The Debye-Einstein model is typically better for estimating phonon contribution than a non-magnetic analogue.
The Debye-Einstein model assumes that all phonons have the same energy and that the vibrational frequencies of the atoms are distributed according to a Debye or Einstein distribution. This model is based on statistical mechanics and has been widely used to estimate phonon contribution in solids.
In contrast, a non-magnetic analogue assumes that the magnetic properties of a material are not relevant to its phonon behavior. While this approach may be useful in some cases, it does not take into account the full complexity of phonon behavior in a material and may not be as accurate as the Debye-Einstein model.