iFi GO pod | Wearable Bluetooth DAC and Amp
World-class. Wireless. Wearable HD Bluetooth DAC and Headphone Amp
- GO pod + any corded IEMs = excellent wireless sound
- Separately designed and optimized Bluetooth decoding, DAC conversion, and amplification stages
- Dual 32-bit Hi-Res Cirrus Logic MasterHIFI DAC chips
- Includes connectors for both standard 2-pin and MMCX IEMs
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Bloom's Take With the recent craze driving brands to produce better-sounding TWS earphones, iFi looks to do a bit more than jump on board: they’ve dropped an IEM TWS adapter into the fray in the hopes of providing some wireless versatility to customers with expensive, premium-sounding wired IEMs. They feature a minimalist design, 7-hour playback time, balanced output signal up to 120mW @ 32Ω, support LDAC and LHDC (HWA) at 32-bit/96kHz, as well as all of the latest BT codecs, and feature Qualcomm Snapdragon for connection reliability. It's not 100% feasible just yet to attach an IEM to a Bluetooth wearable DAC and expect a perfectly transparent sound interpretation as if you’re listening with the wire. But iFi gets REAL close with the GO pod adding a small, elevated bass shelf to the sound signature, a touch of warmth to the midrange, and a bit of smoothness to the treble. They come with both 2-pin and MMCX connectors, so you’ll have what you need out of the box for the majority of IEMs out there, but additional termination types are available in Pentaconn Ear, A2DC, and T2. The $399 price tag may make you hesitate, but their comfort, excellent sound, and class-leading tech make the iFi GO pod a great pairing for your premium IEMs. |
GO pod + IEMs = Brilliant Wireless Sound
The GO pod is a pair of wearable Bluetooth DAC/headphone amps designed to make any pair of corded IEMs wireless.
Using a pair of GO pods is easy: detach the cable from your favorite IEMs, connect the earpieces to the L and R pods, pair them with your source device (EG. smartphone) and hook the ergonomic ear loops around your ears to ensure a comfortable fit.
Given the quality of the GO pod’s circuitry, when combined with a well-chosen pair of high-performance IEMs, the resulting sound is far in advance of any ‘true wireless’ earbud or Bluetooth headphones.
Distinctly Different
TWS buds rely on system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions to integrate the required tech into a tiny space. All the crucial stages from decoding to amplification get combined typically resulting in compromised sound quality.
Not the GO pod: each critical Bluetooth, DAC and amplification stage is designed separately and optimized individually to ensure excellent sound quality.
Like top-level Hi-Fi loudspeakers, high-quality corded IEMs are engineered for sonic excellence, combining multiple hi-tech drive units to transmit sound directly into your ear canal. Given the high-level of audio engineering in both, connecting a pair of these IEMs to the GO pod results in sound that is so much better than regular TWS buds.
Features
Voice clarity: built-in mic with Qualcomm noise suppression.
Touch Controls: aluminum panel on front of pod acts as a touch pad with play, pause, and skip controls.
Easy Charging: comes with a smart-designed charging case, softly-lined compartments, and sufficient room to accommodate connected IEMs along with pods.
Hi-Res Bluetooth: Qualcomm’s 24-bit aptX formats are covered, offering sample rates of up to 96kHz.
True Wireless Mirroring: Both left and right pods can receive BT signals, but only the pod with the strongest connection acts as the receiver as the other mirrors.
Cirrus Logic MasterHiFi: GO pod incorporates (x2) Cirrus Logic Master chips, 1 in each pod. This 32-bit hi-res chip is dedicated to single-channel DAC signal conversion.
Balanced Amplification: the amp stage has been carefully designed to ensure ultra-low distortion and silent background with high-sensitivity IEMs. With a power output of 120mW into 32Ω, and an output voltage of 4V into high-impedance 300Ω loads.
IPX5-rated: GO pod is water and sweat-resistant - no issue wearing them in the gym or getting caught in the rain.
Specifications
- GO pod User Manual
- Bluetooth 5.2
- BT Codecs: LDAC, LHDC/HWA, aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC, SBC
- Bluetooth Chipset: Qualcomm QCC 5100 Series
- Auto Impedance Detection: 16/32/64/300 Ω
- SNR: 32Ω ≥129dB (A) | 300Ω ≥132dB (A)
- THD+N: ≤0.002% (1kHz/32Ω)
- Frequency Response: 10-20kHz(-3dB) LDAC
- Battery: GO pod 180mAh + Case 1500mAh
- Working hours: GO pod ~7h + Case ~30h
- Power: 5V/1A or 5V/2A Qi certified charger
- Dimensions: GO pod 1.7" x 0.6" x 0.4 | Case 4.6" x 3" x 1.5"
- Weight: GO pod 0.42 oz | Case 4.44 oz
- IFi 1 Year Warranty
In the Box
