ION PATHFINDER GO User manual

ION Audio Pathfinder
TM
Go User Guide 4
Thank you for purchasing the PathfinderTM Go. At ION, your entertainment is as important to
us as it is to you. That’s why we design our products with one thing in mind—to make your life
more fun and more convenient.
Note: Before you first use the product, please fully charge the batteries. Your unit was
purposely shipped with a reduced battery charge to ensure safe transit. For optimal charging,
power o the speaker while charging.
Use the included USB-A to USB-C® cable to connect the unit to a 5V, 2A power adapter (not
included) connected to a power outlet and let it charge for up to 3 hours (depending on the
specifications of your adapter). This helps ensure the longest life for your battery.
Box Contents
PathfinderTM Go
USB-A to USB-C® Charging Cable (3.28 ft / 1 m)
Quickstart Guide
Support
For the latest information about this product (documentation, technical specifications, system
requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visit ionaudio.com.
For additional product support, visit ionaudio.com/support.
INTRODUCTION

ION Audio Pathfinder
TM
Go User Guide 5
Outdoor Use and Care
Though PathfinderTM Go is water-resistant and able to tolerate splashing water, please review
the tips below to get the best performance from your PathfinderTM Go:
•
Bring PathfinderTM Go indoors during extreme weather.
•
Please do not place PathfinderTM Go in standing water.
•
Please do not connect the power adapter to a PathfinderTM Go in a wet environment. Make
sure the power input, power adapter, and power outlet are all completely dry before making
any connections.
•
WARNING: Keep any non-water-resistant devices (phones, music players, etc.) in a dry
place where they will not be aected by water and cause a risk of electric shock.
Charging & Battery Information
For the quickest charging time, power o PathfinderTM Go and use the included USB-A to
USB-C® cable to connect the USB-C® charging port on the rear panel of the speaker to a USB
power adapter (DC 5V 2A, not included) connected to a power outlet, or your computer
(powered on). A full charge can take up to 3 hours, depending on the specifications of your
5V, 2A adapter.
The lightning bolt icon on the display will light up when PathfinderTM Go is
connected to a power source and charging. The battery icon will fill to display
the battery life percentage. When charging is complete, the lightning bolt icon
will disappear, and the battery icon will be completely filled.
If no audio is played through the PathfinderTM Go speaker for 15 minutes, the unit will enter a
standby mode to conserve battery life. This may mean the Bluetooth signal is paused, no audio
is coming through a device connected to the aux port, or the volume is set to 0. To wake the
unit, simply resume audio signal or press any button.
SETUP

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 6
Here are some other recommendations for getting the longest life from the internal battery.
General Usage Fully charge the battery before using it.
Avoid full discharge of the battery if possible. Li-Ion batteries are
maintenance-free, and the battery will last longest when operating
between 30–80% charged.
Do not use the product while charging the battery.
Do not charge the battery in exceedingly hot (greater than 90°F/32°C) or
exceedingly cold (less than 32°F/0°C) temperatures.
Storage For best product longevity, do not store at exceedingly hot (greater than
90°F/32°C) or exceedingly cold (less than 32°F/0°C) temperatures.
For best product longevity, store with a 50% battery charge.
If you leave the battery level low and do not charge it for 6 months, it may
permanently lose capacity.
Repair If the battery failsto charge, contact ION Audio at ionaudio.com.
Disposal Bring the unit to a recycling center or dispose of in accordance with local
ordinances.

