Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Sennheiser - IE 200 | Shure - AONIC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 18 Ω | 30 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 119 dB | 113 dB |
Between the IE 200 and AONIC 3, the IE 200 comes out ahead in impedance / sensitivity, while the AONIC 3 wins on several specs. Overall, the IE 200 scores 62.5 and the AONIC 3 scores 56.6 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The IE 200 edges ahead on the Mars Score (62.5 vs 56.6), but the 5.9-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the IE 200 if you care most about impedance / sensitivity. The biggest gaps in its favor are impedance, sensitivity. The single most decisive one: Impedance — 12.00 Ω less. 18 vs 30.
The AONIC 3 similarly does not 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 do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the IE 200 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Sennheiser - IE 200 or Shure - AONIC 3?
Sennheiser - IE 200 leads the current Mars Score by 5.9 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare impedance, sensitivity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Sennheiser - IE 200 if…
Sennheiser - IE 200 has the measurable edge on impedance ohm, sensitivity db.
Choose Shure - AONIC 3 if…
Shure - AONIC 3 does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Sennheiser - IE 200 wins
- ▲Impedance — 12.00 Ω less. 18 vs 30.
- ▲Sensitivity — 5.31% more. 119 dB vs 113 dB.
Why Shure - AONIC 3 wins
- No decisive advantages.
Spec comparison
Drivers
| Spec | Sennheiser - IE 200 | Shure - AONIC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver count | 1 | 1 |
| Driver types | Dynamic | Single Balanced Armature |
| Impedanceⓘ | 18 Ωlead | 30 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 119 dBlead | 113 dB |
Build
| Spec | Sennheiser - IE 200 | Shure - AONIC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Detachable cable | true | true |
| Connector | MMCX | MMCX |