Apogee Duet 3: power output and what it will drive

The Apogee Duet 3 is an audio interface at $649. It delivers 1.2 W into 32Ω and 126 mW into 300Ω, which ranks it 72 of 280 for raw power among the sources in this database.

Measured at 100 dB SPL it has comfortable headroom on 561 of the 567 dynamic and planar headphones catalogued here, enough but not generous on 5 and only marginal on 1. The maker publishes a maximum output voltage but no power figure at any load, so every number here is an upper bound rather than a rating. Output noise is not published, so the hiss estimate cannot be run.

Specifications

What it actually puts out

TypeAudio interface

Price$649

Power into 32 Ω1.2 W

Power into 150 Ω252 mW

Power into 300 Ω126 mW

Power into 600 Ω63 mW

Output impedance0.5 Ω

Output noisenot published

Comfortable headroom on 561 of 567 headphones (99%) · marginal on 1

Provenance

Where these numbers come from

The manufacturer publishes a maximum output of 6.153 V but no power rating at any load. Every figure above is therefore a ceiling: the real output into a low impedance will be lower, possibly much lower.

Derived rows hold output voltage steady, as an amplifier does (method).

Source: apogeedigital.com, knowledge.apogeedigital.com.

Load	Power	Status	How it was arrived at
32 Ω	1.2 W	Upper bound	the manufacturer publishes a maximum output voltage but no power rating, so this is a ceiling, not a rating
150 Ω	252 mW	Upper bound	the manufacturer publishes a maximum output voltage but no power rating, so this is a ceiling, not a rating
300 Ω	126 mW	Upper bound	the manufacturer publishes a maximum output voltage but no power rating, so this is a ceiling, not a rating
600 Ω	63 mW	Upper bound	the manufacturer publishes a maximum output voltage but no power rating, so this is a ceiling, not a rating

Matching

Against 40 well-known headphones

Easiest to hardest to drive, with headroom at a 100 dB SPL peak.

Headphone	Impedance	Sensitivity	Needs	Headroom	Verdict
Shure SE846	9 Ω	114.0 dB/mW	0.04 mW	+39 dB	Comfortable
64 Audio U12t	12.6 Ω	108.0 dB/mW	0.16 mW	+35 dB	Comfortable
Shure SE215	17 Ω	107.0 dB/mW	0.20 mW	+35 dB	Comfortable
Moondrop Aria	32 Ω	107.1 dB/mW	0.19 mW	+38 dB	Comfortable
Audeze LCD-X 2021	20 Ω	103.0 dB/mW	0.50 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable
Truthear Hexa	20.5 Ω	103.1 dB/mW	0.49 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser IE 200	18 Ω	101.6 dB/mW	0.69 mW	+30 dB	Comfortable
Sony MDR-7506	63 Ω	106.0 dB/mW	0.25 mW	+34 dB	Comfortable
Meze 99 Classics	32 Ω	103.0 dB/mW	0.50 mW	+34 dB	Comfortable
Focal Clear MG	55 Ω	104.0 dB/mW	0.40 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable
Philips SHP9500	32 Ω	101.0 dB	0.79 mW	+32 dB	Comfortable
Focal Utopia	80 Ω	104.0 dB/mW	0.40 mW	+31 dB	Comfortable
Meze Empyrean	32 Ω	100.0 dB	1.0 mW	+31 dB	Comfortable
Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020	9 Ω	94.0 dB	4.0 mW	+19 dB	Comfortable
Etymotic ER2SE	15 Ω	96.0 dB/mW	2.5 mW	+23 dB	Comfortable
AKG K371	32 Ω	99.1 dB/mW	1.2 mW	+30 dB	Comfortable
Audio-Technica ATH-M50X	38 Ω	99.0 dB/mW	1.3 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable
Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X	48 Ω	100.0 dB/mW	1.0 mW	+29 dB	Comfortable
Audeze LCD-2 Classic	70 Ω	101.0 dB/mW	0.79 mW	+28 dB	Comfortable
Grado SR80x	38 Ω	98.0 dB/mW	1.6 mW	+28 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 560S	120 Ω	100.8 dB/mW	0.83 mW	+26 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN Edition XS	18 Ω	92.0 dB	6.3 mW	+20 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN Arya Stealth	32 Ω	94.0 dB	4.0 mW	+25 dB	Comfortable
Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed	13 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+17 dB	Comfortable
Audeze LCD-5	14 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+17 dB	Comfortable
Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω)	250 Ω	102.0 dB/mW	0.63 mW	+24 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN HE400se	25 Ω	91.0 dB	7.9 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN Sundara	32 Ω	92.0 dB	6.3 mW	+23 dB	Comfortable
Dan Clark Audio Stealth	23 Ω	90.0 dB/mW	10 mW	+19 dB	Comfortable
Fostex T50RP MK3	50 Ω	92.0 dB/mW	6.3 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable
AKG K702	62 Ω	92.9 dB/mW	5.1 mW	+21 dB	Comfortable
ZMF Verite Closed	300 Ω	99.0 dB/mW	1.3 mW	+20 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 650	300 Ω	97.8 dB/mW	1.7 mW	+19 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 800S	300 Ω	96.8 dB/mW	2.1 mW	+18 dB	Comfortable
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250Ω)	250 Ω	96.0 dB	2.5 mW	+18 dB	Comfortable
Audio-Technica ATH-R70X	470 Ω	98.0 dB/mW	1.6 mW	+17 dB	Comfortable
ZMF Atrium	300 Ω	96.0 dB/mW	2.5 mW	+17 dB	Comfortable
Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC	50 Ω	88.0 dB/mW	16 mW	+17 dB	Comfortable
Sennheiser HD 600	300 Ω	91.8 dB/mW	6.6 mW	+13 dB	Comfortable
HiFiMAN Susvara	60 Ω	83.0 dB	50 mW	+11 dB	Comfortable

