ddHiFi TC44Grip vs Qudelix T71

Short answer

  • More power: the Qudelix T71, with 500 mW into 32 Ω; the ddHiFi TC44Grip has 80 mW (balanced: 2.00 W against 330 mW). The Qudelix T71 drives 9 headphones to 100 dB that the ddHiFi TC44Grip cannot (HiFiMAN Susvara, Moondrop COSMO, Moondrop PARA, 6 more).
  • Hiss with sensitive IEMs: cannot be compared — the maker of the ddHiFi TC44Grip publishes no noise figure.
  • Price: the Qudelix T71 costs $69 more; what that buys on these numbers is set out further down, under What the price difference buys.

Both are dongles, $160 against $229.

The Qudelix T71 reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here, the ddHiFi TC44Grip on 557.

Every published figure, next to each other

SpecificationddHiFi TC44GripQudelix T71
Power into 32Ω80 mW500 mW
Power into 150Ω17 mW107 mW
Power into 300Ω8.5 mW53 mW
Power into 600Ω4.3 mW27 mW
Output impedancenot published0.3 Ω unverified
Output noisenot published2.5 µV unverified
Price$160$229
Headphones it reaches 100 dB on
out of 567
557566

Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.

The 4.4 mm or XLR socket, rated on its own

BalancedddHiFi TC44GripQudelix T71
Socket4.4mm2.5mm+4.4mm
Power into 32Ω330 mW2.0 W derived
Power into 300Ω35 mW derived213 mW derived
Output impedancenot publishednot published
Output noisenot publishednot published
Headphones it reaches 100 dB on
out of 567
565567

Through the balanced sockets the Qudelix T71 reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here and the ddHiFi TC44Grip on 565. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.

Where each power figure comes from

LoadddHiFi TC44GripQudelix T71
32 ΩPublishedUpper bound
150 ΩDerivedUpper bound
300 ΩDerivedUpper bound
600 ΩDerivedUpper bound

These two columns are not the same kind of number, and that matters more than the gap between them. ddHiFi TC44Grip publishes a power rating (at 32 Ω); Qudelix T71 publishes no power figure at any load, only a maximum output voltage, so every milliwatt in its column is a ceiling worked out from that voltage.

A ceiling assumes the amplifier holds that voltage into the load, and nothing on Qudelix T71’s own sheet says it does. It is the most flattering reading available, and it is used here only because the alternative is a blank. Where the Qudelix T71 column looks the stronger of the two, treat the difference as unproven rather than measured. 24 of the 280 sources here are in that position, with no published power rating at any load.

What the labels mean.

The headphones that tell them apart

9 headphones reach 100 dB on the Qudelix T71 but not on the ddHiFi TC44Grip — HiFiMAN Susvara, Moondrop COSMO, Moondrop PARA, 6 more.

557 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.

Headroom and hiss on 8 models, both sources

Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.

The widest gap on the list is the Sennheiser HD 600: Qudelix T71 has +9 dB of headroom there against +1 dB. 8 dB is about 6.3 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.

The hiss columns are empty for ddHiFi TC44Grip and Qudelix T71 because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.

HeadphoneImpedanceNeedsddHiFi TC44Grip headroomQudelix T71 headroomddHiFi TC44Grip hissQudelix T71 hiss
Shure SE8469 Ω0.04 mW+28 dB+35 dBnot publishednot published
Campfire Audio Andromeda 20209 Ω4.0 mW+8 dB+15 dBnot publishednot published
Audeze LCD-2 Classic70 Ω0.79 mW+17 dB+25 dBnot publishednot published
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω)250 Ω0.63 mW+12 dB+20 dBnot publishednot published
HiFiMAN HE400se25 Ω7.9 mW+9 dB+17 dBnot publishednot published
Audio-Technica ATH-R70X470 Ω1.6 mW+5 dB+13 dBnot publishednot published
Sennheiser HD 600300 Ω6.6 mW+1 dB+9 dBnot publishednot published
HiFiMAN Susvara60 Ω50 mW-1 dB+7 dBnot publishednot published

The gap in dollars, against the gap in numbers

The Qudelix T71 costs $69 more than the ddHiFi TC44Grip. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 9 more models driven to 100 dB.

Nothing runs the other way: there is no axis here on which the cheaper of the two does better.

Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.

Both pages in full

Each in full: ddHiFi TC44Grip and Qudelix T71.

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