[pervysage]

Got the Go Pods in today... so far so good, paired with my Campfire Audio Vega's.

On my first test I was hit with what I can only describe as abysmal sound where the mids were completely sucked out and bass was overpowering and booming over the rest of the frequencies. Vocals sounded terrible. Went back to my UTWS5 and those were fine as usual...

At this point I was perplexed on what the issue could be or whether my CA Vega just wasn't a good match for the Go Pods. I plugged the Go Pods back on and gave them another go, this time actually adjusting the fitment of the earloops by bending them and making them looser (I literally just threw them on my ears out of the box and I suppose they were squeezing my ears too tightly). It was either that fitment issue or some kind of auto impedance switching feature of the Go Pods, but I was happy to find that the sound of my Vega's was back to normal. Still not sure exactly what the issue was at first.

Coming from the Fiio UTWS5, these things sure are powerhouses. I was having a hard time dialing in a suitable listening volume on my phone, something I didn't really notice with the UTWS5 since those allow volume adjustment of the earhooks themselves via an app in addition to adjusting volume on your phone. I was able to work around this on my Samsung Fold 4 by using an app I already had called Sound Assistant (available via the Galaxy Store) and changing the volume steps from the default (volume steps of 10 every time you hit volume up/down) and I adjusted it down to steps of 1 for more granularity. Perfect now. When the steps were 10, the Go Pods were pushing the Vega to be either too quiet or too loud Highly reccomend Sound Assistant to other Samsung users, really useful app!

The sound is now fantastic... super clean and powerful and I no longer have to deal with the occasional glitchiness of the the UTWS5!

If I had to mention things that could be improved:

• The size of the case is pretty enormous compared to things like the UTSW5... for those of us that don't necessarily need the extra space for huge IEM's it's kind of unnecessary but I suppose that comes with UNIVERSAL items like this
• Chucking the Go Pods back into the case isn't as seamless as the quick magnetic snap-in of the UTSW5. Feels like you kind of have to push them in all the way down with a little force, otherwise the case won't close properly on top... maybe just something to get used to
• I feel like comfort-wise, the the Go Pods and UTWS5 are pretty comparable but I would have to give the edge to the UTWS5. I just seem to notice a Go Pods a tad bit more on my ears whereas the UTWS5 usually just disappear. But this could go away with some break-in.
• Touch buttons are not great, just in general... very easy to accidentally hit them if I am touching my ears or adjusting my hair. Not a dealbreaker by any means but just like how certain vehicle manufacturers like Volkswagen are forcing touch buttons into their vehicle dashboards, I just prefer physical buttons & dials. You have to put in a lot of effort to hit the touch buttons just right to get your desired function.

Besides those minor gripes, everything else has been good. Connects to my phone reliably as soon as I remove them from the case and do not connect to my phone while they are stored away in the case (Fiio could learn a thing or two about this) and I have had not had any hiccups so far (albeit my testing time is minimal so far). Time to take these bad boys to work and put them through their paces.

I updated to the latest 1.52 firmware via the GAIA app and it has been smooth sailing on my Samsung Fold4 so far running LDAC and autoswitching to 'Optimised for Audio Quality (990 kbps/909 kbps)' setting via the Bluetooth Codec Changer app.

 

[iFi audio]

Got the Go Pods in today... so far so good, paired with my Campfire Audio Vega's.





On my first test I was hit with what I can only describe as abysmal sound where the mids were completely sucked out and bass was overpowering and booming over the rest of the frequencies. Vocals sounded terrible. Went back to my UTWS5 and those were fine as usual...

At this point I was perplexed on what the issue could be or whether my CA Vega just wasn't a good match for the Go Pods. I plugged the Go Pods back on and gave them another go, this time actually adjusting the fitment of the earloops by bending them and making them looser (I literally just threw them on my ears out of the box and I suppose they were squeezing my ears too tightly). It was either that fitment issue or some kind of auto impedance switching feature of the Go Pods, but I was happy to find that the sound of my Vega's was back to normal. Still not sure exactly what the issue was at first.

