The iFi Go pod Air was kindly provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t receive monetary or any other kind of compensation and I don’t use affiliate links.
The price of the iFi Go pod Air is €249 and you can buy it from iFi’s online shop or authorized dealers around the world.
iFi Audio
iFi audio is a British Hi-Fi company that was founded in 2012 and quickly gained recognition in the audiophile community for designing DACs, headphone amplifiers, and various audio accessories that bring high quality sound to both desktop and portable systems.
Over the years, the company has released a wide range of popular devices, like the ZEN DAC, the battery powered Hip DAC and xDSD Gryphon, the powerful iDSD series and the portable Go range. All these products illustrate iFi’s strong presence across both entry-level and high-end audio systems.
iFi Audio has received a wide coverage from Ichos Reviews. Please click reviews to read more reviews.
iFi Go pod Air
One of iFi’s most popular product ranges is the GO series, which includes a variety of portable DAC/amps and wireless ear-hook adapters designed to add Bluetooth connectivity to earphones with detachable cables. iFi’s first such product was the Go pod, followed by the more affordable Go pod Air and lately the flagship Go pod Max.
iFi Go pod Air features
The iFi Go pod Air are true wireless stereo (TWS) Bluetooth ear-hooks that support a wide range of high resolution audio codecs, including LDAC and LHDC (HWA) at their full 32bit/96kHz capability. For Android devices with Snapdragon Sound, LDAC delivers its maximum 990kbps bit rate while other devices can stream at up to 660kbps. Also supported are the SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adaptive codecs.
Unlike other competitive ear-hooks, the iFi Go pod Air has an advanced audio circuitry with separate Bluetooth, DAC and amp sections. More specifically, each pod is equipped with a Qualcomm QCC514x series chip, a Cirrus Logic DAC with a dedicated clock and a separate balanced amplifier stage. iFi doesn’t disclose the actual DAC chip but most probable candidates are the CS43131 or the CS43198, depending on the amp design.
The amplifier inside the Go pod Air supports an intelligent impedance matching system tailored to three different levels: 16Ω, 32Ω and 64Ω. Every time you connect your earphones, the system will automatically adjust to the best option. Built-in in each pod is also a microphone with Qualcomm’s noise suppression technology for crystal clear voice calls.
Design and wearing comfort
The Go pod Air’s most notable physical feature is that it is designed with easily removable ear-hooks. Included in the box are hooks with MMCX and 2-pin 0.78mm connectors, while T2, A2DP, and Pentaconn Ear options are available for €29.95 per pair. The hook reception points in each pod are recessed, rather than sitting flush to the surface, ensuring secure connection and maximum durability.
The ear-hooks are made from elastic silicone that is soft, skin-friendly and adjusts easily to the shape of the ear. Their length is not too long, so users with bigger ears will end with the pods positioned at the upper part of the ear rather than hanging downwards. This might not be the most practical position, but it doesn’t affect actual wearing comfort because the pods are lightweight, weighing only 10g each.
The pods themselves are made from textured polymer material and come with an IPX5 protection rating. Their design is rather conventional but they are compact and lightweight so they fit exceptionally well and feel super comfortable even after hours of use.
User interface
Each pod is equipped with a touch surface that supports various tap actions, plus a small notification LED that displays the pod’s current status, like whether it is charging or in pairing mode.
Some of the available actions are: single tap to play/pause or answer a call, double tap to reject/hang up or skip forward, triple tap to skip back, hold right for volume up and left for volume down etc.
A handy feature is that you can completely disable the touch area to avoid accidental tap actions during exercising or when walking around. The Go pod Air supports both stereo and single bud working modes.
Using the pods is simple and easy but depending on the size of your ears there is a great chance that the pods may sit behind the upper part of the ear instead of hanging downwards. This situation makes using the touch area tricky as it is partially concealed behind the ear, however with some practice you will find your way out.
Accessories
Except for the pods and the charging case, the package also includes a USB type-C charging cable and two pairs of ear-hooks (MMCX and 2-pin).
The charging case
The charging case is like a regular earphone carrying case with a side zipper, and not the usual plastic one that most other brands use. The inner frame is made from hard polymer material and the exterior surface is covered with synthetic fabric.
The case is lightweight (106g) and portable but it also has enough space to hold the pods together with bulky earphones (like the Kiwi Ears Aether), plus a mesh at the lid that can store the charging cable and an extra pair of ear-hooks. The pods are magnetically attached at the center column of the case that also houses four LED lights that indicate the battery level.
