iBasso Kunlun GaN High-Power Desktop Headphone Amplifier

The iBasso Kunlun is a desktop headphone amplifier built around gallium nitride (GaN) transistors, the prologue to iBasso’s high-end desktop range. It delivers 7,400mW per channel into 32Ω balanced, enough for the hungriest planar and high-impedance headphones, yet its very low output impedance and noise suit sensitive IEMs too. A linear power supply, a fully analogue signal path and DC protection complete it. It is named after Kunlun, the mythical home of celestial beings, a symbol of iBasso’s pursuit of high-end sound.

GaN amplification

The Kunlun was the industry’s first very affordable desktop headphone amplifier to use GaN. GaN FETs have electron mobility of up to 2,000cm²/Vs, higher than MOSFETs and silicon transistors, with higher electron velocity and lower losses at high frequencies, and a much smaller parasitic Miller charge (QGD) than MOSFETs of the same Rds(on), so they switch faster. In an audio amplifier that means better transients, dynamics and control.

GaN’s very low Rds(on) also allows more current. The output impedance is as low as 0.12Ω, so the Kunlun can drive low-impedance IEMs accurately, with a dynamic, layered sound: in iBasso’s words, a towering robot performing a delicate ballet.

40 transistors, 7,400mW per channel

Eight GaN power transistors in the output stage and 32 transistors in the drive stage (16 × 2) form a large discrete amplifier with several times the current of an op-amp design, for more dynamic reserve and headroom: powerful and delicate at once. Balanced into 32Ω, each channel gives up to 7,400mW, enough for high-impedance, low-sensitivity full-size headphones, with a wide dynamic range and a rich, layered soundstage.

Linear power, DC protection

Instead of a switching supply, the Kunlun uses linear transformers and high-quality regulators for smoother power and a lower noise floor, keeping the whole analogue chain stable and quiet so micro-details come through. A DC protection circuit detects abnormal DC and cuts the output at once, protecting your headphones. Eight GaN FETs and many audiophile-grade electrolytic and film capacitors give stable power and very low distortion, for a clean, delicate, warm and engaging sound.

Analogue feel, digital precision

Texas Instruments volume chips keep the left and right channels closely matched at every level, with smooth, linear adjustment, while you turn a real analogue potentiometer. A three-position stepped switch sets the hardware gain to suit your headphones’ sensitivity while keeping noise and distortion down.

Connections and build

Front: 4-pin XLR and 4.4mm balanced outputs and a 6.35mm single-ended output, with the volume knob, gain switch and power button. Back: RCA, 4.4mm balanced and XLR balanced inputs, plus the mains switch, fuse and IEC inlet. The chassis is CNC-machined aluminium with a hard, scratch-resistant anodised finish, and the ventilated top and internal layout keep it cool and stable under heavy loads.

Good to know

• It is an amplifier only: connect a DAC, player or streamer with a line output.
• In the box: Kunlun, user manual, power cable, 3.5mm to RCA cable and 6.35mm adapter.