iFi GO Blu

Headphone amplifier/bluetooth DAC

The new portable GO blu Bluetooth DAC/headphone amplifier is small enough to take with you wherever you go! It gives you the best sound wired, but also wirelessly because you no longer need to be cable-connected to your smartphone. The GO blu is the perfect companion. It pairs wirelessly with your source device via Bluetooth, and you don't have to worry about having the right cable for your Android or Apple device. The device is really small, measuring 55x34x13mm and weighing only 26g.

The iFi GO Blu uses Qualcomm's latest quad-core QCC5100 Bluetooth chip, which supports all current Bluetooth audio formats, including: aptX Adaptive and aptX HD, LDAC, and HWA/LHDC. This means that all possible source devices are handled with the highest precision allowed by their Bluetooth specifications. No other pocket-sized DAC/amplifier offers such comprehensive codec support or high-quality audio via Bluetooth. The GO blu is Bluetooth v5.1 compatible, ensuring the best possible range, stability, and performance. Its "Bluetooth engine" can be updated wirelessly.

Whether you use unbalanced or balanced headphones, you'll get the least noise and best channel separation for the most enjoyable music. The GO blu amplifier has a Pentaconn 4.4 mm output, which allows headphones with a balanced connection to take full advantage of the GO blu's balanced amplifier design. In addition, there is a 3.5 mm output that uses iFi's proprietary S-Balanced circuit. This reduces crosstalk and associated distortion, which is especially useful with highly sensitive headphones. Both outputs are gold-plated to prevent contamination and thus maintain optimal contact.

The amplifier produces up to 5.6 V of voltage, easily handling even relatively demanding headphone loads. To match the signal strength to the sensitivity of the connected headphones, automatic gain adjusts the output by 6 dB up or down. Further sound customization is provided by two user-selectable features familiar to users of iFi's other portable headphone amplifiers. The first is XBass, a sophisticated "bass boost" that enhances low frequencies without making the mid-range muddy, which is particularly useful for headphones and open-back headphones that may lack deep bass. The second is XSpace, a setting designed to compensate for the "in-head localization" that can occur when listening to music mixed on speakers with headphones, expanding the headphone's soundstage and providing a more spacious, speaker-like experience. Both optional settings operate entirely in the analog domain rather than mixing the digital signal using DSP (Digital Signal Processing), and can be switched in or out of the signal path.

Lightweight, with a soft polymer casing and copper-colored ChronoDial-style controls, the GO blu is a joy to use anywhere. iFi has even included a high-quality chip-based (CMOS-MEMS) microphone, enabling hands-free calls, voice chat for gaming, and access to voice assistants like Apple Siri and Google Assistant.

Adding to its flexibility is the USB-C charging port, which also functions as an audio input, allowing for a USB connection from source devices that do not offer Bluetooth connectivity. The Go blu supports high-resolution PCM audio data up to 24-bit/96 kHz when the GO blu is connected in this way. Battery life is approximately eight hours depending on headphone power requirements, volume, etc.

Technical specifications:

• Chipset Qualcomm QCC 5100 series
• Inputs:
  • Wireless Bluetooth 5.1 (AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, LDAC, LHDC/HWA Codec)
  • Wired USB-C up to 24/96 kHz
• Headphone outputs:
  • Balanced 4.4 mm
  • UnBal 3.5 mm
• Output power:
  • Balanced 245mW @ 32Ω; 5.6V @ 600Ω
  • UnBal 165mW @ 32Ω; 2.8V @ 600Ω
• Output impedance:
  • Balanced <1Ω
  • UnBal <1Ω
• SNR:
  • Balanced 111dBA
  • UnBal 106.5 dBA
• DNR: 120dB (A) (BAL/UnBAL)
• THD + N:
  • Balanced <0.009% (6.5 mW/2.0 V @ 600 Ω)/
  • UnBal <0.03% (100 mW/1.27 V @ 16 Ω)
• Frequency response: 20Hz - 45kHz (-3dB)
• Battery: Lithium-polymer 450mAh approx. ~ 10 hours
• Power system: Charging via USB-C, BC V1.2 compatible with max 1000 mA charging current and 6.3 volts
• Dimensions: 55 x 34 x 13 mm
• Weight: 26 g