[easylive]

If your are referring to GOld Bar, it does have 4 of those electrolytic caps instead of just 1 in regular GO bar or 3 in this new GB Kensei. Pretty sure those make more difference in sound than copper vs aluminum housing.

In another note, I'll more interested if there is a way to disable K2HD.

I tought, that there is a possibility to enable the K2HD like xBass or xSpace... otherwise it is disabled... maby Im wrong...

 

[Redcarmoose]

If your are referring to GOld Bar, it does have 4 of those electrolytic caps instead of just 1 in regular GO bar or 3 in this new GB Kensei. Pretty sure those make more difference in sound than copper vs aluminum housing.

In another note, I'll more interested if there is a way to disable K2HD.

Of course, see the light?

 

[iFi audio]

The K2 HD can be disabled or enabled as the user wishes by using the Filter button and the Vol+

This can be viewed in our manual in the support section of our site HERE

Cheers!!

 

[iFi audio]

Being a Go Bar fan, I watch this product with interest and have two questions:

1. I get the impression this is an ongoing SKU and not a limited-edition release like the Gold Bar?

2. I look forward to impressions comparing the Kensei and Gold Bar!

You are correct sir!

The Kensei is not a "limited edition" as the GOld Bar was although it will be in short supply initially as far as I know it will be around for a while!

Cheers!!

 

[nioh]

Another great product from IFI. Although I’m a bit disappointed by the DAC selection. I was hoping more for the usual IFI Burr Brown DACs and not Cirrus Logic again !

 

[Niyologist]

I remember trying the GO Bar Kensei at CanJam NYC 11 days ago. All I remember is really liking the sound and trying it out for 15 minutes.

 

[jsmiller58]

Another great product from IFI. Although I’m a bit disappointed by the DAC selection. I was hoping more for the usual IFI Burr Brown DACs and not Cirrus Logic again !

Yeah, though realistically the circuit implementation and selection of other components is likely to play an even bigger role than the DAC itself in the sound. I have quite a few dongles (Kensei, UA5, KA17, S1, R6, R7 just name the most recents) and couldn’t for the life of me tell you that I can definitively catalog the differences as being the DACs or the amps… seems to me they all are a bit different probably being all about the actual implementation. For example the XBass and XSpace features add to the sound signature - how to chalk that up to the DAC? I could be wrong and my ears & brain could be deceiving me, but that’s how I see it…

 

[nioh]

Yeah, though realistically the circuit implementation and selection of other components is likely to play an even bigger role than the DAC itself in the sound. I have quite a few dongles (Kensei, UA5, KA17, S1, R6, R7 just name the most recents) and couldn’t for the life of me tell you that I can definitively catalog the differences as being the DACs or the amps… seems to me they all are a bit different probably being all about the actual implementation. For example the XBass and XSpace features add to the sound signature - how to chalk that up to the DAC? I could be wrong and my ears & brain could be deceiving me, but that’s how I see it…

Try listening to the Gryphon and the Go Bar and tell me which one you like. Both implemented by the same company, similar features and also price point. I personally prefer the Gryphon

 

[KaiFi]

It looks like hardware upsampling with interpolation DSP. It's making more educated guesses for the instantaneous voltages of the PCM signal and forces all inputs to 352.8/384Khz

But if you look at the manual, it looks like K2 HD maxes out at 192Khz. It's the GTO filter that upsamples to 384.

 

[OhmsClaw]

But if you look at the manual, it looks like K2 HD maxes out at 192Khz. It's the GTO filter that upsamples to 384.

Welp. Confused them. It's definitely DSP that allegedly restores "information above 22Khz" so it's the antithesis of proper reconstruction filters. It adds back aliased images and ultrasonics that's supposed to be band limited by nyquist cutoff filters.

 

[musicday]

Is nice to see more high end USB dac dongles being released. 300 mW output for single ended is great for the ones that don't use balanced.

 

[jsmiller58]

Try listening to the Gryphon and the Go Bar and tell me which one you like. Both implemented by the same company, similar features and also price point. I personally prefer the Gryphon

implemented by the same company at the same price point doesn't mean implemented the same way…

Edit - there’s also quite a price difference, at least from looking at Amazon… with Gryphon being $150 more. Price doesn’t equal performance, of course.

 

[OhmsClaw]

implemented by the same company at the same price point doesn't mean implemented the same way…

Edit - there’s also quite a price difference, at least from looking at Amazon… with Gryphon being $150 more. Price doesn’t equal performance, of course.

Gryphon is doing ALOT more and has bluetooth. It's also much larger than a dongle.

 

[jsmiller58]

Gryphon is doing ALOT more and has bluetooth. It's also much larger than a dongle.

Yep! So comparing apples and sushi…

 

[ClieOS]

The first question that arises in my mind is, given the similarity in hardware between Kensei vs. regular Go / GOld Bar, isn't it all but possible to just implement K2HD via a firmware update retroactively to the original variance? The 2nd question, or perhaps more of a personal opinion, is that Keisei just doesn't seem to offer enough difference to justify it as a new model alongside Go Bar. I guess it makes more sense to me as a consumer to want to see Keisei as a real upgrade, both hardware and software than to see something more like a side grade. iFi as usual, likes to make multiple products that often occupy/overlap in the same market segment.