Short answer
Both are portable players, $350 against $369.
The TempoTec Variations V6 reaches 100 dB on 565 of the 567 models here, the Sony NW-A306 on 530.
| Specification | Sony NW-A306 | TempoTec Variations V6 |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 18 mW | 330 mW |
| Power into 150Ω | 3.7 mW | 70 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 1.9 mW | 35 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 0.90 mW | 18 mW |
| Output impedance | 1.5 Ω unverified | not published |
| Output noise | 5 µV unverified | not published |
| Price | $350 | $369 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 530 | 565 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | Sony NW-A306 | TempoTec Variations V6 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | no separate rating | 4.4mm |
| Power into 32Ω | — | 610 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | — | 65 mW derived |
| Output impedance | — | not published |
| Output noise | — | not published |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | — | 566 |
Only the TempoTec Variations V6 has a separate balanced rating from its maker; through it, it reaches 100 dB on 566 of the 567 models here. The Sony NW-A306 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 | Sony NW-A306 | TempoTec Variations V6 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Derived | Published |
| 150 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Derived | Derived |
| 600 Ω | Derived | Derived |
Only one of these two columns starts from a power rating. TempoTec Variations V6 publishes one at 32 Ω; Sony NW-A306 publishes none at any of these four loads, so its column is worked out from power it published at other loads. Both are arithmetic on a maker’s own figures rather than guesses, and the method used for the Sony NW-A306 understates rather than flatters — but at 32 Ω is the only load here at which its maker can be held to a figure.
35 headphones reach 100 dB on the TempoTec Variations V6 but not on the Sony NW-A306 — AKG K612 Pro, Abyss AB-1266 Phi CC, Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC, 32 more.
530 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: TempoTec Variations V6 has +12 dB of headroom there against -1 dB. 13 dB is about 19 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for Sony NW-A306 and TempoTec Variations V6 because neither maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Sony NW-A306 headroom | TempoTec Variations V6 headroom | Sony NW-A306 hiss | TempoTec Variations V6 hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +27 dB | +34 dB | not published | not published |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +7 dB | +14 dB | not published | not published |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +10 dB | +23 dB | not published | not published |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +6 dB | +18 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +5 dB | +15 dB | not published | not published |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | -1 dB | +12 dB | not published | not published |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | -5 dB | +7 dB | not published | not published |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | -7 dB | +5 dB | not published | not published |
The TempoTec Variations V6 costs $19 more than the Sony NW-A306. Out of the 567 models here, that difference buys 35 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: Sony NW-A306 and TempoTec Variations V6.