ION Audio Pathfinder
TM
Go User Guide 7
Front Panel
Click a control below to jump to that section.
1. Power Button
Press and hold this button to turn PathfinderTM Go on and o.
2.Boom ButtonTM
Press to simultaneously enhance the bass EQ and volume and activate a light show that
pulses to the beat of the music.
3.Bluetooth® Button
Press this button to enter Bluetooth pairing mode. When connected to a Bluetooth device,
double-press this button to disconnect a paired device and re-enter pairing mode, or
single-press to disconnect a paired device and enter Aux mode. See Operation >
Bluetooth Connecting with PathfinderTM Go to learn how to connect a Bluetooth device.
Press and hold this button to enable or disable voice prompts.
FEATURES
9
9
1
2
6
778
3 54

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 8
4.Source Button
Press this button to cycle between FM, USB, and Aux modes.
5.Lights Button
Press this button to switch between Color Cycle, Beat Sync, and Solid Color light modes, or
to turn the lights o.
6.Stereo-LinkTM / Repeat Button
SeeOperation > Stereo-LinkTM: Syncing Two Speakers to learn more.
In USB playback mode, press this button to cycle between repeat modes. See Operation >
USB Playback Mode to learn more.
7.Previous / Next Buttons
In FM mode, press these buttons briefly to go to the previous or next station. Press and hold
these buttons to seek the previous or next strong station.
In Bluetooth and USB modes, press the Previous or Next buttons to go to the beginning of
the current track or skip to the following track, respectively. Press the Previous button again
within one second to skip to the previous track.
8.Play/Pause / Presets Button
Press this button to play and pause Bluetooth or USB audio.
In FM mode, use this button to save and recall radio presets. See Operation > Using the
Radio to learn more.
9.Volume Up/Down Buttons
Press these buttons to adjust the speaker’s volume. The current volume level will be shown
on the display.
Press and hold both + and – buttons for 5 seconds to reset the speaker to factory settings.

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 9
Display
The PathfinderTM Go display shows information related to its current operation, including:
•Battery Indicator ( )
The battery icon displays the battery life percentage. When fully charged, the battery
icon will be completely filled.
•Stereo-LinkTM Icon ( )
The Stereo-LinkTM icon will display when PathfinderTM Go is linked to another speaker.
The Stereo-LinkTM icon will be o when a single speaker is used. See Operation > Stereo-
LinkTM: Syncing Two Speakers below for instructions on how to link two speakers.
•Bluetooth Icon ( )
The Bluetooth icon will display when a device is paired to PathfinderTM Go. See Operation
>Bluetooth Connecting with PathfinderTM Go to learn how to connect a Bluetooth
device.
•Source Icons (FM, AUX, USB)
These icons will indicate whether PathfinderTM Go is in FM, Aux, or USB playback modes.
•Lightning Bolt Icon ( )
The lightning bolt icon will display when PathfinderTM Go is connected to a power outlet.
•BOOM Icon
The BOOM icon will display when the Boom ButtonTM is pressed. The icon will be o
when the function is deactivated.
•Radio Station
The numerals on the right side indicate the current radio station that is selected. This
area will also show the volume and the current repeat mode when either are changed.

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 10
Rear Panel
Note: Pull the tab on the protective rubber panel to release it and access the rear panel ports.
1. USB-A Playback / Device Charging Port
Connect a USB drive here for USB mode playback. See Operation > USB Playback Mode
for more information.
PathfinderTM Go includes a power bank function, which allows you to charge a compatible
5V, 1A smartphone, tablet, or other device using the unit’s internal battery (Capacity:
2000mAh/11.1V 22.2Wh) by connecting a cable here. See Operation > Using the USB
Charge Port for more information.
2. Aux Input
Connect an MP3 or other audio player to PathfinderTM Go here using a 1/8” (3.5 mm)
auxiliary cable (not included). See Operation > Connecting an Audio Device Using the
Aux Input for more information.
3. USB-C® Charging Port
Connect the USB-C® end of the included cable to PathfinderTM Go here, then connect the
USB-A end to a 5V, 2A USB power adapter (sold separately) and plug it into a power outlet,
or your computer (powered on).
1 2 3

