Sennheiser HD 560S vs ZMF Atrium: which needs more amplifier?

The Sennheiser HD 560S is 120Ω at 100.8 dB/mW; the ZMF Atrium is 300Ω at 96.0 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.

The ZMF Atrium needs 4.8 dB more than the Sennheiser HD 560S to reach the same loudness — 2.5 mW against 0.83 mW.

The numbers that decide it

SpecificationSennheiser HD 560SZMF Atrium
Impedance120 Ω300 Ω
Sensitivity100.8 dB/mW96.0 dB/mW
Sensitivity (voltage)110.0 dB/V101.2 dB/V
Power for 100 dB0.83 mW2.5 mW
Voltage for 100 dB0.32 V0.87 V
Current for 100 dB2.6 mA2.9 mA
Highest source impedance
that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule)
15.00 Ω37.50 Ω
Sources that reach 100 dB
out of 280
280277

Where the two part company

3 of the 280 sources have the power for the Sennheiser HD 560S but not for the ZMF Atrium — Apple USB-C dongle (EU), Steinberg UR22C, Sony NW-A306.

2 sources are low enough in output impedance for the ZMF Atrium under the one-eighth rule but not for the Sennheiser HD 560S (Schiit Valhalla 3, Arturia AudioFuse Rev2).

277 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.

Both pages in full

Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Sennheiser HD 560S and ZMF Atrium. Every figure on this page comes from what Sennheiser and ZMF published, or is derived from it — what Sennheiser publishes and what ZMF publishes, both counted.