iFi has launched the Go Cable, a compact USB-C lead with built-in DAC and amplifier designed for in-ear monitors, blending mobile convenience with high-quality sound.
iFi has added another ultra-compact option to its growing Go series, this time packaging a digital-to-analogue converter and headphone amplifier into a USB-C lead designed for in-ear monitors. What Hi-Fi? reported that the Go Cable is aimed at listeners who already own compatible IEMs and want a smaller alternative to the company’s Go Link 2 dongle-style DAC. The pitch is straightforward: plug a USB-C source into one end, connect 0.78mm two-pin earphones at the other, and let the cable handle conversion and amplification instead of relying on the audio hardware built into the source device.
Inside the cable sits an ESS Sabre DAC, which iFi says supports hi-res playback up to PCM 384kHz and DSD256. The company claims its THD compensation helps keep distortion in check, while the output is rated at 70mW into 32 ohms. The cable also carries silver-plated conductors, inline controls for playback and volume, and an echo-cancelling microphone for calls. According to iFi, the design can also work with gaming hardware, including Nintendo’s Switch 2 and its GameChat feature, broadening the appeal beyond pure hi-fi use.
The trade-off is that buyers must supply their own IEMs, although iFi is offering a starter bundle with its AIRO Astra buds for an extra £20. The standalone Go Cable is priced at £79 in the UK and $79 in the US, while the bundle costs £99 or $99. iFi says shipping is due by 21 September, placing the product in the increasingly busy market for compact, source-agnostic audio accessories that try to bridge mobile convenience and higher-quality sound without adding much bulk.
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