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0 If you are the kind of person who still carries a dedicated wired setup because “Bluetooth just doesn’t hit the same,” prepare to have your world gently shaken. We have all seen those bulky portable stacks that make your pocket look like it is carrying a vintage scientific calculator. But what if you could shrink that fidelity down to the size of a matchbox and clip it to your lapel?
Going Wireless with Your Favourite Wired Device
The ifi GO blu Air is the slimmed-down, ultra-portable sequel to the legendary GO blu. It is designed for the audiophile who wants to cut the tether to their phone but refuses to sacrifice the soul of their music. At £129, it is a lighter, more affordable gateway to high-resolution wireless audio that manages to be both a tool and a toy in the best possible way.
Design & Features
The original GO blu was a dapper little thing with its brushed metal and copper accents. The GO blu Air, however, goes in a completely different, and arguably cooler, direction. It features a semi-translucent smoky polymer chassis that lets you peek at the internal circuitry. It feels like a high-tech relic from the early 2000s, reminiscent of those see-through game consoles we all loved!
Weighing in at a featherweight 31 grams, you genuinely forget it is there until the music starts. The standout design feature is the detachable magnetic clip. Unlike the permanent clips on some competitors, this one snaps on with satisfying authority, allowing you to hook it onto a shirt pocket or backpack strap. If you want to keep it sleek, just pop the clip off and slide the unit into your pocket.
The interface is dominated by the ChronoDial, a multi-function volume wheel that handles play, pause, track skipping, and requests the smartphone voice assistant with a tactile, mechanical feel that digital buttons simply cannot replicate. On the side, you will find the power button and a dedicated settings button for ifi’s signature analogue filters.
Under the hood, ifi has kept the “Holy Trinity” architecture: a dedicated Qualcomm QCC5144 chip for Bluetooth, a Cirrus Logic MasterHIFI DAC, and a twin mono amplifier stage. Most Bluetooth dongles cram all of this into one cheap chip; ifi separates them like a fine three-course meal to ensure nothing gets muddied.
Performance
The performance of the GO blu Air can be summarised in one word: Authority. Despite its tiny size, this little box is packing heat. Through the 4.4mm balanced output, it pumps out up to 262mW, which is more than enough to drive not just IEMs, but even demanding full-sized cans like the Sennheiser HD 650 or Meze 99 Classics.
The Bluetooth 5.2 implementation is rock solid, supporting every high-res codec under the sun: LDAC, LHDC/HWA, aptX Adaptive, and aptX HD. When you feed it a 24-bit/96kHz stream, the transparency is startling. The noise floor is impressively low, thanks to the S-Balanced 3.5mm output which halves crosstalk and distortion for your standard single-ended earphones.
The two party tricks make this ifi product so addictive:
- XBass: This is not a digital EQ that bloats the sound. It is an analogue circuit that adds a tasteful, physical thump to the low end. It is perfect for those leaner IEMs that need a bit more “oomph” in the bass guitar, such as me.
- XSpace: This feature expands the soundstage, making it feel like the music is happening around your head rather than inside it. It is particularly effective for live recordings or orchestral pieces.
The battery life is a respectable 10 hours. While that won’t get you through a flight from London to Sydney, it is more than enough for a full day of commuting and office work. Plus, it supports fast charging via USB-C, giving you a couple of hours of playback from just a fifteen minute top up. Note that the USB-C port is strictly for charging on the Air model; unlike the original GO blu, it does not function as a wired USB DAC. It is a dedicated wireless specialist.
The built-in MEMS microphone is surprisingly capable. Thanks to Qualcomm cVc noise suppression, you can take a call in a busy coffee shop without the person on the other end asking if you are standing in a wind tunnel. It is a small detail, but it makes the GO blu Air a truly viable everyday carry.
Conclusion
The ifi GO blu Air is a masterclass in what it does. By swapping the metal housing for a lightweight, transparent polymer and focusing purely on the Bluetooth experience, ifi has created a device that is cheaper and more portable than the original while keeping the world-class sound signature intact.
It is a “set it and forget it” device that makes your wired headphones feel new again. It is fun to look at, delightful to use, and sounds significantly better than anything this small has a right to. If you want the convenience of a wireless lifestyle without the “cardboard” sound quality of standard consumer buds, the GO blu Air is your new best friend.
The ifi GO blu Air receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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