The Campfire Audio Astrolith is 8.2Ω at 100.1 dB/mW; the Campfire Audio Chimera is 5.5Ω at 108.1 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.
The Astrolith needs 8.0 dB more than the Chimera to reach the same loudness — 0.98 mW against 0.15 mW.
| Specification | Astrolith | Chimera |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 8.2 Ω | 5.5 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 100.1 dB/mW | 108.1 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 121.0 dB/V | 130.7 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 0.98 mW | 0.15 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 90 mV | 29 mV |
| Current for 100 dB | 10.9 mA | 5.3 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 1.02 Ω | 0.69 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.
42 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Astrolith under the one-eighth rule but not for the Chimera (FiiO SnowSky Tiny B, FiiO KA11, JDS Labs Atom+ (2nd gen), 39 more).
28 sources stay below the audible-hiss threshold with the Astrolith but cross it with the Chimera (Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini, FiiO BTR11, Fosi Audio SK02, 25 more).
280 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.
The Astrolith is more demanding than 28% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the Chimera than 3%.
| dB SPL | Astrolith power | Astrolith voltage | Chimera power | Chimera voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 9.8 µW | 9 mV | 1.5 µW | 3 mV |
| 85 | 0.03 mW | 16 mV | 4.9 µW | 5 mV |
| 90 | 0.10 mW | 28 mV | 0.02 mW | 9 mV |
| 95 | 0.31 mW | 50 mV | 0.05 mW | 16 mV |
| 100 | 0.98 mW | 90 mV | 0.15 mW | 29 mV |
| 105 | 3.1 mW | 0.16 V | 0.49 mW | 52 mV |
| Source | Price | Headroom, Astrolith | Headroom, Chimera | Output impedance | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JadeAudio JA11 | $20 | 9.0 dB | 15.2 dB | 0.5 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO BTR13 | $59 | 18.0 dB | 24.3 dB | 0.6 Ω | 1.0 µV |
| iBasso DC03 Pro | $69 | 14.1 dB | 20.4 dB | 0.12 Ω | 0.9 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 280 reach 100 dB on both. 25 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 25 is the JadeAudio JA11, at $20. It leaves 9.0 dB of headroom on the Astrolith and 15.2 dB on the Chimera, its output impedance is 0.5 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 1.02 Ω and 0.69 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 14 dB and 5 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.
| Model | As printed | Tolerance | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astrolith | 5-25 kHz | not printed | not printed |
| Chimera | 5-20 kHz | not printed | not printed |
Campfire Audio prints 5-25 kHz for the Astrolith and 5-20 kHz for the Chimera.
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: Campfire Audio Astrolith and Campfire Audio Chimera. Every figure on this page comes from what Campfire Audio published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.