🎧 Headphone Power Calculator
Estimate the power, voltage, and current your headphones need from an amplifier to reach a target listening volume.
1
ohms
2
dB SPL/mW
3
dB SPL
How headphone power requirements work
A headphone’s sensitivity rating tells you how loud it plays for a given amount of power (usually 1 milliwatt). Combined with its impedance, this determines the voltage and current an amplifier must supply to reach a target volume.
The formulas
Power needed (mW) = 10 to the power of ((Target volume − Sensitivity) ÷ 10). Voltage = square root of (Power in watts × Impedance). Current = Voltage ÷ Impedance.
These are standard audio-electronics relationships (based on P = V²/R). Real-world headroom of at least 10-20 dB above your target listening level is generally recommended so peaks in the music aren’t clipped.
Last reviewed August 2026