Battery duration
Each pod is equipped with a 180mAh battery and the case with a 580mAh one. The pods need about 1.5 hours to get a full charge and the case about 1 hour. The pods last about 5-6 hours of mixed usage in LDAC mode and the case can provide one more full charge, so you can have about 10-12 hours of playtime without the need to reach for a wall charger.
The iFi Nexis app
The iFi Go pod Air is compatible with the iFi Nexis application which allows the user to select filters (slow, fast), phase (minimum, linear), enable bit-perfect playback, enable/disable the touch control area, adjust touch latency, select Bluetooth codec and perform local or OTA firmware updates.
Wireless performance
The pods will enter pairing mode as soon as you remove them out of the charging case. Just enable Bluetooth on your phone and select the Go pod Air from the drop down menu.
The connection is stable and reliable within a 5-7m distance (at least with the two smartphones that I have used), there is no wireless interface noise and I haven’t experienced any stuttering playback in LDAC mode.
Audio parameters
The rated power output of each pod is about 56mW/16Ω or 30mW/64Ω, enough to drive sensitive earphones. Don’t expect them to run your power hungry planar magnetic IEMs, just make sure to use easier loads, like the FiiO JH13. With all the earphones that I have tested, there was no audible background noise during music playback.
Listening evaluation
The sound quality is stellar, reaching the upper limits of what can be expected from such a Bluetooth device. When matched with sensitive earphones, the pods deliver a very satisfying listening experience on the go. Their sonic capabilities come surprisingly close to wired USB DAC dongles made with the same chipset and with similar power output levels, aside from the inherent compromises in sound quality caused by Bluetooth’s lossy transmission.
The iFi Go pod Air will not compress the low-end, which sounds dynamic and quite powerful, with clean and undistorted bass that is well defined, fast and controlled without too lean or dry textures.
The mid-range is tonally balanced and precise with respectable transparency and fidelity. The sound signature is neutral, with a touch of a warmish tilt but no other sonic coloration or deviation from linearity. The Go pod Air skilfully connects the listener with the music, its timbre is generally speaking natural, the textures are not too lean and the music never sounds lifeless or flat.
The treble is good but also a bit problematic and the Achilles tendon of the Go pod Air that reminds us that we are dealing with a Bluetooth device rather than a cable connection. It is fast and energetic with satisfying clarity, it handles detail retrieval pretty well for the category and has enough sparkle to sound alive but not clinical or bright.
More to know
However, the higher frequencies sound somewhat compressed, they lack top-end extension, they are not that airy or resolving and the timbre is a touch artificial without much refinement. The treble is relatively lacking in fidelity and transparency in comparison to the mid and lower frequencies.
That said, this is not the iFi Go pod Air’s fault as such behavior is normally expected from Bluetooth audio even in LDAC mode. What you have read above is the necessary critical evaluation, but take it with a grain of salt because in actual use conditions you will not pay much attention to the minor treble deficiencies and you are definitely going to enjoy your favorite music.
The soundstage is especially wide and spacious, with focused imaging but rather limited depth and not much layering. Still the Go pod Air is not going to bottleneck your earphones and it sounds respectably well for an ear-hook Bluetooth adapter.
The Go pod Air pairs well with a great variety of earphones, from brighter to warmer ones. It doesn’t really matter, just use your favorite ones and let the musicfill your ears.
In the end
The iFi Go pod Air is an affordable solution to transform your favorite earphones into wireless and enjoy great sound on the go without the clutter of a USB DAC dongle. The sound quality is really good and you are not going to miss much, especially considering the added convenience and ease of use.
Except for its stellar audio performance, the Go pod Air’s most notable advantages over the competition are its low weight/bulk and the easily interchangeable ear-hook system. The inclusion of both MMCX and 2-pin options in the box, makes it ready to use with most earphones in the market and raises its overall value to a level that is hard to beat.
Copyright – 2026.
Authored by Petros Laskis for Ichos Reviews. All content is original and copyrighted. Republishing full reviews or substantial portions without written permission is prohibited. Excerpts up to 100 words are allowed with a direct link.
+ Excellent sound quality on the go
+ Advanced audio architecture with impedance matching
+ Interchangeable ear-hook system
+ Simple and easy to use
+ LDAC and LHDC Bluetooth codecs
+ Reliable Bluetooth connection
+ Compatible with the iFi Nexis application
+ Compact, lightweight and comfortable
+ High quality and lightweight charging case
+ MMCX and 2-pin ear-hooks are included in the box
- Doesn't support EQ
- Short length ear-hooks not that practical for larger ears
- Low power output
- Short battery duration
- Only one additional charge from the case
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