PARA vs Void: which needs more amplifier?

The Moondrop PARA is 8Ω at 80.0 dB/mW; the Moondrop Void is 64Ω at 98.1 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.

The PARA needs 18.1 dB more than the Void to reach the same loudness — 100 mW against 1.5 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationPARAVoid
Impedance8 Ω64 Ω
Sensitivity80.0 dB/mW98.1 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)101.0 dB/V110.0 dB/V
Power for 100 dB100 mW1.5 mW
Voltage for 100 dB0.89 V0.31 V
Current for 100 dB111.8 mA4.9 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
1.00 Ω8.00 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
130280

Where the two part company

150 of the 280 sources have the power for the Void but not for the PARA — Apple USB-C dongle (US), Apple USB-C dongle (EU), Generic CX31993 dongles, 147 more.

13 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Void under the one-eighth rule but not for the PARA (FiiO KA13, FiiO K11, Schiit Vali 2+, 10 more).

130 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.

What each one needs from 80 to 105 dB

The PARA is more demanding than 100% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the Void than 76%.

dB SPLPARA powerPARA voltageVoid powerVoid voltage
801.0 mW89 mV0.02 mW31 mV
853.2 mW0.16 V0.05 mW56 mV
9010 mW0.28 V0.15 mW100 mV
9532 mW0.50 V0.49 mW0.18 V
100100 mW0.89 V1.5 mW0.31 V
105316 mW1.59 V4.9 mW0.56 V

The cheapest source that satisfies both

SourcePriceHeadroom, PARAHeadroom, VoidOutput impedanceNoise
FiiO KA11$290.9 dB18.1 dB0.7 Ω1.7 µV
JDS Labs Atom+ (2nd gen)$994.0 dB26.4 dB0.7 Ω1.99 µV
FiiO KA15$1091.6 dB17.6 dB0.8 Ω1.7 µV

Of the 280 sources here, 130 reach 100 dB on both. 53 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 53 is the FiiO KA11, at $29. It leaves 0.9 dB of headroom on the PARA and 18.1 dB on the Void, its output impedance is 0.7 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 1.00 Ω and 8.00 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 34 dB and 25 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.

Try any other source.

What each sheet prints, and what it is worth

ModelAs printedToleranceStandard
PARA15-53kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)not printedIEC61094 (free field)
 20-20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)-3 dBIEC60318-4
Void10Hz - 80kHznot printednot printed
 20Hz - 20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)-3 dBIEC60318-4

Moondrop prints two ranges, “15-53kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)” and “20-20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)”, for the PARA and two ranges, “10Hz - 80kHz” and “20Hz - 20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)”, for the Void.

Both sheets print a tolerance, which is rare enough to be worth pointing at: only 58 of the 490 models with a printed range do. These two ranges can be set against each other, because each of them says how far down the response is allowed to be at the ends.

Not a measurement; maker by maker.

Both pages in full

Both have a page of their own. In full: Moondrop PARA and Moondrop Void. Every figure on this page comes from what Moondrop published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.

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