Well, here it is. I'll likely be editing it a bit as I spot things I don't like, but you guys can consider it 99.9999% done.
Hopefully it looks ok. I'm out of practice.
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iFi GO blu
Price as of August 2022: $199.00
Where to Buy: ifi-audio, Amazon, and many other places.
Disclaimer: The iFi GO blu was paid entirely out of pocket, as I was interested in the product for personal reasons (particularly portable use with my Koss clip on headphones). I did initially send iFi a message to see if they'd be willing to send one out for review, but after an initial response, they got back to me a bit too late. I had already purchased it, and don't have the intention on returning it. Probably spoilers, but anyways.
As always, whether products are sent to me or not, I do my best in being 100% honest with my views and opinions. If I don't like a product, I will refuse to write a review of it, or at the very least mention what I don't like about them, though I like to focus on products that people would like or at the very least are interested in. The only bias I have is to my readers. No one, iFi or otherwise, paid or asked me for anything.
Intro
Hi guys, been some time since my last review! Why am I reviewing a miniature, portable bluetooth/usb amp/dac? Initially, I just wanted something to write about, as it had been so long since I've done a review. Well, really, I bought the GO blu on a whim due to the ever increasing frequency of my travels lately. It wasn't something I had concrete plans to review, but I figured why not? It'd be nice to just put thoughts on digital paper again.
Once the GO blu arrived, I realized this little thing is absolutely worth talking about. However, a warning to those who would expect some regular BT dac/amp review: That is not my forte, and I'm going to approach this in a more casual manner. I'm not going to be focus on its raw sound quality performance, nor comparisons to other gear in terms of its sound.
My expectations for it or any dac/amp is to sound close to neutral and sound great. That's all I need from it, sound-wise. Sound is a transducer's main role, and that's where I place the most importance in terms of what I'm actually hearing. I expect the Blu to let the transducers work well enough to do their job. No more, no less. So curb expectations on extensive sound impressions. Ok? Moving on.
As mentioned earlier, I have found myself travelling quite a bit for events, and wanted to step up my portable audio game. Not much mind you, but mainly because I had been mostly limited to plugging in my Portapro on KSC75 clips directly to my phone via the USB port through some USB to 3.5mm dongle (JSAUX brand). Hey, that little dongle has gotten me through thick and thin these past few years when I worked as a security guard overnights in the middle of downtown Orlando. However, I forgot it one trip and had to pony up for an Apple dongle from the airport, and found it was far, FAR inferior to that JSAUX dongle in terms of volume output through my phone. No bueno. Thankfully, once I got back home, my faithful JSAUX dongle was there waiting for me.
As much as I love the thing, I'm annoyed at needing to choose whether I listen to my headphones, or charge the phone (I do know of dongles that have a type C input and 3.5mm input, so you can charge and listen at the same time, but naaaaaaaaah).
I'm far off the rails here. In any case, my Koss Portapros were MMCX modded by fellow head-fier
@Zerousen back in the day, and figured I may as well start looking for MMCX Bluetooth cables I could use. Everything I've found online had the IEM ear hook curvature that wouldn't look right with the Koss clip-ons, and so I gave up on that particular search.
Then I heard about products like the Fiio BTR5, and Qudelix 5K. These things were right up my alley. Connect my wired headphones to a device that is wirelessly connected to my source? TELL ME MORE. I was already sort of accustomed to this type of device with my Astro Mixamp 5.8, which is a zero lag gaming dac/amp from about 10 years ago. It has a very... uh, noticeable noise floor (she's a HISSY lady), but for my purpose of late night, bedtime TV listening, she's fine enough indeed.
