Published October 2026 · prices checked Oct 30, 2026. Headphone ratings are the manufacturers’ unless noted; amp figures are manufacturer ratings or review listings, as marked. The power math is shown so you can check it. AmperHeads does not bench-test gear: picks come from published specs, measurements and owner reports. How we research .

Current Picks

#1
Topping DX5 II
~$299

Best for most planars: 14 dB or more of headroom on every planar in the table except the HE6se, plus a DAC and headphone EQ. Use the balanced output for an HE6se.

Check price for the Topping DX5 II on Amazon ↗
#2
Schiit Magni (Unity)
$119 ($199 with DAC card)

Best amp if you already have a DAC: 3 W into 16Ω and 1.5 W into 50Ω by Schiit's rating, for $119.

Check price for the Schiit Magni (Unity) on Amazon ↗ Buy direct for the Schiit Magni (Unity) from Schiit ↗
#3
FiiO KA17
~$200

Best portable option for the easier planars: about 10 dB of headroom on a FiiO FT15 from the balanced jack on phone power.

Check price for the FiiO KA17 on Amazon ↗

The short version: almost every current planar falls into one of three groups. The easy group (FiiO FT15, Audeze LCD-X) needs 5 to 32 mW for 110 dB peaks. The 40 to 80 mW group (HE400SE, Sundara, Edition XS, Ananda Nano, every current Arya) needs a desktop amp or a strong balanced dongle. The HE6 group needs about 450 mW and an amp rated for it. Within each group, current matters more than voltage, and output impedance matters less than it does on dynamic headphones. (The key-specs line at the top of this page uses the Edition XS, 18Ω and 92 dB/mW, as a typical mid-group planar.)

The Planar Power Table

Requirement for 110 dB peaks, calculated from each maker’s impedance and sensitivity: power = 10^((110 - sensitivity) / 10) mW, voltage = √(power × impedance), current = voltage ÷ impedance. The per-volt sensitivity column converts the per-milliwatt rating so you can compare it with IEMs and dynamic headphones.

HeadphoneImpedanceSensitivityFor 110 dB peaksMinimum amp classOur pickOur pairing guide
FiiO FT1524Ω95 dB/mW (111.2 dB/V)32 mW, 0.87 V, 36 mAA: balanced dongleFiiO KA17 or K11 R2Rn/a
Audeze LCD-X (2021)20Ω103 dB/mW at DRP (120 dB/V)5 mW, 0.32 V, 16 mAA: balanced dongleFiiO KA17n/a
HiFiMAN Ananda Stealth27Ω (retailers vary)103 dB/mW (retailers vary)5 mW, 0.37 V, 14 mAA, if the rating holdsFiiO K11 R2Rn/a
HiFiMAN Sundara37Ω94 dB/mW (108.3 dB/V)40 mW, 1.21 V, 33 mAB: desktopSchiit Magni (Unity)Sundara amp guide
HiFiMAN Ananda Nano14Ω94 dB/mW (112.5 dB/V)40 mW, 0.75 V, 53 mAB: desktopSchiit Magni (Unity)n/a
HiFiMAN Arya Organic16Ω94 dB/mW (112.0 dB/V)40 mW, 0.80 V, 50 mAB: desktopTopping DX5 IIn/a
HiFiMAN Arya Unveiled27Ω94 dB/mW (109.7 dB/V)40 mW, 1.04 V, 38 mAB: desktopTopping DX5 IIn/a
HiFiMAN Arya Stealth32Ω94 dB/mW (108.9 dB/V)40 mW, 1.13 V, 35 mAB: desktopTopping DX5 IIn/a
HiFiMAN Edition XS18Ω92 dB/mW (109.4 dB/V)63 mW, 1.07 V, 59 mAB: desktopTopping DX5 IIEdition XS amp guide
Dan Clark Aeon 2 Noire13Ω (retailers)92 dB/mW (retailers)63 mW, 0.91 V, 70 mAB: desktopSchiit Magni (Unity)n/a
HiFiMAN HE400SE25Ω91 dB/mW (107.0 dB/V)79 mW, 1.41 V, 56 mAB: desktopSchiit Magni (Unity)HE400SE amp guide
Audeze LCD-2 Classic70Ω101 dB/mW at DRP (112.5 dB/V)8 mW, 0.75 V, 11 mA by the math; Audeze asks for more than 100 mWB: desktopSchiit Magni (Unity)n/a
HiFiMAN HE6se V2 / HE6 Remastered50Ω83.5 dB (96.5 dB/V)447 mW, 4.73 V, 95 mAC: 2 W+ into 50ΩSchiit Jotunheim 3, balancedn/a

