Well... my time has now come, I suppose...
For like a week now I am having constant drop-outs. A few minutes after wearing my Pods, one of them, some times the left, other times the right Pod, stops playing music. The other Pod keeps playing fine. Some times pausing and restarting the music works, other times I have to put both back inside their case and wear them again for both to work. Same smartphone, same music sources, same household, same habits. Nothing's changed. I've also done a factory reset but it didn't fix the issue.
I've opened a ticket tonight.
The response from iFi Audio customer service came a few days ago, now I am finding some time to post it here, to help others with the same issue.
Here is what they said:
"
Hi Nick,
Thank you for logging a support ticket,
Based on your description of the issue, and because you have already tried resetting the device and have updated to the latest firmware, we believe that the best option is to send the device in for our service team to diagnose.
If your device is in warranty, any required repairs will be completed at no additional cost to you. If your device is out of warranty, we will provide a summary of costs and details for sending payment before moving forward with any repair or replacement.
To support this process, we would kindly request that you provide us with proof of purchase for your device. This could be a photo or screenshot of any physical or digital receipt that was received during the purchase of your device, provided it clearly displays the purchase date.
Once proof of purchase has been sent, we will provide further instructions regarding the returns/service procedure. Thank you."
And in a follow up message, they said:
"
Information regarding the intermittency of the issue is highly relevant to the process of diagnosing the issue with the device. If any other relevant information has been left out of your description of the issue, can you please include this in your next reply.
Please confirm that this is the reset procedure [see attached PDF] you followed to reset the units. I would also advise you try both, turning off the touch controls, and using a different Bluetooth codec, to see if the issue persists. These may both be relevant to fully understanding the nature of your issue.
How often these dropouts are happening on average? If the issue is very intermittent it could be the result of a Bluetooth connectivity issue. Bluetooth can be subject to interference from other types of telecommunication signals, other Bluetooth signals, and Wi-Fi. When multiple devices compete for the same frequency band, interference can occur, leading to disruptions in signal transmission.
If the dropouts are more regular (i.e. happening every time you use them) then further testing will be required. Which is why I suggested sending the device in to us.
Your device is in warranty, all our products come with a one year manufacturer’s warranty, which means your Go Pods are in warranty until XX-XX-XXX date.
We cannot advise how long the turn around for any service work to be completed will be, as this can be dependent on the nature of the issue, as well as your place in the service queue once your product arrives at our service centre. Our engineers are trained professionals who are capable of diagnosing even intermittent issues, however it is your discretion as to whether you choose to send the units into us for further testing.
Should you decide to sent the units in to us, and one of our engineers confirm there is a fault with your device, we will likely issue a replacement set. Please note these may be from our demo stock, and will be thoroughly tested before being dispatched. Please refer to section 7 of our
warranty agreement,
‘During the warranty period, iFi audio will repair the product to working order. If this is not possible, iFi audio will replace the defective module with a similar available product at their own discretion’.
"
I am posting all this here for the people to know the process and what to expect. My GO Pod seems to function perfectly again now, so I thank the Good Lord above that I do not have to go through this process, which might last weeks and has a big probability in resulting receiving a demo stock unit...
Thank you, guys!
While waiting to hear from iFi Audio customer service, does anyone know what the Bit Perfect filter does and how does it work?
In the GAIA App, under Filter Config, there is a setting called Bit Perfect. How does this work? Is it better / preferable than the other filters?
I have opened another ticket, product inquiry, so we'll have an official response this week, hopefully.
This has been already answered but here is what they said:
"The Bit Perfect filter disables the Dac’s digital filter, so it’s like not having a filter at all."