iFi GO Bar Kensei Dongle DAC
IFi’s latest GO Bar dongle DAC is akin to a legendary sword meticulously forged for a Kensei. Embodying the dedication of a master swordsmith, iFi focuses on purity, balance, and refinement to deliver an experience that cuts through the noise of everyday life and reveals the true essence of your music.
Echoing this philosophy with each of its components, the GO bar Kensei is the world’s first ultraportable DAC to feature the renowned K2HD Technology. Where JVC’s sound engineers meticulously compared many original masters with sub-masters by ear, iFi has drawn upon their expertise to return the harmonics lost during digitalization, restoring your music close to the original master.
Through their combined craftsmanship and tireless quest for perfection, iFi brings you a GO bar that is truly worthy of a Kensei. Just as a Kensei deserves an exceptional blade, an audiophile deserves an exceptional DAC.
Key Features
- Enhances audio to near master quality with JVC’s K2HD Technology
- (x4) digital filter options, XBass+ and XSpace analog processing modes
- Delivers up to 475mW of continuous power
- Enhanced clock and power supply circuitry
- Optimizing output for high-sensitivity headphones and IEMs
- Symmetrical, twin mono output stage
The latest and highest-resolution version of K2 Technology is known as K2HD. When mastering to match CD specifications, all data above 22kHz is cut off, and resolution is diminished by 256 times. This isn’t even limited to CDs specifically – Spotify’s entire library is compressed to 44.1kHz/16-bit.
K2HD gets back your lost data. This advanced processing upscales a file to 192kHz/24-bit and applies their hand-selected K2 parameters for waveform correction (which processes the time domain, not the frequency domain.) Through advanced high-frequency range extension and minute signal (Bit) extension, K2HD restores natural harmonics and overtones beyond 22kHz and delivers audio quality that is close to the original master.
You can select from 4 digital filters:
- Bit-Perfect: no Digital Filtering for natural tones
- GTO: recovers inner resolution and music body
- Minimum Phase: more life-like sound, between BP and STD
- Standard: taut dynamics with controlled highs
Additionally, two expert analog processing modes are available: XBass+ for accurate bass response and XSpace for a spacious sound field.
Finally, Turbo mode (a 6dB gain boost) is available for hungrier CANs, and iEMatch (cuts background noise and hiss) for sensitive IEMs.
Kensei employs enhanced power and clock circuitry, far surpassing the original GO bar in audio quality: experience a wider soundstage, resolution of every musical nuance, and deeper, cleaner bass.
With 4.4mm balanced output, a symmetrical twin-mono output stage, and 475 mW maximum output power, the GO bar Kensei is a DAC that stands heads and shoulders above others.
Specs
- Input: USB-C
- Headphone Out: 4.4mm Balanced | 3.5mm S-Balanced
- Power Output
- BAL: 475mW@32Ω | 7.2V@600Ω
- UnBAL: 300mW@32Ω | 3.8V@600Ω
- Power Consumption: <4W max.
- Impedance: < 0.62Ω
- SNR: 132dBA, BAL | 121dBA, S-BAL
- DNR: 108dB(A), BAL | 109dB(A), S-BAL
- THD+N: ≤0.0025% (BAL @ 600Ω 2V) @ (20-20KHz) | ≤0.009% (S-BAL @ 16Ω 1.27V) @ (20-20KHz)
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 70kHz (-3dB)
- Formats Supported: 384kHz | DSD256 (12.3MHz) | full MQA
- Dimensions: 2.56″ x 0.87″ x 0.52″
- Weight: 2.31 oz
- Price: $449