Golden Ears: iFi GO Bar Kensei Review
iFi Audio is one of the biggest names in the audiophile space. Its products routinely make best-of lists and push the limits on sound quality, features, and power for their size. We’ve put its latest product, the iFi GO Bar Kensei through its paces, seeing just what it has to offer over the original GO Bar. It’s a tiny, very pocketable DAC/amp that puts out a surprising amount of power — enough for most over-ear headphones, let alone in-ear monitors (IEMs) — and supports advanced features like sound customization with filters and its own X-Bass and X-Space enhancements, as well as JVCKENWOOD’s K2HD upscaling tech. It exists on the high end of the dongle DAC price spectrum, but if you want an audiophile experience on the go, it delivers.
Specifications
Current Price: $449 (B&H Photo, Bloom Audio)
iFi GO Bar Kensei — Design and Highlights
On the surface, the iFi GO Bar Kensei isn’t that different from the original GO Bar. Their dimensions are the same with a very pocketable 2.6 x 0.9 x 0.5 inches and they feature the same dedicated buttons on the side for controlling volume, gain, and the current filter stage and X-Bass or X-Space effect. There’s also a switch for IEMatch and a column of indicator lights to indicate the current sampling rate and effect on the back. They both sport 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended ports and have the same short, braided USB-C to C and USB-C to Lightning cables, as well as a Type-C to Type-A adapter and leather carrying case.
The similarities don’t end there, the two models pull apart when it comes to what’s happening on the inside, but there’s a visual difference as well. While the original GO Bar uses a dark, matte metal finish, the Kensei is made of Japanese stainless steel. The marketing evokes a classic samurai sword and you can definitely see the resemblance: the hues are the same and the angled top is finished a bit like the flat of a blade.
To understand the GO Bar Kensei, you really need to understand why a device like
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