Introduction
Wireless headphones got better faster than the phones feeding them. A pair of Sennheiser, Sony or Bowers & Wilkins headphones may speak LDAC or aptX Adaptive, but an iPhone only sends AAC, and Android phones pick their codecs by brand. The headphones are waiting for a signal the phone won't send.
iFi's fix is to stop relying on the phone's Bluetooth at all. The UP Play and UP Play Max plug into USB-C, appear to the phone as a USB audio device, and handle the Bluetooth link themselves. Forbes summed up the pitch in its headline this week: a new sound upgrade for iPhones and Android devices.
Both share the same 27.6 x 20.8 x 8 mm, 3 g body, a built-in mic, dual headphone pairing, JVCKENWOOD K2 processing and control through the iFi Nexis app. The split is in the Bluetooth chip. The UP Play runs a Qualcomm QCC5144 on Bluetooth 5.2 and tops out at LDAC and aptX Adaptive. The UP Play Max moves to a QCC5181 on Bluetooth 5.4 and adds aptX Lossless and Auracast.
Key Features & Benefits
- iPhone gets real codecs: LDAC and aptX Adaptive on both, aptX Lossless (CD-quality over Bluetooth) on the Max, all from a phone that natively offers AAC only.
- Android without the lottery: one dongle carries LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX, AAC and SBC, so the codec no longer depends on which phone brand you bought.
- Unlocks Bluetooth DACs: owners of lossless-capable receivers such as the iFi GO blu Air, GO pod or iDSD GR 2 can finally feed them the format they were built for.
- Physical buttons: one for pairing and device A/B, one for cycling codecs, with a colour LED showing which codec is live. No app needed day to day.
- Share the moment: two pairs of headphones on one source over SBC; the Max adds Auracast broadcasting to any number of compatible headphones via a firmware update after launch.
- Gaming ready: low-latency mode over aptX Adaptive (the UP Play adds aptX Low Latency), plus a mic with Qualcomm noise and echo suppression for chat. iFi lists PS5 and Switch 2 support.
- K2 Technology: JVCKENWOOD's harmonic restoration for compressed files, toggled in the Nexis app, which also handles over-the-air firmware updates.
Real-World Reactions
Both dongles were announced on 23 September and the first coverage is news, not reviews. Forbes ran it as "iFi Introduces New Sound Upgrade For iPhones And Android Devices" (Forbes).
Hifi Pig described the Max as offering "a compact way to add aptX Lossless, Auracast, dual headphone connectivity and low-latency Bluetooth to compatible devices" (Hifi Pig).
Thumb Culture went straight for the Apple angle: "Finally, with the help of Ifi, maybe Apple will catch up on an area that it has been falling short on for several years!" (Thumb Culture). Nobody has published listening impressions yet, so treat the sound question as open until units land.
Gallery
Who It's For
- iPhone owners with LDAC or aptX Lossless headphones who have been listening over AAC
- Android users whose phone skips aptX Adaptive or aptX Lossless
- Owners of Bluetooth DACs who want to feed them a lossless or hi-res codec
- Switch 2, PS5 and laptop gamers who want low-latency wireless audio and a mic in one small plug
- Couples and travellers sharing one source across two pairs of headphones
Who should look elsewhere:
- Anyone whose headphones only support AAC or SBC. The dongle can't send a codec the headphones don't understand, so there is nothing to gain.
- Anyone who needs to receive Bluetooth as well as send it, or wants a battery-powered unit for in-flight entertainment and car stereos. The iFi UP Travel (€99) does both directions.
- Wired headphone users. A dongle DAC such as the iFi GO link 2 (€69) is the right tool.
Quick Specs
UP Play
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC5144, Bluetooth 5.2
- Codecs: LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Low Latency, aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC
- Up to 24-bit / 96 kHz; frequency response 20 Hz to 43 kHz (LDAC)
- Dual headphone pairing (SBC), low-latency mode, built-in mic, K2
- Input USB-C, 5 V / 0.5 A; 27.6 x 20.8 x 8 mm; 3 g
UP Play Max
- Chipset: Qualcomm QCC5181, Bluetooth 5.4
- Codecs: aptX Lossless, LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC
- Up to 24-bit / 96 kHz; frequency response 20 Hz to 43 kHz (LDAC)
- Auracast (firmware update after launch), dual pairing (SBC), low-latency mode, built-in mic, K2
- Input USB-C, 5 V / 0.5 A, under 20 mA; 27.6 x 20.8 x 8 mm; 3 g
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros:
- Brings LDAC, aptX Adaptive and (on the Max) aptX Lossless to iPhones
- One dongle covers every major codec across phones, laptops and consoles
- Hardware buttons and a codec LED, so the app is optional
- Dual pairing, low latency and a mic in 3 g
- €69 and €99 are small money next to the headphones they unlock
⚠️ Cons:
- No gain at all with AAC-only headphones such as AirPods
- Takes the USB-C port, so no charging through it while listening
- Auracast on the Max arrives by firmware, not at launch
- No independent listening reviews yet at the time of writing
Where to Buy
The iFi Audio UP Play (€69) and UP Play Max (€99) are open for pre-order at Soundium. We stock gear locally for fast, secure delivery.
- Free pickup shipping on orders over €149
- Free courier shipping on orders over €299
- Secure checkout and interest-free payments
- Support from people who actually know the gear
Pre-order the iFi Audio UP Play Max from Soundium
Pre-order the iFi Audio UP Play from Soundium
Final Thoughts
Most people blame their headphones when wireless sound disappoints, when the real limit is the codec their phone agrees to use. The UP Play is the cheap way round that for LDAC and aptX Adaptive headphones. The UP Play Max is the one to get if your headphones or Bluetooth DAC support aptX Lossless, or if you want Auracast once it lands. If your headphones only speak AAC, keep your money for the headphones.
Still Unsure?
Not sure which codec your headphones will actually get? Reach out to our team and we'll check it before you order.