iFi GO cable – DAC and headphone amplifier disappear directly into the IEM cable
Instead of pairing a dongle DAC with a separate headphone cable, iFi audio has merged both into one 0.78 mm 2-Pin lead built around an ESS Sabre chip. The iFi GO cable handles Linear PCM up to 32 Bit 384 kHz and native DSD256, while inline controls and a built-in microphone cover playback, calls and gaming on the move. It is available on its own or bundled with the AIRO Astra IEMs as the GO cable ASTRA Hi-Res Starter Kit.
- The iFi GO cable tucks an ESS Sabre DAC and headphone amplifier straight into a 0,78 mm 2-Pin IEM lead, so hi-res playback up to 32 Bit 384 kHz and DSD256 no longer needs a separate dongle hanging off the phone. Priced at € 79,- on its own, or € 99,- as part of the ASTRA Hi-Res Starter Kit with the AIRO Astra IEMs, it also builds in playback controls and a microphone for calls, video chats and gaming.
Getting proper sound quality out of a phone on the move has usually meant one extra thing to carry: a small USB dongle or DAC sitting between the handset and the headphones. iFi audio wants to make that separate box redundant with the new iFi GO cable, which folds the DAC and headphone amplifier straight into the cable itself. Built on the same architecture as the iFi Audio GO Series, it plugs into a phone, tablet or computer via USB-C at one end and connects directly to compatible in-ear monitors at the other, handling Linear PCM up to 32 Bit 384 kHz and DSD up to DSD256 along the way. Inline controls and a microphone are also built into the cable, turning the whole thing into a single, compact accessory for music, calls and gaming.
Key Facts iFi GO cable
- USB-C DAC and headphone amplifier built directly into the IEM cable
- ESS Sabre DAC supporting Linear PCM up to 32 Bit 384 kHz and DSD up to DSD256
- 0,78 mm 2-Pin connectors for IEMs
- S-Balanced single-ended output
- Dynamic Range Enhancement
- THD Compensation
- Inline controls for volume and playback
- Built-in microphone
- iFi Nexis App available exclusively for Google Android
- Two digital filters selectable via the iFi Nexis App
- Firmware updates and volume limiting via the iFi Nexis App
- iFi GO cable ASTRA Hi-Res Starter Kit available with AIRO Astra IEMs
One cable, no dongle
Most portable DAC/amp combos still work the same way: a small box plugs into the phone, and a separate cable then runs from that box to the headphones. iFi audio’s approach with the GO cable skips the box entirely. The digital-to-analogue conversion and amplification stage that would normally live inside a dongle is instead built into the cable connecting source and headphones, drawing on the architecture the company already uses in its GO link Series and bypassing the source device’s own internal audio circuitry.
One end terminates in USB-C, for plugging into a phone, tablet or computer. The other splits into a pair of 0.78 mm 2-Pin connectors — the standard fitting on IEMs with detachable cables. Anyone already using in-ears with that connector effectively swaps their existing cable for one that also happens to contain a full DAC and amplifier stage, rather than adding a separate device to the chain.
What’s doing the converting
At the heart of the cable sits an ESS Sabre DAC chip, rated by iFi audio for Linear PCM at up to 32 Bit 384 kHz and native DSD playback up to DSD256. That covers both everyday streaming resolutions and higher-resolution local files, so there’s no real ceiling for anyone with a well-stocked hi-res library. Because both the conversion stage and the amplification for the connected IEMs happen inside the cable, phones without a headphone jack or a strong internal DAC gain a proper audio path without anything extra clipped onto the device itself.
iFi audio has also carried over two processing features from its other GO-series products. The first, Dynamic Range Enhancement, is claimed by the manufacturer to widen the dynamic range by as much as 6 dB, intended to make the gap between quiet and loud passages more pronounced. The second, THD Compensation, targets harmonic distortion; iFi audio states this brings a reduction of more than 50 percent compared with the original iFi GO link Max. A S-Balanced single-ended output rounds things out, aimed at cutting crosstalk between channels for cleaner separation.
Straight into 0,78 mm 2-Pin IEMs
Because the cable ends in 0,78 mm 2-Pin connectors, it plugs directly into any IEM built for that standard — no additional analogue cable required between DAC and earphone. In effect, the DAC and amplifier become part of the headphone cable rather than a separate link in the chain.