ION Audio Pathfinder
TM
Go User Guide 11
Bluetooth Connecting with Pathfinder
TM
Go
1. Turn on PathfinderTM Go by holding down the Power button for 2 seconds. PathfinderTM
Go will automatically enter Bluetooth pairing mode.
2. Navigate to your device’s Bluetooth setup screen, find Pathfinder Go, and connect. The
Bluetooth icon will appear in the display, and you will hear “Connected” (if voice prompts
are enabled).
Note: Do not connect to iSP165_BLE; this is reserved exclusively for connecting to the ION
Sound ControlTM app. If you experience trouble in connecting, select “Forget this Device”
on your Bluetooth device and try to connect again.
3. Now you can use the buttons on the front panel to control audio playback:
•Press the Play/Pause button to play or pause the current track.
•Press and quickly release the + button to increase the volume.
•Press and quickly release the - button to decrease the volume.
•Press the > button to skip to the next track.
•Press the < button to revert to the beginning of the current track. Repeat this action
within 1 second to skip to the previous track.
To disconnect a paired device, do any of the following:
•Turn o Bluetooth from your device’s Bluetooth settings. The speaker will enter
Bluetooth pairing mode to make it available for another device.
•Double-press the Bluetooth button to disconnect and re-enter pairing mode.
•Briefly press the Bluetooth button to disconnect and enter Aux mode.
When you disconnect a Bluetooth device, you will hear “Bluetooth disconnected” if voice
prompts are enabled.
OPERATION
1 - PRESS AND HOLD 2
PATHFINDERTM GO

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 12
Stereo-LinkTM: Syncing Two Speakers
If you would like to play music from a Bluetooth device, you can first “link” two PathfinderTM
Go speakers together in order to listen to your music in stereo. One PathfinderTM Go will serve
as the left speaker and the other will serve as the right speaker.
Note: PathfinderTM Go can also be linked with ION Audio PathfinderTM 320° speakers.
To link two PathfinderTM Go speakers together:
Note: When you begin the Stereo-LinkTM process, any connected Bluetooth devices will be
automatically disconnected. You can also disconnect your device prior to beginning by
double-pressing the Bluetooth button.
1. Press and hold the Stereo-LinkTM / Repeat button on both speakers to enter Stereo-LinkTM
mode. You will hear a tone and the Stereo-LinkTM and Bluetooth icons on each speaker’s
Display will begin flashing while they search for each other.
Note: The linking process can take up to 30 seconds to complete. The closer the two
speakers are to each other, the quicker the link is established.
Once the speakers are linked, the Stereo-LinkTM icons on each speaker’s Display will be lit
solid.
2. Press and release the Bluetooth button on either speaker to select Bluetooth mode and
begin the Bluetooth pairing process. The speaker you use for Bluetooth pairing will serve
as the primary speaker. The Bluetooth icon on the primary speaker’s Display will flash to
indicate it is searching for a Bluetooth device to pair with.
3. Navigate to your Bluetooth device’s setup screen, find PATHFINDER GO, and connect.
When the connection is successful, you will hear "Bluetooth Connected" from the primary
speaker (if voice prompts are enabled), and the Bluetooth icon on the Display will be lit solid.
When audio playback begins, you should hear it through both speakers. The primary
speaker will play the left channel while the secondary speaker plays the right channel.
Playback controls are active on both speakers.
1 - PRESS AND HOLD
3 - PRESS
(primary speaker)
2 - PRESS AND HOLD
4
PATHFINDERTM GO
(speaker 1 & 2)

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 13
To disconnect two speakers or cancel linking between the two, double-press the Stereo-
LinkTM / Repeat button on either speaker.
Note: Pressing and holding the Power button on the primary speaker while in Stereo-LinkTM
mode will power o all connected speakers. PathfinderTM Go speakers powered o in Stereo-
LinkTM mode will automatically enter Stereo-LinkTM mode the next time they are powered on
and begin searching for secondary speakers to connect to.

