The Sony MDR-1AM2 is 16Ω at 98.0 dB/mW; the Sony MDR-M1 is 50Ω at 102.0 dB/mW. This page covers what they ask of an amplifier, not how they sound.
The MDR-1AM2 needs 4.0 dB more than the MDR-M1 to reach the same loudness — 1.6 mW against 0.63 mW.
| Specification | MDR-1AM2 | MDR-M1 |
|---|---|---|
| Impedance | 16 Ω | 50 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 98.0 dB/mW | 102.0 dB/mW |
| Sensitivity (voltage) | 116.0 dB/V | 115.0 dB/V |
| Power for 100 dB | 1.6 mW | 0.63 mW |
| Voltage for 100 dB | 0.16 V | 0.18 V |
| Current for 100 dB | 10.0 mA | 3.6 mA |
| Highest source impedance that leaves them alone (one-eighth rule) | 2.00 Ω | 6.25 Ω |
| Sources that reach 100 dB out of 280 | 280 | 280 |
Every source in the database that drives one of them drives the other. On power, the choice between these two changes nothing about what amplifier you need.
1 source is low enough in output impedance for the MDR-M1 under the one-eighth rule but not for the MDR-1AM2 (Shanling H5).
280 of the 280 sources here reach 100 dB on both.
The MDR-M1 is more demanding than 52% of the 567 non-electrostatic models in this database; the MDR-1AM2 than 50%.
| dB SPL | MDR-1AM2 power | MDR-1AM2 voltage | MDR-M1 power | MDR-M1 voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0.02 mW | 16 mV | 6.3 µW | 18 mV |
| 85 | 0.05 mW | 28 mV | 0.02 mW | 32 mV |
| 90 | 0.16 mW | 50 mV | 0.06 mW | 56 mV |
| 95 | 0.50 mW | 90 mV | 0.20 mW | 100 mV |
| 100 | 1.6 mW | 0.16 V | 0.63 mW | 0.18 V |
| 105 | 5.0 mW | 0.28 V | 2.0 mW | 0.32 V |
| Source | Price | Headroom, MDR-1AM2 | Headroom, MDR-M1 | Output impedance | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JadeAudio JA11 | $20 | 9.8 dB | 14.8 dB | 0.5 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO KA11 | $29 | 21.9 dB | 23.1 dB | 0.7 Ω | 1.7 µV |
| FiiO BTR11 | $36 | 14.5 dB | 14.8 dB | 0.5 Ω | 8.0 µV |
Of the 280 sources here, 280 reach 100 dB on both. 69 of them also publish an output impedance low enough for both under the one-eighth rule and a noise figure that stays below the audible-hiss threshold with both.
The cheapest of the 69 is the JadeAudio JA11, at $20. It leaves 9.8 dB of headroom on the MDR-1AM2 and 14.8 dB on the MDR-M1, its output impedance is 0.5 Ω against a one-eighth limit of 2.00 Ω and 6.25 Ω, and its noise figure puts the hiss floor 19 dB and 20 dB below the 20 dB SPL this site treats as the point where a quiet room stops hiding it.
| Model | As printed | Tolerance | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDR-1AM2 | 3-100000Hz | not printed | not printed |
| MDR-M1 | 5 Hz - 80,000 Hz (JEITA) | not printed | JEITA |
Sony prints 3-100000Hz for the MDR-1AM2 and 5 Hz - 80,000 Hz (JEITA) for the MDR-M1.
Neither range has a tolerance printed beside it, so a wider range on one sheet is not deeper bass or more treble.
Not a measurement; maker by maker.
Both have a page of their own. In full: Sony MDR-1AM2 and Sony MDR-M1. Every figure on this page comes from what Sony published, or is derived from it — what that maker publishes, counted.