“Kensei” is an honorary Eastern identify bestowed upon swordsmen of mythical ability. The phrase interprets to “Sword Saint,” and it’s the relentless dedication to being the most efficient that iFi channeled into the masterfully crafted product that’s the iFi Kensei.
That is really a device for the audiophile, so with out getting too deep into the weeds, we’re going to get a little bit extra technical on this overview than commonplace, with a watch on preserving it out there.
iFi GO bar Kensei: Worth and availability
The iFi GO bar Kensei is to be had from ifi-audio.com, Amazon and different on-line outlets like Sweetwater, for $449. In contrast to the iFi Gold bar, this isn’t a restricted run and might be round for some time in keeping with an iFi rep’s feedback on a HiFi person discussion board subsidized via iFi.
iFi GO bar Kensei: Construct and have compatibility
Unboxing the Kensei is an revel in. It’s set in a wonderful, environmentally pleasant, carved wood field. You get two top class braided cables (USB-C, USB-C to Lightning with USB-A adapter) and a leather-based pouch. No larger than a USB flash pressure, the GO bar Kensei is made with Eastern stainless-steel and is deceptively heavy for its dimension. Its frame has chamfered edges and feels top class all of the approach round, although it does draw in fingerprints like a magnet. It has branding fantastically etched into the bottom of the bar, however the face is the place it will get thrilling.
Symbol 1 of 4
At the face, you’ll discover a panel with LEDs that point out quantity degree, audio structure, frequency, and sound results. The appropriate facet is the place you’ll in finding the quantity and settings push buttons, in addition to the IEMatch transfer. The highest of the software is the place the three.5mm and four.4mm headphone outputs are discovered, and the ground is the place you’ll in finding the USB-C enter, which helps as much as 32-bit/384kHz audio.
The Cross bar Kensei will get a little bit heat right through use, however no longer uncomfortably. Even though it’s dense and has excellent heft, the stainless-steel is a little bit comfortable relating to exterior put on and can display scratches and scuffs.
iFi GO bar Kensei: Options
The GO bar Kensei makes use of a 32-bit Cirrus Common sense DAC chipset with Hi-Res True Native® playback of tune codecs from MP3 to DSD256, PCM384, and DXD384. You additionally get complete MQA deciphering. The Kensei is chock complete of top-end capacitors, which come up with a blank sign, scale back doable distortion, and feature top class noise-reduction features. You’ll examine the ones intimately right here.
The celebs of the display are the 4 virtual filters and two analog modes. The modes and their corresponding LEDs are:
Bit-Very best (cyan) I ran this with the Sennheiser IE900 IEMs, and it used to be brilliant with out sibilance and clear. This one will provide you with your Hi-Res or lossless audio simply because it used to be meant.
Same old (crimson) got here throughout as “easy,” with heat within the vocals as an alternative of brightness.
Minimal section (yellow) is hotter however with tight bass. If you happen to’re a basshead, that is the filter out for you. Use it with the XBass filter out grew to become on and the K2HD filter out activated, and also you’ll get kick-you-in-the-face bass and not using a lack of mids and vocal readability.
Gibbs Temporary-Optimised (white) upsamples your audio to 352/384kHz. I’d simply describe this one as “full of life” total. You’ll really feel it around the frequency vary.
The Kensei is going a protracted approach to make sure every headphone or IEM you plug up is handled neatly with their IEMatch transfer, which reduces output for high-sensitivity IEMs just like the Campfire Audio Mammoths I performed with, and their Turbo Mode, which does the other and will increase acquire via 6dB to pressure energy hungry headphones just like the HiFiMan Planar magnetics I used. It isn’t just like the Kensei lacks the ability to pressure what you throw at it, with 477mW or 7.2V out of the 4.4mm output and 300mW or 8V out of the three.5 S-Balanced output.
Referring to quantity degree output, you’ll be able to regulate supply audio from the Kensei in sync with the supply software or bypass the supply software’s audio controls altogether.
