The NiceHCK DB2 is 16Ω at 107.0 dB/mW; the NiceHCK Himalaya is 22Ω at 110.0 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.
The DB2 needs 3.0 dB more than the Himalaya to reach the same loudness — 0.20 mW against 0.10 mW.
| Specification | DB2 | Himalaya |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 16 Ω | 22 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 107.0 dB/mW | 110.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 125.0 dB/V | 126.6 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 0.20 mW | 0.10 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 57 mV | 47 mV |
| Current for 100 dB | 3.5 mA | 2.1 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 2.00 Ω | 2.75 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 280 | 280 |
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.
7 sources stay below the audible-hiss threshold with the DB2 but cross it with the Himalaya (Grace Design m900, FiiO M33 R2R, FiiO K17, 4 more).
280 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.
The DB2 is more demanding than 14% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the Himalaya than 10%.
| dB SPL | DB2 power | DB2 voltage | Himalaya power | Himalaya voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 2.0 µW | 6 mV | 1.0 µW | 5 mV |
| 85 | 6.3 µW | 10 mV | 3.2 µW | 8 mV |
| 90 | 0.02 mW | 18 mV | 0.01 mW | 15 mV |
| 95 | 0.06 mW | 32 mV | 0.03 mW | 26 mV |
| 100 | 0.20 mW | 57 mV | 0.10 mW | 47 mV |
| 105 | 0.63 mW | 0.10 V | 0.32 mW | 83 mV |
| Source | Price | Headroom, DB2 | Headroom, Himalaya | Output impedance | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JadeAudio JA11 | $20 | 18.8 dB | 23.1 dB | 0.5 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO KA11 | $29 | 30.9 dB | 33.4 dB | 0.7 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO BTR13 | $59 | 27.8 dB | 30.3 dB | 0.6 Ω | 1.0 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 280 reach 100 dB on both. 55 of them also publish an output impedance low enough for both under the one-eighth rule and a noise figure that stays below the audible-hiss threshold with both.
The cheapest of the 55 is the JadeAudio JA11, at $20. It leaves 18.8 dB of headroom on the DB2 and 23.1 dB on the Himalaya, its output impedance is 0.5 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 2.00 Ω and 2.75 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 10 dB and 9 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.
| Model | As printed | Tolerance | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| DB2 | 20 Hz – 20 kHz | not printed | not printed |
| Himalaya | 20 Hz – 28 kHz | not printed | not printed |
NiceHCK prints 20 Hz – 20 kHz for the DB2 and 20 Hz – 28 kHz for the Himalaya.
Neither range has a tolerance printed beside it, so a wider range on one sheet is not deeper bass or more treble.
Not a measurement; maker by maker.
Both have a page of their own. In full: NiceHCK DB2 and NiceHCK Himalaya. Every figure on this page comes from what NiceHCK published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.