Coming from the Fiio UTWS5, these things sure are powerhouses. I was having a hard time dialing in a suitable listening volume on my phone, something I didn't really notice with the UTWS5 since those allow volume adjustment of the earhooks themselves via an app in addition to adjusting volume on your phone. I was able to work around this on my Samsung Fold 4 by using an app I already had called Sound Assistant (available via the Galaxy Store) and changing the volume steps from the default (volume steps of 10 every time you hit volume up/down) and I adjusted it down to steps of 1 for more granularity. Perfect now. When the steps were 10, the Go Pods were pushing the Vega to be either too quiet or too loud Highly reccomend Sound Assistant to other Samsung users, really useful app!

The sound is now fantastic... super clean and powerful and I no longer have to deal with the occasional glitchiness of the the UTWS5!

If I had to mention things that could be improved:

• The size of the case is pretty enormous compared to things like the UTSW5... for those of us that don't necessarily need the extra space for huge IEM's it's kind of unnecessary but I suppose that comes with UNIVERSAL items like this
• Chucking the Go Pods back into the case isn't as seamless as the quick magnetic snap-in of the UTSW5. Feels like you kind of have to push them in all the way down with a little force, otherwise the case won't close properly on top... maybe just something to get used to
• I feel like comfort-wise, the the Go Pods and UTWS5 are pretty comparable but I would have to give the edge to the UTWS5. I just seem to notice a Go Pods a tad bit more on my ears whereas the UTWS5 usually just disappear. But this could go away with some break-in.
• Touch buttons are not great, just in general... very easy to accidentally hit them if I am touching my ears or adjusting my hair. Not a dealbreaker by any means but just like how certain vehicle manufacturers like Volkswagen are forcing touch buttons into their vehicle dashboards, I just prefer physical buttons & dials. You have to put in a lot of effort to hit the touch buttons just right to get your desired function.

Besides those minor gripes, everything else has been good. Connects to my phone reliably as soon as I remove them from the case and do not connect to my phone while they are stored away in the case (Fiio could learn a thing or two about this) and I have had not had any hiccups so far (albeit my testing time is minimal so far). Time to take these bad boys to work and put them through their paces.

I updated to the latest 1.52 firmware via the GAIA app and it has been smooth sailing on my Samsung Fold4 so far running LDAC and autoswitching to 'Optimised for Audio Quality (990 kbps/909 kbps)' setting via the Bluetooth Codec Changer app.

Thanks so much for your thoughts. They will be appreciated as there are lots of CA IEM users here.

Cheers!!

 

[Mightygrey]

@iFi audio - are there any options for using CIEMs/IEMs with the IPX cable system (eg 64 audio/Ultimate Ears) with the Go pods?

 

[RickInHouston]

Got the Go Pods in today... so far so good, paired with my Campfire Audio Vega's.





On my first test I was hit with what I can only describe as abysmal sound where the mids were completely sucked out and bass was overpowering and booming over the rest of the frequencies. Vocals sounded terrible. Went back to my UTWS5 and those were fine as usual...

At this point I was perplexed on what the issue could be or whether my CA Vega just wasn't a good match for the Go Pods. I plugged the Go Pods back on and gave them another go, this time actually adjusting the fitment of the earloops by bending them and making them looser (I literally just threw them on my ears out of the box and I suppose they were squeezing my ears too tightly). It was either that fitment issue or some kind of auto impedance switching feature of the Go Pods, but I was happy to find that the sound of my Vega's was back to normal. Still not sure exactly what the issue was at first.

Coming from the Fiio UTWS5, these things sure are powerhouses. I was having a hard time dialing in a suitable listening volume on my phone, something I didn't really notice with the UTWS5 since those allow volume adjustment of the earhooks themselves via an app in addition to adjusting volume on your phone. I was able to work around this on my Samsung Fold 4 by using an app I already had called Sound Assistant (available via the Galaxy Store) and changing the volume steps from the default (volume steps of 10 every time you hit volume up/down) and I adjusted it down to steps of 1 for more granularity. Perfect now. When the steps were 10, the Go Pods were pushing the Vega to be either too quiet or too loud Highly reccomend Sound Assistant to other Samsung users, really useful app!

