AudioChainsDB
Shure

SE846

headphones

$899

Used market: $700*

Manufacturer datasheet

Specifications

3 of 6 values have a recorded source
Connector
MMCX·
Form Factor
In-Ear·
Impedance ohms
9
Transducer Type
Balanced Armature·
Detachable Cable
yes·
Sensitivity dB mW
114

Expert Audio Engineering Commentary

Tonal Profile

Four balanced armatures with a three-way crossover and a low-pass «groove» filter. 114 dB/mW at 9 Ω is roughly 134 dB/V — among the most efficient loads in the catalogue.

Amplification Warning

This is the textbook case for source output impedance. Nine ohms nominal, four armatures, a passive crossover: the impedance curve is anything but flat, and every ohm the source adds in series shows up as a change in tonal balance, not just level. Rule of thumb here is an output impedance under 1 Ω, and the noise floor matters as much as the tone.

* Estimated with the depreciation fallback (~78% retained value). · checked on 8/5/2026