There are all manner of things that could get you worked up when it comes to air travel. Once you’re on-board the aircraft, it’s time to settle back and enjoy some shows or movies, right? That is, until someone needs to get up, and you’re tangled up in the wires plugged into the entertainment system. Unless you’re using the iFi UP Travel, that is.
iFi UP Travel: what it is
Frankly, it’s a genius little device. The iFi UP Travel is a small puck with an on-board battery (USB-C chargeable, 10 hours life), and a flip-out 3.5mm connector. What’s that connector for? To plug into the airplane headphone jack, turning that wired connection into a wireless one.
Yup, you can use your favorite wireless headset to while away the hours in the sky. If you’ve got a higher-end headset that can handle other codecs, you’ve got a variety built in, further increasing the quality of the sound hitting your ears (see the full list down below).
Some other great features
One particularly fun thing with the iFi UP Travel is the fact that you can connect two headsets to it at once. So, if you want to watch the same movie with someone (or even listen to the same music), it’s no longer a matter of synchronizing your start. One screen, two headsets, you’re ready to go.
Another interesting feature is the fact it’s not just a transmitter – it’s also a receiver. So, if you’ve got a wired setup going (say, in your car, or even out in the backyard) without a wireless connection, well, you can plug this into a line-in port and stream sound from your phone.
Last, but not least, this could be a handy little tool for those work calls when you’re on the road. It’s got a mic built into the puck that helps eliminate background noise, cleaning out all those on-the-road distractions when you’re on a call.
Wrapping things up
Is this the first bluetooth adapter for air travel? No, and it’s not the most inexpensive we’ve seen. However, in our experience with iFi products, you’re getting a solid build quality, and a focus on delivering the best sound experience possible. Which means, the $99 they’ve got the iFi UP Travel tagged for, well, that seems pretty reasonable. If you’re planning to brave the friendly skies this summer, this would be well-worth checking out. ifi-audio.com
iFi UP Travel Features
- Connects Bluetooth headphones to in-flight entertainment
- Streams Hi-Res Bluetooth to car AUX inputs
- Hi-Fi Circuitry with a Cirrus Logic DAC
- Dual Bluetooth headphone pairing
- Built-in mic with cVc noise & echo suppression
- Up to 10 hours of battery life
iFi UP Travel Specs
- Bluetooth Codecs: LDAC, LHDC/HWA, aptX Adaptive, aptX Low Latency, aptX, AAC, SBC
- Output Power (RMS): 70mW/1.5V @ 32?
- THD+N: ?0.004% @ 1kHz, 32?
- Dynamic Range: ?120dBA @ 32?
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: ?120dBA @ 32?
- Battery: 400mAh
- Battery Life: ?10 Hours
- Power System: 5V /?500mA
- Dimensions: 55 x 30 x 16.8mm (2.16 x 1.18 x 0.66”)
- Net Weight: 25.7g (0.9oz)
- Inputs (TX): Aux 3.5mm, USB-C
- Inputs (RX): Bluetooth 5.2
- Outputs (TX): Bluetooth 5.2
- Outputs (RX): Aux 3.5mm
- CODEC LEDs
- RX Mode (Format: LED Colour)
- SBC: Off
- AAC: Yellow
- aptX: Blue
- aptX HD: Magenta
- aptX Adaptive: Green
- LDAC: Cyan
- LHDC(HWA): Red
- TX Mode (Format: LED Colour)
- SBC: Off
- AAC: Yellow
- aptX: Blue
- aptX HD: Magenta
- aptX Adaptive: Green
- aptX Low Latency: White
- LDAC: Cyan
- RX Mode (Format: LED Colour)
