iFi launches the GO link 2 dongle DAC at $59
At $59 the GO link 2 is 8% smaller and 29% lighter than the original, on an ESS Sabre chipset, and the first in the range to take over-the-air firmware updates.
iFi has launched the GO link 2 at $59, a cable-form DAC and headphone amplifier drawing its power from the host. It is 8% smaller and 29% lighter than the original, built on an ESS Sabre chipset supporting PCM to 384 kHz and native DSD256, and is the first GO link to work with iFi's Nexis app, which means over-the-air firmware updates rather than desktop flashing.
The bus-powered dongle is the most honest part of the portable market: it does one job and its ceiling is set by how much current the host will supply. Output power into a stated impedance is what decides whether it drives the headphones you already own, and it is the figure to check before anything else.
Announcement sources
More new Portable AMPs
Audma's Brioso PHPA1 is a £4,400 portable amplifier with soundstage controls
Named best portable DAC and amp at CanJam London 2026, the Brioso PHPA1 pairs an AKM flagship converter with Stage and Angle controls that reshape the stereo image.
FiiO's SNOWSKY GAME TAIL is a gaming dongle with a dedicated microphone port
On FiiO's published 2026 roadmap for a summer release, GAME TAIL is a USB dongle DAC aimed squarely at mobile gaming, with virtual 7.1 and a separate microphone input.
ULTRASONE's NAOS MICRO is a €199 dual-DAC dongle with a balanced output
The only source component in ULTRASONE's five-product July premiere: two CS43131 converters, 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm outputs, PCM to 384 kHz and native DSD256, at €199.
This is an announcement, not a verdict. Specifications come from the manufacturer and nothing here is measured until a unit reaches the rig. For tested portable amps, see Portable AMPs reviews. Back to all new releases.