Short answer
Both are desktop DAC/amps, $229 against $170.
The iFi Zen DAC 3 reaches 100 dB on 564 of the 567 models here, the Loxjie A30 on 560.
| Specification | iFi Zen DAC 3 | Loxjie A30 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 210 mW | 100 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 50 mW | 21 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 28 mW | 11 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 18 mW | 5.3 mW |
| Output impedance | 1 Ω | not published |
| Output noise | not published | not published |
| Price | $229 | $170 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 564 | 560 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | iFi Zen DAC 3 | Loxjie A30 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | 4.4mm | no separate rating |
| Power into 32Ω | 300 mW | — |
| Power into 300Ω | 106 mW derived | — |
| Output impedance | 1 Ω | — |
| Output noise | not published | — |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 565 | — |
Only the iFi Zen DAC 3 has a separate balanced rating from its maker; through it, it reaches 100 dB on 565 of the 567 models here. The Loxjie A30 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 DAC 3 | Loxjie A30 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Published | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Published | Derived |
Both makers publish a power rating. iFi Zen DAC 3 publishes at 32 Ω and at 600 Ω; Loxjie A30 at 32 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 DAC 3 figure is the maker’s own. On those rows the derived number is the one to doubt first.
4 headphones reach 100 dB on the iFi Zen DAC 3 but not on the Loxjie A30 — Moondrop COSMO, Moondrop PARA 2, Symphonium Helios, 1 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 Audio-Technica ATH-R70X: iFi Zen DAC 3 has +11 dB of headroom there against +6 dB. 5 dB is about 3.1 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for iFi Zen DAC 3 and Loxjie A30 because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | iFi Zen DAC 3 headroom | Loxjie A30 headroom | iFi Zen DAC 3 hiss | Loxjie A30 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +32 dB | +28 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +12 dB | +8 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +21 dB | +18 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +17 dB | +13 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +13 dB | +10 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +11 dB | +6 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +6 dB | +2 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +4 dB | +0 dB | not published | not published |
The iFi Zen DAC 3 costs $59 more than the Loxjie A30. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 4 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 DAC 3 and Loxjie A30.