However, I needed something outside of home use. My mind was set. I'm getting me a portable BT dac/amp for my beloved travel companions This led me down a rabbit hole of studying what would best fit my needs and then some. I mean, I'm already going to spend a hundo or more on this, this thing better do some thangz, though really, not MUCH. If it's going to be Bluetooth, I immediately thought up of some things I'd like it to have:
A low latency codec support, preferably Apt-X Low Latency
Apt-X HD or LDAC for that crispy clean audio
That's pretty much it really. I'm easy to please, I guess. Now, Apt-X low latency isn't typically something receiver devices like these BT dac/amps will mention. That's something a transmitter will have to mention. Luckily plenty of cheap Apt-X transmitters that do Low Latency modes, so I'm squared away there (eventually, if I feel the need to use it wirelessly at home, which isn't a pressing necessity).
At first, I was set on either the Fiio BTR5+ or Qudelix 5K. but then I saw a little thing called the iFi GO blu. What's this? It's plug and play AND has a volume knob? Whelp... sorry to the other two, you lost me at digital buttons. Let me be clear here in saying the GO blu HAS a bunch of technologies (like Direct Drive) that we are not directly adjusting, and I'd welcome you to check out the
product page for all that, but I'm here as a simple consumer that just wants something simple despite what is laying underneath.
Was I really going to spend nearly double JUST because it has a volume knob? Well...yes, yes I was. It's like that, sometimes. In hindsight, there are other Bluetooth portable dac/amps that also have a volume wheel, but I found out about them after the GO blu arrived. I may have gone that route, but I still feel that even at the price, the GO blu is worth investigating. Besides, it's painless and simplistic, and that's how I like my gear. Set it and forget it.
What's In the Box?
The GO blu comes in a fairly small white box, which I'm quite pleased with. No waste of space here or packaging excess here. It comes with a small (carton?) quick start guide, a little folded document with some misc information you may need, and the main contents.
iFI GO blu - I'll speak of the unit more in the build section, but man, is she small.
USB-C to USB-A cable - About a 6" cable plug to plug. Not sure I'd get much use out of such a short cable, though with the welcome surprise of the GO blu being a usb dac/amp as well, it could be nice to use with the laptop. I do wish it had a bit more cable slack.
Microfiber protective pouch - This is nice to have if you plan on storing the unit for some length of time, though since I expect to use this heavily when I'm on trips, there won't be much reason to put it away in a pouch, personally. I would've preferred it include a case, though you'll have to pony up $30 or so for
iFi's official case for it, which I feel is a bit steep for what you get. Ah well.
All in all, the contents in the package are satisfactory, though I would've preferred at least a 1ft cable, and a case instead of the pouch.
Note: I did purchase the GO Blu Case, with clip, and found it to be somewhat disappointing. The case is fine in terms of protecting the main body of the unit (not so much the knob), but I was disappointed by it's clip, which doesn't have that much tension, and find the 'overhanging 'notch' that should grip and hold the clip in place to be too small. It doesn't latch onto my belt, or even my shirt securely enough. Seriously, the purpose to have a clip is so you can have it latch onto a belt or a shirt, and it just doesn't do that well. So I opted to return it, for some Miter case on Amazon with a hoop and lanyard. Not sure how I'll secure the Blu with that, but I'll take that instead of a non-functioning clip.
Build Quality
The blu is a tiny little wonder. It certainly looks sleek and attractive. I wouldn't certainly wouldn't kick a bigger version of this design as a more serious dac/amp out of bed. She pretty.
Size:
Woah. Just woah.
I did NOT expect the GO blu to be THIS small! I would've preferred something a little larger, if mainly because this thing is so tiny, I am in constant fear of losing it. Thank GOODNESS the 4.4mm input is so grippy. The unit doesn't detach from whatever is plugged into it without some considerable intent to unplug. As long as my headphones are connected to this thing, she's likely not going anywhere but wherever my headphones are.
Weight:
It weighs nothing. I mean it. It may as well state 0g. Ok, not that crazy, (the product page states 26g). There's some feeling of density in that tiny body, but really, the Blu is as light as it is small. Apparently, it weighs less than a single AA battery. I believe it. What I'm implying here is, if you have the unit in your pocket, don't expect to KNOW it's there based on weight. You'd lose the unit long before noticing the weight. Can't say if that's a good thing or bad. I think I'd feel better had it carried some heft to it. Not everything in this world needs to be as small and weightless as possible. Not that I blame iFi here. For every person that wants some weight, I'm sure there are two that don't.
