Short answer
Both are dongles, $299 against $449.
On raw power they are level: each reaches 100 dB on 563 of the 567 non-electrostatic models here.
| Specification | EarMen Colibri | iBasso DC-Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 75 mW | 162 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 16 mW | 35 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 8.0 mW | 17 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 4.0 mW | 8.6 mW |
| Output impedance | not published | not published |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Price | $299 | $449 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 563 | 563 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | EarMen Colibri | iBasso DC-Elite |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 4.4mm | 4.4mm |
| Power into 32Ω | 280 mW | 280 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 30 mW derived | 30 mW derived |
| Output impedance | not published | not published |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 565 | 565 |
Through the balanced sockets the two are level on the same test: each reaches 100 dB on 565 of the 567 models here. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | EarMen Colibri | iBasso DC-Elite |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. EarMen Colibri publishes at 32 Ω; iBasso DC-Elite at 32 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
The two publish at the same loads, which is the one case where the rows of this table can be read straight across.
2 headphones reach 100 dB on the EarMen Colibri but not on the iBasso DC-Elite — Symphonium Crimson, Symphonium Helios.
2 headphones reach 100 dB on the iBasso DC-Elite but not on the EarMen Colibri — HiFiMAN Susvara, Moondrop SKYLAND.
561 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Sennheiser HD 600: iBasso DC-Elite has +4 dB of headroom there against +1 dB. 3 dB is about 2.2 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for EarMen Colibri and iBasso DC-Elite because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | EarMen Colibri headroom | iBasso DC-Elite headroom | EarMen Colibri hiss | iBasso DC-Elite hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +33 dB | +31 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +13 dB | +11 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +16 dB | +20 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +12 dB | +15 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +11 dB | +12 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +5 dB | +8 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +1 dB | +4 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | -1 dB | +2 dB | not published | not published |
The iBasso DC-Elite costs $150 more than the EarMen Colibri. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 2 more models driven to 100 dB.
It does not run one way only: the cheaper EarMen Colibri drives 2 models to 100 dB that the iBasso DC-Elite does not, which is the part worth checking against your own headphones before paying the difference.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: EarMen Colibri and iBasso DC-Elite.