Noise

Will it hiss?

The manufacturer does not publish an output noise figure for this source, so there is no hiss estimate here. If you have a measured figure, the hiss calculator takes it.

Damping

Output impedance and the one-eighth rule

At 0.5Ω output impedance, the one-eighth rule says this source suits headphones of 4.0Ω and above. 1 of the 567 models here falls below that. The one model below that line is the Symphonium Titan, and the mismatch tilts the frequency response audibly rather than subtly.

Check any pair.

Cheaper

The cheapest thing here that does the same job

Source	Type	Price	Into 300 Ω	Output impedance	Output noise
Schiit Magni Heresy	desktop amplifier	$99	410 mW	0.25 Ω	1.5 µV unverified
Schiit Magni Unity	desktop amplifier	$119	415 mW	0.1 Ω	1.59 µV
Schiit Vali 3	desktop amplifier	$149	400 mW	0.5 Ω	2.83 µV

Of the 280 sources here, 23 do everything the Apogee Duet 3 does as a headphone output: reach 100 dB on every headphone it reaches and stay inside the one-eighth rule wherever it does. The cheapest of them is the Schiit Magni Heresy at $99, against this one’s $649 — $550 less, and a desktop amplifier rather than an audio interface.

This counts the headphone output only; inputs, converters, the volume control and the build are outside it.

Alternatives

Compared with its closest rivals: vs Apogee BOOM · vs Apogee Symphony Desktop · vs Arturia AudioFuse Rev2 · vs Audient EVO 16 · vs Audient iD24 · vs Audient iD44 MkII · vs Audient NERO · vs Focusrite Scarlett 16i16 (4th Gen) · vs Focusrite Scarlett 18i16 (4th Gen) · vs Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 4th gen · vs RME Babyface Pro FS · vs Roland Rubix44 · vs Universal Audio Volt 476P.

Compare any two or match your own headphones. Every Apogee source here.

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Apogee Duet 3: power output and what it will drive

What it actually puts out

Where these numbers come from

Against 40 well-known headphones

Will it hiss?

Output impedance and the one-eighth rule

The cheapest thing here that does the same job

Other audio interfaces at a similar price

Audient iD24

SSL 12

Arturia AudioFuse Rev2

Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 4th gen

MOTU UltraLite-mk5

Universal Audio Volt 476P