Pros: Connectivity options
Battery life
Good controls take a bit to get used to
Cons: Fit is horrible
The case is large to some
Good controls take a bit to get used to
Expensive?
iFi GO Pod ($299): iFi lets us use our IEMs in a new light
Intro:
I am a fan of iFi. I have owned many of their products, and still own the iDSD/iCAN Pro models. Other models I have liked, and there are some I have not. When offered a review sample of the GO Pod, I accepted Lawrance’s gracious offer. What follows are my own words, for good or ill, and I thank Lawrance & iFi for the opportunity to try something new from them.
Specs:
DAC: Cirrus Logic Master-HiFi 32-bit DAC
Bluetooth Chipset: Qualcomm QCC5144 Bluetooth 5.2 (Snapdragon)
Supported Codecs: LDAC, LHDC/HWA, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX, ACC, SBC
Sampling Rate Support: Max. 24bit-96kHz
SNR: 32Ω ≥ 129dB (A) / 300Ω ≥ 132dB (A)
THD+N: ≤0.002% (1kHz/32Ω)
Auto Impedance Detection: 16Ω / 32Ω / 64Ω / 300Ω
Output Power: 120mW@32Ω; 4V@300Ω 16Ω: ≥0.98V/60mW 32Ω: ≥1.96V/120mW 64Ω: ≥2.77V/120mW 300Ω: ≥4.0V/53mW
Battery Capacity: 180 mAh Each Adapter + 1500 mAh Case
Battery Life: Up to 37 hours
Features: TWS Mirroring, Snapdragon Sound, IPX5, MMCX/2-pin, Qi Wireless Charging 5V/1A or 5V/2A + USB-C Fast Charging, cVc Mics, Single GO pod Mode & more.
Case Dimensions & Total Weight: Approx. 116 x 76 x 38.5 mm (4.6″ x 3″ x 1.5″), 126g
Ear Hook Dimensions & Total Weight: Approx. 43.5 x 16.4 x 9.5 mm (1.7″ x 0.6″ x 0.4″), 12g
MSRP: $399 ($299) USD/GBP
In The Box (complete IEM kit):
GO Pod
Charging case (W/ mood lighting)
Ear loops: 0.78mm, MMCX, Pentaconn ear
USB charging cable
Quickstart card
Instruction card
Gear Used:
Spirit Torino IEM Twin Pulse (2-pin)
Campfire Audio Solaris2020 (MMCX)
Campfire Audio Supermoon (Custom, MMCX)
iPhone 13 Pro Max
Unboxing:
ifi has a history of efficient, yet protective packaging and the GO Pod is no different. Truth be told, many of us keep the boxes in case we sell the item or move, or just like looking at the box.
A white sleeve covers the traditional white box, with the GO Pod’s prominently placed in near-life size on the front. One side showcases the large, cool case. The other side carries the internal circuitry wizardry, while the back shows the traditional specs and usage quick guide.
Sliding the sleeve off the traditional ifi logo in silver highlights the top. Removing the top, you are met with the case and the GO Pod inside with one of the three ear hook adapters. Underneath the case, you will find the other two types of adapters (I wish the T2 had been included for my UE Live…), wrapped around a post, and the USB charging cable next to the hooks. Underneath that lift-out section are the quick start guide, legal verbiage, and instruction sheet. Elegantly simple.
Build/Fit/Function:
The GO Pod system is two pieces, the main driving unit, and the ear hook connectivity piece in 0.78mm 2-pin, MMCX, T2, or Pentaconn arrangement. The set I have contains all but the T2, so my UE Live will not get to play along. The technicals of the driving unit will be covered below.
ifi is known for stellar construction no matter what the unit might be. The GO Pod follows this nicely, with more plastic than their other designs. But for good reason. This is an on-the-go BT receiver, which will most likely face tougher conditions than say the company headphone amplifiers. The GO Pod is water resistant as a result.
The unit is also on the larger size. I had trouble wearing it for the first hour, with the ear hook digging into the upper portion of my ear on the back size. I would have liked a more pliable shape, but understand the need for protective measures. The unit ended up sitting vertically behind my ear. I still had a fair bit of discomfort, but considered it barely acceptable for 1–2-hour sessions, IEM dependent (more on that below).
