[Stevko]

Can this be run off an iphone ?

Inbuilt powerbank?:

Panasonic OS-CON caps totaling 5,410uF

 

[CANiSLAYu]

Doubt they would include a lighting OTG cable in the box if it didn’t work on iPhones. Additionally the website says “*Please note that the GO bar may not work with iPhones up to and including 6S when the phone battery is low (<30%).”

So it would seem any iPhone is fine if you’re above 30% battery or any iPhone 7 or newer regardless of battery level.

 

[7onyMustDive]

Very curios for any first impressions or reviews on this. Especially compared to the Questyle M15. One advantage to me since I use Tidal is this decodes MQA while the Questyle M15 renders it. Though I still don’t know the difference.

 

[Marlowe]

One advantage to me since I use Tidal is this decodes MQA while the Questyle M15 renders it. Though I still don’t know the difference.

Well, here's what I don't understand (and I apologize if this is somewhat off topic). AFAIK, only the Tidal Windows app allows you to turn off software MQA decoding in the app and let your decoder equipped DAC to do all the work. So when I use Tidal on my Windows laptop, I turn off decoding and let my Topping D90 (the old discontinued AKM 4499 version) do it; the display properly shows when it is playing an MQA track. However, for some reason unfathomable to me, unless I'm missing something (and I've looked really hard) neither the Android or iOS Tidal apps give you the option to turn off in-app software decoding. So when I use an iPad or Android device to stream Tidal to a Gustard X16 (which does MQA decoding) in another part of my apartment, the Tidal app decodes MQA before sending it to the DAC. The X16 does not show MQA but instead displays OFS (see below). I've tried sending Tidal to the Topping from an Android device and it also indicates OFS. So, if the Android and iOS apps always decode MQA in software is there any advantage to using a device with an MQA decoder unless you use it with the Windows app?

BTW, iFi happens to have a support article on this. OFS stands for Original Frequency Spectrum, but that is all I understand from the article. I have a BA and JD from two of the best schools in the US and I can't for the life of me parse the gibberish in that article.

 

[rlw6534]

Well, here's what I don't understand (and I apologize if this is somewhat off topic). AFAIK, only the Tidal Windows app allows you to turn off software MQA decoding in the app and let your decoder equipped DAC to do all the work. So when I use Tidal on my Windows laptop, I turn off decoding and let my Topping D90 (the old discontinued AKM 4499 version) do it; the display properly shows when it is playing an MQA track. However, for some reason unfathomable to me, unless I'm missing something (and I've looked really hard) neither the Android or iOS Tidal apps give you the option to turn off in-app software decoding. So when I use an iPad or Android device to stream Tidal to a Gustard X16 (which does MQA decoding) in another part of my apartment, the Tidal app decodes MQA before sending it to the DAC. The X16 does not show MQA but instead displays OFS (see below). I've tried sending Tidal to the Topping from an Android device and it also indicates OFS. So, if the Android and iOS apps always decode MQA in software is there any advantage to using a device with an MQA decoder unless you use it with the Windows app?

BTW, iFi happens to have a support article on this. OFS stands for Original Frequency Spectrum, but that is all I understand from the article. I have a BA and JD from two of the best schools in the US and I can't for the life of me parse the gibberish in that article.

OFS and MQA have to do with authentication (MQA vs MQA Studio), which is done in the first unfold. If the DAC does the first unfold, it can authenticate the MQA stream and will indicate "MQA". If the first unfold is done in software (by the app), the authentication is done before the DAC. Because the DAC doesn't do the authentication and doesn't know, it displays "OFS".

Note that there should be no difference in the final sound with either method.

 

[iFi audio]

...and we have our first GO bar review!

https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/blog...-ultraportable-dac-headphone-amplifier-review

 

[NYanakiev]

Interesting product. The gold one looks horrible, though..

 

[AudioAndCoffee]

Interesting product. The gold one looks horrible, though..

For china market ????

 

[HiFlight]

My Go Bar is scheduled to arrive tomorrow so I will post some OOTB impressions ASAP. Currently I have settled on my Cayin RU6 and Periodic Rhodium while my other dongles languish in their boxes.

 

[iFi audio]

...and we have our first GO bar review!

https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/blog...-ultraportable-dac-headphone-amplifier-review

In addition to the review above, several points are in order:

1. GO bar is the only dongle DAC/amp on the market that incorporates a 16-core XMOS chip, which turns it into a full MQA decoder device.
2. Given GO bar's size, well, its power output is second to none.
3. GO bar's entire enclosure is aluminium, even its bottom plate

 

[elicohen]

Just ordered one!

 

[Sebastien Chiu]

Can this be run off an iphone ?

Good question that hasn't been addressed so far. I'm guessing it won't work well due to the higher power draw.

I've been able to run mine no problem of my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Doubt they would include a lighting OTG cable in the box if it didn’t work on iPhones. Additionally the website says “*Please note that the GO bar may not work with iPhones up to and including 6S when the phone battery is low (<30%).”

So it would seem any iPhone is fine if you’re above 30% battery or any iPhone 7 or newer regardless of battery level.

We do include one!

We have that note to encourage users to keep that in mind when they are using their GO Bar.

For china market ????

It's not gold for the China market, it's a very limited release made to celebrate our upcoming 10-year anniversary!

Just ordered one!

Thanks! enjoy!

 

[Ham Sandwich]

Is the Standard filter a linear phase filter?

 

[vdim]

Well, here's what I don't understand (and I apologize if this is somewhat off topic). AFAIK, only the Tidal Windows app allows you to turn off software MQA decoding in the app and let your decoder equipped DAC to do all the work. So when I use Tidal on my Windows laptop, I turn off decoding and let my Topping D90 (the old discontinued AKM 4499 version) do it; the display properly shows when it is playing an MQA track. However, for some reason unfathomable to me, unless I'm missing something (and I've looked really hard) neither the Android or iOS Tidal apps give you the option to turn off in-app software decoding. So when I use an iPad or Android device to stream Tidal to a Gustard X16 (which does MQA decoding) in another part of my apartment, the Tidal app decodes MQA before sending it to the DAC. The X16 does not show MQA but instead displays OFS (see below). I've tried sending Tidal to the Topping from an Android device and it also indicates OFS. So, if the Android and iOS apps always decode MQA in software is there any advantage to using a device with an MQA decoder unless you use it with the Windows app?

BTW, iFi happens to have a support article on this. OFS stands for Original Frequency Spectrum, but that is all I understand from the article. I have a BA and JD from two of the best schools in the US and I can't for the life of me parse the gibberish in that article.

Is that problem with tidal app?
When you launch tidal, is app asked about access to your DAC?
If no, maybe USB audio player pro is your opinion for this moment

 

[iFi audio]

Is the Standard filter a linear phase filter?

As per GO bar's manual published here: https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GO-bar-User-Manual_Ver1.1_ok.pdf

...the product features four digital filters:

1. 'BP' (Cyan) Bit-Perfect: no digital filtering, no pre or post ringing
2. 'STD' (Red) Standard, modest filtering, modest pre and post ringing
3. 'MIN' (Yellow) Minimum phase, slow roll-off, minimum pre and post ringing
4. 'GTO' (White) Gibbs Transient-Optimised: upsampled to 352/384kHz, minimum filtering, no pre ringing, minimum post ringing

Thanks!