Front:
The Blu's soft-touch polymer body has a sleek brushed metal-esque front with the iFi branding, and black polymer accent on the right side, with the side mounted wheel on the top right as the defining feature. There's nothing else outside of this, and personally, there doesn't need to be. Sure, other models would have some fancy OLED screen, or other indicators, but I, for one like the discreet, no nonsense look. Again, I want to keep it as simple as possible, and this works for me.
Bottom:
Not much to say here. You'll find the FCC sticker, Hi-Res Audio Wireless badge, QR code for the product page, and there's some stealthy text you'll only see if you shine a light on the unit showcasing where the Power button is, the settings button, and other miscellaneous info.
Sides:
Power button- On the left side (if you were to lay the Blu down), all you get is a simple button. This button obviously turns the unit off/on and if you double-tap while the Blu is ON and connected through Bluetooth, it informs you (in a very attractive, British female voice), the current BT codec in use.
Settings/pairing button - The right side holds a button which toggles between the Xbass and Xspace settings, as well as put the device into pairing mode when long pressing. My only gripe here is that this I wish the button was placed more towards the center, just like the Power button is on the other side, as it's far too close to the knob, and I find myself accidentally pressing it all the time by accident. It's not a big deal and I do understand why they offset the button, to at least differentiate it from the other button, though I feel it would've worked best with the Power button being the offset button, with this this button being the one more centralized on the side, further away from the knob. Maybe something for a future version. I'll speak of the settings functions in a later section.
Multi-function Knob - On the top corner on the right side of the unit is the multi-function knob, and oh what a lovely knob it is. It's not a smooth, free-flowing wheel, so it's not going to accidentally go full blast without some effort in adjustment. As you turn the wheel, it has an audible click as well, which adds to the tactile feel. There needs to be some intent for the wheel to actually move steps. It sounds and feels great to adjust.
Functions:
Volume control - adjusts volume in 2 step increments out of 100 on Windows, system-tied. On my Galaxy android phone it is also tied to the system volume (in Bluetooth mode, not USB mode), though it offers much, much more granularity than the volume buttons on my phone.
Play/Pause (short clock/pressing in on the center)
Skip forward (two clicks in)
Skip (three clicks)
Wake up voice assistant (long press)
Of course the only real feature I care about here is the actual volume adjustment. After all, it's the specific reason I chose the blu over the competitors, so it better be good, and it IS.
You would think there's not MUCH of a reason to adjust the volume on the unit when you can just do it on your phone (if on the go), but I found the granular adjustment much more appealing than the large steps on my phone's volume adjustment. Even if I'm literally holding the phone in my hands, I instinctively reach into my pocket to adjust the volume on the blu instead. On PC with the blu as my USB dac/amp, I feel less inclined to control the unit, mainly due to having a keyboard with a volume knob. As the blu is tied to system volume, the keyboard works just as well.
Bottom:
USB port - Moving to the bottom of the unit, we start with type C port which charges the unit as well as provide the usb dac/amp functionality.
LED indicator - To the right of the USB port is an led battery level indicator. Green is over 60% charge, Yellow is between 10% and 60%, and Red means you're low in battery (below 10%). It will also flash when charging.
Microphone - Next to the LED indicator is the built in microphone. Wait... what? I had NO idea this thing had a microphone! Nice! But wait, how effective can the blu be as a microphone, when it's almost guaranteed to be in the pants pocket? I really don't know. We'll find out together, I guess!
Factory Reset button - Not much to say here, but to the left side of the USB port is a reset button, which you'll need a needle to press in for 3+ seconds.
Top:
3.5mm port
4.4mm balanced pentaconn port
Sound effect mode indicator and bluetooth status led indicator
Final Thoughts On Build:
I believe the iFi GO blu is very well built, with a handsome design, and relatively great physical functionality.
