Meteor vs Triton: which needs more amplifier?

The Symphonium Meteor is 9.7Ω at 90.9 dB/mW; the Symphonium Triton is 8.3Ω at 86.2 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 Triton needs 4.7 dB more than the Meteor to reach the same loudness — 24 mW against 8.1 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationMeteorTriton
Impedance9.7 Ω8.3 Ω
Sensitivity90.9 dB/mW86.2 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)111.0 dB/V107.0 dB/V
Power for 100 dB8.1 mW24 mW
Voltage for 100 dB0.28 V0.45 V
Current for 100 dB28.9 mA53.8 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
1.21 Ω1.04 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
271229

Where the two part company

42 of the 280 sources have the power for the Meteor but not for the Triton — Apple USB-C dongle (US), Generic CX31993 dongles, JadeAudio JA11, 39 more.

4 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Meteor under the one-eighth rule but not for the Triton (FiiO K11, FiiO BTR7, FiiO Q7, 1 more).

229 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: Symphonium Meteor and Symphonium Triton. Every figure on this page comes from what Symphonium published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.