Dongle DACs

iFi GO Cable Puts a DAC and Headphone Amp Inside a USB-C Cable for IEMs

Can iFi eliminate the dongle DAC? The $79 GO cable builds an ESS DAC and headphone amp directly into a USB C cable for 2-pin IEMs.

Ian White

Updated

19 hours ago

iFi has spent the past few years trying to shrink the portable DAC/headphone amplifier without shrinking what it can do. The new GO cable takes that idea to its logical conclusion by getting rid of the separate dongle almost entirely.

The $79 GO cable integrates an ESS Sabre DAC and headphone amplifier directly into a USB C cable terminated with standard 0.78mm 2-pin connectors for compatible IEMs. Plug one end into a smartphone, tablet, laptop or supported gaming device and the other ends directly into your IEMs. No separate dongle hanging off the phone and no 3.5mm or 4.4mm interconnect. One less object to lose in an airport lounge.

Hi-Res Without the Extra Box

The GO cable supports PCM playback up to 32-bit/384kHz and native DSD256, specifications that comfortably exceed what most streaming services can currently deliver. Spotify Lossless currently tops out at 24-bit/44.1kHz, so there is already more decoding capability here than most owners are likely to need from streaming.

Buying hardware solely because it supports enormous sample rates remains one of audiophilia’s stranger hobbies, but there is plenty of headroom here. More importantly, the GO cable bypasses the audio circuitry inside the connected device and handles digital to analog conversion and amplification itself.

iFi has also borrowed processing technology from its GO series. Dynamic Range Enhancement is claimed to add up to 6dB of dynamic range, while its S Balanced single ended topology is designed to reduce crosstalk. According to iFi, its THD compensation also reduces distortion by more than 50 percent compared with the GO link Max.

We have not heard the GO cable, so none of those claims should be confused with a listening impression. Specifications are useful, but your ears remain annoyingly unwilling to read them.

More Than Just a DAC Cable

Inline controls handle volume, play/pause and track skipping, while an integrated echo cancelling microphone supports calls and game chat. iFi also lists compatibility with the Nintendo Switch 2 and GameChat.

Android users get another layer of functionality through the iFi Nexis app, including over the air firmware updates, volume limiting and two selectable digital filters labeled Hybrid and Linear. One important caveat is that all Nexis functionality for the GO cable is exclusive to Android devices.

iFi GO Cable Specifications:

Hi-Res Support: PCM up to 384kHz; DSD256
DAC: ESS DAC with bit-perfect DSD and DXD playback
IEM Connection: 0.78mm 2-Pin L/R male
Conductor Material: OFHC copper with pure silver
Output Power: ≥70mW / 1.5V RMS at 32 ohms; ≥14mW / 2V RMS at 300 ohms
Output Impedance: <1 ohm
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: ≥125dBA
Dynamic Range: ≥125dBA
THD+N: ≤0.004% at 1.27V/32 ohms
Frequency Response: 10Hz to 80kHz (-0.5dB)
Power Consumption: Approximately 0.3W with no signal; <1W at maximum signal
Length: 1.37 meters / 4.5 feet (±3cm)
Weight: 16g / 0.56 oz
Warranty: 12 months; 24 months in the EU

Power Output

The GO cable is not trying to turn your smartphone into a portable nuclear reactor. Its amplifier is designed around the needs of IEMs, delivering at least 70mW into 32 ohms with 1.5V RMS available, along with a sub-1-ohm output impedance. That combination should make it suitable for the vast majority of conventional dynamic-driver, balanced-armature, and hybrid IEMs without adding the bulk of a separate dongle DAC and headphone amplifier.

iFi also rates the GO cable at 2V RMS and at least 14mW into 300 ohms. That number demonstrates that the amplifier can maintain considerably more voltage into higher-impedance loads, but the fixed 0.78mm 2-pin termination makes the intended application rather obvious: this is an IEM cable with a DAC and amplifier built into it, not a substitute for a high-powered portable headphone amplifier.

Is It Actually Unique?

The concept itself is not completely new. HIDIZS used a similar approach with the ST2 Pro, combining a detachable 0.78mm 2-pin cable, ESS ES9281C Pro DAC, inline controls and microphone support with PCM playback up to 32 bit/384kHz and DSD128.

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iFi’s distinction is the combination of direct IEM connectivity with technology derived from its established GO DAC lineup, plus Nexis integration and the ability to use the cable with compatible 0.78mm 2-pin IEMs rather than treating the DAC as another box in the signal chain.

A more conventional alternative is the $109.99 FiiO KA15. It uses dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs, supports PCM up to 32 bit/768kHz and DSD512, and offers both 3.5mm single ended and 4.4mm balanced outputs. It is substantially more flexible and far more powerful, but it also puts another box between the source and your IEMs.

The Bottom Line

The GO cable makes the most sense for IEM owners who primarily listen from USB C phones, tablets, laptops or handheld gaming devices and are tired of carrying a separate dongle DAC. It is less compelling for anyone who regularly swaps between IEMs and full size headphones, needs 4.4mm balanced connectivity or wants significantly more output power.

ifi-go-cable-airo-astra-iems — iFi Audio **GO cable Starter Kit** with AIRO Astra IEMs ($99).

iFi is also offering a GO cable Starter Kit for $99 USD or $149 CAD with the AIRO Astra IEMs. Astra uses a 6mm titanium plated dynamic driver and 0.78mm 2-pin connection, creating a complete wired system without requiring newcomers to figure out which cable, dongle and IEM will actually talk to one another.

The standalone GO cable is clever. The Starter Kit may be even more interesting because it turns the same idea into a straightforward answer for listeners who want better wired audio without earning a minor degree in Head-Fi first.