Less volume with a more powerful amp

Amp gain (sensitivity), not output power, determines the necessary level setting.

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?

The significance of the gain and of the SNR is dependent on what you feed it. I do not know what you mean by "the threshold of signal loss."

I'm assuming there's a point at which the lack of sensitivity begins to prevent part of the signal from being transferred or amplified.

Actually, a lower sensitivity (higher numerical value) is commensurate with a lower noise floor.

In theory but, in practice, it would depend on the output capabilities of the preamp.

Thank you all for putting things in perspective.