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 14
Using the Radio
To use the radio, press the Source button so that FM is selected and shown on the display.
While in FM mode, briefly press the Previous and Next buttons (</>) to move to the previous
or next station. Press and hold the </> buttons to seek for the next strongest station in that
direction.
To save a radio station as a preset:
1. Press and hold the Play/Pause / Presets button.
2. Use the </> buttons to select a preset number, 1–12, shown on the display.
3. When you have selected the desired preset number, quickly press and release the
Play/Pause / Presets button again to save it.
To recall a previously saved preset, briefly press the Play/Pause / Presets button to cycle
between the 12 presets.
PRESS PRESS - Previous/Next Station
HOLD - Seek
1 - HOLD 2 - PRESS - Select Preset 3 - PRESS

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 15
USB Playback Mode
When a USB drive with compatible files is inserted into the USB-A Playback / Device
Charging Port, PathfinderTM Go will automatically switch to USB mode. If the USB drive has
already been inserted and you are using another mode, press the Source button until USB
mode is selected.
PathfinderTM Go will automatically play the first compatible MP3 file. Files are played in
alphabetical order of what is on the root level, then alphabetical by folder, and then
alphabetical by track name. Media playback will stop when all media has been played on the
USB drive.
Note: The USB drive must have playable MP3 files for it to appear on the media panel’s display.
While in USB playback mode, you can use the following buttons on the front panel to control
playback:
•Press the Play/Pause button to start or stop USB playback.
•Press the Previous and Next buttons (</>) to skip to the previous or next USB track. Press
and hold these buttons to fast forward or rewind within the track.
•Press the Stereo-LinkTM / Repeat button to cycle through the repeat/shue options
(abbreviations will show on the display):
oPlay the current USB track on repeat (OnE). This is the default mode when powered
on.
oPlay the tracks in random order (rAn).
oPlay all the tracks on the USB drive on repeat (ALL).
oPlay the current folder’s tracklist on repeat (FOLd). The folder used is based on what
song is playing when it is activated. For instance, if a song playing is on the root level,
selecting FOLd will repeat only songs at the root level. If a song is in folder “A”, then
only songs in folder “A” will be repeated.
1 - CONNECT PRESS
PRESS
(Play/Pause Playback)
PRESS TO CYCLE
(OFF, ALL, FOLDER, ONE, RANDOM)
PRESS
(Previous/Next Track)

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 16
Using the USB Charge Port
To use the USB charge port:
1. Connect a USB type-A cable to the USB Charge
Port on the rear panel of your PathfinderTM Go
speaker (see image).
2. Connect the other end of the cable to the
charging input on your smartphone, tablet, or
other compatible device.
Connecting an Audio Device Using the Aux Input
1. Connect a 1/8” (3.5 mm) auxiliary cable to the input on the rear panel of PathfinderTM Go
and connect the other end to an audio device such as an MP3 or CD player. The speaker
will automatically switch the audio source to Aux mode but will maintain all Bluetooth
connections.
2. Press play on your device’s music player. Use the Volume Up/Down (+/-) buttons to adjust
the Aux volume.
Note: PathfinderTM Go speaker volume controls act independently from your connected
device. Lower the volume on your device if signal distortion occurs.
3. Disconnect the Aux cable to exit Aux mode. PathfinderTM Go will revert to the audio mode
it was in before the Aux connection, either Bluetooth or USB Playback mode.

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 17
App Control
IMPORTANT: To ensure the best possible experience with the app, use the most current
Android OS or iOS on your device.
Follow these steps to download the free app on your device:
1. Open the Apple App Store or Google Play on your device. Then, search for the ION Sound
ControlTM app.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the app. Once downloaded, the
ION Sound ControlTM app will appear on your device's home screen.
3. Connect your device to PathfinderTM Go via Bluetooth. See Operation > Bluetooth
Connecting with PathfinderTM Go to learn how to do this.
4. Open the ION Sound ControlTM app. If prompted, allow the app to access your device's
Bluetooth and Location Services.
5. Follow the steps on screen to find and connect to your PathfinderTM Go. Once connected,
you can control various functions of the speaker, such as:
•Source Selection: Select the source to use (Bluetooth, USB, FM, or Aux).
•Volume: Adjust the speaker's volume.
•EQ: Adjust the speaker's equalization.
•Voice Prompts: Enable or disable the voice prompts.
•Lights: Change the light modes.
•Battery Life: Check the speaker’s battery life status.
•Support: Visitionaudio.com, contact Technical Support, and view Warranty information
and Frequently Asked Questions.

