There seems to be an iFi Audio product announcement at least once every month, and the latest to hit the market is the GO Bar Kensei.
How iFi manage to produce so many products we’ll never know, but the Kensei has an interesting angle that differentiates it from iFi Audio’s other products.
As you might be able to glean from the name there’s a Japanese inspiration with this product, “merging artistry and Japanese swordsmanship with cutting-edge audio technology”, iFi describes the GO Bar Kensei as the world’s first ultraportable DAC with K2HD technology.
What’s K2HD technology we hear you ask? Developed by the sound engineers at JVCKENWOOD’s, this tech aims to restire music to the same quality as the original master, “reviving it with the rich, natural harmonics lost during digitasation” to ensure that your hear every note with depth and clarity.
That feature notwitshanding, the GO Bar Kensei’s can be tuned for a “tailored experience” with the choice of four digital filters as well as the Xbass+ and XSpace options to produce more accurate bass response and spacious sound field respectively.
The Kensei comes with a 4.4mm and 3.5mm balanced outputs as well as a USB-C input. The iEMatch can fine tine the output levels of sensitive in-ear monitors, while the Turbo Mode adds 6dB for headphones that require more sonic oomph. File format support includes PCM up to 384kHz, DSD256 and full MQA decoding.
Given the Japanese influence, the GO Bar Kensei is crafted from Japanese Stainless Steel for “maximum rigidity”, daring inspiration from the craftmaship of a Kensei’s blade. Despite its diminutive size, perhaps it’s best not to swing it about. Just in case.
The iFi GO Bar Kensei goes on sale March 19th, and you can get one for £449 / €449 / $449 / $449.
