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Spec drill · Sensitivity

Studio Pro vs Beoplay HX

A side-by-side readout for sensitivity.

Apple · Studio Pro
108dB
▲ Lead
Bang & Olufsen · Beoplay HX
96dB
VerdictStudio Pro wins on sensitivity.
Context

Understanding sensitivity

Sensitivity tells you how much volume a transducer produces per unit of input power. A 100 dB/mW headphone hits 100 dB SPL with 1 mW; an 85 dB/mW headphone needs ~32× more power for the same volume.

Comfortable listening

  • Conversation / background music — 60–70 dB.
  • Engaged listening — 75–85 dB.
  • Loud / hearing-damage zone (sustained) — 90+ dB.

Pairing with sources

A phone's headphone-jack DAC outputs ~25 mW into 32 Ω. With a 100 dB/mW headphone, that's 114 dB peak — plenty. With an 85 dB/mW, you might only get peaks around 99 dB — comfortable max, no headroom for transients.

This matchupStudio Pro's 108dB is roughly 13% higher than Beoplay HX's 96dB (a 12dB gap). Whether that gap is noticeable depends on workload — small percentage gaps rarely change day-to-day experience, while gaps of 20% or more usually do.

Glossary

What is sensitivity?

How loud a headphone or speaker plays at a given input power, expressed in dB/mW (headphones) or dB/W (speakers). Higher sensitivity = louder at lower power.

Read the full Sensitivity explainer →
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Other specs on this comparison

See the full Headphones category for all products ranked by Mars Score.