COSMO vs Old Fashioned: which needs more amplifier?

The Moondrop COSMO is 15Ω at 81.8 dB/mW; the Moondrop Old Fashioned is 32Ω at 94.1 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.

The COSMO needs 12.3 dB more than the Old Fashioned to reach the same loudness — 66 mW against 3.9 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationCOSMOOld Fashioned
Impedance15 Ω32 Ω
Sensitivity81.8 dB/mW94.1 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)100.0 dB/V109.0 dB/V
Power for 100 dB66 mW3.9 mW
Voltage for 100 dB1.00 V0.35 V
Current for 100 dB66.4 mA11.0 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
1.88 Ω4.00 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
188280

Where the two part company

92 of the 280 sources have the power for the Old Fashioned but not for the COSMO — Apple USB-C dongle (US), Apple USB-C dongle (EU), Generic CX31993 dongles, 89 more.

3 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Old Fashioned under the one-eighth rule but not for the COSMO (Astell&Kern HC3, RME Fireface UFX II, RME Fireface UFX III).

188 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.

Both pages in full

Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Moondrop COSMO and Moondrop Old Fashioned. Every figure on this page comes from what Moondrop published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.