The Tanchjim Space is a USB dongle at $70. It delivers 125 mW into 32Ω and 13 mW into 300Ω, which ranks it 189 of 280 for raw power among the sources in this database.
Measured at 100 dB SPL it has comfortable headroom on 505 of the 567 dynamic and planar headphones catalogued here, enough but not generous on 48, only marginal on 8 and not enough power for 6. Cheap, tiny and balanced, aimed squarely at in-ears rather than full-size headphones.
The manufacturer publishes a maximum output of 2.0 V but no power rating at any load. Every figure above is therefore a ceiling: the real output into a low impedance will be lower, possibly much lower.
The balanced output is rated separately: 500 mW into 32Ω through the 4.4mm jack.
Derived rows hold output voltage steady, as an amplifier does (method).
Source: tanchjim.com.
| Load | Power | Status | How it was arrived at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | 125 mW | Upper bound | the manufacturer publishes a maximum output voltage but no power rating, so this is a ceiling, not a rating |
| 150 Ω | 27 mW | Upper bound | the manufacturer publishes a maximum output voltage but no power rating, so this is a ceiling, not a rating |
| 300 Ω | 13 mW | Upper bound | the manufacturer publishes a maximum output voltage but no power rating, so this is a ceiling, not a rating |
| 600 Ω | 6.7 mW | Upper bound | the manufacturer publishes a maximum output voltage but no power rating, so this is a ceiling, not a rating |
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 | +29 dB | Comfortable audible hiss |
| 64 Audio U12t | 12.6 Ω | 108.0 dB/mW | 0.16 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Shure SE215 | 17 Ω | 107.0 dB/mW | 0.20 mW | +25 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Moondrop Aria | 32 Ω | 107.1 dB/mW | 0.19 mW | +28 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Audeze LCD-X 2021 | 20 Ω | 103.0 dB/mW | 0.50 mW | +22 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Truthear Hexa | 20.5 Ω | 103.1 dB/mW | 0.49 mW | +22 dB | Comfortable faint hiss |
| Sennheiser IE 200 | 18 Ω | 101.6 dB/mW | 0.69 mW | +20 dB | Comfortable |
| Sony MDR-7506 | 63 Ω | 106.0 dB/mW | 0.25 mW | +24 dB | Comfortable |
| Meze 99 Classics | 32 Ω | 103.0 dB/mW | 0.50 mW | +24 dB | Comfortable |
| Focal Clear MG | 55 Ω | 104.0 dB/mW | 0.40 mW | +23 dB | Comfortable |
| Philips SHP9500 | 32 Ω | 101.0 dB | 0.79 mW | +22 dB | Comfortable |
| Focal Utopia | 80 Ω | 104.0 dB/mW | 0.40 mW | +21 dB | Comfortable |
| Meze Empyrean | 32 Ω | 100.0 dB | 1.0 mW | +21 dB | Comfortable |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 94.0 dB | 4.0 mW | +9 dB | Enough |
| Etymotic ER2SE | 15 Ω | 96.0 dB/mW | 2.5 mW | +14 dB | Comfortable |
| AKG K371 | 32 Ω | 99.1 dB/mW | 1.2 mW | +20 dB | Comfortable |
| Audio-Technica ATH-M50X | 38 Ω | 99.0 dB/mW | 1.3 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X | 48 Ω | 100.0 dB/mW | 1.0 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 101.0 dB/mW | 0.79 mW | +19 dB | Comfortable |
| Grado SR80x | 38 Ω | 98.0 dB/mW | 1.6 mW | +18 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 560S | 120 Ω | 100.8 dB/mW | 0.83 mW | +16 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Edition XS | 18 Ω | 92.0 dB | 6.3 mW | +10 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Arya Stealth | 32 Ω | 94.0 dB | 4.0 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed | 13 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +7 dB | Enough |
| Audeze LCD-5 | 14 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +7 dB | Enough |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 102.0 dB/mW | 0.63 mW | +14 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 91.0 dB | 7.9 mW | +11 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Sundara | 32 Ω | 92.0 dB | 6.3 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Dan Clark Audio Stealth | 23 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +10 dB | Enough |
| Fostex T50RP MK3 | 50 Ω | 92.0 dB/mW | 6.3 mW | +11 dB | Comfortable |
| AKG K702 | 62 Ω | 92.9 dB/mW | 5.1 mW | +11 dB | Comfortable |
| ZMF Verite Closed | 300 Ω | 99.0 dB/mW | 1.3 mW | +10 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 650 | 300 Ω | 97.8 dB/mW | 1.7 mW | +9 dB | Enough |
| Sennheiser HD 800S | 300 Ω | 96.8 dB/mW | 2.1 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
| Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 96.0 dB | 2.5 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 98.0 dB/mW | 1.6 mW | +7 dB | Enough |
| ZMF Atrium | 300 Ω | 96.0 dB/mW | 2.5 mW | +7 dB | Enough |
| Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC | 50 Ω | 88.0 dB/mW | 16 mW | +7 dB | Enough |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 91.8 dB/mW | 6.6 mW | +3 dB | Enough |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 83.0 dB | 50 mW | +1 dB | Marginal |
At 1.1 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 22 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 | 22 dB SPL |
| Tanchjim EA FORCE | 17 Ω | 137.7 dB/V | 19 dB SPL |
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 134.5 dB/V | 15 dB SPL |
| Campfire Audio Clara | 13.3 Ω | 134.1 dB/V | 15 dB SPL |
| 64 Audio Fourte | 10 Ω | 134.0 dB/V | 15 dB SPL |
The manufacturer does not publish an output impedance for this source. Without it, nothing here can say how this source will behave with a multi-driver in-ear.
With a measured figure, the checker works out the consequence.
| Source | Type | Price | Into 300 Ω | Output impedance | Output noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FiiO BTR13 | Bluetooth receiver | $59 | 10.0 mW | 0.6 Ω | 1.0 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 1 do everything the Tanchjim Space does as a headphone output: reach 100 dB on every headphone it reaches and stay under the audible-hiss threshold wherever it does. The cheapest of them is the FiiO BTR13 at $59, against this one’s $70 — $11 less, and a Bluetooth receiver rather than a USB dongle.
The cheaper one also publishes an output impedance, which the Tanchjim Space does not — so on the paperwork it is ahead, not merely level.
This counts the headphone output only; inputs, converters, the volume control and the build are outside it.
$70 · 125 mW into 32Ω · 0.3 Ω out
Compare →$70 · 65 mW into 32Ω · output Ω not published
Compare →$70 · 112 mW into 32Ω · output Ω not published
Compare →$69 · 98 mW into 32Ω · 0.12 Ω out
Compare →$66 · 65 mW into 32Ω · output Ω not published
Compare →$75 · 125 mW into 32Ω · 0.3 Ω out
Compare →Compared with its closest rivals: vs DUNU DTC 480 · vs FiiO KA13 · vs Tanchjim LUNA · vs Tanchjim Stargate II · vs Truthear SHIO.