The connection to the driver unit is 0.78mm 2-pin, and to be honest a pain to connect. Inset rather deeply (for protective purposes), you must be very precise when connecting the ear hook of your choice. Numerous times I had to carefully hunt for the proper location, so I did not bend the pins or have only one connect before realizing it was mismatched. This is a design flaw to me, which needs addressing with a shallower hole. Once connected, the fit between the hook and driver was very good, though.
The GO Pod carries a lot of plastic, but it is well-constructed. An IPX5 rating gives you sweat protection, but do not expect waterproofness. Since I used my CFA Supermoon and UE Live, I did not chance any precipitation while using the GO Pod.
Not all is rosy in the fit department as mentioned, though. I found that wearing the GO Pod for anything longer than an hour or two was not pleasant due to the unflexing shape of the ear hook. It is not bendable. I understand why iFi did this, but it is too narrow for the vast majority of ears on this planet. As such, I rate the on-ear fit as poor. Add in that the “brains” part hangs behind the ear and that makes for a large bulbous object hanging from behind your ear.
Thankfully the sound makes up for this.
Functions are listed in the picture below, and are intuitive, once you use the GO Pods once or twice. I do wish all BT TWS devices used the same patterns for continuity’s sake, but the ifi works just fine.
I did have some issues with pairing, but the suggestion from my phone to “Forget Device” and reconnect was easy and took very little extra time. It was no big deal to me. Once I became acclimated to the location of the unit, I was able to use my hand to “hold” the sides of the GO Pod, and then actuate whichever function I desired.
Since the unit is larger, this did and does aid in accessing the controls. I do wish for a bit different tactility on the two buttons, though.
App:
The ifi-Gaia app is essentially worthless except for firmware updates, and two filter choices. To update firmware, you must still go to the ifi website and download the files. Then you can access them inside the app. Upon opening the app and connecting the GO Pods, I was prompted to go to the settings button at the bottom for the update. Once in settings though, the “Software Updates” showed 0 available. When clicking upon that, the “Select Update File” button was grayed out. I did click on it, which took me to another sub-menu, where there was nothing listed. I then touched the folder button in the top right, and the updated files were found there.
By clicking on the file, I was taken to an informational menu, with a grayed-out “Start” button. From there, updating was successful.
Technology:
Touted as “The first device in the world to support Hi-Res 96kHz/24bits with LDAC and Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound Bluetooth codecs on TWS,” the GO Pod comes with high aspirations. As we know ifi usually aims high and hits the target. aptX, AAC, and SBC codecs are supported as well.
Qualcomm’s 24-bit Snapdragon is TOTL, and with LDAC codec, wants to hit that top rung.
Space limitations of such a device mean that the “all-in-one” typical system comes with compromises. The proximity of each circuit to another comes with drawbacks such as signal infiltration, which can hinder audio quality. Much like a tube amplifier, which has an external power source “block” (think Woo Audio, etc), ifi designs each sub-component separately, then optimizes them all together. This promotes isolation of each required component but ensures all work together. This is not unlike what the Klipsch Bespoke T10 does with its motherboard. And it works.
Qualcomm’s top-tier QCC5144 module drives the BT 5.2 for the most current set-up available. The quad cores also help to minimize battery drain, a known BT issue with some. Qualcomm’s QC5100 TrueWireless Mirroring also sends a distinct signal to each channel (L & R). This allows the bud with the strongest connection to the BT source to act as the receiver. The other bud, then “mirrors” the signal. If the user moves locations (proximity to BT source), the GO Pod automatically detects this and changes to the bud with the strongest signal.
To minimize pre-echos and ringing artifacts, the DAC is designed with proprietary digital interpolation filters that support five digital filter responses. These user-selectable settings offer a degree of personal sonic tailoring. The iOS app only shows two filter choices, but latency can be tailored to enhance the gaming effect.
