I am pleased to report that my Go-bar arrived earlier today and that I have had time to put it thru its paces to make certain all functions work as advertised. In no particular order, I can submit some comments and observations that may be of value to those considering purchasing.
First, I am certain most will want to know how it sounds! I have only had time so far to pair it with my Rai Penta (my daily driver) but I can say without doubt that it sounds really fine in all respects, easily to my ears the equal of my desktop components and surprisingly, better than my mid-fi DAPs.
The bass boost is quite subtle and adds just a pinch of added emphasis to the lower octave. Just the right amount, IMHO. The X-Space works really well, and seems to function more as a well-implemented crossfeed rather than a soundstage expander. I will likely use it most all the time as turning it off just seems to make the music sound less realistic.
I tried all 5 digital filters but could hear little, if any, difference. I just left it in the BP mode. All settings are saved between uses so no need to fiddle with adjustments prior to use.
Below are size comparisons between 5 of my dongles from Left to Right:
Earmen Sparrow, Questyle M12, Hidizs S9 Pro, iFi Go-bar, Cayin RU6
All 3 sockets provide a tight and secure grip on their respective cable so an accidental disconnect seems unlikely.
I did notice the unit being mildly warm after use but considerably less so than my Hidiz S9 Pro. I haven't yet observed a major hit on my phone battery.
The included case is a very nice touch as it takes little space andê holds both Go Bar and its cable. The Instruction card is printed on heavy stock and should hold up well. As the functions are quite intuitive, I suspect the instructions will not be needed much one becomes familiar with the unit.
I see this replacing my RU6 for daily use simply due to the many additional features and options. Sound wise, with no optional enhancements, I would be hard-pressed to pick one over the other as the SQ of both are superb!
So far, my only minor nits are that the printing on the back is very hard to read. Black on dark grey makes reading a challenge. Also, it is hard to tell the difference between the green MQA light and the cyan BP filter light.
Overall: WELL DONE, iFi