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ifi Audio GO link Max
Taking the award-winning GO link, to the Max.
This Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) unlocks the true potential of your playlist, now boasting a 4.4mm headphone output, innovative new features and 10x the power of your iPhone.
Note: Click here to install the latest firmware update, To install the firmware, use this windows tool
Small Size, Big Difference.
Hi-Res audio is now within reach for everyone, with streaming services delivering high-quality sound to a wider audience. The GO link Max is the ultimate portable solution for both newcomers exploring the richness of Hi-Res music and audiophiles seeking simplicity and performance on the go. Featuring a balanced 4.4mm output and award-winning design, it combines plug-and-play ease with exceptional audio quality, making it perfect for any music lover.
Bringing the Balance.
The GO link Max is our smallest, most portable balanced DAC, featuring balanced circuitry that extends interference elimination across the entire audio system. With S-Balanced technology enhancing the 3.5mm port and a balanced 4.4mm output, it delivers crystal-clear detail and channel separation for any headphone while preparing you for future audio upgrades.
Pocket Powerhouse.
Modern portable devices like smartphones often compromise headphone performance, with many lacking a headphone socket or offering limited output via adapters. The GO link Max solves this with up to 241mW of output power—five times that of a MacBook Pro's headphone jack.
This increased power doesn't just amplify volume; it unlocks your headphones' full potential, delivering fine detail and definition for an exceptional listening experience.
Dynamic Delight.
The GO link Max uses the Sabre DAC’s Dynamic Range Enhancement (DRE) to deliver greater contrast between the loudest and quietest sounds, enriching every crescendo and quiet moment with energy and immersion.
By combining DRE with iFi’s proprietary enhancements, it achieves an additional +6dB of dynamic range. This effectively doubles the perceived difference between highs and lows, ensuring every detail in your music is brought to life.
5x more headphone power
*Calculated at 32 ohms according to Apple’s stated RMS voltage
GO link Max Output: 241mW
MacBook Pro Output*: 49mW
Little DAC, Big Heart.
At the core of the GO link Max are dual ESS ES9219 Sabre DAC chips, each dedicated to a channel. This design delivers exceptional instrument separation and definition, creating a vivid, lifelike soundstage that places every musician with pinpoint precision.
We then push performance further by adding some in-house tech of our own, to ensure elimination of jitter and distortion for crystal clarity and refined musicality. Your playlists will captivate you like never before, offering a "just one more song" experience every time.
Gain Control, Lose Nothing.
The GO link Max features a hardware-based volume control that overrides this typical behaviour. When you adjust the volume on your device, the change occurs directly in the DAC chip.
This ensures that maximum detail is retained, and you can enjoy the full richness of your Hi-Res music at any volume.
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Professional Reviews 91/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
85/100
Features Usability
90/100
Value for Money
95/100
Compact yet muscular, the iFi GO link Max brings punchy dynamics, controlled bass and clear, spacious imaging to phone or laptop listening. What Hi-Fi? found meaningful gains in detail and drama, while Hi-Fi Choice highlighted precise placement and strong value. Dual ESS DACs, hi-res support and a 4.4mm balanced output make this an unusually capable portable upgrade.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Delivers assertive punch, powerful bass and convincing dynamic contrast, especially via the 4.4mm balanced output.
Extracts noticeably more clarity, detail and instrument separation than typical phone or laptop headphone outputs.
Excellent sub-$100 value, with PCM 384kHz/DSD256 support, balanced and 3.5mm outputs, plus USB-A and Lightning adapters.
&
Cons
The fixed USB-C cable is a potential long-term weak point if stressed or damaged.
The 3.5mm output is less powerful and not ideal for high-impedance dynamic headphones; demanding pairings benefit from 4.4mm balanced.
Its neutral-to-bright character can sound lean or overly sharp with already bright headphones.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers consistently find the GO link Max unusually clear, spacious and forceful for a compact USB DAC/amp. Its sound is generally described as balanced and engaging, though some pairings can expose a leaner, brighter or drier edge; the balanced output is the preferred route for demanding headphones.
Transparency Resolution
93/100
Ecoustics calls out the dongle's resolution and clarity as its standout strengths, while finding its separation markedly better than a laptop headphone jack. Hi-Fi Choice also heard precise placement of instruments and voices, and several reviewers praise its retrieval of subtle textures and background details.
Tonal Balance Musicality
89/100
PortaFi hears a refined, natural and balanced presentation with well-handled treble, while Prime Audio Reviews praises lifelike mids, weighty controlled bass and smooth airy highs. Ecoustics found the overall signature slightly lean and treble-forward, however, and reported that sharper headphones could make some recordings sound too bright.
Dynamics
93/100
What Hi-Fi praises the Max's punch, drama and dynamic contrast, particularly through its balanced output, while Hi-Fi Choice heard it handle dense choral music with both muscle and room to breathe. Ecoustics found enough reserve to drive R70x and Arya Organic headphones to ample volume, and reviewers repeatedly describe bass as authoritative and punchy.
Noise Floor
89/100
A PortaFi review reports almost no background noise with in-ear monitors, and Tharbamar specifically praises the unit's noise control. The supplied reviews do not report hiss or hum in ordinary use, though there is limited testing across exceptionally sensitive IEM models.
Headphone Compatibility
89/100
The 4.4mm output receives strong pairing evidence with headphones ranging from Grado SR325x and Sennheiser HD 620S to R70x, Arya Organic and efficient planar designs. The balanced output is substantially more capable than the 3.5mm socket; Ecoustics cautions that the latter is not ideal for high-impedance dynamics, and the device has no onboard gain controls.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
85/100
Reviewers describe sturdy metal casework, solid connectors and a compact form that feels substantial without becoming cumbersome. The permanently attached cable is the clear reservation: Ecoustics calls it a structural weak point, and What Hi-Fi warns that repeated stress could eventually damage it.
Features Usability
90/100
This is a compact USB-C DAC/amp with both 3.5mm S-Balanced and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs, broad PCM/DSD support, and supplied USB-A and Lightning adapters. It is practical for phones and computers, but deliberately sparse: there are no physical controls, display or selectable gain settings, with format indication limited to a status light.
Value for Money
95/100
At $79/£79, reviewers repeatedly regard the GO link Max as exceptionally compelling among sub-$100 dongle DACs. Hi-Fi Choice calls it excellent value and one of the best portable DACs available, while Ecoustics describes it as a true bargain and PortaFi finds it easy to recommend against strong competition.
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Authorized dealers for ifi Audio GO link Max
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Adorama — in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Advanced MP3 Players — online and in-store — Musselburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Apos Audio — online and in-store — Oakland, California, United States (website)
- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
- Art & Voice — online (website)
and 128 more verified dealers