I'd have preferred a dac/amp closer to the size of a credit card, and there's a few changes I'd like to see for a future model like some shifts in button placement (though with space at a premium, it's probably the best they could do). Really though, those are very minor things that don't affect much in the way of seeing the blu as a physically fantastic design in all aspects. Outside of the molding line on the sides that splits the unit evenly, she looks and feels like quality.
Ease Of Use
I'm of two minds when it comes to audio products. Either keep it simple, or throw as many options as possible. I like both approaches, but greatly prefer the simple stuff.
The blu falls into the latter camp, and I'm all for it. There's nothing to configure or mess with outside of what's on the unit itself, which isn't much. Yes, for those who love to tweak all aspects of their sound, you may be better off with the BTR5+ or 5K, but I generally prefer my dac/amps as dumb as possible. I want to be able to take it out of the box, turn it on, connect it to my source, and it just WORKS as intended. That's precisely what the blu does. Plug and play. No software, no max abundance of settings, no guesswork.
I don't want to know what digital filter is used in the DAC. I don't care. Does it sound good? Cool. that's all I need to know. It doesn't have EQ? Oh well, there's 8 million apps that do that if I really need it. Outside of the simple bass boost and spatial enhancement toggle, that's really all that is necessary to me.
With that out of the way, there are some things like my propensity to hit the sound effects button by accident, which then toggles on the subtle bass boost (as I generally leave it off, so it's the first setting that gets enabled by accident).
Connectivity
I may have jumped into getting the blu mainly for the purpose of using it for portable bluetooth purposes, but to my surprise, the blu is quite a handy little dac/amp with considerable versatility in its connectivity. It actually makes a compelling case for being a pretty nifty gaming dac/amp as well! Of course, $200 is not something gamers will balk at like it's nothing, but if you were already considering the blu for any reason, just know that it has some tricks up its sleeve that you may not have been aware of, just as I wasn't.
1. USB Dac/Amp
Through the USB type C interface, the GO blu can be used as a standard USB DAC/AMP like any other. Any device that accepts USB Audio will pick up the blu, including game consoles like the PS4 and PS5!
Considering the PS5 only accepts UAC1, either the blu is a UAC1 device, or has auto-switching. Perhaps someone out there knows, and if so, I will update the findings here. The blu can also go up to 2ch 24bit/96khz for Hi-Res audio playback. My Samsung Note 20 Ultra also picked it up via USB C to USB C cable, and is picked up as a 'Headset'.
My phone's system volume and blu's volume knob are not tied to one another, so I'd need to max out phone volume, while controlling the volume with the blu. I'm sure most people aren't likely to use the blu hardwired to their phones and would opt for the bluetooth connection instead. At least the option is here, and I could see it being valid for gamers that don't want to deal with bluetooth latency. I'm unsure if there are actual handheld devices that output Apt-X Low Latency directly.
2. Bluetooth
This is the blu's likely main method of use for most people, in which they're treated with a very reliable device. The product page states that the blu accepts everything from SBC, AAC, Apt-X "Classic" (as the voice prompt states), Apt-X Low Latency, Apt-X HD, and LDAC connections. It also mentions Apt-X Adaptive and HWA/LHDC, though I can't verify these on my end.
In my findings, the connection has been rock solid on all codecs (though I'll have some random hitches with Apt-X LL, though not sure if it's related to the unit, or the BT transmitter that was outputting Apt-X Low Latency. Even those are quite minor. I'd have try multiple transmitters to truly know if it's the blu, or something else.
To my surprise, my 2021 LG C1 OLED TV output Bluetooth through Apt-X, instead of the bare minimum SBC.
One thing that the GO blu has assured me of, it's that any amp/dac I'd ever consider in the future BETTER have bluetooth capabilities. I think we're at a point where certain versatility is a must, and the option of bluetooth for on the go use is now a requirement. All portable amp/dac makers better listen. The GO blu has spoiled me with this, and I can't believe people buy portable amp/dacs that don't have this feature. It needs to be a core function. The GO blu may not have a million features, but this one is integral, and thankfully, iFi has provided us with a fantastic implementation.
