Tools
Headphone amp & DAC matcher
Some headphones run loud and clean straight out of a phone; others need a proper amp to reach their full volume without distorting. Whether yours do comes down to two numbers on the spec sheet: impedance (in ohms, Ω) and sensitivity (in decibels, usually quoted as dB/mW or dB/V).
Enter those two figures and a target loudness, and this tool estimates the power (milliwatts) and voltage your headphones need to hit that level — then gives a plain-English verdict and suggests amps and DACs from our directory that can supply it. The numbers are honest estimates based on the assumptions shown, not lab measurements.
- Power needed
- — mW
- Voltage needed
- — Vrms
- Current needed
- — mArms
Verdict: —
Enter your headphones’ impedance and sensitivity above to see the power and voltage they need.
Assumptions & how this is calculated
- Target SPL is treated as a short peak level. Music averages well below its peaks, so 110 dB peak is loud but leaves headroom; drop it to ~105 dB if you listen quietly.
- dB/mW: power needed (mW) = 10((target − sensitivity) / 10); voltage = √(power × impedance).
- dB/V: voltage needed = 10((target − sensitivity) / 20); power = voltage² ÷ impedance.
- Figures assume a clean source, a purely resistive load, and manufacturer sensitivity specs (which vary in how they’re measured). Treat them as estimates, not lab figures.
- “Comfortably driven” ≈ within a typical phone/dongle’s output (≤ 1 V and ≤ 30 mW). “Borderline” ≈ wants a good dongle or portable amp (≤ 2.5 V and ≤ 150 mW). “Needs more power” ≈ desktop-amp territory.