PARA 2 vs VENUS: which needs more amplifier?

The Moondrop PARA 2 is 9Ω at 85.5 dB/mW; the Moondrop VENUS is 18Ω at 82.6 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 VENUS needs 2.9 dB more than the PARA 2 to reach the same loudness — 55 mW against 28 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationPARA 2VENUS
Impedance9 Ω18 Ω
Sensitivity85.5 dB/mW82.6 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)106.0 dB/V100.0 dB/V
Power for 100 dB28 mW55 mW
Voltage for 100 dB0.50 V0.99 V
Current for 100 dB56.0 mA55.3 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
1.12 Ω2.25 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
223225

Where the two part company

2 of the 280 sources have the power for the PARA 2 but not for the VENUS — Sony NW-WM1AM2, Sony NW-WM1ZM2.

4 of the 280 sources have the power for the VENUS but not for the PARA 2 — iBasso DC03 Pro, Hidizs S9 Pro, Loxjie A30, 1 more.

11 sources are low enough in output impedance for the VENUS under the one-eighth rule but not for the PARA 2 (FiiO KA13, FiiO K11, Schiit Vali 2+, 8 more).

221 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 PARA 2 and Moondrop VENUS. Every figure on this page comes from what Moondrop published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.