Amp classes, as used here:

  • A: balanced dongle. A USB-C dongle with a 4.4mm output rated at roughly 150 mW or more into 16 to 32Ω, such as the FiiO KA17 or KA3. Desktop amps are welcome but not required.
  • B: desktop amp. Rated at 500 mW or more into 16 to 32Ω, with output impedance under about 2Ω. That covers every current desktop amp we list, from the $119 Magni (Unity) up.
  • C: 2 W or more into 50Ω. Few amp makers publish a 50Ω figure. Schiit does: the Magni (Unity) is rated at 1.5 W and the Jotunheim 3 at 4 W balanced.

Two rows need a note. Audeze measures sensitivity “at the Drum Reference Point”, a different reference from HiFiMAN’s, so the LCD-2 Classic math lands far below Audeze’s own minimum of more than 100 mW and recommendation of more than 250 mW (Headphones.com spec sheet). We follow Audeze’s numbers. For the Ananda Stealth, retailer listings disagree (27Ω or 25Ω at 103 dB on most, 16Ω at 93 dB on a few), so treat that row as provisional.

Which versions are current? HiFiMAN’s own product page lists the Ananda Nano (14Ω, 94 dB), the third Ananda generation. The older Ananda Stealth is still listed by some retailers and marked discontinued by others. For the Arya, the Arya Organic (16Ω, 94 dB) and Arya Unveiled (27Ω, 94 dB, with removable magnetic veils) are the current wired versions; the 32Ω Arya Stealth is still sold by some retailers. The original Arya is no longer sold new. Headphone prices swing widely by retailer and region, so the table leaves them out.

Current vs Voltage: Why Planars Trip Up Small Amps

Every amp has two ceilings: the most voltage it can swing and the most current it can push. Which one you hit first depends on the headphone’s impedance.

A 300Ω Sennheiser HD 600 needs about 2.45 V for 110 dB peaks but only about 8 mA. A HiFiMAN Ananda Nano needs only 0.75 V, a third of that voltage, but 53 mA, more than six times the current. Look down the table: most planars need under 1.5 V and 35 to 70 mA. That is the signature of a low-impedance, moderate-sensitivity load.

Phones and basic USB-C dongles are built around voltage. The US Apple USB-C adapter is commonly measured at about 1 V. On voltage alone, that looks like enough for an Arya Organic (0.80 V needed). But into 16Ω, 0.80 V means 50 mA, and the only current figure we found for the Apple adapter is Reference Audio Analyzer’s 32 mA maximum before clipping, measured on the lower-voltage A2155 (non-US) unit. When the current runs out, the waveform clips on bass notes and transients first, which matches the common owner complaint that planars sound “thin” or “flat” from a phone.

So “low impedance means easy to drive” is wrong for planars. Read impedance and sensitivity together, then check the amp’s rating at the impedance closest to your headphone; a 300Ω rating tells you nothing about a 16Ω planar. Our what is headphone impedance explainer covers the physics.

Planar drivers add one more twist. Their impedance is almost flat across the audio band, so the amp sees the same low load at every frequency. A dynamic headphone’s impedance usually rises around its bass resonance, which eases the load exactly where music has the most energy. A planar gives no such break. Our planar vs dynamic comparison covers the rest of the differences.

Why Output Impedance Matters Less on Planars (But Still Matters)

On a dynamic headphone with an impedance peak, a source with high output impedance changes the frequency response: frequencies where the headphone’s impedance is high get louder, others get quieter. The usual guideline is to keep output impedance below one-eighth of the headphone’s impedance.

Because a planar’s impedance is nearly flat, that frequency-response effect mostly disappears. A 5Ω source makes an Edition XS quieter, not bassier or brighter. So the Z/8 rule is less about tonality on a planar and more about wasted voltage. The output impedance and the headphone form a voltage divider. A 10Ω source driving a 16Ω Arya Organic delivers only 16 / 26 = 62% of its voltage to the driver, a loss of about 4 dB, and the rest is turned into heat inside the amp.

