Obviously, when (much) bigger (and dedicated) headphone amps, together with bigger headphones come into question – you will get more bass clout and more dynamic realism. But even on tracks like Aes Dana “Inks” the results were good. You would need to compare the newest iFi Audio Bar offering with something really bigger, like for example the new and truly great M23 from FiiO. Which is, by the way, twice the price. And is also a DAP and about twenty times the size of iFi’s device. And let’s be honest here – an usage scenario with cans like HEDDphone is an edge case by all means. Most people that will pair the Kensei with more real-world headphones will have a vast headroom margin by the virtue of its immense – for a dongle – voltage swing of 7.2 volts.
Last but not least, we need to say a few words regarding the whole K2HD feature. This is where things get a bit tricky and the comment from the manufacturer about comparing the K2HD technology on and off with the bit-perfect filter makes the most sense, because is such a relation of the digital filter setting to toggling the Japanese-sourced technology the differences will be most palpable. And first things first – the K2HD definitely works, yet it will all depend on many factors: the source material, the headphones and – as mentioned in the technical description part of this review – on the digital filter of choice. It won’t make the sound more contoured, more direct, but rather more lush and more ambient. You can somehow see it as some kind of a variation and at the same time – which might seem strange – the opposite to the bit-perfect setting. And it’s definitely something different than one of your typical digital filter settings, because it actually changes the tonality a bit, makes it more saturated. The difference is not a night and day, but it’s definitely there.
And as for all those digital filters possibilities and the differences between all the Bars on question here. I would say that most people would be happy with the combination of the bit-perfect filter and K2HD technology enabled in many cases. But there’s also a setting that can be interesting – the GTO with the K2HD. It will sound quite distinct and may appeal to some. And even with everything off, I mean when you choose the bit-perfect mode and turn the K2HD technology off and turn the all those XBass+ and XSpace off and compare the three Bars (all with the same settings) – there will be differences. And I would say that the Kensei is slightly above the Gold bar in general, while the Gold bar is much better that the Original. And if you compare the Kensei to a typical digital desktop source in its price range – it will all depend od preferences. Because the overall sound quality will be similar. For example, compared to the ROHM-based SMSL D300 the Kensei will be more precise and neutral, and compared to Schiit Modi Multibit 2 – a bit less direct but more subtle altogether.
iFi Audio GO Bar Kensei – conclusion
Let me put it this way: I have no doubts that iFi has another winner on its hands here. Whether it will appeal to you will be a matter of your usage scenario and how much will you be able to pay for what probably is the best dongle on the market today. It’s definitely not cheap, but well worth it. While the first GO Bar could without any problems compete with many desktop DAC-amp combinations not only in the terms of power, but also regarding the sound quality alone – I believe that Kensei may actually surpass many of them when it comes to sound quality. And there’s that icing on the cake – the K2HD technology. The fact that iFi actually implemented it merits attention alone and is something that I would like to see implemented in their DACs in the future. And finally, the difference between the GO Bar and the GO Bar Kensei is actually big enough to justify the steep price here. For those who can afford it – fully recommended.
Adam Kiryszewski
Product website: https://ifi-audio.com/products/go-bar-kensei/
Price: 449 Euro / 449 USD