The Audeze LCD-5 is 14Ω at 90.0 dB/mW; the Dan Clark Audio Expanse is 26Ω at 90.0 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.
In amplifier terms these two are the same headphone. The gap between what they need for 100 dB is under half a decibel, which is smaller than the step between two clicks of most volume controls.
| Specification | Audeze LCD-5 | Dan Clark Audio Expanse |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 14 Ω | 26 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 90.0 dB/mW | 90.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 108.5 dB/V | 105.9 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 10 mW | 10 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 0.37 V | 0.51 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 26.7 mA | 19.6 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 1.75 Ω | 3.25 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 274 | 279 |
5 of the 280 sources have the power for the Dan Clark Audio Expanse but not for the Audeze LCD-5 — Apple USB-C dongle (EU), Zoom AMS-22, Tascam US-2x2HR, 2 more.
4 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Dan Clark Audio Expanse under the one-eighth rule but not for the Audeze LCD-5 (Schiit Vali 2+, Astell&Kern HC3, RME Fireface UFX II, 1 more).
274 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.
Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Audeze LCD-5 and Dan Clark Audio Expanse. Every figure on this page comes from what Audeze and Dan Clark Audio published, or is derived from it — what Audeze publishes and what Dan Clark Audio publishes, both counted.