iFi GO Link MAX ($79): What exactly is MAX?
Intro:
I have reviewed countless iFi products and still own the iDSD & iCAN Pro as one of my main desktop units. The recently reviewed GO Bar Kensie and Zen Phono3 are among my favorites of late, with both worthy of ownership. The Kensie is VASTLY powerful and worth a look for its options (even with the price), while the Zen Phono3 would be my go-to choice for those without a phono stage on an amplifier should you need a basic one.
Most of my reviews are now on Headfonics, so it is nice to be given a chance by an old friend to fill my blog with gear. I thank Lawrance and iFi for the opportunity to do the GO Link MAX review and will provide an honest assessment. I am pretty sure the unit is a loaner, which is all right, too.
Specs:
| CHIPSET: | ESS Sabre ES9219 |
| DIMENSIONS: | 150x15x10mm (5.9 x 0.59 x 0.39”) |
| DNR: | 130dBA via 4.4mm; 125dBA via 3.5mm |
| INPUT: | USB-C (Lightning and USB-A adaptors) |
| MAXIMUM SUPPORTED SAMPLE RATE: | PCM 384kHz DSD256 |
| NET WEIGHT: | 14.5g (0.51 oz) |
| OUTPUT: | 4.4mm Balanced 3.5mm S-Balanced |
In The Box:
GO Link MAX
USB-A adaptor
Lightning adaptor
Owners manual
Warranty card
Comparisons/Gear used:
iFi GO Link ($59)
Meze 99Classics w/ DDHiFi BC150B 4.4bal cable
Drop x Campfire Audio Dark Star w/ DDHiFi Air Nyx Net 4.4 Pentaconn
Campfire Audio Solaris 2020 w/ same DDHiFi cable (hint, forthcoming review)
iPhone 13 Pro Max
MBP (briefly)
Music:
Tidal MQA
Tommy Emmanuel
Talking Heads
David Byrne
Steely Dan
Unboxing:
As per typical of iFi, the GO Link MAX (henceforth known as Max) comes in an environmentally small package, well protected with a plethora of information on the box. Included are the necessary features along with decoding levels and companies used for the gear. Typical iFi and I like this approach.
Each adaptor is protected within its own pocket, while the Max is protected on the other side in the same manner.
Short and sweet. Well protected.
Technology:
With dual ESS ES9219 Sabre DAC chips, each side remains discrete and fully balanced, much like a high-end DAP or desktop unit. The balanced circuitry even carries over to the S-balanced 3.5mm jack.
Supporting HiRes True Nativeâ for up to DSD256, and PCM384 along with DXD384 sound capabilities. With up to 242mW, the Max is purportedly 5x more powerful than my MBP.
With DRE (Dynamic Range Enhancement) the Max adds up to an additional 6 dB of sound to boot. In-house tech eliminates jitter much like a dedicated desktop unit or DAP.
Design & Build:
Dongles are by nature small. The Max (belying its name) is no different coming in at 14.5g and 150x15x10mm in size. The typically longer cable between the USB-C connection and the Max is almost another trademark of iFi (to me), which allows it to double back on your phone without issue. Some will probably add a small amount of Velcro for attaching the Max to the back of their phone.
The darker gray-green color looks good, highlighting the single LED on one side, which shows bit-rate (Green, Yellow, Cyan, or Blue).
The curved top combined with the flat back makes for an ease of holding that is greatly appreciated. With enough edge on both the top and bottom, I never felt like the unit would slip. The front end carries that sexy cable to the USB-C connection, while the other end holds the gold-lined 3.5 s-balanced and 4.4mm balanced jacks.
That’s it. Your only clue that the unit is on would be the green light when it connects to your source. That light would then, of course, change depending on the sampling rate of the song being played.
The premium feel of the Max is what you would expect from all iFi products: solid, functional, and svelte.
Sound Impressions:
Summary:
The best intention of an addition to your listening source is to get out of the way or enhance what you are listening to. If that added device alters or changes what you hear, it can either go painfully disastrous or incredibly right.
Thankfully, the Max falls into the first impression part: it enhances and gets out of the way simultaneously. The added grunt to my iPhone 13 Pro Max is appreciated, and the dual ESS Sabre chips make their collective voices heard positively. The midrange is enhanced with a forward thrust that the stock cannot match. The treble reaches a bit higher without becoming grating. An air of sparkle adds to that upper-end emphasis. Bass is typical Sabre in lusciousness.
My preferred listening is smoothness in character, and the Max follows that character overall.
moar:
I typically do not use dongles, even though I have the Cayin RU7 and RU6 at my disposal. To me, they are amongst the best, along with the Questyle M12/M15 sound-wise. They also cost a good penny or two.
iFi takes another approach with the GO-series, making them affordable with trickle-down technology. Following the highly successful GO Link, the Max adds 3.5 S-balanced and a bit more power. I find I do not miss the customization options of the Kensie, especially knowing the cost differential. The Max simply GOes about its business without bother or need to adjust. Want more volume? Turn it up. Less? Turn it down.
The bass line follows the source input. If there is a preponderance of low-end, the Max enhances that with a bit deeper reach and a smoothing of the character that does not dissuade from the thoroughly vibrant midrange. Pushed forward a bit more than I would like; it is in the midrange where I found what to me is the major fault of the Max: volume discrepancy.
