[Nick24JJ]

For those having issues with dropouts...

I've just completed a little over two hours of continuous playback with my Android phone using LDAC @990kbs (No SIM, Wifi only, Qobuz as source) No Drops or cuts.
This Phone is Android 11 and here is a screenshot of my developer settings, perhaps we can compare and see if anything differs.

Cheers!!

I am using the exact same settings on my Samsung S23 Ultra.

For almost 3 days now, I am using LDAC Best effort (adaptive bit rate). The big difference I have observed between Best effort and fixed 990/909kbps is that at long distances, so when almost out of range, if one Pod will lose connection, it takes a slight move of the head or the body to connect back and start playing again. With 990/909 it does not connect back. I need to reach back to my phone and sometimes even put them back in the case and take them out again for both to play.

With Best effort, I can leave my phone downstairs on my desk and go upstairs in the bedrooms or in the bathroom without almost any disconnection or drop out.
I don't know why when set at Optimized for Audio quality (990/909) the one Pod that disconnects does not connect back (start playing again), when back in range.

Anyway, I have decided to not send them back. Too much of a hassle and I rely too much on them to enjoy my music.

I believe that iFi Audio can definitely improve a few things with a new Firmware. Since many people are reporting these issues, I want to believe that they are working on it.

Good luck to all.

 

[iFi audio]

I am using the exact same settings on my Samsung S23 Ultra.

For almost 3 days now, I am using LDAC Best effort (adaptive bit rate). The big difference I have observed between Best effort and fixed 990/909kbps is that at long distances, so when almost out of range, if one Pod will lose connection, it takes a slight move of the head or the body to connect back and start playing again. With 990/909 it does not connect back. I need to reach back to my phone and sometimes even put them back in the case and take them out again for both to play.

With Best effort, I can leave my phone downstairs on my desk and go upstairs in the bedrooms or in the bathroom without almost any disconnection or drop out.
I don't know why when set at Optimized for Audio quality (990/909) the one Pod that disconnects does not connect back (start playing again), when back in range.

Anyway, I have decided to not send them back. Too much of a hassle and I rely too much on them to enjoy my music.

I believe that iFi Audio can definitely improve a few things with a new Firmware. Since many people are reporting these issues, I want to believe that they are working on it.

Good luck to all.

We definitely are trying to see what is going on for some users. I am only taking the role of trying to narrow down situations that could be worth looking into for the tech folks who are way smarter than I am.

As you pointed out I think we are even here narrowing it down to certain circumstances, all of this info then gets relayed to the tech folks, also in an effort to narrow down the problem.

I would love to hear from some iPhone users as well but even in logged tickets, the common factor is either Android, LDAC 990, and in most cases Samsung, but that can be misleading as Samsung sells a ton of phones.

Do you happen to know what version of Android you are running? we are also trying to track that.

Cheers!!

 

[Nick24JJ]

Do you happen to know what version of Android you are running? we are also trying to track that.

Cheers!!

Yes, of course, I am running Android 14 and One UI version 6.1

 

[iFi audio]

Yes, of course, I am running Android 14 and One UI version 6.1

Thank you for updating, appreciate it!

Cheers!!

 

[iFi audio]

Can anyone who is having Bluetooth connection/dropout issues try this when possible?

If you have developer options enabled and are using Android 14...

Search Phone settings for AVRCP in settings and see if switching it back to 1.3 helps alleviate any dropout issues that may be occurring.

Thanks for checking this, I look forward to any comments.

P.S. I believe after this is changed the phone needs a restart ( not 100% but better to restart after anyway)

Cheers!!

 

[Nick24JJ]

Can anyone who is having Bluetooth connection/dropout issues try this when possible?

If you have developer options enabled and are using Android 14...

Search Phone settings for AVRCP in settings and see if switching it back to 1.3 helps alleviate any dropout issues that may be occurring.

Thanks for checking this, I look forward to any comments.

P.S. I believe after this is changed the phone needs a restart ( not 100% but better to restart after anyway)

Cheers!!

I have been testing AVRCP 1.3 for almost 2 days now and the big difference I have observed is that if one of my Pods will stop playing momentarily, it connects back as soon as I will move a little bit. With the previous setting, AVRCP 1.6, I needed to stop and restart playback, or many times, to put them back in the case. So, even though it is too early, this seems to work for me!

Samsung S23 Ultra
LDAC 990/909 kbps
Android 14
One UI version 6.1
Previously set to AVRCP 1.6
Testing conditions: leaving my phone on my desk and moving around one floor up, inside my property.

 

[iFi audio]

I have been testing AVRCP 1.3 for almost 2 days now and the big difference I have observed is that if one of my Pods will stop playing momentarily, it connects back as soon as I will move a little bit. With the previous setting, AVRCP 1.6, I needed to stop and restart playback, or many times, to put them back in the case. So, even though it is too early, this seems to work for me!

Samsung S23 Ultra
LDAC 990/909 kbps
Android 14
One UI version 6.1
Previously set to AVRCP 1.6
Testing conditions: leaving my phone on my desk and moving around one floor up, inside my property.

I am glad to hear that!

That in itself gets the picture a little narrower as to what is going on, I believe my phone runs 1.4 as a default so you may wanna give that a go as well just to see.

I appreciate you checking this out and am going to report these findings.

Cheers!!

 

[ecouteurifi]

Can anyone who is having Bluetooth connection/dropout issues try this when possible?

If you have developer options enabled and are using Android 14...