Range
BT range is also pretty great for my needs. I tested the GO blu being on opposite ends of my source in my home with multiple walls, without drops or connection issues. I had to step outside and move quite a ways away to get the connection to drop. Personally, I don't plan on using my Blu farther than about 20 feet max from my source, so for my needs, it's 10/10 perfect.
Latency
Bluetooth latency is variable depending on codec, and I'm generally fine with Apt-X or Apt-X HD/LDAC for normal content, though I definitely would need Apt-X Low Latency for any legitimate gaming needs. The responsiveness of Apt-X LL is perfectly fine, though I wouldn't want anything worse in terms of response.
Battery Life
In the interest of time, and getting the review out sometime this decade, I was unable to extensively test the battery life. iFi states that you'll get around 8hrs on average, though it largely depends on the headphones used, and the volume level. I don't expect to have much issues in terms of using the Blu on the go for travel, as I'd mainly use an easy to drive PortaPro at around half volume output or less, and I'm very good at charging my electronics once I hit a hotel. Of course, I think portable devices should have 12-16hrs for some headroom, hence why I'd be much more interested in seeing iFi come up with a beefier version of this design with double the battery life, at a larger footprint.
The great thing about the Blu is that you can fully charge the unit in less than an hour, so I would be fine chucking it into my backpack or pocket with a portable charger for 20 minutes here or there to get the vast majority of the battery life back to deal with the rest of the day. Not ideal, but really, not something I'd be annoyed with really. I was already used to doing that with my heavy phone usage.
If you're extremely lazy when it comes to charging, then yeah, perhaps it may come up at least once if you have a very long travel day.
Amplification/Sound
I don't expect anyone to take me seriously in terms of what the tiny little GO blu can power, and I may not have the most demanding headphones out there. So take that as you will.
Let me state that 99.9% of my listening was done through the 4.4mm balanced input, because well... I want to utilize the blu to its fullest, and don't feel like nerfing its performance by utilizing it's lesser powered single ended connection. If you care about that, the blu does provide a nice amount of power with the unbalanced connection, and you may even gain a bit more battery life doing so. But hey, this is my first 4.4mm balanced amp, and by golly, I'm gonna use it in that way! Be prepared to need about 7-8 more volume steps on the physical knob (15 or so digital values) to eek out the same amount of volume from the single-ended connection.
From sensitive headphones like the Audeze LCD-1, LCD-X, Focal Elex, and Koss PortaPro, I found the Blu to provide ample volume with plenty to spare to each of these. They all sounded plenty dynamic and not lacking in what I'd consider to be drivability, though it may not be considered the optimal experience.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, the hardest headphones I currently have to drive are the LCD-2 and LCD-5 as far as current hungry, and Sennheiser 6XX as voltage hungry. I found the little GO Blu to provide a satisfactory experience on all fronts, though again, you may want to invest in something a bit more substantial for these headphones to eek out the most out of them. That being said, I had a great enough experience with the GO blu, certainly enough for casual listening were I'm not bothered with extracting the last bit of performance. Like laying in bed and listening to any of these headphones without the cabling required for 'optimal' amplification. Sometimes, I just don't care, and the blu allows me to enjoy these headphones in that manner. Who's gonna yell at me that I'm not using a $5000 setup to get these headphones to sound perfect? I'm in BED, in my boxers, listening to LCD-5s on an amp the size of my thumb, and there's nothing you can do to stop me.
In all seriousness, I felt the hardest thing to drive in terms of volume output was the 6XX/LCD-5, and there was pleeeeenty to spare. Of course, volume =/= transient drivability, but I had a good time with the blu, and that's all that matters. Besides, I don't expect many of you will be interested in the blu for high-end, high power headphone listening to begin with. This is a miniature portable amp/dac, and I would advise on looking into it if that's your main case. You know, headphones you'd use portably, which don't typically require desktop amplification levels of power. I hear there's some beefy stuff that have been unveiled recently by other companies, if you're so worried about it.
