iFi audio GO Bar - The Best Pocketable HiFi System, Bar None!

[Eylrik]

Sorry for the banality of the advice, but, when the problem arises, have you tried inserting the male USBC connector by reversing it?

Yes I have

 

[991 Carrera 4S]

@iFi audio

Do iFi GO link and/or iFi GO bar support in-line microphone (4-pole 3.5mm CTIA TRRS)?

 

[iFi audio]

@iFi audio

Do iFi GO link and/or iFi GO bar support in-line microphone (4-pole 3.5mm CTIA TRRS)?

Not in any way that I am aware of, but that doesn't mean no. I will check on this for you, but I don't recall anyone ever mentioning it.

Cheers!!

 

[991 Carrera 4S]

Not in any way that I am aware of, but that doesn't mean no. I will check on this for you, but I don't recall anyone ever mentioning it.

Cheers!!

Any official/quotable update on this?

 

[iFi audio]

I am told at this time they do not, sorry for any delay in answering.

Cheers!!

 

[BS5711]

Thanks, will open a ticket as nothing has worked so far…

Did you make any progress with the lack of connection ?

Oddly my iPhone 15 Pro stopped connecting to my Go Bar and a ddhifi DAC, I didn’t try any other powered devices.

I just turned the phone off for 30 seconds then rebooted it and it connected again without a problem.

 

[Eylrik]

Did you make any progress with the lack of connection ?

Oddly my iPhone 15 Pro stopped connecting to my Go Bar and a ddhifi DAC, I didn’t try any other powered devices.

I just turned the phone off for 30 seconds then rebooted it and it connected again without a problem.

Unfortunately no progress at all.
I contacted the ifi support (which is very nice and responsive btw) and they proposed me to send the device to their repair center.
They think that the unit is draining too much power for the iphone to work properly.
It looks like they can do something about it.

 

[OM hawk]

Just upgraded from Go Bar to Gold Bar. After testing it out with various music I'm familiar with on Deezer, I'll say I agree with the reviewers who say the Gold Bar is significantly better sounding, but not dramatically better. It is a similar but clearly better version of how the normal uhhh... Dark Turquoise Bar sounds. The nature of that difference is essentially: more details, more clarity. So anyone who likes how the Go Bar sounds with a given headphone, you will like the Gold Bar more, the synergy will be the same but better.

I haven't heard the other two most expensive dongle dacs, the Luxury & Precision W4, and iBasso DC Elite, but I imagine the Gold Bar is closer to their level of performance than the regular Go Bar. I'd love to hear comparisons if anyone reading this has a Gold Bar and one of those other two "Big Three" TOTL dongles.

The weight of the Gold Bar is wild for something so small. It feels more solid and serious compared to the normal Go Bar, despite being just as tiny. Thing is packed to the gills!

 

[wolfen68]

I also prefer the Gold Bar and appreciate its warmer/fuller presentation (especially with my IEMs). The regular version is also great and not that far away in comparison.

 

[iFi audio]

Just upgraded from Go Bar to Gold Bar. After testing it out with various music I'm familiar with on Deezer, I'll say I agree with the reviewers who say the Gold Bar is significantly better sounding, but not dramatically better. It is a similar but clearly better version of how the normal uhhh... Dark Turquoise Bar sounds. The nature of that difference is essentially: more details, more clarity. So anyone who likes how the Go Bar sounds with a given headphone, you will like the Gold Bar more, the synergy will be the same but better.

I haven't heard the other two most expensive dongle dacs, the Luxury & Precision W4, and iBasso DC Elite, but I imagine the Gold Bar is closer to their level of performance than the regular Go Bar. I'd love to hear comparisons if anyone reading this has a Gold Bar and one of those other two "Big Three" TOTL dongles.

The weight of the Gold Bar is wild for something so small. It feels more solid and serious compared to the normal Go Bar, despite being just as tiny. Thing is packed to the gills!

Thanks so much for your thoughts here, I am sure the community appreciates it as much as we do!

Cheers!!

 

[OM hawk]

I also prefer the Gold Bar and appreciate its warmer/fuller presentation (especially with my IEMs). The regular version is also great and not that far away in comparison.

Yeah, I will also add that at first I thought it was more neutral (brighter, less warm) than the original Go Bar, but after I burned it in about 30 hours or so, it now sounds like the original Go Bar, which is to say a bit on the euphonic, warm smooth side of things, but not so much that detail retrieval is negatively affected, to my ears. There is some smoothness in the treble, and some warmth in the mids, which is more evident with Xbass activated, and I always keep it on and it's freakin awesome.

I was just watching some anime on my little portable Gold Bar/Hiby R5 microstack with Xbass and Xspace on, (My Hero Academia) and oh my God... despite being a midrange closed back headphone amped by something the size of a cigarette lighter, it legitimately sounds big and cinematic, and the bass just does not sound "portable" if you get what I mean. Well defined and articulated, but meaty and buttery, thunderous and super deep. Decadent bass. I also watched a couple episodes of the 1990s Highlander TV show, which was a surprisingly fulfilling audiophile experience, despite being super low res visually, it sounded very very good.

 

[gstar3301]

Both my Go Bars have somehow stopped adjust correctly to the bit and sample rate it’s receivin ie the led light remains on 44/48 regardless of higher indicator from source!

 

[BS5711]

Both my Go Bars have somehow stopped adjust correctly to the bit and sample rate it’s receivin ie the led light remains on 44/48 regardless of higher indicator from source!

Is the source Tidal ?

There seems to be a bit of a glitch with recent app updates.

 

[gstar3301]

Is the source Tidal ?

There seems to be a bit of a glitch with recent app updates.

Just checked with again and it’s displaying correctly. Apple Music

 

[OM hawk]

I am continually wowed at how good something so small can make my Neumann NDH20s sound. I'm having a very special custom high end headphone cable made for this rig, which might be the best cable anyone ever plugged into an NDH20, palladium coated silver, serious business. But honestly it already sounds incredible. Anything above this level of fidelity coming out of a teensy dongle is just gonna blow my mind.