IFi GO Link Max Is The Best Headphone DAC For Under $100

I love a DAC. Whether I am working at my computer or traveling with my iPhone and streaming music on Tidal or playing locally stored music, I want the best audio quality possible to match the wired earphones or headphones I am using. I tend to use wired headphones as I prefer wired to wireless. I know I am old school.

So, when I listen to music on a pair of headphones, I will use a DAC on my phone or my Mac. iFi Audio has just released an upgraded and affordable headphone DAC called the iFi GO Max and it’s a cracker of a DAC. The little gizmo can plug into an Android phone or an iPhone using the device’s USB-C connector or with the supplied Apple Lightning adapter.

Once connected to a phone or computer, the little iFi GO link Max gets to work decoding any digital audio file from the humble MP3 to a full-fat FLAC at high resolution. Inside the iFi GO link Max is a Dual DAC setup with jitter elimination for precise and clear audio. iFi has used two ES9219 DACs with a Time Domain Jitter Eliminator to reduce timing errors resulting in a superbly clear sound with bags of detail.

The iFi GO link Max offers up to 241mW of power for louder sound, which is nearly five times the power that the built-in sound card of a MacBook Pro can manage. This means louder music when you need it with more control over the decoding and amplification even with a pair of power-hungry headphones. For my review, I used the excellent Austrian Audio Hi-X20, probably my favorite pair of affordable wired headphones right now. If you haven’t tried them, then do! They are amazing.

The iFi GO link Max has balanced circuitry for reduced noise and improved audio separation between the left and right channels for a more tightly focused and convincing soundstage. There are two headphone jacks on the iFi GO link Max. One is for a 4.4mm balanced connection while the other is a single-ended or unbalanced 3.5mm connection.

Thanks to Total Harmonic Distortion Compensation, the iFi GO link Max delivers a purer and less distorted sound than its predecessor. The Advanced THD Compensation technology minimizes total harmonic distortion for a more accurate presentation of the music.

Dynamic Range Enhancement has been added to inject more excitement into the music. By boosting the dynamic range with an additional +6dB, the loudest moments sound louder while the quietest moments are clearer, giving the music more depth, excitement, definition and maybe even emotional impact.

The device supports hi-res audio formats like PCM 384kHz and DSD 256, ensuring the music from hi-res sources like TIDAL are reproduced at the highest possible quality, uncovering all the nuance and character in a recording.

The difference between listening to a music stream on a smartphone or through the iFi GO link Max is stunning. Once you try it, you won’t go back to using your smartphone or an inferior DAC. For a start, there’s much more volume available and the frequency response seems wider. The bass is fatter while the treble is crisper and the mids just work. Of course, the sound quality will depend on the headphones or earphones you are using, but with a good pair, you will hear a big difference.

Verdict: If you’re looking for an affordable way to upgrade the sound on your smartphone and you want to use wired headphones, the iFi GO link Max is a no-brainer. This little dongle makes beautiful music and plays nice with a wide range of headphones. It will even upgrade the sound on your laptop or desktop and I guarantee you’ll want to listen to even more music. Pair it with the headphones of your choice and you shall have music wherever you go. Highly Recommended.

Pricing & Availability: The iFi GO link Max is available to purchase from ifi-audio.com and selected retailers for $79 / £79 / €79.

Tech Specs:

In the table shown below you can compare the improvements of the iFi GO link Max over its predecessor.