For the planars in the table, the Z/8 ceilings range from about 1.6Ω (Aeon 2 Noire) and 1.75Ω (Ananda Nano) to 6.25Ω (HE6se) and 8.75Ω (LCD-2 Classic). Every solid-state desktop amp we recommend is under 1Ω on its main output, so the rule only bites on unusual sources: OTL tube amps, some laptop and motherboard jacks, and amps with deliberately high-impedance outputs.

Why OTL Tube Amps Are the Wrong Tool

Output-transformerless tube amps are the classic pairing for 300Ω headphones. On planars they fail on three counts, all visible in the specs:

  1. Output impedance larger than the headphone. Schiit lists the Valhalla 3 at 25Ω on low gain, 40Ω on high gain and 60Ω with feedback off. Into a 16Ω Arya Organic, a 25Ω source delivers 16 / 41 = 39% of its voltage, about 8 dB lost before the driver sees anything. Into a 14Ω Ananda Nano it is worse.
  2. Distortion-limited power. Schiit rates the Valhalla 3 at 750 mW into 32Ω at 10% THD. That figure describes the edge of clipping. The solid-state ratings on this page are at under 1% THD.
  3. The maker says so. Schiit’s product page says tubes are best for high-impedance headphones and that very low-efficiency headphones are out.

Because the planar load is flat, you would not even get the bass lift an OTL amp gives a Sennheiser. You would pay $499 for less clean current than a $119 Magni (Unity). If you want tubes with a planar, choose a hybrid amp with a solid-state or transformer-coupled output stage. Our tube vs solid-state guide explains the topologies.

The Amps vs the Three Groups

Headroom = 10 × log10(rated power ÷ required power), using the rating at the impedance closest to each headphone: the 16Ω figure for 13 to 18Ω planars, the 32Ω figure for 24 to 37Ω planars, and 50Ω (or 64Ω where that is the closest published) for the HE6 group. Anything above +6 dB is comfortable.

AmpPublished outputFT15 (32 mW)40 mW group, 16Ω (Arya Organic, Ananda Nano)Edition XS (63 mW)HE400SE (79 mW)HE6se (447 mW)
Apple USB-C dongle (US A2049)about 1 V, roughly 30 mW into 32Ω (commonly reported measurements)about +1 dB on voltageunclear: needs 50 mAabout -1 dBabout -3 dBno
FiiO KA3, 4.4mm120 mW / 16Ω, 240 mW / 32Ω (FiiO)+9 dB+5 dB+3 dB+5 dBno
FiiO KA17, 4.4mm, phone power150 mW / 16Ω, 300 mW / 32Ω (FiiO)+10 dB+6 dB+4 dB+6 dBno
FiiO KA17, 4.4mm, desktop mode460 mW / 16Ω, 650 mW / 32Ω (FiiO)+13 dB+11 dB+9 dB+9 dBno
FiiO K11 R2R, 6.35mm660 mW / 16Ω, 460 mW / 32Ω (FiiO)+12 dB+12 dB+10 dB+8 dBnot rated at 50Ω
FiiO K11 R2R, 4.4mm520 mW / 16Ω, 1.3 W / 32Ω (FiiO)+16 dB+11 dB+9 dB+12 dBnot rated at 50Ω
Schiit Magni (Unity)3 W / 16Ω, 2.5 W / 32Ω, 1.5 W / 50Ω (Schiit)+19 dB+19 dB+17 dB+15 dB+5 dB
Topping DX5 II, 6.35mm3.3 W / 16Ω, 2.2 W / 32Ω, 1.16 W / 64Ω (review spec listings)+18 dB+19 dB+17 dB+14 dB+4 dB
Topping DX5 II, balanced7.6 W / 16Ω, 6.4 W / 32Ω, 4.3 W / 64Ω (review listings; Topping)+23 dB+23 dB+21 dB+19 dB+10 dB
Schiit Jotunheim 3, single-ended2.4 W / 16Ω, 2 W / 32Ω, 1.2 W / 50Ω (Schiit)+18 dB+18 dB+16 dB+14 dB+4 dB
Schiit Jotunheim 3, balanced7.5 W / 16Ω, 6 W / 32Ω, 4 W / 50Ω (Schiit)+23 dB+23 dB+21 dB+19 dB+10 dB

What the table says:

  • The FT15 is the one planar a dongle handles well. Even the KA3 leaves about 9 dB of margin from its balanced jack.
  • For the 40 to 80 mW group, dongles work but run close to the edge. The KA17 on phone power gives 4 to 6 dB, enough for normal levels with some compression on loud, dynamic peaks. Its desktop mode, with a charger in the second USB-C port, adds about 5 dB.
  • Every desktop amp clears the 40 to 80 mW group by 8 dB or more. Past about +10 dB, extra power is spare capacity.
  • Only big balanced outputs handle the HE6 group comfortably. The Magni gives about 5 dB, fine at moderate levels.

