iFi continues to highlight the benefit of having a DAC between your mobile device and headphones. The British-based company now adds the iFi Go bar Kensei, touted as the “world's first ultraportable DAC with K2HD technology” and “the pinnacle of our journey of refinement in the GO bar range”.

K2HD has been developed by JVC's sound engineers. We're told that this protocol “revives rich, natural harmonics into emotionally flat and lifeless digital recordings”. iFi adds that “every note resonates with depth and clarity” because of this.

The Kensei supports files up to 384kHz, DSD256 and even MQA, while built-in “iEMatch” technology matches the output levels for your headphones automatically.

You get a 4.4mm and a 3.5mm headphone output alongside a USB-C port for charging. Crafted from “Japanese stainless steel”, it “draws inspiration from the craftsmanship of a Kensei's legendary blade”. We dare wager that a katana will serve you better than a 65x22x13.2 mm DAC in battle, but the GO bar Kensie does feature a Turbo mode for hungrier headphones and IEMatch for sensitive IEMs, delivering up to 475mW of continuous power,

Thanks to the Kensei's enhanced power and clock circuitry, iFi promises that the compact DAC can produce a wide, open soundstage alongside plenty of detail and a full, robust bass response. If you want to tailor the sound, the GO bar Kensei offers four digital filter options in addition to two analogue processing modes: the bass-boosting “XBass” profile and the more spacious “XSpace” profile.

The iFi GO bar Kensei portable DAC is available now for £449/ €449.

Visit iFi for more information