I came away quite happy with the blu, and know that if I want to take a full sized headphone with me to use at a hotel or something, the blu packs a decent punch, without destroying the sound quality.
I'm not golden eared enough to give you solid A/B comparisons between how it sounds next to my 'real' gear. There are plenty of other people that will do that for you. I'm here simply to tell you: The GO blu sounds full, rich, and dynamic without doing a disservice to whatever headphones you connect to it, within reason. I probably wouldn't suggest you try a 600ohm Beyerdynamic, or Sennheiser HD800 with it, but everything I tried still sounded like a good version of themselves, without any real obvious flaws/shortcomings. If anything, it may be a little warm tuned next to my Schiit Jotunheim 2. Not as tactile and precise, but nothing I'd be angry about. Again, enjoyable with all my headphones.
My aim wasn't to dissect the sound to its core. I got the GO Blu for its usability first. All I needed for the sound was for it not to bastardize what I expect out of my headphones. To provide enough power, sound clean, not have any weird glitches or noisy background, and allow me to enjoy sound on the go. It exceeded these things without questions, and that's all that was necessary as far as I'm concerned. Sounds great, period.
Sound Modes:
The blu has 4 modes, each having a corresponding led color near the headphone jacks on the top of the unit. Standard (no LED), XBass (yellow), XSpace (cyan/blue), XBass + XSpace (white). It seems iFi decided to go the subtle route, which I think is the right call.
- XBass - This seems to add a bass shelf up a few decibels. It is loudest to my ears in the 20-60hz range, though it will fill out the bass and effect everything up to around 200hz or so. I think it's a mild boost without treading on being boomy or messy. As someone reserved in the ways of adjusting any of my headphones with any optional sonic enhancements (outside of injecting virtual surround processing for gaming/movies), I believe this is a fantastic option to fill out headphones lacking in lower end richness. definitely something I used when messing about with my LCD-5.
- XSpace - I have more to say about XSpace than XBass. You may consider it some form of soundstage enhancer, though I think it's easier to understand it as a beneficial crossfeed. Yes, in audio or headphones, people generally want to remove crosstalk (for those who don't know, think of it as one channel, say...left channel, receiving audio from the right channel, but at a much lower volume, and vice versa. However, if you've ever heard those old 60's/70's tracks that have really hard panning left and right... it can sound disorienting, and outright annoying. Bleeding some audio from the opposite channel can greatly reduce this jarring effect, and make the sound come across as more natural. After all, outside of the world of headphones, we hear everything with BOTH ears. So our ears have a natural crossfeed, which we use for the entire world of sound.
In terms of how XSpace sounds, if you were to do a basic left/right stereo test with XSpace enabled, the left channel will instead sound like it's slightly in front of you, near your left eye, instead of directly next to your left ear. Same with right audio sounding closer to your right eye, instead of directly next to your right ear.
It's VERY obvious with hard panning effects, but outside of that, it's incredibly hard to notice with most general media. This is mostly in part due to most audio (even music) nowadays being mixed with some crossfeed to begin with. So you may find that you can't really tell a difference. It also has a subtle reverb effect outside of this, but you may find it to be really, really minor, and unnoticeable if you're not looking for it.
The XSpace option is a neat effect which greatly reduces the annoyance of older stereo recordings that use a lot of hard panning effects. Outside of this, I didn't find much of a reason to use it, as I didn't find any real soundstage 'expansion' to a noticeable degree. It's still a welcome option, however. I found myself using it for general media outside of music, like Youtube videos, and TV shows, if mainly because there's no benefit to having hard left/right pans, and reducing that annoyance is a net positive.
- XBass + XSpace - This is pretty obvious in what it does, which is, to combine both XBass and XSpace. It's a neat option, but you'll find XBass to be the more noticeable addition here. This may be something I'd consider using for movies or casual, immersive gaming. It won't replace my serious virtual surround oriented home gaming, but perhaps something nice to have for phone/tablet use.
