Bluetooth audio has come a long way, but for many listeners, especially those used to high-quality wired gear, it still feels like a compromise. That’s where iFi Audio steps in. With two new gadgets—the GO Pod Air and UP Travel Bluetooth DAC—iFi is trying to make wireless listening and travel audio more flexible, more compatible, and just plain easier.
Whether you're someone who refuses to give up your favorite wired IEMs or you’re tired of using airline-supplied headphones that sound like AM radio, these two new devices aim to fill some very specific (and often overlooked) gaps in everyday audio gear.
If you’re the kind of person who swears by your IEMs—maybe they’re custom-fit, maybe you’ve invested in a few pairs—there’s a good chance you’ve been frustrated by the limitations of Bluetooth earbuds. The iFi GO Pod Air is basically a Bluetooth adapter system for audiophile-grade IEMs. Instead of giving up your favorite sound, you just attach each earpiece to a pod, and boom—you’ve got true wireless.
But this isn’t just a Bluetooth add-on slapped onto some generic amp. Each pod contains a Qualcomm QCC514x Bluetooth chip, a Cirrus Logic MasterHIFI DAC, and a balanced amplifier—all working together to handle signal reception, decoding, and amplification independently. That separation of tasks is a big deal for sound quality and something you usually don’t see in standard wireless earbuds.
One of the big improvements over iFi’s original GO Pod is size and weight. The GO Pod Air weighs just 10 grams per pod, and the charging case is both 40% lighter and about 20% smaller. It’s travel-ready without being bulky—and for something that houses a fully balanced amp, that’s impressive.
The GO Pod Air works with a wide range of IEMs right out of the box. You get both 2-pin and MMCX ear loops included, and iFi also offers optional adapters for less common connectors like T2, A2DC, and Pentaconn. So chances are, whatever IEMs you already own, you’ll be able to connect them without any Frankenstein modifications.
It also includes intelligent impedance matching, which means you don’t have to worry about whether your IEMs are 16, 32, or 64 ohms. Just plug them in, pop the pods in the case for a second, and the system adjusts itself automatically.
Like most modern earbuds, the GO Pod Air gives you touch controls for music playback, phone calls, volume adjustment, and voice assistant access (Siri or Google Assistant). Dual microphones in each pod use Qualcomm’s cVc noise and echo suppression tech, which helps you sound clearer on phone calls—even if you're calling from a noisy street or crowded train.
They’re also IPX5 rated, which means you can wear them in the rain or at the gym without stressing about moisture damage.
Battery life? You get about 7 hours of playback on a single charge, with the case extending that to 15 hours total. That’s enough for a full day’s use or most long-haul flights, without the need to pack a charger.
iFi Go Pod Air Technical Specifications:
The iFi UP Travel is for anyone who’s ever tried to use Bluetooth headphones on a plane or in a rental car and quickly realized they had no good way to connect. This pocket-sized gadget is a Bluetooth DAC and transmitter/receiver combo designed to upgrade pretty much anything with a 3.5mm jack—whether it’s an airplane seatback, an old stereo, or a car AUX input.
It’s also incredibly portable—just 25 grams, with a fold-out 3.5mm connector that tucks back into the body when not in use. There’s a switch on the side that toggles between TX (transmit) and RX (receive) modes. So you can send Bluetooth audio from a screen to your headphones on a flight, or send music from your phone to a speaker system in a hotel room or car.
One of the key features is dual headphone pairing. That means two people can connect their Bluetooth headphones to the same source—great for watching a movie or sharing a playlist without passing earbuds back and forth.
The UP Travel also supports a wide range of codecs—SBC, AAC, aptX (Classic, Adaptive, Low Latency), LDAC, and LHDC/HWA—so it’s compatible with everything from budget Bluetooth headphones to high-res gear.
Inside, it runs on a Qualcomm QCC51xx Bluetooth chipset and a Cirrus Logic DAC, the same kind of hardware used in iFi’s higher-end portable audio gear. A dedicated clocking circuit helps everything stay in sync, which is important when watching video or making phone calls.
Speaking of calls, the UP Travel includes a built-in microphone with cVc noise suppression, making it a handy Bluetooth speakerphone for your car or for calls on the go.
Battery life is solid at 10 hours, and it supports firmware updates and customizations via the iFi Nexis app (iOS and Android).
iFi UP Travel Technical Specifications:
The GO Pod Air and UP Travel don’t try to be everything for everyone. Instead, they each focus on doing a specific job well.
At $249 for the GO Pod Air and $99 for the UP Travel, these aren't impulse buys—but they aren’t priced out of reach either, especially for people who already care about audio quality and want flexibility without dealing with clunky adapters or low-quality wireless gear.
