The Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) is 250Ω at 102.0 dB/mW; the Philips SHP9600 is 32Ω at 102.0 dB (no reference unit printed). This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.
In amplifier terms these two are the same headphone. The gap between what they need for 100 dB is under half a decibel, which is smaller than the step between two clicks of most volume controls.
| Specification | Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | Philips SHP9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 250 Ω | 32 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 102.0 dB/mW | 102.0 dB |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 108.0 dB/V | 116.9 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 0.63 mW | 0.63 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 0.40 V | 0.14 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 1.6 mA | 4.4 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 31.25 Ω | 4.00 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 280 | 280 |
One caution before reading the rows. Philips SHP9600 printed a decibel figure with no reference unit, so this page reads it as per milliwatt. If it is really per volt, that model needs far more than the table says. Why the two readings differ by so much.
Every source in the database that drives one of them drives the other. On power, the choice between these two changes nothing about what amplifier you need.
19 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) under the one-eighth rule but not for the Philips SHP9600 (Zoom AMS-22, Arturia MiniFuse 2, Arturia MiniFuse 1, 16 more).
280 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.
Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) and Philips SHP9600. Each figure on this page is labelled on those pages with where it came from, including the ones Beyerdynamic and Philips never published — what Beyerdynamic publishes and what Philips publishes, both counted.