From TechRadar · · 1m 30s
iFi hid a hi-res DAC inside a USB-C cable
The iFi Go Cable buries a full DAC and headphone amp in the wire, so the IEMs you already own can go hi-res.
In brief
The iFi Go Cable buries a full DAC and headphone amp in the wire, so the IEMs you already own can go hi-res. The upgrade lives in the cable now. Keep the earbuds you love and let the wire do the converting. Originally reported by TechRadar.
The cable is the DAC
iFi's Go Cable is not just a wire. A hi-res DAC and headphone amp are built into the cable itself, small enough to coil up next to a laptop.
ESS Sabre doing the work
Inside sits an ESS Sabre chip with 32-bit audio support, the same family of converters that shows up in far larger desktop gear.
USB-C on one end
It plugs straight into a phone or laptop over USB-C, so there is no charging, no pairing and no extra box riding in your pocket.
Bring your own IEMs
The other end is left for you. Connect whatever audiophile in-ears you already trust instead of buying into someone else's tuning.
Or take the bundle
If you have no IEMs yet, iFi sells the cable packaged with a pair of its own at a cut price, cheaper than buying the two separately.
A crowded little category
Dongle DACs like the AudioQuest DragonFly and Astell & Kern AK HC5 got here first. iFi's answer is to stop making it a dongle at all.
The essence
The upgrade lives in the cable now. Keep the earbuds you love and let the wire do the converting.
