The Soncoz SGA1 is a desktop amplifier at $600. It delivers 407 mW into 32Ω and 210 mW into 300Ω, which ranks it 117 of 280 for raw power among the sources in this database.
Measured at 100 dB SPL it has comfortable headroom on 553 of the 567 dynamic and planar headphones catalogued here, enough but not generous on 11, only marginal on 2 and not enough power for 1. Power is published at 33Ω, 300Ω, 600Ω; the rest of the table is derived from those figures.
The manufacturer publishes 420 mW into 33Ω, 210 mW into 300Ω, 105 mW into 600Ω. The rest of the table is worked out from those.
The balanced output is rated separately: 407 mW into 32Ω through the 4-Pin XLR + 4.4mm jack.
Derived rows hold output voltage steady, as an amplifier does (method).
Source: soncoz.com.
| Load | Power | Status | How it was arrived at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | 407 mW | Derived | beyond the published loads, holding output voltage constant — which understates rather than flatters |
| 33 Ω | 420 mW | Published | the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load |
| 150 Ω | 207 mW | Derived | worked out between two published loads, holding output voltage linear between them |
| 300 Ω | 210 mW | Published | the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load |
| 600 Ω | 105 mW | Published | the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load |
Easiest to hardest to drive, with headroom at a 100 dB SPL peak.
| Headphone | Impedance | Sensitivity | Needs | Headroom | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 114.0 dB/mW | 0.04 mW | +35 dB | Comfortable audible hiss |
| 64 Audio U12t | 12.6 Ω | 108.0 dB/mW | 0.16 mW | +30 dB | Comfortable audible hiss |
| Shure SE215 | 17 Ω | 107.0 dB/mW | 0.20 mW | +30 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Moondrop Aria | 32 Ω | 107.1 dB/mW | 0.19 mW | +33 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Audeze LCD-X 2021 | 20 Ω | 103.0 dB/mW | 0.50 mW | +27 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Truthear Hexa | 20.5 Ω | 103.1 dB/mW | 0.49 mW | +27 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Sennheiser IE 200 | 18 Ω | 101.6 dB/mW | 0.69 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Sony MDR-7506 | 63 Ω | 106.0 dB/mW | 0.25 mW | +30 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Meze 99 Classics | 32 Ω | 103.0 dB/mW | 0.50 mW | +29 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Focal Clear MG | 55 Ω | 104.0 dB/mW | 0.40 mW | +29 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Philips SHP9500 | 32 Ω | 101.0 dB | 0.79 mW | +27 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Focal Utopia | 80 Ω | 104.0 dB/mW | 0.40 mW | +28 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Meze Empyrean | 32 Ω | 100.0 dB | 1.0 mW | +26 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 94.0 dB | 4.0 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| Etymotic ER2SE | 15 Ω | 96.0 dB/mW | 2.5 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| AKG K371 | 32 Ω | 99.1 dB/mW | 1.2 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable |
| Audio-Technica ATH-M50X | 38 Ω | 99.0 dB/mW | 1.3 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable |
| Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X | 48 Ω | 100.0 dB/mW | 1.0 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 101.0 dB/mW | 0.79 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable |
| Grado SR80x | 38 Ω | 98.0 dB/mW | 1.6 mW | +24 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 560S | 120 Ω | 100.8 dB/mW | 0.83 mW | +24 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Edition XS | 18 Ω | 92.0 dB | 6.3 mW | +16 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Arya Stealth | 32 Ω | 94.0 dB | 4.0 mW | +20 dB | Comfortable |
| Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed | 13 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +12 dB | Comfortable |
| Audeze LCD-5 | 14 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 102.0 dB/mW | 0.63 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 91.0 dB | 7.9 mW | +16 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Sundara | 32 Ω | 92.0 dB | 6.3 mW | +18 dB | Comfortable |
| Dan Clark Audio Stealth | 23 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| Fostex T50RP MK3 | 50 Ω | 92.0 dB/mW | 6.3 mW | +17 dB | Comfortable |
| AKG K702 | 62 Ω | 92.9 dB/mW | 5.1 mW | +17 dB | Comfortable |
| ZMF Verite Closed | 300 Ω | 99.0 dB/mW | 1.3 mW | +22 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 650 | 300 Ω | 97.8 dB/mW | 1.7 mW | +21 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 800S | 300 Ω | 96.8 dB/mW | 2.1 mW | +20 dB | Comfortable |
| Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 96.0 dB | 2.5 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 98.0 dB/mW | 1.6 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| ZMF Atrium | 300 Ω | 96.0 dB/mW | 2.5 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC | 50 Ω | 88.0 dB/mW | 16 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 91.8 dB/mW | 6.6 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 83.0 dB | 50 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
At 1.8 µV of output noise, here is where that noise lands in the five most revealing in-ears in the database.
This one hisses. With the most sensitive in-ears in the database its own noise lands around 26 dB SPL, which you will hear between tracks and in quiet passages.
| In-ear | Impedance | Sensitivity | Hiss level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simgot EA500 | 16 Ω | 141.0 dB/V | 26 dB SPL |
| Tanchjim EA FORCE | 17 Ω | 137.7 dB/V | 23 dB SPL |
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 134.5 dB/V | 20 dB SPL |
| Campfire Audio Clara | 13.3 Ω | 134.1 dB/V | 19 dB SPL |
| 64 Audio Fourte | 10 Ω | 134.0 dB/V | 19 dB SPL |
At 0.1Ω output impedance this source satisfies the one-eighth rule with every headphone in the database, down to the 3Ω in-ears. Nothing here will have its frequency response shaped by the source.
| Source | Type | Price | Into 300 Ω | Output impedance | Output noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schiit Magni Unity | desktop amplifier | $119 | 415 mW | 0.1 Ω | 1.59 µV |
| Topping L30 II | desktop amplifier | $149 | 560 mW | 0.1 Ω | 0.3 µV |
| SMSL HO100 | desktop amplifier | $160 | 200 mW | <0.1 Ω | 1.3 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 8 do everything the Soncoz SGA1 does as a headphone output: reach 100 dB on every headphone it reaches, stay inside the one-eighth rule wherever it does and stay under the audible-hiss threshold wherever it does. The cheapest of them is the Schiit Magni Unity at $119, against this one’s $600 — $481 less.
This counts the headphone output only; inputs, converters, the volume control and the build are outside it.
$600 · 4.0 W into 32Ω · 0.5 Ω out
Compare →$599 · 2.0 W into 32Ω · 0.1 Ω out
Compare →$629 · 1.4 W into 32Ω · 0.125 Ω out
Compare →$540 · 2.5 W into 32Ω · output Ω not published
Compare →$660 · 1.0 W into 32Ω · 0.08 Ω out
Compare →$539 · 2.5 W into 32Ω · <0.1 Ω out
Compare →Compared with its closest rivals: vs Bottlehead Crack (OTL kit) · vs iFi iCAN Pro · vs Lake People G111 Mk II · vs Little Dot MK III SE · vs Schiit Valhalla 3 · vs SMSL H400 MK2 · vs Topping A90 Discrete · vs xDuoo TA-30.