iFi Audio Go Link Max

Introduction

iFi Audio has been a pioneer in portable and affordable HiFi for many years. They design high-quality, price-competitive products, hailing from Southport, which are then manufactured in China. One of the HF&MS products of the year last year, 2024, was the GO Bar Kensai, an ultraportable headphone amplifier dongle in the same form factor, though a bit bigger, as this GO Link Max. The brilliant Kensai costs £449; however, this GO Link Max is just £79.

Design

This iFi Audio GO Link Max is a USB-C external ‘dongle’ DAC for use with a smartphone, tablet, laptop or other device with audio output. There is an iFi GO Link already, however this GO Link Max has a few improvements on the original. It has a slightly larger form factor and now offers the iFi balanced headphone 4.4mm output with less noise and crosstalk. This balanced output has improved power output of 241mW @32 Ohms versus the 70mW found in the original GO Link. Either way, the power output is greater than most laptops and smartphones, offering an enhanced headphone or IEM experience. The Max features dual ESS ES9219 Sabre DAC chips, one per channel.

I have noted that the GO Link Max now does not support MQA, where the GO Link does. I guess MQA is on the retreat at the moment with recent announcements. Tidal output is still possible despite this.

Quality

The GO Link Max dongle itself has a solid feel and a brushed soft-touch finish, in a blue-tinted grey colour. The cable between the USB-C connector is about 6cm, and this dongle cable is pliable and has a long-term feel.

Specification and Price

Performance

Review Equipment

I’m using my Pixel 8 Pro mainly with Qobuz and Tidal Apps installed. Bandcamp and Soundcloud are also on offer. On the move, I’m using either the Meze Audio ADVAR IEMs or the stupendous balanced FiiO FA19 IEMs. I still have the Meze Audio 105 AER, which I would call loungewear.

Physically

The dongle itself clicks in nicely to both my phone and the IEMs; it is pliable and easily slips into the pocket. It is comfortably smaller than a Dragonfly with a tail!

Meze Audio ADVAR

The ADVARs are my premium in-ears on the dog walk. When there is a new album, I prefer the ADVARs with the excellent iFi GO Blu.

At the desktop, the ADVARs are their usual lively selves, with plenty of snap and crispy high-resolution delivery. London Grammar’s Rooting for You (Qobuz 24-bit, 44.1kHz) loses little bass at the end of the track, but detail remains excellent in the ADVARs. The guitar finger slidey detail in Lou Doillon’s It’s You (feat. Cat Power, Qobuz 24-bit, 44.1 kHz) is just on point and retains audiophile credentials (listening for detail, not the music).

Overall, considering cables and phone flexibility, and given that there’s nothing in it (aside from price), I prefer the GO Blu, though fully wired always feels better in my ears.

FiiO FA19 with Balanced output from the GO Link Max

The FA19s are remarkable, with the 11-driver all-balanced Knowles armature design. Their low impedance makes them incredibly easy to drive, reflected in their performance, which has prodigious detail and a super low-end response. Coupled with that balanced low-noise feel, these IEMs should be a perfect match for the iFi Audio GO Link Max. And indeed, they are.

The balanced output from the FA19s is deeper than the ADVARs. The low-end finish to Rooting for You has greater heft, requiring the volume to be reduced. Such is the response.

Focal Azurys/Bathys MG (both wired)

I’ve just received the Focal Bathys MG and I’m loving these headphones at the moment. Yes, I know they’re wireless, but they are definitely coming through better wired in DAC mode. Using them wired with the supplied 3.5mm cable and the iFi Audio GO Link Max, the Magnesium MG dome has a crisp and clear upper range. I also know it is not the done thing to match a thousand-pound pair of headphones with a 79-quid USB Dongle. In this case, though, it shows the potential of the GO Link to pair it with the Bathys MG, which are performing nicely in concert with the GO Link.

It is, perhaps, more realistic to pair the Go Link Max with the wired Focal Azurys, and these too are very smooth indeed, but not a patch on the Bathys Mg. Returning to Rooting for You, the Bathys MG has a lovely bass response that is deep and meaningful, if a fraction is loose. The Azurys simply do not get that low, though they have a good go at it. The Go Link is not built for the Bathys, and I have needed to turn them up a bit more, but you can get close to the claimed 10 kHz.

Meze Audio 105 AER

The 105s are a nice partner at the desktop with the smartphone and the GO Link Max. With a high sensitivity, the 105s perform well, offering the resolution demanded by both the music and the GO Link, which does not miss a beat.

Thoughts

I’m a big user of the GO Blu, which costs a bit more than the GO Link Max at £199, but as I’ve said, there’s not much in it aurally. On a train, I’m usually going with the MoJo 2, but this GO Link Max is so simple to use and convenient that maybe things are changing. I loved the iFi Audio Kensai, which was similarly convenient, but that is five times the price for the gain in performance and energy output.

Overall

The GO Link Max is a great all-rounder in the house or on the move with a lively sound at a very competitive price point. The various headphones and IEMs have performed at their level comfortably, and I’ve had no complaints.