ION Audio Pathfinder
TM
Go User Guide 18
If the unit is not charging: Make sure the USB-A to USB-C® charging cable is properly
connected to the power input, the power adapter, and the power outlet.
If the sound is distorted: Try lowering the volume control of your sound source.
Ihear a hum when cables are connected:
•Disconnect cables from the input jacks to see if it’s a faulty cable.
•Make sure the signal cables are not placed near power cables.
•Connect all audio equipment power cables to outlets which share a common ground.
If there is a high-pitched whistling noise when using microphones: This is probably
feedback. Point the microphone away from the speaker.
If you can’t hear the microphone over the music volume: Turn down the music volume from
your source.
If there is too much bass: Try adjusting the tone or EQ control on your sound source to lower
the bass level. This will allow you to play the music louder before clipping (distortion) occurs.
You can also check to see if the BOOM function is enabled, and disable it by pressing the
BOOM buttonTM to disable it.
If you cannot connect your audio device to PathfinderTM Go via Bluetooth:
•Have your audio device (e.g., smartphone or tablet) and PathfinderTM Go as close together
as possible while trying to connect. Make sure both the audio device and PathfinderTM Go
are unobstructed by walls, furniture, etc.
•Double-press the Bluetooth button to disconnect PathfinderTM Go from any other audio
device and restart the search process. If this does not work right away, power o
PathfinderTM Go and then power it back on. See Operation > Bluetooth Connecting with
PathfinderTM Go for more information.
•Reset the Bluetooth connection on your audio device by turning Bluetooth o and back
on. You can find this under the Bluetooth menu in the Settings for your phone or other
audio device.
If this does not work, and you have connected to PathfinderTM Go before, find PathfinderTM
Go in the list of available or previously connected devices in your audio device's Bluetooth
menu, tap the "gear" or “i” icon located next to it and then select Unpair or Forget. Turn
PathfinderTM Go o and back on and try pairing again once it reappears in your available
devices list.
Note: If PathfinderTM Go has been paired to another audio device recently that is still within
range, you may need to repeat this process with that audio device to fully disconnect.
TROUBLESHOOTING

ION Audio PathfinderTM Go User Guide 19
If you experience audio dropouts while playing music from a Bluetooth device, this may be
happening because your unit is trying to link to another speaker. This can occur if you power
o a speaker that was linked to your unit or if you have just turned on your unit and it is in
Stereo-LinkTM mode. To stop the audio dropouts, exit Stereo-LinkTM mode by double-pressing
the Bluetooth button. Alternatively, you can wait for your unit to link to another speaker if
there is one within range.

ION Audio Pathfinder
TM
Go User Guide 20
Technical Specifications
Output Power 65 W (peak)
Speakers Low Frequency: 6.5" (165.1 mm) woofer
High Frequency: (2) 2.5" (63.5 mm) tweeters
Frequency Response 65 Hz – 16 kHz (-3 dB)
Bluetooth * Profile: A2DP, AVRCP
Bluetooth Version: 5.0
Range: Up to 100 ft. (30.5 m) *
Stereo-LinkTM Range: Up to 100 ft. (30.5 m) between speakers
USB Audio: Music playback from USB drive
Supported File System: FAT32
Supported File Type: MP3
Maximum File Size: 4 GB
Maximum USB Drive Size: 16 GB
Battery Capacity: 2000mAh/11.1V, 22.2Wh
Battery life: Up to 10 hours **
Charge Time: Up to 3 Hours
Power Cable: USB-A to USB-C® Charging Cable
Input Voltage: 5V DC, 2A
Dimensions
(width x depth x height)
13.48" x 6.50" x 13.23"
343 mm x 165 mm x 336 mm
Weight 7.65 lbs.
3.47 kg
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
* Bluetooth and wireless reception and range are aected by walls, obstructions, and
movement. For optimal performance, place the product so it is unobstructed by walls or
furniture and is raised o the ground.
** Battery life may vary based on temperature, age, and volume usage of product.
APPENDIX
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