On my iPhone 13 Pro Max, raising or lowering the volume by a notch afforded channel imbalance. I also found that if I immediately raised (or lowered) the volume by a notch, the discrepancy was gone. This did not happen on my MBP, and I chalk it up to the volume input limitations of the iPhone.
Past that, the treble gives a good accounting of itself with excellent reach and enough sparkle to balance forward with that midrange forward nature. In other words, the treble push (sparkle) is just enough to tame the midrange forwardness a bit, balancing the act.
Of course, the ESS chips also round that top-end off just enough in a smoothness that enhances that dichotomous effect of treble sparkle and midrange forwardness.
There is enough differentiation from the normality of my Smartphone to add positively to my listening experience.
Soundstage, Imaging, & Layering:
This is harder for me due to the limitations of the iPhone (and my hearing). I find that the Max expands laterally from the norm, allowing instruments to spread out without becoming too thin (ESS effect, I’ll call it). The height carries forth with an in-head to slightly above-my-head feel, which is not overly expansive nor too short.
The depth is the hardest for me to judge, but hopefully, this will help. The layering is such that by spreading out width-wise each note is afforded a proper space to breathe up and down, but also enhancing the depth as well in note weight. That weight is just right, giving the effect of a proper 3D-effect that is neither too expansive (or thin), nor too small (confining and congested).
Pairings:
My favorite pairing was with the Meze 99Classics hooked to the DDHiFi BC150B 4.4bal cable. This gave me enough headroom to play with the volume without it becoming too loud too quickly. The bass from The Mavericks The Years Will Not Be Kind came across as simply intoxicating with the trio. I found myself replaying this song (and any Mavericks song) over and over, enjoying that lush tonality coupled with the sumptuous midrange coming forth.
The Campfire Audio Solaris 2020 is one of my favorite all-time IEMs, carrying that traditional CFA booming bass coupled with scintillating treble notes that border on the sizzle of a Mexican restaurant grill. You hear it, almost recoiling, but feel compelled to envelop yourself in the feeling. The downside is that the too-forward midrange of the Max coupled with the Solaris 2020 prevents me from raising the volume to Meze-like levels (most of the time).
When I reviewed the Drop x Campfire Audio Dark Star for Headfonics, I found it to be typically CFA, combining parts of the Vega (gorgeous bass levels) and hallucinogenic upper-end notes from the Andromeda. Looking at the site’s user review score compared to mine, it looks like I may have underestimated the little critter. That bass is familial in resemblance and makes Andy Wood & Joe Bonamassa’s Moaning Lisa come across as not only highly listenable at high levels but also made my feet dance along in a jig. That’s about as good as it gets.
The goal of an addition to our listening is to enhance our listening, and the Max has largely done that.
Comparisons:
iFi GO Link MAX ($79) v iFi GO Link ($59):
Directly from my GO Link review: To me, these critters are the hardest to judge. Either they color sound or they do not. Either they provide adequate power or they do not. Either they improve the sound quality, or I cannot tell. To me, a good Dongle/DAC provides the sound necessary to interpret the original mastered recording as the artist meant. Tailoring that sound should be up to the individual user in other ways, not the device. That said, my current favorite Dongle/DAC provides a rich, warm signature, which I prefer. The GO Link does not. And that is good. The iFi presents the music with a refreshing crispness and detail that allows the music to flower through in full color.
The beneficial aspect of the GO Link is that it fails to color the sound emanating from within. It presents what is sent through it without judging or changing the sound. I respect this, for if I want to change anything, I will do it myself. Clear, crisp details emerge from my iPhone, usually only derived from using expensive headphones/IEMs or my current favorite, the Klipsch/Earmicro T10 Bespoke. That, of course, costs a heckuva lot more.
The differentiation between the two is that the ESS Sabre of the Max smooths the sound to my liking. Not that I did not like the GO Link, to the contrary, I find its simplicity one of its best features. But when faced against its younger son, the additional power, ESS chips, and 4.4bal connection make it worthy of the family GO Link moniker. The old man would be proud of the son (or mother/daughter, the line still holds true).
finale:
This review is long in coming due to other review obligations, and as usual, Lawrance et al. have been extremely patient. Most of the time that patience is rewarded. Here? Absolutely.
The GO Link MAX carries double the power of its older kin and doubles the headphone connections. Having the 4.4bal is a no-brainer to me since the vast majority of us have moved there (yes, I still have a plethora of 2.5mm balanced…). Not forgetting the heritage by including the 3.5mm jack makes for something that the vast majority of us have and carry daily. And that is the point. We have it, we use it, and they gave it to us.
A caveat is the channel imbalance I had using my iPhone. It could be the dinosaur-like volume change levels of my “old iPhone 13” that is the problem, but I must mention that regardless. That problem was less prevalent on my MBP but still present to a point. Only when Smartphones get to synchronous, smooth, non-leveled volume changes will that come about.
Other than that, I can highly recommend the iFi GO Link MAX as an affordable balanced dongle that carries a smoothing texture to the sound that may not be for all. But the additional power can make one overlook that if you try.
I again thank Lawrance and iFi for the continued opportunity to review their products. It is worth it.