dimension, which is beneficiant however not abnormally giant.
The darkish background it paints sound on helps one distinguish what’s within the foreground. That permits you to pick background nuances with the fitting IEMs and a greater sense of pinpoint positioning throughout the soundstage.
Click on on web page 2 under for my really useful pairings and chosen comparisons.
