Szalayi vs Traillii: which needs more amplifier?

The Oriolus Szalayi is 10Ω at 110.0 dB/mW; the Oriolus Traillii is 21Ω at 112.0 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.

The Szalayi needs 2.0 dB more than the Traillii to reach the same loudness — 0.10 mW against 0.06 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationSzalayiTraillii
Impedance10 Ω21 Ω
Sensitivity110.0 dB/mW112.0 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)130.0 dB/V128.8 dB/V
Power for 100 dB0.10 mW0.06 mW
Voltage for 100 dB32 mV36 mV
Current for 100 dB3.2 mA1.7 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
1.25 Ω2.62 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
280280

Where the two part company

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.

8 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Traillii under the one-eighth rule but not for the Szalayi (FiiO KA13, Schiit Vali 2+, Astell&Kern HC3, 5 more).

4 sources stay below the audible-hiss threshold with the Traillii but cross it with the Szalayi (FiiO M15S, FiiO K19, FiiO M17, 1 more).

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

What each one needs from 80 to 105 dB

The Traillii is more demanding than 5% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the Szalayi than 4%.

dB SPLSzalayi powerSzalayi voltageTraillii powerTraillii voltage
801.0 µW3 mV0.6 µW4 mV
853.2 µW6 mV2.0 µW6 mV
900.01 mW10 mV6.3 µW12 mV
950.03 mW18 mV0.02 mW20 mV
1000.10 mW32 mV0.06 mW36 mV
1050.32 mW56 mV0.20 mW65 mV

The cheapest source that satisfies both

SourcePriceHeadroom, SzalayiHeadroom, TrailliiOutput impedanceNoise
JadeAudio JA11$2019.7 dB24.9 dB0.5 Ω1.7 µV
FiiO KA11$2931.9 dB35.4 dB0.7 Ω1.7 µV
FiiO BTR13$5928.8 dB32.4 dB0.6 Ω1.0 µV

Of the 280 sources here, 280 reach 100 dB on both. 46 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 46 is the JadeAudio JA11, at $20. It leaves 19.7 dB of headroom on the Szalayi and 24.9 dB on the Traillii, its output impedance is 0.5 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 1.25 Ω and 2.62 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 5 dB and 7 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
Szalayi10Hz~40kHznot printednot printed
Traillii20Hz〜40kHznot printednot printed

Oriolus prints 10Hz~40kHz for the Szalayi and 20Hz〜40kHz for the Traillii.

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 pages in full

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

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