Not giving all control to the Qualcomm chip (even though it is excellent), the GO pod incorporates two Cirrus Logic MasterHIFI chips (one in the left pod, the other in the right). The 32-bit hi-res DAC chip is dedicated to single-channel digital-to-analogue signal conversion in the GO pod’s circuit design. This combines with a jitter-eradicating precision clock to deliver ultra-low distortion and high dynamic range. Put this all together and you get typical ifi quality.
With a power output of 120mW into 32 ohms, the balanced amplifier also automatically detects the IEM impedance; balancing the necessary power (read volume level) across four impedances; 16 ohms, 32 ohms, 64 ohms, and 300 ohms.
A built-in microphone, which utilizes Qualcomm’s cVc noise suppression technology, helps isolate your voice on phone calls, minimizing outside interference. A single mic takes care of business.
As you can see, ifi has done its homework.
Case:
Yes, the case deserves a special section. This has to be one of the coolest cases I have seen, BT or otherwise. The hard plastic case can easily sit on your desk plugged in, or be taken with you in your backpack or attaché case.
A 1500mAH rechargeable battery is built into the charging case, and a pair of GO pods will play for up to seven hours on a single charge. The case provides multiple recharges (up to 30 hours) to enable up to 35 hours (37 on the literature, and verified by me) of playing time. The case supports both Qi wireless charging and USB-C fast charging. The Qi ring is on the bottom, so you can still access the buds.
Opening the case, you are met with a superb blue-lit look, reminiscent of your lit footwell in your vehicle of choice. The partitions on each side are big enough to keep an IEM connected while charging, which is a nice thought. The lights on the side of the case denote how much “charging power” is left going from 1-4 temporary blinking lights.
The case is large, though, and not very conducive to carrying in anything outside of an attaché or book bag. The case also houses all of the different ear hook connections and the charging cable, so that is a nice tradeoff. Wireless charging is a plus, as well.
Sound:
Summary:
It is always hard to gauge sound qualities in something such as this since it depends so heavily upon the IEM connected to it. The best DAC will get out of the way, and let the source/IEM combination play their cards. Happily, the GO Pod does this.
While using the CFA Supermoon, the GO Pod provided enough energy, but it was obvious that the Supermoon needed more for its full benefit. Switching to the Solaris 2020, the volume level was turned down quickly, since it is much easier to drive. The IEM Spirit Torino split the difference. Regardless, there was plenty of power to drive the IEMs to ear-splitting levels.
moar:
As stated, this is a hard aspect to judge, since many factors come into play. A good DAC/amp will get out of the way, and the GO Pod did just that while providing plenty of power, to go along with the clean, detailed sound.
I cannot say I had a favorite pairing since each was different. The custom Supermoon was harder to get in and out, due to the shape, but the Solaris 2020 and Spirit Torino were as easy as a “regular” IEM.
Bass reached low and accurate levels in all three, with the excellent detail coming through in the Supermoon, while the deeper more guttural reach of the Solaris2020 shone. The GO Pod did provide a more detailed sound, due to the better DAC involved, but hooking the pods up to a dedicated DAP would make it even better.
Top-end reach matched whatever IEM was hooked, with the Solaris2020 providing me with silky-smooth listening, even if a bit rounded off. The details from the Supermoon sounded the “best,” but not quite as driven, due to the need for increased power. Again, the Spirit Torino was along for the ride, seemingly content to be the middle child, so to speak.
The above pairings show that while the three might not have been meant for such a device, the ifi could easily give your flagship-level IEMs a wireless choice.
finale:
The ifi GO Pod came to me with good aspirations, and after my lengthy testing I came away with the appreciation I knew it had garnered from others; and my respect. It is a solution to something, that we may not have known we needed (except for the other competitors), but provided me with a very good option for my portable listening. While I may not always take high-end IEMs along for this, knowing I can make it all the more worthwhile.
If ifi can solve the horrendous fit issues by making a bendable ear hook, this would be darn near perfect. Until then, I can still recommend it but know fit is an issue for me, along with the neglected app.
Regardless, the GO Pod provides the user with a viable option for portable listening that may suit your bill. I thank Lawrance and ifi for the review sample. This is one, which will see much use.