The Picks, Tier by Tier

Topping DX5 II (~$299): the one box for almost every planar

The DX5 II pairs two ESS DACs with an amp that review spec listings put at 3.3 W into 16Ω from the 6.35mm jack, and that Topping rates at 6.4 W into 32Ω balanced. Single-ended, that is 14 to 19 dB of headroom across the 40 to 80 mW group. Balanced, it reaches the HE6se with about 10 dB to spare, using the 64Ω rating as the nearest published figure. Output impedance is listed at under 0.1Ω. It also has headphone-correction EQ and Bluetooth.

If you start on an HE400SE and end on an Arya or an HE6se, the amp does not need to change. Frieve’s review aggregator cites Audio Science Review’s measurement at 133 dB SNR with very low residual noise, and HiFi Pig reported no background noise with sensitive IEMs on low gain, so the same box also suits IEMs.

Schiit Magni (Unity) ($119): the amp for every planar below the HE6

Schiit rates the current Magni at 3 W into 16Ω, 2.5 W into 32Ω and 1.5 W into 50Ω, with output impedance under 0.1Ω and three gain settings (-10, 0 and +15 dB). That is 15 dB or more of headroom on every HiFiMAN planar in the table except the HE6 pair, and about 8 dB above Audeze’s 250 mW recommendation for the LCD-2 Classic. On an HE6se it manages about 5 dB, enough for moderate listening.

With Schiit’s DAC card it is $199 as a one-box. The JDS Labs Atom Amp 2 (~$129, See today's price for the JDS Labs Atom Amp 2 from JDS ↗ ) is the alternative, at 2.65 W into 32Ω by JDS’s spec.

FiiO K11 R2R (~$170): the cheapest box that does the job

FiiO rates the K11 R2R at 660 mW into 16Ω from the 6.35mm jack and 1.3 W into 32Ω from the 4.4mm jack. Its balanced output is rated lower into 16Ω (520 mW) than the single-ended one, so on 14 to 18Ω planars use the 6.35mm jack; on 24 to 37Ω planars a balanced cable gains about 4.5 dB. FiiO publishes no 50Ω figure, so we would not use it for an HE6se.

FiiO KA17 (~$200): the portable answer for the easier planars

The KA17 is a USB-C dongle with 3.5mm and 4.4mm outputs and a second USB-C port for external power (FiiO’s “desktop mode”). On phone power its balanced output gives about 10 dB of headroom on the FT15 and 4 to 6 dB on the 40 to 80 mW group. The best portable headphone amp guide compares it with the Bluetooth alternatives.

Schiit Jotunheim 3 ($499): the HE6 amp

The HE6se V2 and HE6 Remastered are the hard extreme. HiFiMAN rates both at 50Ω and 83.5 dB; HE6se reviews quote HiFiMAN’s advice to use an amp of at least 2 W per channel. The math agrees: 447 mW, 4.73 V and 95 mA for 110 dB peaks, and about 1.8 W and 9.5 V with 6 dB of headroom.

The Jotunheim 3 is one of the few amps whose maker publishes a 50Ω rating: 4 W balanced and 1.2 W single-ended, with output impedance under 0.8Ω balanced. That is about 9.5 dB of headroom balanced, which covers the 6 dB target with margin. The DX5 II’s balanced output is the cheaper alternative with a similar margin. Both need a balanced cable; the HE6se’s single-ended path on either amp gives only about 4 dB.

Some HE6 owners on Head-Fi run these headphones from speaker amplifiers through adapter boxes. A speaker amp has no headphone-level protection, so we do not suggest it as a first setup. Our best balanced headphone amps roundup covers balanced options at other prices.