That’s the point of departure from a conventional USB dongle, where a further cable is still needed to bridge the dongle and the IEMs. For anyone assembling a mobile setup, it trims not just the number of devices involved but also the number of connectors along the signal path.
Controls and a microphone, built in
Day-to-day controls have been worked into the cable too. Volume, playback and track-skipping can all be handled from the cable itself, without reaching for the connected phone or tablet.
A microphone with echo cancellation sits alongside them, which broadens what the GO cable is useful for beyond music — phone calls, video conferencing and gaming all fall within its remit. iFi audio specifically flags the Nintendo Switch 2 and its GameChat feature as one intended use case.
The Nexis App, and its Android-only limits
A further layer of functionality comes via the iFi Nexis App, though the manufacturer is explicit that these extras are only available on Google Android devices when paired with the GO cable. That includes over-the-air firmware updates, a choice between two digital filters, and a volume-limiting function.
The filter choice sits between Hybrid and Linear settings, letting users tailor the digital signal processing to taste. The Android-only restriction is worth underlining, though: iFi audio does not list any equivalent support for these Nexis features on Apple iOS.
A bundle for those starting from scratch
For buyers without existing IEMs fitted with 0,78 mm 2-Pin connectors, iFi audio also sells the iFi GO cable ASTRA Hi-Res Starter Kit, pairing the cable with its AIRO Astra in-ears.
The AIRO Astra use a 6 mm dynamic driver with a titanium-coated diaphragm. iFi audio describes the tuning as smooth at the top end, warm through the mids, with deep, controlled bass, and points to a pressure-relief vent designed to improve comfort over longer listening sessions.
All benefits at a glance
- No dongle needed: the DAC and amplifier live inside the cable itself
- Hi-res ready: Linear PCM up to 32 Bit 384 kHz, DSD up to DSD256
- Direct IEM fit: 0,78 mm 2-Pin connectors skip the extra analogue cable
- Controls at your fingertips: volume and playback handled from the cable
- Built-in microphone: calls, video chats and gaming without extra hardware
- Processing extras: Dynamic Range Enhancement and THD Compensation refine the signal
- Google Android extras: the Nexis App unlocks filter choice, firmware updates and volume limiting
- Ready-to-go bundle: the ASTRA Hi-Res Starter Kit pairs the cable with matching AIRO Astra IEMs
Price and availability
The iFi GO cable is available now at a recommended retail price of € 79,-. iFi audio also offers the iFi GO cable ASTRA Hi-Res Starter Kit, which bundles the cable with the AIRO Astra IEMs, priced at € 99,-.
Getting to the point
What makes the iFi GO cable interesting isn’t that iFi audio has launched yet another compact USB DAC — it’s that the DAC, as a separate object, essentially disappears. Converter, amplifier, controls and microphone are all absorbed into the IEM cable itself, stripping a mobile listening setup down to a single lead. With Linear PCM up to 32 Bit 384 kHz, DSD256 support and a direct 0.78 mm 2-Pin connection, it’s a genuinely appealing option for owners of decent IEMs, and the € 79,- asking price from iFi audio is modest for what’s packed inside.
| Product | iFi GO cable |
|---|---|
| Price | iFi GO cable € 79,- iFi GO cable ASTRA Hi-Res Starter Kit € 99,- |
Technical Specifications
| Product | iFi GO cable |
|---|---|
| Product type | USB-C DAC, headphone amplifier and IEM cable |
| DAC | ESS |
| Linear PCM | up to 32 Bit 384 kHz |
| DSD | up to DSD256 |
| IEM connector | 0,78 mm 2-Pin |
| Output power | ≥ 70 mW at 32 Ohm; ≥ 14 mW at 300 Ohm |
| Output voltage | ≥ 1.5 V at 32 Ohm; ≥ 2 V at 300 Ohm |
| Output impedance | < 1 Ohm |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | ≥ 120 dBA |
| Dynamic range | ≥ 125 dBA |
| THD+N | ≤ 0.004% at 1.27 V into 32 Ohm |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz to 80 kHz (-0.5 dB) |
| Special features | Dynamic Range Enhancement, THD Compensation, S-Balanced single-ended output |
| Controls | Volume, playback, microphone |
| App | iFi Nexis App, Google Android exclusive |
| Cable length | 1,37 m |
| Weight | 16 g |
| Brand | iFi Audio |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Abbingdon Music Research |
| Distribution | WOD Audio |
| More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG |
