Two DACs for very different budgets revealed at High End, from iFi’s pocket buddy to AMR’s ‘price on request’ hi-res conversion piece

AMR unveiled its Luna elite DAC engineer, as part of an official relaunch
Meanwhile, iFi unveils another DAC, this one cheap and portable
…proving that High End Vienna has something for every budget

At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that a huge show full of audiophile-quality kit would be a little rich for most ordinary people’s blood – especially with a name like ‘High End’.

But this is where Viennese showrooms, filled with hi-fi systems, have, at least in part, sold themselves a little short. Because, as I’ll show you, these aren’t all the audio systems you’d need to sell the car and remortgage the house. No, while such products will certainly be revealed at the party, some hi-res audio upgrades will only cost you $85/£85 (or around AU$120).

But before we get to the budget, let’s go big, shall we? Elite British audio company AMR (Abbingdon Music Research) has revealed its Luna series to mark the brand’s official relaunch at the high end – and the company is calling it “the most ambitious expression of ultra-luxurious British audio design to date”.

And now the pocket option for those who don’t have very deep pockets

iFi Go Link 2 Max coming out of a woman's pocket, with a phone connected

(Image credit: iFi)

At the other end of the scale, also British audio brand iFi unveiled its iFi Go Link 2 Max DAC at the show. It’s billed as “smaller, sharper and more powerful” than the model it replaces, the five-star Go Link Max (not to be confused with the iFi Go Link 2, which also earned five stars from us in an in-depth review recently).

What has changed? The Go Link 2 Max offers significantly lower distortion than the model it replaces, along with selectable digital filters and over-the-air updates via the iFi Nexis app, all in a smaller, lighter form factor than its previous generation. I own the original Max and love how it enhances my phone’s music, so I’d love to try this one.

And with the best wired headphones boasting vinyl-style feedback (iFi tells me searches for wired headphones are up 88%), I think the Go Link 2 Max could be the relatively affordable upgrade Gen Z might, ahem, choose.

Add to all that its modest price, at just $85/£85 (or around AU$120), the Go Link 2 Max might be my high-end Vienna pick. That said, if anyone wants to buy me the AMR Luna series so I can hear it, I’m all ears. very open to that too.

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