Design and Build Quality
Casing
Tiny but mighty, the iFi Audio GO blu gave me a strong impression right out of the box. As expected from the picture, it’s a small device, nearly matching my car’s key both in size (54 x 34 x 13 mm) and weight (27g). In fact, the brand advertise the GO blu as lighter than an AA battery, but I didn’t have one to compare, so I’ll trust them on that.
The DAC itself is very well-built. A plate made of brushed aluminum covers the front and upper side, while the rest of the device is covered by a soft-touch rubber, for a better grip. And if I usually find this type of product a bit flimsy, I have to admit that iFi did a great job here and produced a Bluetooth DAC with sympathetic appeals.
The eye-appealing feature is, of course, the small potentiometer, replacing the usual vol up/down buttons. For this kind of device, it can either be a blessing, or a curse if it keeps on rotating in your trouser pocket. We’ll have to check on that.
Overall, it’s a balanced design and, for the price, you should not be disappointed in this regard.
Layout
The iFi Audio GO blu I/O isn’t extensive, but hey, it’s a Bluetooth DAC, so you can’t ask too much of it. That said, iFi was still able to fit two headphone jack on its device:
- 1x 3.5mm TRS classic headphone output to connect your gear the regular way
- 1x 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output, which really comes as a surprise for this kind of product
- 1x USB-C port for power charging and data connection, which means that you can even use it connected to your computer/smartphone, the wired way
On the sides you’ll find :
- A power on/off switch that doubles as a Bluetooth format prompt (to check what kind of Bluetooth you’re using)
- A Bluetooth pairing button, that also doubles as an XBass/XSpace activation switch, depending on the length of your click
- And obviously, the multifunctional knob, used for volume, but playback control as well. It’s a bit clicky, but there isn’t enough resistance for my taste
Last but not least, you’ll be surprised to find a tiny hold underneath, just right to the USB-C port, and that’s the mic port. Very helpful for people that needed a microphone feature for their IEM, as most models now come without a mic cable.
As I said in the introduction, the iFi Audio Go blu is a very neat product through and through. So I hope to be as pleasantly surprised once it’ll be paired to my phone.
Bundle
The iFi’s GO blu bundle is pretty dire, but that was to be expected.
Inside the box you have :
- 1x iFi GO blu
- 1x USB-C to USB-A cable
- 1x clothes to cover the DAC
And… that’s it. I thought the brand would add a shirt clip or something to hang the iFi’s, but that’s not the case.
That said, I prefer to get a nice product in a simple box than the opposite.
The review continues on Page Three, after the click HERE or by using the jump below.
Page 1: iFi, iFi Products, GO blu
Page 2: Design & Build Quality
Page 3: UI & Usage
Page 4: Specifications
Page 5: Sound performances
Adi
How does this compare to the BTR5?