The sound is now fantastic... super clean and powerful and I no longer have to deal with the occasional glitchiness of the the UTWS5!

If I had to mention things that could be improved:

• The size of the case is pretty enormous compared to things like the UTSW5... for those of us that don't necessarily need the extra space for huge IEM's it's kind of unnecessary but I suppose that comes with UNIVERSAL items like this
• Chucking the Go Pods back into the case isn't as seamless as the quick magnetic snap-in of the UTSW5. Feels like you kind of have to push them in all the way down with a little force, otherwise the case won't close properly on top... maybe just something to get used to
• I feel like comfort-wise, the the Go Pods and UTWS5 are pretty comparable but I would have to give the edge to the UTWS5. I just seem to notice a Go Pods a tad bit more on my ears whereas the UTWS5 usually just disappear. But this could go away with some break-in.
• Touch buttons are not great, just in general... very easy to accidentally hit them if I am touching my ears or adjusting my hair. Not a dealbreaker by any means but just like how certain vehicle manufacturers like Volkswagen are forcing touch buttons into their vehicle dashboards, I just prefer physical buttons & dials. You have to put in a lot of effort to hit the touch buttons just right to get your desired function.

Besides those minor gripes, everything else has been good. Connects to my phone reliably as soon as I remove them from the case and do not connect to my phone while they are stored away in the case (Fiio could learn a thing or two about this) and I have had not had any hiccups so far (albeit my testing time is minimal so far). Time to take these bad boys to work and put them through their paces.

I updated to the latest 1.52 firmware via the GAIA app and it has been smooth sailing on my Samsung Fold4 so far running LDAC and autoswitching to 'Optimised for Audio Quality (990 kbps/909 kbps)' setting via the Bluetooth Codec Changer app.

I think the case is great because it is big. It bits many different sizes of iems. Who cares if the case is a little big, i think. Yes, it does take a push to snap them back in the case. Maybe that's good when you care the case around that they continue to charge and don't come loose. You'll learn to put your finger on the edge of the go pods and roll it onto the button after awhile. It took a few wearings, but now it is a natural movement for me.

 

[RickInHouston]

Where can I buy the ifi go pod that comes with the mmxc connector for Ie600 family?

I'd email headphones.com They were really great to order from and very helpful. They had just gotten new stock in on them. Give them a shout with your question.

 

[pervysage]

I think the case is great because it is big. It bits many different sizes of iems. Who cares if the case is a little big, i think. Yes, it does take a push to snap them back in the case. Maybe that's good when you care the case around that they continue to charge and don't come loose. You'll learn to put your finger on the edge of the go pods and roll it onto the button after awhile. It took a few wearings, but now it is a natural movement for me.

I was a bit wary that the case size would be problematic in pockets but so far it has been fine just carrying it in my jacket pocket to work.

You are right about putting them back in the case, I already don't think about it anymore and giving them a little nudge into the case when putting them away has become a habit and will probably be more secure in the long run. I suppose it would also be better in the event that the case were to take a tumble out of your pocket

I don't really find myself using the touch buttons much so far as I mostly just control tracks and volume from my phone.

As for how I have been getting along with the Go Pods the last 2 days, they have been fantastic!

My typical use case is taking them to work and listening to them throughout the day (I'd say about a good 6-7 hours or so during a regular 8 hour shift). So I've gotten a fair bit of time on them so far and I have zero complaints.

The sound is amazing... so clean and powerful. One thing I did discover while I was just messing about with the GAIA app is the slow & fast filter setting. By default mine was on the slow setting but I set it to fast and it sounds so much better! The default slow setting doesn't sound bad per say but I couldn't help feel like it dulls the sound a little bit in a side by side comparison. The highs and vocals don't sound as nice and extended. It's interesting because on a product like the Fiio UTWS5 I honestly couldn't tell much difference between the various filter settings but on the Go Pod's I 100% prefer the fast setting and it's quite the difference to my ears. I wonder what everyone else's thoughts are on this setting?

