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Wired, Wireless
Portable
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iFi Audio
iFi Audio GO Blu Portable Bluetooth DAC/Amp
Our new GO blu, pocket-rocket portable HD DAC/amp, is diminutive enough to take with you wherever you go! It gives you best sound from wired but the convenience of wireless as you no longer need to have a cable connection to your Smartphone.
Whether you’re exercising at the gym with your Apple watch clocking your every step or catching up on your MacBook at your favourite coffee shop, the GO blu is the perfect companion.
It pairs wirelessly with your source device via Bluetooth with no need to worry about whether you’ve got the right cable for your Android or Apple device. Just pair … and GO!
That’s less than an AA battery!
Traditional wireless headphones or earphones of any kind integrate Bluetooth processing, D/A conversion and amplification onto one, standard ‘off the shelf’ chip. There is a ceiling to the sound quality that can be achieved.
Team good corded headphones or in-ear monitors, with a separate, high-quality portable DAC/headphone amp, and your sound quality will beat any pair of wireless headphone or earphones hands down.
The GO blu means no compromise on sound quality.
Pair the GO blu to your Apple/Android. Connect your favourite corded headphones to the GO blu and then tuck it away – it’s so petite it will slip into your running gear or suit pocket. It’s also gorgeous enough to show off by leaving it on the table at your favourite coffee shop!
Most pocket-size Bluetooth DAC/headphone amps incorporate all-in-one ‘system on a chip’ solutions to deliver input processing, digital-to-analogue signal conversion and amplification.
Not the GO blu.
Uniquely, for a device of this type and size, the GO blu’s clever design packs in separate Bluetooth, DAC and amp stages, each engineered in distinct blocks to deliver the ideal combination of cutting-edge specification and superb sound.
The GO blu uses the same Bluetooth 5.1 as seen in other recent iFi products. Furthermore, we have separated the modules so that every last drop of audio quality is unmatched.
And when you wish, just use the USB-C connection and enjoy High-Res USB audio too!
That’s Paris to New York +
Diminutive. Balanced. Powerful.
The Go blu amp circuitry benefits from symmetrical twin-mono signal paths and utilises iFi’s Direct Drive design concept. Plus it incorporates circuit components of a quality not commonly found in a device of this kind.
This means ultra-low distortion across the entire signal bandwidth. The sound is purer, clearer and more naturally expressive.
The amp stage delivers up to 5.6V, considerably more power than others. It handles tough headphone loads with ease. Auto-gainadjusts output up or down by 6dB to ensure signal strength suits the sensitivity of the connected headphones/earphones.
GO blu‘s ChronoDial is a masterpiece of precision engineering and, just like a Chronograph, it gives you precise, analogue volume control. You can use it to play, pause, and skip tracks forward and backwards and even activate the voice assistant on your Bluetooth-connected smart device. Here’s how it’s constructed:
Whether you use balanced or non-balanced headphones, you get the least noise and best channel separation for the most enjoyable music.
The GO blu boasts a Pentaconn 4.4mm output enabling headphones equipped with balanced connectivity to take full advantage of the GO blu’s balanced amp design.
In addition, the 3.5mm output benefits from iFi’s proprietary S-Balanced circuitry. This cuts crosstalk and related distortion in half when used with regular, single-ended headphone connections, this is especially beneficial with high-sensitivity in-ear monitors.
Both outputs are gold-plated to resist tarnishing and thereby maintain optimum contact quality.
With XBass to add back lost low-end grunt and XSpace to widen the soundstage, the GO blu is small on the outside but mighty on the inside. You will be immersed in its majestic musicality.
The X-factor doesn’t stop with the sound. The GO blu is built like a luxury Swiss watch – the volume control has a watch crown machined by a watchmaker for the tightest of tolerances – and has the luxury feel of Mont Blanc, thanks to our French product designer.
Made with the latest, most hi-tech materials and weighing in at a super featherlight 26grams or 0.06lbs, it will be your ‘go-to’ music device.
We use Qualcomm’s new QCC5100 Bluetooth IC in combination with the Cirruc Logic 43131 as DAC to to create an audibly superior ‘Bluetooth engine’.
All the current high-definition Bluetooth audio formats are supported – Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive and aptX HD, Sony’s LDAC and HWA’s LHDC, regular aptX and aptX Low Latency, AAC (Apple iOS devices) and SBC (the ‘plain vanilla’ Bluetooth codec).
Of the 24-bit-capable codecs, aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support up to 48kHz, while LDAC and LHDC reach 96kHz.
iFi’s ‘Bluetooth engine’ can also be updated over-the-air, so future codecs may be added.
The latest Cirrus Logic CS43131 is an advanced ‘minature’ DAC that is at the heart of the newest range of iFi mobile devices.
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 but iFi is now using this across its range to produce the best quality audio for all our customers.
As with many other iFi audio products, we’ve incorporated a custom OV Series operational-amplifier. This top-notch component contributes to the extremely low noise, low distortion (0.0001%) and wide bandwidth.
An important aspect of the circuit design is its direct-coupled nature (no coupling capacitor is present), achieved without a conventionally applied DC servo.
DirectDrive® equals a direct signal path which means less signal degradation. This direct signal path is unequalled in audio and is the reason why the sound is so ‘true’.
XSpace is the iFi analogue signal improvement circuitry to get that ‘music’ back outside of your head for much better headphone enjoyment.
XBass is an analogue headphone spatialiser. It opens up your music to give you the feeling of spaciousness experienced at a live concert.
TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses for resonant circuit applications.
Getting ever closer to the theoretical ideal of pure, frequency-constant capacitance, these capacitors reduce capacitor-induced distortion to vanishingly low levels.
They are pricey but are a perfect addition to our products.
muRata control-type, low-ESR high-Q multi-layer capacitors. The ‘ESR control’ aspect of the Murata is something special. Their noise suppression abilities are impressive.
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Chipset |
DAC Cirrus Logic CS43131 Bluetooth Qualcomm QCC 5100 |
| Wireless Inputs | Bluetooth 5.1 ( AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, LDAC, LHDC/HWA Codec) |
| Wired Inputs | USB-C (24/96) |
| Headphone Outputs |
Balanced 4.4mm Unbalanced (Single-Ended) 3.5mm |
| Power Output |
Balanced 245mW @ 32Ω; 5.6v @ 600Ω Unbalanced (Single-Ended) 165mW @ 32Ω; 2.8v @ 600Ω |
| Output Impedance |
Balanced <1Ω Unbalanced (Single-Ended) <1Ω |
| SNR |
Balanced 111dB(A) @ 0dBFS Unbalanced (Single-Ended) 116.5dB(A) @ 0dBFS |
| DNR | Balanced/Unbalanced >120dB(A) |
| THD + N |
Balanced <0.009% @ (6.5mW/2.0v@600Ω) Unbalanced (Single-Ended) <0.03% @ (100mW/1.27v@16Ω) |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 45kHz (-3dB) |
