Between the IE 900 and AONIC 3, the IE 900 comes out ahead in impedance and sensitivity, while the AONIC 3 wins on several specs. Overall, the IE 900 scores 66.4 and the AONIC 3 scores 56.6 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The IE 900 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 9.8 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the IE 900 if you care most about impedance and sensitivity. The biggest gaps in its favor are impedance, sensitivity.
The AONIC 3 similarly doesn't carry a headline advantage on the popular specs — look at the full table for category-specific deltas.
Both ship with comparable driver count, detachable cable, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the IE 900 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Sennheiser - IE 900 wins
- ▲Impedance — 14.00 Ω less. 16 vs 30.
- ▲Sensitivity — 8.85% more. 123 dB vs 113 dB.
Why Shure - AONIC 3 wins
- No decisive advantages.
Spec comparison
Drivers
| Spec | Sennheiser - IE 900 | Shure - AONIC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver count | 1 | 1 |
| Driver types | Dynamic (X3R) | Single Balanced Armature |
| Impedanceⓘ | 16 Ωlead | 30 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 123 dBlead | 113 dB |
Build
| Spec | Sennheiser - IE 900 | Shure - AONIC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Detachable cable | true | true |
| Connector | MMCX | MMCX |
Spec-level deep dives
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