Headphone Notes

FiiO FT15. Announced in September 2026 at $499 as the replacement for the FT5. FiiO’s page lists 95 dB/mW and describes it as easy to drive from dongles; retailers list 24Ω and 111 dB/Vrms, which is the same rating in per-volt terms. It is too new for settled owner consensus. See today's price for the FiiO FT15 on Amazon ↗

Ananda Nano and Arya Organic. The two lowest-impedance HiFiMANs here (14Ω and 16Ω) need the least voltage but the most current of the 40 mW group, so compare amps by their 16Ω ratings.

Arya Unveiled and Arya Stealth. The same 40 mW requirement at 27Ω and 32Ω. The Arya’s “needs a huge amp” reputation dates from the original version, which HiFiMAN rated at 35Ω and 90 dB; the current versions are rated at 94 dB, which needs 60% less power for the same loudness.

Sundara, HE400SE and Edition XS. Each has its own guide, linked in the table. They sit within 3 dB of each other, so one amp suits all three. Our HE400SE vs Sundara comparison covers which to buy.

Audeze LCD-X and LCD-2 Classic. Audeze’s 2021 LCD-X revision is listed at 20Ω and 103 dB/mW, making it the most sensitive planar here; one large retailer still shows older figures (70Ω and 95 dB), so check the listing for the unit you buy. The LCD-2 Classic is 70Ω and 101 dB/mW, but Audeze’s own minimum of more than 100 mW is the number to plan around.

Dan Clark Aeon 2 Noire. Retailers and reviews list 13Ω and 92 dB/mW, which makes it the most current-hungry headphone in the 40 to 80 mW group (70 mA). We did not check Dan Clark’s own spec page. Meze’s planar models are not included because we could not confirm current specs for them.

HE6se V2 and HE6 Remastered. HiFiMAN put the HE6 Remastered on sale in July 2026 at $1,899 with the same 50Ω and 83.5 dB ratings. Sources disagree on whether that 83.5 dB is per milliwatt or per watt; we use per milliwatt, as most reviews do. See today's price for the HiFiMAN HE6se V2 on Amazon ↗

Who Should Not Buy a New Amp

  • Owners of a desktop amp rated at 500 mW or more into 16 to 32Ω with low output impedance, driving anything except an HE6. That includes the Magni Heresy, Atom Amp+ and Asgard 3. Keep it.
  • FT15 and LCD-X owners with a good balanced dongle. You have 9 dB or more of margin already.
  • Anyone hoping an amp will fix the tuning. A competent amp removes compression. It does not move treble peaks. EQ does that, and the DX5 II has it built in.
  • Anyone buying balanced “because planar”. On the 40 to 80 mW group, a strong single-ended desktop output already has 14 dB or more to spare. Balanced matters for the HE6 group and for amps whose single-ended output is weak.

What Owners Say (as of October 2026)

This summarises recurring themes in owner discussion on r/headphones, Head-Fi and the Audio Science Review forum. It is not a test we ran.

  • The first desktop amp is the big step. Owners moving a Sundara, Edition XS or HE400SE from a phone or basic dongle to a desktop amp consistently report firmer bass and less congestion at volume. That matches the table: those sources sit at or below 0 dB of headroom.
  • “Planars need huge power” is repeated more than it is specified. When owners list the amps they actually use with Aryas and Anandas, Magni-class and Atom-class amps come up often, consistent with the 15 dB or more of headroom those amps have.
  • The HE6 is the exception that started the reputation. HE6 threads are where speaker-amp setups and 4 W-class balanced amps come up, and owners there say smaller amps leave the headphone sounding compressed.
  • Past a competent amp, reports split. Some Arya owners describe differences between well-designed solid-state amps; others hear none.
  • FT15 impressions are early. Launch coverage calls it easy to drive. We have not seen enough owner reports to summarise its sound or reliability yet.

Final Recommendation

Find your headphone in the table and read the group. For the easy group (FT15, LCD-X), a FiiO KA17 is enough on the go and any desktop amp is plenty. For the 40 to 80 mW group (Sundara, HE400SE, Edition XS, Ananda Nano, Arya Organic, Arya Unveiled, Arya Stealth), buy the Topping DX5 II if you need a DAC too, or the Schiit Magni (Unity) if you do not. For the HE6 group, buy a Schiit Jotunheim 3 or a DX5 II and use the balanced output. Skip OTL tube amps for all of them. If you are still choosing the headphone, start with our best planar headphones under $300 .

Sources