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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
ION Pathfinder 320 vs ION Tailgater Tough
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
ION Pathfinder 320
ION Tailgater Tough
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 02:02 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 320 (Black/Red)
- Tailgater Tough (Black)
Our Verdict
ION Pathfinder 320
ION Tailgater Tough
The ION Tailgater Tough and ION Pathfinder 320 are similar speakers, but you may prefer one or the other, depending on your needs. The Tailgater is smaller and more portable, with a slightly more balanced frequency response. It also has lower Bluetooth latency with iOS and Android devices, so it's a better choice for watching movies on a paired phone. The Pathfinder 320, however, gets louder and reproduces more consistent sound from different angles around the speaker. Its controls are also easier to use, and with almost 118 hours of battery life on a single charge, it lasts a lot longer than the Tailgater.
Check Price
Black/Red
Pathfinder 320
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Amazon.comBlack
Tailgater Tough
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Amazon.comBlack/Red
Pathfinder 320
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
Tailgater Tough
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comMain Differences forMusic
Music
Threshold
Music
6.7
6.4
Soundstage
6.3
4.7
Frequency Response Accuracy
6.5
6.8
Dynamics
7.5
6.8
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Style Photo
RGB Lights
Yes
No
Portability
6.7
8.2
Dimensions Photo
Volume
3,478 in³ (57,000 cm³)
1,008 in³ (16,524 cm³)
Weight
22.7 lbs (10.3 kg)
9.9 lbs (4.5 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
6.8
Frequency Response Graph
Slope
-1.41
-0.63
Std. Err.
4.21 dB
3.31 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
54.2 Hz
52.6 Hz
High-Frequency Extension
12.0 kHz
10.2 kHz
Raw Frequency Response
Raw Frequency Response Graph
Binaural Recording @ 1m
Binaural Recording @ 2m
Soundstage
6.3
4.7
Directivity Graph
Directivity Index
3.18 dB
6.22 dB
Stereo
No (mono)
No (mono)
Dynamics
7.5
6.8
Dynamic Range Compression
SPL @ Max Volume
96.1 dB SPL
90.6 dB SPL
DRC @ Max Volume
2.89 dB
2.85 dB
Active Features
Battery
7.0
8.7
Battery Life
117.9 hrs
13.8 hrs
Charge Time
12.9 hrs
3.7 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
7.4
8.2
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth Version
5.0
5.3
Bluetooth iOS Latency
157 ms
74 ms
Bluetooth Android Latency
124 ms
66 ms
Bluetooth Range
331.4 ft (101.0 m)
334.6 ft (102.0 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/Red
Pathfinder 320
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
Tailgater Tough
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Amazon.comBlack/Red
Pathfinder 320
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
Tailgater Tough
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
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ION Pathfinder 320
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Comments
ION Pathfinder 320 vs ION Tailgater Tough: Main Discussion
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