Southport-based iFi Audio has put out a new accessory called the UP Play Max, a small USB-C plug-in built to give practically any device a wireless audio upgrade the moment it's connected.
It's not built for one platform or one use case either, working equally well for people mostly interested in music, gaming, or general productivity, on both iPhone and Android hardware. Tucked inside is a microphone running Qualcomm's cVc noise-cancellation, meant to clean up voice quality during calls or when chatting in games.
iFi also touts what it calls K2 Technology for shaping a fuller, warmer sound signature, and the dongle is capable of linking up with two headphones at the same time so two people can listen together.
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Codec Support And Low-Latency Mode
Codec-wise, the standout is aptX Lossless, which iFi frames as its route to CD-level audio quality over a wireless connection. There's also a separate low-latency mode, accessed through the aptX Adaptive codec and activated via the iFi Nexis app, built specifically with gaming and video playback in mind, where any lag between what's on screen and what you hear tends to be noticeable and annoying.
Solving Apple's Codec Gap
For years, iPhones have shipped without support for the more advanced Bluetooth codecs like LDAC or aptX Lossless, relying instead on the older AAC standard, a gap that's persisted even as Apple's hardware has kept advancing elsewhere. That's precisely the problem the UP Play Max is aimed at solving for iPhone owners, offering a workaround that doesn't depend on Apple adding native support itself. iFi says its aptX Lossless compatibility provides up to four times the detail in audio from services such as Apple Music, Spotify Lossless and Qobuz.
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What It Does For Android Users
Android isn't ignored either. LDAC already ships on most Android phones, but beyond that, codec support gets inconsistent fast, largely because different manufacturers tend to partner with different codec makers, splintering what any single phone actually supports. The UP Play Max sidesteps all of that by giving users a consistent, full set of hi-res codec options no matter what phone they're using. It's also useful for anyone already invested in a standalone lossless DAC, like iFi's own xDSD Gryphon, GO pod or NEO iDSD 2, since the dongle can bring those devices' full audio capabilities over to a wireless connection.
Bringing Back Harmonics
iFi is also pushing what it calls K2HD Technology, built to tackle a common gripe with digital audio, that it can sound flatter or colder next to an analog recording. The idea is to rebuild high-frequency detail that often gets lost in digital mastering, getting closer to how the music sounded on the original master tape.
Auracast Support Coming Later
Down the line, a firmware update is planned to add Auracast support to the device. Up until now, sharing audio wirelessly usually meant physically handing over one earbud out of a pair, an awkward workaround at best. Auracast does away with that by letting one source broadcast audio to as many nearby listeners as want to tune in, and anyone with compatible headphones can hop into the stream instantly, no pairing steps or passwords required.
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Sharing Audio Today, Without Auracast
Until that update lands, there's still a way to share sound: the dongle can maintain two separate headphone connections at once over the standard SBC codec, with no meaningful hit to audio sync or quality, so two people can just connect and hit play together.
Controlled Through The iFi Nexis App
Everything on the UP Play Max runs through iFi's companion app, Nexis, downloadable on iOS and Android. From there, users can swap between codecs, switch K2 Technology or Auracast on and off, flip on the low-latency mode, and keep tabs on connected devices, plus push firmware updates to the dongle itself.
Pricing
The iFi Audio UP Play Max is priced at $89 (£89 / €99) and is available directly through ifi-audio.com, as well as through the company's authorised retail partners.
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