Glacier vs Vulkan 2: which needs more amplifier?

The Dunu Glacier is 43Ω at 109.0 dB/mW; the Dunu Vulkan 2 is 35Ω at 113.0 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.

The Glacier needs 4.0 dB more than the Vulkan 2 to reach the same loudness — 0.13 mW against 0.05 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationGlacierVulkan 2
Impedance43 Ω35 Ω
Sensitivity109.0 dB/mW113.0 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)122.7 dB/V127.6 dB/V
Power for 100 dB0.13 mW0.05 mW
Voltage for 100 dB74 mV42 mV
Current for 100 dB1.7 mA1.2 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
5.38 Ω4.38 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
280280

Where the two part company

Every source in the database that drives one of them drives the other. On power, the choice between these two changes nothing about what amplifier you need.

1 source is low enough in output impedance for the Glacier under the one-eighth rule but not for the Vulkan 2 (Shanling H5).

13 sources stay below the audible-hiss threshold with the Glacier but cross it with the Vulkan 2 (FiiO K11 R2R, Lake People G103-S Mk II, Lake People G111 Mk II, 10 more).

280 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.

Both pages in full

Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Dunu Glacier and Dunu Vulkan 2. Every figure on this page comes from what Dunu published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.