Short answer
Both are desktop amplifiers, $199 against $176.
The iFi Zen CAN reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here, the Little Dot MK II on 560.
| Specification | iFi Zen CAN | Little Dot MK II |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 1.6 W | 100 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 375 mW | 214 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 190 mW | 300 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 98 mW | 150 mW |
| Output impedance | 0.5 Ω unverified | not published |
| Output noise | 1.5 µV unverified | not published |
| Price | $199 | $176 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | 560 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | iFi Zen CAN | Little Dot MK II |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 4.4mm | no separate rating |
| Power into 32Ω | 1.2 W | — |
| Power into 300Ω | 550 mW derived | — |
| Output impedance | not published | — |
| Output noise | not published | — |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 567 | — |
Only the iFi Zen CAN has a separate balanced rating from its maker; through it, it reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here. The Little Dot MK II may still have a balanced socket — its spec sheet simply gives no figure for one, so there is nothing to put beside it. Derived figures are worked out from the loads the maker did publish.
| Load | iFi Zen CAN | Little Dot MK II |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 600 Ω | Published | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. iFi Zen CAN publishes at 32 Ω and at 600 Ω; Little Dot MK II at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω. The other rows are worked out from those.
So the two columns are not equally firm row by row: at 600 Ω only the iFi Zen CAN figure is the maker’s own and at 300 Ω only the Little Dot MK II figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
7 headphones reach 100 dB on the iFi Zen CAN but not on the Little Dot MK II — Moondrop COSMO, Moondrop PARA, Moondrop PARA 2, 4 more.
560 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 HiFiMAN HE400se: iFi Zen CAN has +22 dB of headroom there against +10 dB. 12 dB is about 16 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for iFi Zen CAN and Little Dot MK II because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | iFi Zen CAN headroom | Little Dot MK II headroom | iFi Zen CAN hiss | Little Dot MK II hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +41 dB | +28 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +21 dB | +8 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +30 dB | +22 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +26 dB | +26 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +22 dB | +10 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +19 dB | +21 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +15 dB | +17 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +13 dB | +4 dB | not published | not published |
The iFi Zen CAN costs $23 more than the Little Dot MK II. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 7 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.
Each in full: iFi Zen CAN and Little Dot MK II.