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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
ION Pathfinder 280 vs ION Pathfinder Go
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
ION Pathfinder 280
ION Pathfinder Go
Tested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Mar 13, 2025 03:41 PM
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Amazon.comTested using Methodology v0.8
Updated Mar 13, 2025 03:41 PM
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Amazon.com
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiNo
SpeakerphoneNo
Voice AssistantNo
Battery PoweredYes
BluetoothYes
Wi-FiNo
SpeakerphoneNo
Voice AssistantNo
Battery PoweredYes
Variants
- Pathfinder 280 (Black)
- Pathfinder Go (Black)
Our Verdict
ION Pathfinder 280
ION Pathfinder Go
The ION Pathfinder 280 is better than the ION Pathfinder Go. The 280 is a larger and more premium speaker that's louder and lasts longer off a single charge. It comes with more physical controls, too, so you don't have to rely on the app as much, and they're backlit to make them easier to use at a party. Plus, the 280's default sound is more balanced and neutral, which some users may prefer.
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Black
Pathfinder 280
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Amazon.comBlack
Pathfinder Go
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Amazon.comBlack
Pathfinder 280
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Walmart.comBlack
Pathfinder Go
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Walmart.comBlack
Pathfinder 280
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Pathfinder Go
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BestBuy.comMain Differences forMusic
Music
Threshold
Music
6.8
6.4
Dynamics
8.9
7.0
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
Yes
Yes
Portability
7.0
8.3
Dimensions Photo
Volume
2,703 in³ (44,294 cm³)
1,153 in³ (18,897 cm³)
Weight
23.8 lbs (10.8 kg)
7.7 lbs (3.5 kg)
Power Source
AC & Battery
Battery & USB
One-Hand Carry
Yes
Yes
Build Quality
7.0
7.0
Build Quality Photo
Material Quality
Good
Good
Water Resistance
Waterproof (IPx5)
Waterproof (IPx5)
Dust Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Impact Resistance
Unspecified
Unspecified
Floats In Water
Unspecified
Unspecified
Controls
7.0
6.9
Controls Photo
Controls Photo 2
Ease Of Use
Great
Good
Feedback
Great
Great
Music Play/Pause
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Call Answer/End
No
No
Volume Up/Down
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Track Next/Previous
Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)
Microphone On/Off
No
No
Additional Controls
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Photo
Sound
Frequency Response Accuracy
6.5
6.4
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
-0.59
-0.07
Std. Err.
2.91 dB
5.23 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
73.4 Hz
55.8 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
16.3 kHz
17.5 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
5.7
5.7
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
4.31 dB
4.33 dB
Stereo
No (mono)
No (mono)
Dynamics
8.9
7.0
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
100.5 dB SPL
92.2 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
1.13 dB
2.76 dB
Active Features
Battery
7.1
8.4
Battery Life
68.0 hrs
10.4 hrs
Charge Time
7.0 hrs
2.8 hrs
Power Saving
No
Yes
Charging Port
AC
USB-C
Battery Powered
Yes
Yes
Voice Assistant
0.0
0.0
Alexa
No
No
Google Assistant
No
No
Speakerphone
No
No
Siri
No
No
Voice Assistant
No
No
Voice Activation
No
No
Microphone Mute
No Microphone
No Microphone
Far-Field Performance
No Assistant
No Assistant
Ambient Noise Performance
No Assistant
No Assistant
App
6.3
6.3
App Picture
App Name
ION Sound XP
ION SOUND CONTROL
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
Yes
EQ
Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets
Stereo Pair Mode
Yes
Yes
Party Mode
No
No
Multi-Room
No
No
Connectivity
Wired
Aux Input
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
Yes
Other Ports
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
6.5
7.1
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth Version
5.0
5.0
Bluetooth iOS Latency
322 ms
183 ms
Bluetooth Android Latency
245 ms
175 ms
Bluetooth Range
278.9 ft (85.0 m)
315.0 ft (96.0 m)
Multi-Device Pairing
No
No
Wi-Fi
0.0
0.0
Wi-Fi Version
No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi Frequency Band
No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
No
No
Apple AirPlay
No
No
AirPlay Latency
N/A
N/A
Google Chromecast
No
No
Chromecast Latency
N/A
N/A
Check Price
Black
Pathfinder 280
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Amazon.comBlack
Pathfinder Go
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Amazon.comBlack
Pathfinder 280
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Walmart.comBlack
Pathfinder Go
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Walmart.comBlack
Pathfinder 280
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Pathfinder Go
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ION Pathfinder 280
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Comments
ION Pathfinder 280 vs ION Pathfinder Go: Main Discussion
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