iFi Audio GO Bar Kensei Ultraportable DAC & Headphone Amp

Small. But mighty.

The DAC section of the GO bar uses a powerful 16-core XMOS micro controller to process the audio data received at the USB input. Our in-house team has programmed the XMOS firmware to optimise sound quality and ensure a perfect partnership with the GO bar‘s 32-bit Cirrus Logic DAC chipset.

External affairs

The GO bar’s smart alloy case sports physical buttons for precise volume adjustment plus controls to select between various sonic tuning options. A column of coloured LEDs provides a handy guide to the format and sample rate of the digital audio currently playing, and whether XBass+ and/or XSpace are engaged.

Balance of power

Despite its diminutive size, the GO bar’s analogue circuitry sports a balanced circuit design with symmetrical twin-channel output stage. This reduces noise and crosstalk in the signal path by fully separating the left and right channels. This is usually found in larger and more expensive amplifiers.

The circuitry is packed full of high quality discrete components and special attention has been paid to power supply filtering too, dramatically reducing signal noise introduced through the USB input.

Purity and power

The amp’s design combines sonic purity with power.

475mW max. into 32 ohms
7.5V max. into 600 ohms
No headphone amp of such a diminutive size can match the GO bar’s ability to drive tricky headphone loads or work with a wider variety of headphones.

Advanced Power Tuning Technologies

The GO bar incorporates two innovative power tuning technologies to accommodate a wide range of headphones. iEMatch attenuates power to suit high-sensitivity headphones and in-ear monitors (IEMs), reducing background noise and expanding the usable volume range. Turbo ramps up the gain by 6dB to satisfy more power-hungry headphones, ensuring optimal performance across diverse listening setups.

High-Performance XMOS 16-Core Processing

At the heart of the GO bar is the XMOS 16-Core chip, which processes audio data received via the USB digital input. This new low-latency microcontroller significantly enhances processing power. Compared to the previous generation eight-core chips, it delivers double the clock speed (2000 MIPS) and four times the memory (512 KB), while supporting the latest SuperSpeed USB standard.

Optimized Digital Sound Quality

iFi’s in-house digital development team has fine-tuned the XMOS firmware to maximize sound quality and ensure seamless integration with the 32-bit Cirrus Logic DAC chipset used in the GO bar. Extensive jitter-eradication technologies are applied to the digital stage, including the GMT (Global Master Timing) femto-precision clock and an intelligent memory buffer. This combination provides a complete, out-of-the-box digital solution that effectively eliminates jitter.

Hi-Res and MQA Playback

The GO bar supports Hi-Res True Native® playback of all music formats, from MP3 to DSD256, PCM384, and DXD384. It also adopts MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology, an award-winning British innovation that delivers the sound of the original master recording. MQA files are fully authenticated and small enough to stream or download, allowing the GO bar to decode and reproduce master-level audio faithfully.

Premium Capacitor Components

The GO bar employs top-tier capacitors throughout its circuitry. TDK C0G (Class 1 ceramic) capacitors offer high stability and low losses, minimizing distortion in resonant circuit applications. Panasonic OS-CON capacitors, totaling 5,410 μF, feature very low Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), excellent noise reduction, and stable frequency response, even at low temperatures. Tantalum capacitors provide superior frequency stability and volumetric efficiency, while muRata control-type, low-ESR, high-Q multilayer capacitors deliver impressive noise suppression capabilities. Together, these components ensure clean, accurate signal reproduction.

Balanced Analogue Circuitry

The GO bar’s analogue section is built around a balanced design with a symmetrical twin-channel output stage. This topology, typically reserved for larger and more expensive amplifiers due to its complexity, reduces noise and crosstalk by fully separating the left and right channels, resulting in a more precise and immersive listening experience.