The Moondrop Psyche is 17.5Ω at 97.4 dB/mW; the Moondrop Variations is 15.2Ω at 99.8 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.
The Psyche needs 2.4 dB more than the Variations to reach the same loudness — 1.8 mW against 1.0 mW.
| Specification | Psyche | Variations |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 17.5 Ω | 15.2 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 97.4 dB/mW | 99.8 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 115.0 dB/V | 118.0 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 1.8 mW | 1.0 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 0.18 V | 0.13 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 10.2 mA | 8.3 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 2.19 Ω | 1.90 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.
3 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Psyche under the one-eighth rule but not for the Variations (Astell&Kern HC3, RME Fireface UFX II, RME Fireface UFX III).
280 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.
The Psyche is more demanding than 53% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the Variations than 40%.
| dB SPL | Psyche power | Psyche voltage | Variations power | Variations voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0.02 mW | 18 mV | 0.01 mW | 13 mV |
| 85 | 0.06 mW | 32 mV | 0.03 mW | 22 mV |
| 90 | 0.18 mW | 56 mV | 0.10 mW | 40 mV |
| 95 | 0.58 mW | 0.10 V | 0.33 mW | 71 mV |
| 100 | 1.8 mW | 0.18 V | 1.0 mW | 0.13 V |
| 105 | 5.8 mW | 0.32 V | 3.3 mW | 0.22 V |
| Source | Price | Headroom, Psyche | Headroom, Variations | Output impedance | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JadeAudio JA11 | $20 | 9.6 dB | 11.3 dB | 0.5 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO KA11 | $29 | 21.1 dB | 23.5 dB | 0.7 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO BTR11 | $36 | 13.7 dB | 16.1 dB | 0.5 Ω | 8.0 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 280 reach 100 dB on both. 69 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 69 is the JadeAudio JA11, at $20. It leaves 9.6 dB of headroom on the Psyche and 11.3 dB on the Variations, its output impedance is 0.5 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 2.19 Ω and 1.90 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 20 dB and 17 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.
| Model | As printed | Tolerance | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psyche | 7Hz- 46kHz | not printed | not printed |
| 20Hz 20kHz (IEC60318-4, 3dB) | 3 dB | IEC60318-4 | |
| Variations | 9-40kHz (IEC61094, Free Field) | not printed | IEC61094 (free field) |
| 20-20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB) | -3 dB | IEC60318-4 |
Moondrop prints two ranges, “7Hz- 46kHz” and “20Hz 20kHz (IEC60318-4, 3dB)”, for the Psyche and two ranges, “9-40kHz (IEC61094, Free Field)” and “20-20kHz (IEC60318-4, -3dB)”, for the Variations.
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 have a page of their own. In full: Moondrop Psyche and Moondrop Variations. Every figure on this page comes from what Moondrop published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.