The disadvantage to all the superb energy unleashed upon your ears is that you simply’ll revel in a good quantity of battery drain out of your telephones and capsules since that’s what powers the Kensei by way of that USB-C port. Your laptops gained’t be as noticeable since they have got greater batteries, and you’ll be able to simply price whilst listening, however that drain is there. There’s no inside battery right here just like the iFi GO blu.
iFi GO bar Kensei: Sound high quality
The “Sword Saint” produces audio this is, in a phrase, “airy” however full-bodied. It’s all there. The sound high quality out of each the three.5mm and four.4mm ports is easy, with gorgeous musicality.
This clear DAC/Amp lets you experience each and every nuance of a stereo symbol. Pair the Kensei with analytical headphones or IEMs, and it’s like turning on a floodlight in a big area up to now lit via a small 40-watt bulb. That’s precisely what I skilled once I plugged Sennheieser’s IE900 IEMs into the 4.4mm balanced output with the bit-perfect virtual filter out.
Being attentive to “Violin Duel” from the Chevalier OST used to be illuminating. You want to pay attention artifacts and nuances I’d up to now overlooked. The strain of the bow towards the violin strings. The assault at the chord adjustments, while prior to, I actually most effective heard the assault in several actions. Identical with Beyonce’s “Texas Dangle ‘Em” the place the plucking of the banjo and guitars, nonetheless layered towards the again, used to be richly detailed.
In relation to bass and sub-bass, the transparency actually displays how a observe used to be engineered. The IE900 isn’t a bass-heavy IEM, however its 7mm dynamic drivers can energetically play again deep, darkish bass by way of PEQ or virtual filter out tuning, as used to be the case with iFi’s XBass filter out activated. Skrillex’s “Mumbai Energy” and “Get started A Rebel” from the Spider-Guy: Around the Spider-Verse soundtrack each growled and rumbled with sufficient authority and aggression that that they had me making the “stank face” whilst bobbing my head to that nasty bass and sub-bass. That led me down the rabbit hollow of sampling a dozen or so hip-hop tracks with this IEM/DAC filter out combo.
What’s essential here’s that the virtual filters I discussed within the options segment would possibly make your tune sound even higher relying on which IEMs or headphones you’ve paired to the Kensei. As an example, I ran the $120 1MORE Penta Driving force IEMs, which don’t have just about the extent of transparency of the IE900, however with the K2HD, XBass, and XSpace filters activated, they open up and provides the listening revel in somewhat a little bit greater than what their default tuning provides.
iFi GO bar Kensei: Festival
The GO bar Kensei is exclusive in that it’s extra like a collector’s version DAC, with its ornate field, equipment, and have compatibility and end. On this value level, there are then again competition with more than a few function choices. Fiio makes very good merchandise and the Q15 is also a greater have compatibility for some other folks’ listening conduct because it has a integrated IPS show and a Bluetooth SoC, providing you with get entry to to wi-fi hi-res audio connectivity.
Then there’s the iBasso DC-Elite, which I attempted unsuccessfully to get my arms on for a separate overview. It has a function set that fits intently the Kensei, and a design this is attention-grabbing. On paper, it sounds as if to be a worthy competitor and is usually considered a forged piece of apparatus.
iFi GO bar Kensei: Must you purchase it?
You will have to purchase the iFi GO bar Kensei if…
- You don’t want Bluetooth
- You prefer DACs with clear sound
- You don’t need PEQ
You should not purchase the iFi GO bar Kensei if…
- Worth is a priority
- You wish to have Bluetooth
- You need PEQ
The GO bar Kensie is clear with out being harsh or overly easy. It pairs completely with musical IEMs, it is virtual filters come up with higher choices as you pair it with other headphones or IEMs and the analog processing modes XBass Plus and XSpace breathe new bass and sub-bass existence into open-back over-ears. All of this whilst successfully using the entirety I’ve thrown at it, even supposing that comes at the price of your cellular audio supply’s battery existence.
This DAC/Amp might be expensive for informal tune customers. For audio hobbyists, it’s feature-rich and constructed like a tank, so it will have to come up with years of listening excitement at the pass.
Superb sound and contours!
For it is transparency, talent to kick up the bass enjoyment, and balanced output, the GO bar Kensei is without doubt one of the easiest cellular DACs you’ll be able to purchase!