Battery life seems fantastic so far and the case works perfectly with my official Samsung wireless charging pad that I got with my phone. I don't even use the wireless pad to charge my phone as I prefer fast charging via wire so the wireless pad is usually just a dedicated charging pad for my earhook case (previously the UTWS5 and now the Go Pods). Works brilliantly.

Comfort-wise they have also been great. Now I'd say they are perfectly on par with the UTWS5. I suppose they just needed that day or so of breaking in and molding them into the perfect loop for my ear as they were quite tight fresh out of the box.

Connection-wise, the Go Pods have been flawless. In and out of the case they always connect and disconnect reliably with no issues. Have had absolutely zero hiccups while playing music using LDAC 990kbps/909kbps setting on my Samsung Fold 4. Just pure flawless listening bliss so far

I have to give iFi their props!

 

[shimigg]

Just got the go pod and was surprised to see that it doesn't fit the CA Solaris in the case, I feel a bit afraid since the lid doesn't close properly , bummer

 

[boxster233]

Just got the go pod and was surprised to see that it doesn't fit the CA Solaris in the case, I feel a bit afraid since the lid doesn't close properly , bummer

Which Solaris? They fit my SE well.

 

[jlawso13]

Just got the go pod and was surprised to see that it doesn't fit the CA Solaris in the case, I feel a bit afraid since the lid doesn't close properly , bummer

Don't be afraid to force it a bit. It fits my Elysium with a little shove. They didn't dig out the valleys in the case much for larger IEMs, but the case will close with a bit of help, and it'll stay shut.

 

[jlawso13]

I received mine a week or two ago. I've been listening intermittently since. I use them like I used my UTWS5--when times called for an unwired moment, and I left the DAP behind.

I found the UTWS5 too much of a sacrifice, and always opted to be "that guy" with the DAP and wired 4.4 connectors that no one else knew existed, much less could use or sample.

These hooks do a trick. They're clearly not good DAP level, but damn they're close in LDAC. They sound as good as DAPs from three years ago. You'll miss some resolution on the finer side of things; they convey space better than anything I've heard on BT, but they lack that little bit of resolution you need to drive high end IEMs.

I listened on my Elysium for this stunted review. I didn't plug it into anything more resolving, because it's BT and I'd just get pissed off.

And then there's always the question, in the back of your mind, whether the transfer has been derated for some reason, or your two pin will stay inserted. But if you're certain you're getting the best LDAC, and you aren't squirmy, it's excellent for its use case. Love it.

 

[iFi audio]

@iFi audio - are there any options for using CIEMs/IEMs with the IPX cable system (eg 64 audio/Ultimate Ears) with the Go pods?

At the moment I do not believe so, but I will ask for you and post back if there is any information.

Cheers!!

 

[shimigg]

Which Solaris? They fit my SE well.

OG Solaris , the gold/black ones

 

[Nick24JJ]

Touch buttons are not great, just in general... very easy to accidentally hit them if I am touching my ears or adjusting my hair. Not a dealbreaker by any means but just like how certain vehicle manufacturers like Volkswagen are forcing touch buttons into their vehicle dashboards, I just prefer physical buttons & dials. You have to put in a lot of effort to hit the touch buttons just right to get your desired function.

I don't really find myself using the touch buttons much so far as I mostly just control tracks and volume from my phone.

You can disable the touch buttons by tapping on the right button 4 times. To enable their functionality again, tap on the left button 4 times. Make sure to hear the sound after each tap. I had to disable them when I used to go jogging because drops of sweat were falling on them and the sound was increasing to the max!

 

[Nick24JJ]

Just got the go pod and was surprised to see that it doesn't fit the CA Solaris in the case, I feel a bit afraid since the lid doesn't close properly , bummer

The IMR Elan+ I used to own until a few weeks ago, was not fitting in, either. It required a little bit more depth. No worries, I was just placing my FiiO UTWS5 case on the GO Pod case and it sealed. I found a good use for my UTWS5, at last!

 

[lafeuill]

Got the Pods a few days ago. Here with Dunu DK-4001, conveniently a 32 ohm iem. Very good synergy.

The 2pin ear loops are for my custom VE8, but I'll have to wait a bit for that one. Ear skin problem due to bad quality earplugs for sleeping...