iFi Up Play and Up Play Max USB-C Bluetooth transmitters add Hi-Res Audio LDAC headphone support to Apple iPhones, laptops, and PS5 and Nintendo Switch game consoles

The iFi Up Play and Up Play Max USB-C Bluetooth transmitters add support for high-resolution LDAC and aptX Lossless earphones and headphones to Apple iPhones, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 game consoles, Android phones, and notebooks.

Bluetooth audio codec quality

The universal SBC and AAC codecs provide lower-quality sound reproduction that is compatible with almost all Bluetooth headphones ever made. Multiple high-resolution lossy and lossless audio codecs have been created to bring higher-quality sound to headphones, including Sony LDAC for Hi-Res Audio, aptX HD and aptX Lossless, LHDC, and Apple Lossless.

Current codec support

LDAC is the most common high-resolution music codec, which has been included in phones with Android OS 9 or later and in many high-resolution headphones from Audio-Technica, JBL, Sennhesier, Sony, and Technics.

Apple iPhones cannot be used to play back high-resolution music on many wireless earphones and headphones due to the lack of support for LDAC and aptX Bluetooth audio codecs. Apple Lossless is limited to Apple iPhones and a very small list of compatible headphones, including the AirPods Max 1 and 2.

Mac and Windows laptops also do not come with built-in support for such codecs, although support can be added through third party software such as Alternative A2DP Driver for Windows. Game consoles typically do not support such codecs.

Android phones running Android 9 or later normally have LDAC support, although aptX codec support is mixed.

iFi Bluetooth transmitters

The iFi Up Play is a Bluetooth 5.2 USB-C transmitter that adds LDAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, AAC, and SBC codec support to connected devices, while using under 10 mA of power. 

Up to two wireless headphones can be connected simultaneously while using the SBC codec. For gaming, low-latency mode can be activated through the iFi app.

The Up Play can also utilize JVC Kenwood and Victor Studio's co-developed K2 Technology to process lower-quality sound sources such as MP3s to restore lost high-frequency details. This can help such music to sound better, according to the companies.

The iFi Up Play Max is a Bluetooth 5.4 USB-C transmitter that adds the aptX Lossless codec as well as support for Auracast.

Both models weigh 3.0 g (0.1 oz.) and measure 27.6 x 20.8 x 8mm (1.1 x 0.8 x 0.3 in.).

Availability and pricing

Readers can buy the $59 Up Play and $89 Up Play Max directly from the company or from the iFi store on Amazon. For a great pair of noise cancelling headphones, the highly-regarded Sony WH-1000MX6 (sold here on Amazon) is a good choice to consider.