The IK Multimedia AXE I/O ONE is an audio interface at $130. It delivers 26 mW into 32Ω and 6.7 mW into 300Ω, which ranks it 270 of 280 for raw power among the sources in this database.
Measured at 100 dB SPL it has comfortable headroom on 397 of the 567 dynamic and planar headphones catalogued here, enough but not generous on 135, only marginal on 18 and not enough power for 17. Power is published at 50Ω; the rest of the table is derived from those figures. Output noise is not published, so the hiss estimate cannot be run.
The manufacturer publishes 40 mW into 50Ω. The rest of the table is worked out from those.
Derived rows hold output voltage steady, as an amplifier does (method).
Source: ikmultimedia.com.
| Load | Power | Status | How it was arrived at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | 26 mW | Derived | beyond the published loads, holding output voltage constant — which understates rather than flatters |
| 50 Ω | 40 mW | Published | the manufacturer publishes this figure at this exact load |
| 150 Ω | 13 mW | Derived | beyond the published loads, holding output voltage constant — which understates rather than flatters |
| 300 Ω | 6.7 mW | Derived | beyond the published loads, holding output voltage constant — which understates rather than flatters |
| 600 Ω | 3.3 mW | Derived | beyond the published loads, holding output voltage constant — which understates rather than flatters |
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 | +23 dB | Comfortable |
| 64 Audio U12t | 12.6 Ω | 108.0 dB/mW | 0.16 mW | +18 dB | Comfortable |
| Shure SE215 | 17 Ω | 107.0 dB/mW | 0.20 mW | +18 dB | Comfortable |
| Moondrop Aria | 32 Ω | 107.1 dB/mW | 0.19 mW | +21 dB | Comfortable |
| Audeze LCD-X 2021 | 20 Ω | 103.0 dB/mW | 0.50 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| Truthear Hexa | 20.5 Ω | 103.1 dB/mW | 0.49 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser IE 200 | 18 Ω | 101.6 dB/mW | 0.69 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Sony MDR-7506 | 63 Ω | 106.0 dB/mW | 0.25 mW | +21 dB | Comfortable |
| Meze 99 Classics | 32 Ω | 103.0 dB/mW | 0.50 mW | +17 dB | Comfortable |
| Focal Clear MG | 55 Ω | 104.0 dB/mW | 0.40 mW | +20 dB | Comfortable |
| Philips SHP9500 | 32 Ω | 101.0 dB | 0.79 mW | +15 dB | Comfortable |
| Focal Utopia | 80 Ω | 104.0 dB/mW | 0.40 mW | +18 dB | Comfortable |
| Meze Empyrean | 32 Ω | 100.0 dB | 1.0 mW | +14 dB | Comfortable |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 94.0 dB | 4.0 mW | +3 dB | Marginal |
| Etymotic ER2SE | 15 Ω | 96.0 dB/mW | 2.5 mW | +7 dB | Enough |
| AKG K371 | 32 Ω | 99.1 dB/mW | 1.2 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Audio-Technica ATH-M50X | 38 Ω | 99.0 dB/mW | 1.3 mW | +14 dB | Comfortable |
| Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X | 48 Ω | 100.0 dB/mW | 1.0 mW | +16 dB | Comfortable |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 101.0 dB/mW | 0.79 mW | +16 dB | Comfortable |
| Grado SR80x | 38 Ω | 98.0 dB/mW | 1.6 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| Sennheiser HD 560S | 120 Ω | 100.8 dB/mW | 0.83 mW | +13 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN Edition XS | 18 Ω | 92.0 dB | 6.3 mW | +4 dB | Enough |
| HiFiMAN Arya Stealth | 32 Ω | 94.0 dB | 4.0 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
| Dan Clark Audio AEON 2 Closed | 13 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +0 dB | Marginal |
| Audeze LCD-5 | 14 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +0 dB | Marginal |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 102.0 dB/mW | 0.63 mW | +11 dB | Comfortable |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 91.0 dB | 7.9 mW | +4 dB | Enough |
| HiFiMAN Sundara | 32 Ω | 92.0 dB | 6.3 mW | +6 dB | Enough |
| Dan Clark Audio Stealth | 23 Ω | 90.0 dB/mW | 10 mW | +3 dB | Marginal |
| Fostex T50RP MK3 | 50 Ω | 92.0 dB/mW | 6.3 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
| AKG K702 | 62 Ω | 92.9 dB/mW | 5.1 mW | +8 dB | Enough |
| ZMF Verite Closed | 300 Ω | 99.0 dB/mW | 1.3 mW | +7 dB | Enough |
| Sennheiser HD 650 | 300 Ω | 97.8 dB/mW | 1.7 mW | +6 dB | Enough |
| Sennheiser HD 800S | 300 Ω | 96.8 dB/mW | 2.1 mW | +5 dB | Enough |
| Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 96.0 dB | 2.5 mW | +5 dB | Enough |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 98.0 dB/mW | 1.6 mW | +4 dB | Enough |
| ZMF Atrium | 300 Ω | 96.0 dB/mW | 2.5 mW | +4 dB | Enough |
| Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC | 50 Ω | 88.0 dB/mW | 16 mW | +4 dB | Enough |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 91.8 dB/mW | 6.6 mW | +0 dB | Marginal |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 83.0 dB | 50 mW | -2 dB | Not enough |
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.
At 0Ω output impedance this source satisfies the one-eighth rule with every headphone in the database, down to the 3Ω in-ears. Nothing here will have its frequency response shaped by the source.
| Source | Type | Price | Into 300 Ω | Output impedance | Output noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iBasso DC03 Pro | USB dongle | $69 | 10 mW | 0.12 Ω | 0.9 µV |
| FiiO KA5 | USB dongle | $99 | 14 mW | 0.3 Ω | 1.6 µV |
| Schiit Magni Heresy | desktop amplifier | $99 | 410 mW | 0.25 Ω | 1.5 µV unverified |
Of the 280 sources here, 5 do everything the IK Multimedia AXE I/O ONE 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 iBasso DC03 Pro at $69, against this one’s $130 — $61 less, and a USB dongle rather than an audio interface.
The cheaper one also publishes a noise figure, which the IK Multimedia AXE I/O ONE does not — so on the paperwork it is ahead, not merely level.
This counts the headphone output only; inputs, converters, the volume control and the build are outside it.
$129 · 22 mW into 32Ω · 50 Ω out
Compare →$139 · 31 mW into 32Ω · 50 Ω out
Compare →$119 · 32 mW into 32Ω · output Ω not published
Compare →$149 · 27 mW into 32Ω · output Ω not published
Compare →$149 · 139 mW into 32Ω · 10 Ω out
Compare →$149 · 84 mW into 32Ω · output Ω not published
Compare →Compared with its closest rivals: vs Arturia MiniFuse 1 · vs Arturia MiniFuse 2 · vs Audient EVO 4 · vs Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th gen · vs Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th gen · vs IK Multimedia AXE I/O · vs Steinberg IXO22 · vs Tascam US-2x2HR · vs Zoom AMS-22 · vs Zoom AMS-24 · vs Zoom AMS-44.