iFi GO bar Kensei delivers some of the best sound for a dongle and comes in a stunning physical package but it’ll cost you!
- iFi house sound is detailed, vivid, and generally fun
- Built like a tiny tank
- Great technicalities
- Feature-rich
- Cryptic controls
- High-ish power draw
- Attracts fingerprints and scratches
- Sensitive IEMs need IEMatch
After the daylight robbery that was the removal of 3.5mm jacks from smartphones, the portable audio industry came up with an answer – the dongle dac! Just connect it to your smartphone’s USB port and get a nice headphone output.
With time the idea of a bus-powered mobile DAC/amp has been all but exhausted. The tiny form factor limits how far engineers can push it so most just use all-in-one chips from the usual suspect list of DAC chip makers. iFi Audio is the rare exception here.
The iFi GO bar Kensei employs an unspecified Cirrus Logic chip combined with improved clock and power management compared to its plain-Jane cousin, the regular GO bar. While tall tech talk often gets me excited, it’s really the heard performance that seals the deal.
One Minute Review Video
Design and Build
The GO bar Kensei makes most dongles look like toys. The all-steel case not only makes it look luxurious but also combined with the weight sets itself apart from just about everything else out there.
In hand it feels almost alien – a brushed steel ingot with LED pinholes and laser-engraved lettering. The Kensei would be right at home in a Dune novel – understated but impressive once it springs into action.
The accessory package is more than good – there are two short USB-C and Thunderbolt cables as well as a USB-C to USB-A adaptor for computer use. An interesting addition is a small pleather case you can mount to your belt. Too bad you can use the Kensei once it’s inside.
Controls
The iFi GO bar Kensei is controlled via three push buttons and a sliding switch. The three buttons have steel caps but the IEMatch switch is made from plastic. The three buttons allow for volume control and toggling the various sound enhancements. The sliding switch toggles between padded 3.5mm, 4.4mm, and pure output.
iFi’s usual assortment of sound enhancements are here – XBass LF boost, XSpace crossfeed, and IEMatch which helps with sensitive IEMs. A new addition is K2HD processing which is a proprietary technology from JVC. It allegedly restores high-frequency content in standard definition 16bit 44.1kHz files.
Under the Hood
I wasn’t able to open the Kensei and poke around in it because the steel case is locked with the tiniest torx screw. My jewelers’ screwdriver set doesn’t have a bit that would fit it so, I can only guess what DAC chip iFi is using here. After scouring Cirrus Logic DAC datasheets the best fit seems the CS43198.
iFi reps are mum about it which I understand – naming the chip always means that people will rush to conclusions. The problem is that the chip only dictates the performance ceiling, everything else is up to the designer to get right, wrong, or somewhere in between.
Just by looking at the board images on the iFi webpage, it’s evident that there’s a lot going on. Just like on Diablo 2, we see three electrolytic capacitors which in theory should improve instantaneous power delivery. An unspecified XMOS chip handles the USB reception.
How Does the GO bar Kensei Sound?
Let’s start off with compatibility – only the Simgot EA1000 encountered hiss without IEMatch enabled. Detecting it was tricky because the Kensei mutes the outputs when no signal is present. Hence the real-world noise performance can only be evaluated by playing digital silence.
It’s always a bit of a head-scratcher why iFi needs IEMatch when everyone else can just design silent outputs.
With high impedance loads like the HD6XX, the Turbo mode was needed to get extra gain out of the Kensei and have enough headroom for quieter recordings. This brings us to another non-critical issue that must be kept in mind – power draw.
Now onto sound proper. Immediately upon first listening, I was greeted with what I regard the iFi house sound – energetic, vivid, and technically proficient. Like the Diablo 2, it’s not something I’d call entirely neutral but the coloration never annoyed me. And the detail retrieval always keeps things interesting.
In terms of pairing, my favorite is the Monarch MK3 because it has the technical chops to keep up with the Kensei and a neutral tone that keeps things from being too exciting. Going up to Jupiter nets a gain in detail retrieval but to me, the overall signature veers too much into vivid territory.
Switching on Xbass is a welcome addition to open-back headphones. With most modern IEMs we get a tuned bass shelf so the extra help isn’t really needed. As for the Xspace crossfeed setting – I find it very recording-dependent, so I kept it disabled for most of my listening.
Comparisons
Currently, I don’t have any top-shelf priced dongles on my desk, just a FiiO KA17 and a Colorfly CDA M2. Which should make the comparisons even more interesting – the CDA M2 also uses a pair of Cirrus Logic chips and the FiiO runs double ES9069Q chips and a THX AAA 78+ amp stage. The wildcard here is FiiO’s 10-band PEQ capability.
Right off the bat, neither of the challengers can hold a candle to Kensei’s steel-clad build. Sound is a different story. Colorfly CDA M2 is a technical tour de force that matches both the detail and staging of the Kensei. At the same time, I can feel ear-fatigue creep in with its etched highs. The Kensei is plainly a more pleasurable listening experience.
The FiiO KA17 is a more interesting case due to its processing capabilities. Couple it with the right PEQ config and it’ll make most headphones and IEMs sound better than what can be had from the Kensei. In terms of raw audio performance, the Kensei does edge it out but not by miles.
Where to Buy
Who Should Buy This?
If you already love how iFi tunes their electronics, the Kensei is a safe bet. You are paying a premium for the tank-like build and blade-like aesthetics, but I won’t judge you for lusting after it. The looks will match your all-aluminum Macbook or smartphone and may even make them look downright pedestrian in comparison.
Final Thoughts
If it’s not clear after all these paragraphs, the iFi GO bar Kensei is a piece of luxury audio gear. in 2022 the company released a limited edition “Gold bar” edition of the said dongle which reportedly introduced a sound improvement over the regular GO bar. The Kensei isn’t a limited run and offers an improvement over the OG GO bar.
Luckily beyond the stellar looks and feel, the audio performance doesn’t leave me wanting. After listening to dozens of neutral designs it’s always fun to explore a spectrum of design choices that elevate the listening experience without losing composure and leaning into tastelessness.
If you’re looking for the best sound in the dongle format, please audition the Kensei as it might be just the thing you’re after. Brutally simple, and sturdy, yet packed with tech to keep you away from the “stop” button to find out what other dongles might have kept from you.
What’s in the Box?
- iFi GO bar Kensei
- USB-C to USB-C 10cm cable
- Lightning to lightning 10cm cable
- USB-C to USB-A adaptor
- Pleather carrying case
- Bamboo storage case
- Paperwork and stickers
Technical Specifications
- Form: Dongle DAC/Amp
- Frequency Response (Hz): 20 Hz – 45 KHz (-3dB)
- THD+N: SE <0.09% (100mW/1.27V @ 16Ω), BAL <0.002% (6.5mW/2.0V @ 600Ω)
- SNR: SE ≥ 121dBA, BAL ≥ 132dBA
- Output impedance: ≤ 1Ω (With IEMatch engaged: ≤ 3.6Ω)
- Output power: SE 300mW @ 32Ω; 3.8V @ 600Ω, BAL 477mW @ 32Ω; 7.2V @ 600Ω
- Removable Cable: Y
- Input: USB-C
- Outputs: 3.5mm SE and 4.4mm BAL
- Weight (g): 65g
- Additional features: XBass, Xspace, IEMatch and K2HD