DUNU DTC 480 vs Tanchjim Space

Short answer

  • More power: the Tanchjim Space, with 125 mW into 32 Ω; the DUNU DTC 480 has 65 mW (balanced: 500 mW against 150 mW). The Tanchjim Space drives 7 headphones to 100 dB that the DUNU DTC 480 cannot (HiFiMAN HE-6se V2, HiFiMAN HE6 Remastered, HiFiMAN Susvara, 4 more).
  • Hiss with sensitive IEMs: cannot be compared — the maker of the DUNU DTC 480 publishes no noise figure.
  • Price: the same, $70.

Both are dongles, both at $70.

The Tanchjim Space reaches 100 dB on 561 of the 567 models here, the DUNU DTC 480 on 554.

Every published figure, next to each other

SpecificationDUNU DTC 480Tanchjim Space
Power into 32Ω65 mW125 mW
Power into 150Ω14 mW27 mW
Power into 300Ω6.9 mW13 mW
Power into 600Ω3.5 mW6.7 mW
Output impedancenot publishednot published
Output noisenot published1.1 µV
Price$70$70
Headphones it reaches 100 dB on
out of 567
554561

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

BalancedDUNU DTC 480Tanchjim Space
Socket4.4mm4.4mm
Power into 32Ω150 mW500 mW derived
Power into 300Ω16 mW derived53 mW derived
Output impedancenot publishednot published
Output noisenot published1.3 µV
Headphones it reaches 100 dB on
out of 567
563566

Through the balanced sockets the Tanchjim Space reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here and the DUNU DTC 480 on 563. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.

Where each power figure comes from

LoadDUNU DTC 480Tanchjim Space
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. DUNU DTC 480 publishes a power rating (at 32 Ω); Tanchjim Space 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 Tanchjim Space’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 Tanchjim Space 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

7 headphones reach 100 dB on the Tanchjim Space but not on the DUNU DTC 480 — HiFiMAN HE-6se V2, HiFiMAN HE6 Remastered, HiFiMAN Susvara, 4 more.

554 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: Tanchjim Space has +3 dB of headroom there against +0 dB. 3 dB is about 1.9 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.

The hiss columns are empty for DUNU DTC 480 because that maker publishes no output noise figure.

HeadphoneImpedanceNeedsDUNU DTC 480 headroomTanchjim Space headroomDUNU DTC 480 hissTanchjim Space hiss
Shure SE8469 Ω0.04 mW+27 dB+29 dBnot published15 dB
Campfire Audio Andromeda 20209 Ω4.0 mW+7 dB+9 dBnot published-5 dB
Audeze LCD-2 Classic70 Ω0.79 mW+16 dB+19 dBnot published-7 dB
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω)250 Ω0.63 mW+11 dB+14 dBnot published-11 dB
HiFiMAN HE400se25 Ω7.9 mW+8 dB+11 dBnot published-12 dB
Audio-Technica ATH-R70X470 Ω1.6 mW+4 dB+7 dBnot published-18 dB
Sennheiser HD 600300 Ω6.6 mW+0 dB+3 dBnot published-22 dB
HiFiMAN Susvara60 Ω50 mW-2 dB+1 dBnot published-24 dB

The gap in dollars, against the gap in numbers

These two cost the same, $70, so price settles nothing. Out of the 567 models here, the Tanchjim Space drives 7 models to 100 dB — and on the other side there is no such advantage at all.

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

Both pages in full

Each in full: DUNU DTC 480 and Tanchjim Space.

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