Microphone
Here's something I never thought this would a have. The little thing actually has a microphone! I don't expect it to replace a real mic, but it works in a pinch. Below is a playlist of some testing done (I apologize for the low volume, in advance). All testing was done at my computer desk with the AC and ceiling fan on, so there may be a bit of ambient noise. First few tests were done via USB through the laptop, and the others were done through Bluetooth also through the laptop. I don't expect people to be holding onto the unit when taking calls on the go, so I also did one test with the device in my pants pocket. Not sure I feel confident it using it in this manner and would probably recommend holding onto the unit when taking calls.
Note: The recordings are quite low in volume (purely a recording issue on my end, and NOT the device itself), so please adjust volume accordingly.
Honestly though, I'd probably disable the mic feature on my phone's BT settings for the Go Blu, and stick to using the phone for calls. Not that it's inherently bad, mind you, but because I instinctively talk through the phone for calls, and would feel really stupid about doing that while the mic in use is in my pocket. Your mileage may vary depending on whether you're used to external devices as mics when taking calls.
Comparisons
I can't really make any comparisons as this is my first bluetooth oriented dac/amp, and wouldn't be valid to compare it to desktop dac/amps. The closest things I had were the Schiit Fulla and Creative G6 as far as how well the usb dac/amp portion is implemented, and the fact that none of these need external power. In that regard, the iFi GO blu is infinitely more portable than either of those, as well as having benefit of a balanced input, which those two lacked.
The Fulla 4 was close to it in regards to it being as plug and play as possible, whereas the Creative G6 works best when paired with its substantial software suite (though it has plenty of its options also on the unit itself). If I wanted a USB portable dac/amp for something like a laptop, I think I'd prefer going with one of those instead of the iFi GO blu. However neither have bluetooth capabilities, which limits their versatility. The GO blu is the king of flexibility in comparison. Despite this, laptop use wasn't my top priority for this unit. Bluetooth connection to my phone is, and this is where it outshines anything I've ever tested.
Personal Recommendations
The GO blu is pretty easy to slot into specific use cases. The simpler, the better.
You should be looking into getting one if your main use case is bluetooth. For that it has great versatility, with fantastic codec support.
Power output is pretty high for how small the unit is, and on my unit (as of August 2022) I had no issues with range, disconnects, or hiss/noise.
It's also a pretty good choice as usb dac/amp, though if that's what you want first and foremost, I think your money is better spent elsewhere. You can easily get more substantial dac/amps for the price. However, if you already happen to have it for bluetooth purposes, the usb dac/amp functionality is a nice bonus. Doubly so in that it works for (non-Xbox) consoles as well. Unexpected, but highly welcome.
Likes and Dislikes
Likes
- Physical knob/wheel (Dat knob tho!)
- Power output
- Clean sound
- Simplicity (It just works, no nonsense to mess with)
- USB dac/amp capabilities
- Xbass and Xspace are nice, subtle sound enhancements
- Bluetooth range and quality
Dislikes
- No included clip/case (this really should be part of the package, considering the premium cost)
- Button placement (minor gripe really)
- Not feature rich (if you value that)
Final Impressions
Is the iFi GO blu something you all need to go out and get right now? It's a fantastic, simple, highly portable, and powerful (for its size) bluetooth AND usb dac/amp. It's also one of the more expensive offerings, with less features than its competitors. Personally speaking, I value the simplicity, and volume knob above anything else the other bluetooth dac/amps would provide. I personally don't really tweak my sound, and would rather leave it to external programs (i.e. an app on a phone) to do that sort of customization.
If you value a host of options and features, look elsewhere. Personally, if I'm on the go, I'm not trying to mess around with much of anything but volume adjustment, and the GO blu is perfect for me in that regard. Nothing beats a good ol' volume wheel, especially one that feels THIS good. If you're like me and like to keep things absurdly simple where you just plug in your headphones, connect to your source device, and go on about your day, the iFi GO blu is the one to get.
