ifi audio GO Bar Balanced USB Audio DAC Amplifier User Manual

: June 4, 2024
: iFi Audio

Table of Contents

ifi audio GO Bar Balanced USB Audio DAC Amplifier
Audio format, frequency and sound effects LED
Sound Effects
MQA and Digital filter LED
iEMatch Switch
Volume Control and Gain
Settings and Digital Filter Mode
USB-C Input
Specifications
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

ifi audio GO Bar Balanced USB Audio DAC Amplifier

Thank you for purchasing the special limited edition gold-plated bar of the GO series. GO bar is a balanced USB audio DAC amplifier.

Audio format, frequency and sound effects LED

The LED colour scheme indicates the current sampling frequency and audio format received by the GO bar from the music source. Sound effect modes are also indicated.

Sound Effects

Tip: Sonically-hindering DSP is NOT used for XBass+ nor XSpace systems. They use the highest-quality discrete components and operate purely in the analogue domain. Hence all the clarity and resolution of the original music is retained.

MQA and Digital filter LED

MQA:

Green: MQA
Blue: MQA Studio
Magenta: Original Sample Rate*
MQB

**Digital Filter for PCM Playback:

**

iEMatch Switch

iEMatch reduces the output level, so that even the most sensitive In-Ear- Monitors (IEMs) can be matched to the GO bar
Tip: The GO bar and/or the headphone will not be damaged if the iEMatch switch is adjusted incorrectly, but the attenuation level will not be correct.

Volume Control and Gain

To increase volume, press the + button, and to decrease it, press the – button. Volume level is briefly displayed on the GO bar while pressing one of the volume buttons, shown by the number of white LEDs on at a time – from none to 6. The increase or decrease of volume can be synchronised with the volume of the mobile phone/computer. The connected device will indicate a change of volume on its display if synchronisation is on, and the device’s volume controls can additionally be used to adjust volume. The GO bar’s volume buttons are still operational. By default, the synchronisation feature is off. To switch this on or off, press the settings button (5) for > 8s. On is indicated by the 6 white LEDs switching on in sequence from LED 1 and 6 to the centre. Off is indicated by the 6 white LEDs switching off in the opposite direction. Turbo Mode increases the gain by 6dB. To switch this on or off, press the + and – volume buttons together for ≥ 2s. Turbo Mode on is indicated by 2 white LEDs increasing to 6 lighting up at the same time for 2s. Normal gain is indicated by 6 white LEDs diminishing to 2 lighting up for 2s.
Tip: For sensitive headphones and earphones, leave Turbo Mode off. For less sensitive headphones, it may be appropriate to switch Turbo Mode on.

Settings and Digital Filter Mode

This button cycles between:
Off > XSpace > XBass+ > XSpace and XBass+ (short click). Please refer to item 1 for sound effects LED indications. Digital filter setting mode (long press ≥2s). Please see below.
Digital filter
To enter digital filter setting mode, press and hold the button for ≥3s. The MQA LED will flash with the currently set digital filter colour (as shown in item 2). Press the + or – buttons (4) to change the filter selection. A short press on the settings button (5) will select and exit the filter setting mode.

The following 4 digital filters are available:
‘BP’ (Cyan) Bit-Perfect: no digital filtering, no pre or post
ringing
‘STD’ (Red) Standard, modest filtering, modest pre and
post ringing
‘MIN’ (Yellow) Minimum phase, slow roll-off, minimum pre and post ringing
‘GTO’ (White) Gibbs Transient-Optimised: upsampled to 352/384kHz, minimum filtering, no pre-ringing, minimum post ringing
Note: If the GTO filter is selected, the only sample rate indicator showing will be 352.8/384kHz, indicating the upsampling operation of this filter.

S-Balanced 3.5mm headphone output
For connecting 3.5mm headphones. This is a single-ended output.
Balanced 4.4mm headphone output
For connecting balanced 4.4mm headphones. This is a fully balanced output.

USB-C Input

The USB-C socket plays up to 32-bit 384kHz, has full MQA decoding, and native DSD up to DSD256.
Tip: Because the Go bar is a high-performance gadget and the iPhone’s power supply is conservative, we recommend using an iPhone 8 or higher for reliable connectivity, and the battery should be charged to 70% or higher.
Warning: If the GO bar’s volume synchronisation function is on, and the music source is Tidal via Windows, please ensure that the Tidal setting of Forced Volume is off. With this function on, there is no volume control possible, and the volume will be at maximum. This has the potential to damage the connected headphone and/or your hearing.