iFi GO link Max Portable USB Balanced DAC Headphone Amplifier

Portability. Versatility. Maximised.

Our smallest DAC gets its biggest upgrade.

Small Size, Big Difference.

Hi-Res music is more accessible than ever, with a growing number of streaming services bringing high quality audio to the masses.

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 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 favourite music while including features that set the stage for your audio journey.

For seasoned enthusiasts, 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.

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.

Pocket Powerhouse.

When it comes to listening with headphones, modern portable devices such as smartphones are riddled with compromise. Many don’t have a headphone socket 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 5 times more power than the headphone socket of a MacBook Pro.

More output doesn’t just mean more volume, though. 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.

5x
more headphone power
GO link Max Output: 241mW
MacBook Pro output*: 49mW
*Calculated at 32 ohms according to Apple’s stated RMS voltage

Bringing the Balance.

The GO link Max is our smallest and most portable balanced DAC yet.

The GO link Max’s balanced circuitry extends the interference elimination technology typically found in balanced audio cables, to the entire audio system.

Our 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 available in the GO link Max, you can enjoy crystal-clear detail and channel separation today and still be ready for tomorrow’s upgrades.

Little DAC, Big Heart.

At the beating 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.

We then push performance further by adding some in-house tech of our own, 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 moreish music that gives you that ‘just one more song’ feeling every time you listen.

Dynamic Delight.

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.

With the GO link Max, we push this further, combining DRE with our 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 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, at iFi, we don’t settle for less – even in our most accessible product.

The GO link Max features a hardware-based volume control that overrides this typical behaviour. 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.

Hi-Res True Native® playback of all music formats from MP3 to DSD256, PCM384 and DXD384.

Discrete ESS Sabre Hyperstream DAC chipset with time domain jitter eliminator, discrete oscillator and 112dB dynamic range for discerning listeners.

It is a superior method to the traditional single-ended circuit approach. Balanced circuits reduce noise and crosstalk. Less Interference – clearer sound.

You normally find this set-up in products at the higher end of the price spectrum such as the Pro iCAN Signature but iFi is now using this across its range to produce the best quality audio for all our customers.

In music production, dynamic range means the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds. It’s measured in decibels, or dB for short. In a single audio track, dynamic range means the dB difference between the loudest and quietest moment in the audio file.

You can think of the dynamic range in a system as the space between the noise floor and the clipping point. When a sound goes below the noise floor you won’t be able to tell the difference between the signal and the system noise of the medium. When a sound goes above the clipping point, the tops of its waveform will get abruptly cut off, causing harshness and distortion.

iFi’s proprietary technology extends the Dynamic Range by 6 dB or more, for an improved listening experience.

iFi’s exclusive S-Balanced® circuit delivers maximum performance from single-ended and balanced headphones alike.

See our Tech Note to dig deeper.