The Sennheiser HD 800 is 300Ω at 96.8 dB/mW; the Sony MDR-MV1 is 24Ω at 100.0 dB/mW. This page is only about what they ask of an amplifier — not how they sound, which no specification on either sheet can tell you.
The Sennheiser HD 800 needs 3.2 dB more than the Sony MDR-MV1 to reach the same loudness — 2.1 mW against 1.0 mW.
| Specification | Sennheiser HD 800 | Sony MDR-MV1 |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 300 Ω | 24 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 96.8 dB/mW | 100.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 102.0 dB/V | 116.2 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 2.1 mW | 1.0 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 0.79 V | 0.15 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 2.6 mA | 6.5 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 37.50 Ω | 3.00 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 277 | 280 |
3 of the 280 sources have the power for the Sony MDR-MV1 but not for the Sennheiser HD 800 — Apple USB-C dongle (EU), Steinberg UR22C, Sony NW-A306.
20 sources are low enough in output impedance for the Sennheiser HD 800 under the one-eighth rule but not for the Sony MDR-MV1 (Zoom AMS-22, Arturia MiniFuse 2, Arturia MiniFuse 1, 17 more).
277 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both. That count is about power only — the output-impedance and hiss lines above are separate questions, and a source can pass this one and fail those.
Each model has a page of its own with the full source list, the hiss estimate and the provenance of every figure above: Sennheiser HD 800 and Sony MDR-MV1. Every figure on this page comes from what Sennheiser and Sony published, or is derived from it — what Sennheiser publishes and what Sony publishes, both counted.