Search Phone settings for AVRCP in settings and see if switching it back to 1.3 helps alleviate any dropout issues that may be occurring.

Thanks for checking this, I look forward to any comments.

P.S. I believe after this is changed the phone needs a restart ( not 100% but better to restart after anyway)

Cheers!!

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for me. My left pod still randomly drops out for no apparent reason and no pattern whenever my head turn to the left. I finally decide to return it to the vendor. Hope Ifi will be able to replicate and remedy this.

 

[iFi audio]

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for me. My left pod still randomly drops out for no apparent reason and no pattern whenever my head turn to the left. I finally decide to return it to the vendor. Hope Ifi will be able to replicate and remedy this.

I certainly hope so. The head-turning would lead me to a connection issue of some kind, but I am no tech.

I have been trying to read a bunch about Android connection issues is where I am being pointed by these leads, just by reading I have come across numerous posts in foms about this setting being changed has helped some folks. Apparently anything over 1.3 or 1.4 has more to do with transmission of Album artwork and information, so folks who don't need this such as in earbuds have been reverting to help with the amount of BT information flowing across the connection.

That's my best understanding and again I am only relaying possible causes and solutions to both you good folk, and the tech team who is better focused on the pods themselves than I.

Cheers!!

 

[toomasg]

The head-turning would lead me to a connection issue of some kind, but I am no tech.

My findings -

• LDAC connection stability is much better indoors. Probably thanks to room walls acting as reflector for BT signal. Perhaps that's why some people are not noticing any issues in their usage scenarios.
• Outdoors connection stability dependent on obstacles between the source and the pod - let's say you put your source into the left pocket of the trousers, when you turn your head to the right there's a high probability of a dropout, since your whole body is in the direct line of sight, etc.

 

[iFi audio]

My findings -

• LDAC connection stability is much better indoors. Probably thanks to room walls acting as reflector for BT signal. Perhaps that's why some people are not noticing any issues in their usage scenarios.
• Outdoors connection stability dependent on obstacles between the source and the pod - let's say you put your source into the left pocket of the trousers, when you turn your head to the right there's a high probability of a dropout, since your whole body is in the direct line of sight, etc.

Thanks for this, I will relay what you are experiencing to the tech folks as well!

Cheers!!

 

[jsmiller58]

My findings -

• LDAC connection stability is much better indoors. Probably thanks to room walls acting as reflector for BT signal. Perhaps that's why some people are not noticing any issues in their usage scenarios.
• Outdoors connection stability dependent on obstacles between the source and the pod - let's say you put your source into the left pocket of the trousers, when you turn your head to the right there's a high probability of a dropout, since your whole body is in the direct line of sight, etc.

Yeah, BT is quite easily attenuated by water, and the human body is mostly water. I have found that often I get better results with my source/phone in my front pocket rather than back, or when I am holding the phone (that’s clearly not a viable use case all the time).

In general I rarely have the kinds of problems some others have reported, and still love my Go Pods. Also it is amusing because on this thread we hear about issues, but most folks who mention the Go Pods on the Going Fully Wireless IEM thread speak highly of the Go Pods , but that also probably makes sense as this would be where people come to for help. I still think there either is a possible issue with the receive gain (it would be great if the power in that circuit could be increased) or transmit power between the main and secondary pod (again turning up power would help), but I’m just guessing

 

[ecouteurifi]

My findings -

• LDAC connection stability is much better indoors. Probably thanks to room walls acting as reflector for BT signal. Perhaps that's why some people are not noticing any issues in their usage scenarios.
• Outdoors connection stability dependent on obstacles between the source and the pod - let's say you put your source into the left pocket of the trousers, when you turn your head to the right there's a high probability of a dropout, since your whole body is in the direct line of sight, etc.

Hmmm, my phone is on my belly and I still experience drop out on the left pod when my head turned to the left and occasionally when my head turn to the right as well.

The hardest part is no pattern. It just happen out of the blue, some days quite often other a few time and never at the same location. I am on cul de sac without traffic. Sometime it just happen 25ft-100ft feet in front of my home. Other times a mile / mile and a half away from home also in a quiet residential street without traffic.

I think I did try every suggestion here and still no luck. Anyway, will update one received vendor feedback which I assume can be very long (maybe year end), months in transit between US, vendor and Ifi, testing, replicate and exchange / repaired if I am lucky otherwise back to square one.

 

[iFi audio]

Yeah, BT is quite easily attenuated by water, and the human body is mostly water. I have found that often I get better results with my source/phone in my front pocket rather than back, or when I am holding the phone (that’s clearly not a viable use case all the time).

In general I rarely have the kinds of problems some others have reported, and still love my Go Pods. Also it is amusing because on this thread we hear about issues, but most folks who mention the Go Pods on the Going Fully Wireless IEM thread speak highly of the Go Pods , but that also probably makes sense as this would be where people come to for help. I still think there either is a possible issue with the receive gain (it would be great if the power in that circuit could be increased) or transmit power between the main and secondary pod (again turning up power would help), but I’m just guessing

I will certainly mention this as well in my communications over this issue, thanks for the thoughts.

Cheers!!

 

[GeorLich]

Even though idea with body blocking the signal seems legit, in my case the behavior of PODs do not speak in its favor. I usually carry my phone in the right front pocket and in the majority of cases the right pod was the one dropping connection when I turn head to the left. In this configuration the right pod and the phone are in a direct line without obstacles. At the same time the left pod that has almost never had direct line with the source was rock solid.