Less volume with a more powerful amp

Is particular amp sensitivity a predetermined engineering goal for a given design or is it an incidental outcome?

I do not think there is a single answer. Since it is interdependent with other design parameters, it is not an independent variable.

Obviously, sensitivity needs to fall within a useful range for commercial success but some designers have specific targets and others do not.

I don't mean to pester you but is high sensitivity commensurate with a low noise floor given all other performance parameters are of a high standard?

Okay, thank you. I guess what I'm getting at is where the threshold of signal loss begins. Is it interdependent on the gain of the pre or will it occur at a certain point regardless? And will the noise floor begin to add to it? Or is it a separate issue?